Hello everyone, Well I've been in Aus for a week and I have to say it's growing on me. I don't feel like the odd one out any more as the majority of people I meet are also disapointed with the city and don't understand what the big deal is. Everyone raves on about Melbourne and Brisbane though and most are here for the money although reports are the Melbourne is also good for jobs which is a relief as I plan to spend some time down there. My hostel is great, I get on really well with the people in my dorm and others in the hostel. I had a real Aussie Barbie yesterday. One of the lads in the dorm is a builder so 8 guys from the site (all over 40 with big beer guts) laid on a barbie for his birthday so 8 of us from the dorm went with him, it was a great laugh. I have turned into a v. organised person this last week, everyone in the dorm are well impressed at my speed in getting my tax file no., bank account, medicare card, and yes finding a job. I've packed cd's for 2 days (would have been 3 but we did the job too fast) and hopefully should get some more work today. I start a more regular job on Monday the 8th Nov packing cosmetics until Xmas but the pay isn't that good so I'm trying to look for a better job this week while I can. The hostel is really cheap and very clean, it's also above a pub and a bistro so we get to mix with the locals everynight and get cheap meal deals. Hope everything is fine back home and everyone is happy. Love to you all Caitlin

Hello Everyone, I can't believe that I'm 23. Thankyou all for the cards via post and internet. I had a really good day. The landlord of the pub down stairs started it off at 5:30pm by presenting me with a birthday pint, the first pint I've had since I've been here, I've got so used to drinking schooners it looked massive, the barman also brought me a couple as well, I feel that maybe I'm spending too much time in the pub when the staff start to buy you the drinks. Loads of people from the hostel came out and needless to say I was fairly tipsy by the end of the night. I even got a birthday cake and candles and everyone sang happy bithday in the pub. I don't know how I did it but I was up and out of the hostel for 6;15am for work this morning and not feeling very perky at all. Work is good, it's quite boring but it's not hard and they are so laid back it's unbelievable, you couldn't imagine anywhere in England being like this and according to the Dutch guys I'm working with you wouldn't in Holland either. I'm off to the Blue Mountains this weekend, there's a good group of us going, we're like a little family in the hostel at the moment. There's nothing much else going on at the moment, after the referendum and rugby everything has gone back to Olympics, Olympics, Olympics, you get the impression that the sydneysider are getting a little fed up of it, they seem to be rebuilding the whole city for the occasion. Haven't decided what I'm doing for Christmas or new year yet, I think I'll probably stay in the hostel with everyone. It's really weird seeing cards with Santa on a surfboard and at the beach. Love to you all Caitlin

Hello everyone, I'm sorry that I have written for so long, there never seems so much to write about now I've stopped travelling around. It's happened, Sydney is actually growing on me. It's a really nice place to live yet still a big city, and yes to answer Robins question the whole place is full of British and Dutch and I haven't met that many Aussies our age so they must be in London. I've had a good couple of weeks, highlights include seeing the Socceroo's play Brasil at the new Olympic stadium and for free!!!! Aussies are a strange bunch (except Mike's mum of cause) they don't go with the usual tradition of naming their sports teams after the country ie England, Brasil, Holland etc. but have to make up some sort of name like the Socceroos and Hockeroo's. The match was okay but I don't think the Aussies are into football that much and apart from the group of Brasilians the stadium was pretty calm, I have been told to go to a football match at home as there's loads more atmosphere, I have to say that I did well to see Brasil play in my first ever football match. I also had the great job of shaving off all the hair of a dutch guy in the hostel, Bjorn had made a bet that Scotland would beat England in the first match and of cause they didn't and I had the honor of shaving his head. He is now trying to insist that I should let him cut my hair seeing as he trusted me, but there's no chance of that happening, I very luckily decided not to risk a bet on England for the second round match. The weeks are going really fast now especially as I'm working which is good, even if I'm not getting paid very much the job is good and I'll definitely stick with it as there seems to be a shortage at the moment due to the 70,000 backpackers that are expected to arrive in Sydney in the next 5 weeks, all the hostles are full already, there's a couple that have just moved into my dorm that were ringing hostels every day for 10 days before any became free. Hope everyone is well, Caitlin