Time For A Quick Update!

Hello loyal readers!

I arrived in Sydney yesterday after spending Friday-Monday at my friend’s family’s farm in Alectown, NSW. Roughly about six-seven hours west of Sydney, Alectown is a population of … 110. So I definitely got the small-town, country experience. And it was fantastic!

Not only did I get to spend quite a bit of time with my good mate John and his family, I also got to try my hand at quite a few things I have never done before.

The first day was mostly helping with chores around the farm. I helped John’s dad feed the sheep, check the lambs, and prepare the fertilizer. Afterwards, John and I took the tractor out to the fields to put the fertilizer into the ground. Agriculture isn’t exactly something I know a lot (or anything) about, and I really enjoyed learning about the farming process from John and his dad. We also got to chase away some kangaroos in the field on foot. Mad fun.

Later that day, John was playing in a community footie (rugby) game, and I watched the Alectown Alligators beat the Parkes Boars 10-0 with a very scenic sunset and rolling hills in wide open space in the background.

And that night was when things got interesting. Earlier that week, John had asked me if I would like to go shooting. Of course, I assumed that this meant shooting rifles at things like cans or fence posts, so sure! Well, I learned that Aussies call “shooting” what we call “hunting.” I’m not quite sure how I feel about shooting and killing animals, but whatever moral or psychological problems I have with it was ratinoalized by the fact that the animals we hunted (kangaroos, foxes, rabbits) are pests that interfere heavily with the crops and sheep.

Please don’t read this if you are heavily opposed to the hunting of animals, and please do not judge me.

I definitely am a city-boy, and it was a bit uneasy watching John and his friends slice up the dead kangaroos (for dog-food) and load them in the back of the pick-up truck (where I was sitting), but it definitely was an experience I will never forget. Hunting may not be my cup of tea, but I’m still really glad I gave it a shot (no pun intended.. ha!). I found out I actually have a steady trigger, and I ended the night with 8 rabbits. I didn’t get any kangaroos because in order to kill them, you’ll need to use the shotgun, which is much harder to use than the rifle I was mostly using. Seeing how I had never even held a gun before, this was definitely quite the new experience for me.

And there were plenty of other highlights to my stay at the farm. The stars at night are the most incredible thing I have ever seen. I got to go dirt-bike (motorbike) riding, which was very scary and exciting. Also, everyone I met there, especially John’s family, were so nice, warm, and friendly. A weekend I will remember for a long, long time, that’s for sure.

And now I am in Sydney for a few more days before I head back to Wollongong to grab my luggage before heading back home. Final arrangements are being made, which is definitely an odd feeling.

I’m definitely enjoying my last few days here in Sydney, and I am meeting up tonight with some mates from my New Zealand trip – one of whom has my camera! I snapped a few pictures over the weekend on my old camera, and I’ll make sure to throw them up here when I get a chance.

Until next time!

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