Driving and Diving…

So the diving went well on Saturday. We got the gear on Friday night from the warehouse, they just gave us 10 grand worth of stuff without having to give ID or a credit card – crazy ozzies. We were up early the next day for it. Got on a rib boat at round 8 o clock and it took round 30 mins to get ou to Rottnest. The weird thing was that no instructor or divemaster went down with us. They just let us go do our own thing, which is very dangerous plus the fact they never asked to see if we actually had dive licences or not?! The first dive we came up 200m off the boat and had to swim back into the current, it was a nightmare! 2nd dive was much cooler. Then we headed back – the great thing was that we didnt have to take apart our gear. SWEET
Here’s us

Stayed in saturday night, think it was the first time I’ve ever had the house to myself!!
Got drunk on sunday with phil and birchall….

Aoife and Cats are arriving today. Their friend Cliona who put us up in Sydney is also gonna be with them. Theyre gonna have to sleep on the couches. Room is gonna be tight! Theyre only gonna stay til they get themselves sorted.

Today I was at a training course and they gave me a car to get there. Haha. Government plates and everything!

In the middle of trying to get this mansion in Margaret River for the weekend. There’s 30 if us heading down and its all on me for the accommodation!

Cliona from home was telling me she was in the spencer tunick installation in Dublin at the weekend. I dont believe her.

Goin home now!

Ta ta…
Ro

The Skallaght Massif

Howdy,

Well the last few weeks have been…interesting.

The weekend before last was the usual. The week was quiet enough. Saw sex and the city – kinda funny! Then this weekend I organised the Skallaght Massif Race Day. We all got dressed up and went to the horse races on the saturday. Was a great day. The weather was beautiful. There were a few winners, and a lot of losers…think we drank about 40 bottles of champagne between us…but anyway, the skallaght massif, obviously skallaght is skerries/tallaght. Because the majority if us are from either. Maybe a couple of outsiders…the massif is divided into 4 main households…they are…

• Alexis – which is our house – it consists of Me, Ron, Agg, Ed, Ray, Karl, Ned, Bondi, Paulie, Shell and Jimmy James Clarke
• The Gerbil – consists of Phil, Birchall, Leo, Scully, James, Nobs and Becs
• MacRochingham – consists of Gar Mac, Fiona, Lyds and Emma
• Duffer Palace – consists of the brothers Duff – Lar and Karl

Together we are SKALLAGHT MASSIF as below…..

 

Then we hit the casino to watch Ireland lose and lose some more money on the tables….After the casino I just headed home with the gerbils and had a mad laugh in their house drinking goon, a few people headed on out but we stayed put acting the eejit. It was honestly one of the funniest nights of my life!!

Did nothing on the Sunday, sat on the couch for the day….the boys went and bought a new car coz theyve been renting one for the last 2 weeks after the Red Dragon died. RIP. The new car is a beast. Its actually a 7 seater van and its hilarious.

Today is Tuesday and Im just after getting the troops together to go scuba diving on Saturday off Rottnest Island. Should be good crack. All the folks without licences are just gonna go snorkelling.

Now I’m in the midst of organising The Skallaght Massif road trip…we’re heading 500km north to a place call Kalbarri. Gonna be great fun. We’re gonna bring the van and the other houses are gonna rent cars. Gonna be about 20 -25 of us hopefully. Gonna snorkel, whale watch, hit the beach, go fishing and whatever else while we’re there. Also gonna go nuts in the hostel…

But on the way to Kalbarri we get to stop in a place called “The Principality of Hutt River”. NOw this is a place that has pretty much been declared its own country. Its actually called a micronation. Its 18000 acres in size and owned by 5 families. They created during a dispute over wheat cropping or something, anyhow, this place has a king and a queen and a a few princes and princesses!! It has its own currency, its own flag AND its own border control (a fence) but it means we have to bring passports to get into it AND they get stamped!! HAHA cant wait!!!

Tonight is cheap ass Tuesday so we’re off to the cinema as usual…The incredible hulk I think!

 

Now since we’ve gotten broadband in the gaf ive be “acquiring” all the songs that Ive heard throughout my travels…for my own reasons I’m gonna stick them up here and why (for when I print this off when (if) my travels come to an end)….actually I had a few of these on my iPod anyway but they only came into play whilst travelling.

Sick Puppies – All The Same - Just before I left

Kasabian – LSF - reminds me of all the bus journeys we were on and the month before I left Ireland

Scott Stapp – Let Me Go – reminds me of the bus journeys and trying to sleep in the shithole hotels

Styx – Lady – Watching the entire season of Freaks and Geeks on the buses, plus its an awesome ballad

Bob Marley – All - Every bar in Laos

Basshunter – Now You’re Gone/Boten Anna - Every bar/fireshow in Thailand, Full Moon

Yves Larock – Rise Up - Full Moon

The Beach Soundtrack – The beach! – Phi Phi

Dario G – Voices – The Beach

The Potbelleez – Dont Hold Back – First song that was cool in Australia

The Veronicas – This Love/Untouched – Australia

Bruce Springsteen – Im On Fire - Alexis

Estelle – American Boy – Australia

Fingers Eleven – Paralyzer – Australia

Iron Maiden – Fear Of The Dark - Alexis

Neil Young – The Needle and the Damage done – Alexis

Sharam – Party All The Time – The Gerbil!

This is my 71st post and I have 9000 visits to the site! NICE! At least I know I have a 70 page book of my travels for later in life….plus the 1600 photos ive taken so far. This could be the longest post Ive done yet! Obviously flat out in work….zzzz zzzzz

Right, til next time folks…

Ro

And the beat goes on…

Morning kids,

Today is Wednesday and I didn’t get paid…? Think it has something to do with the bank holiday weekend so hopefully the wages will come tomorrow…

As for the bank holiday weekend. Aggs friend Bondi arrived on Friday so we went out to Rosies for a few then hit The Deen. I headed home pretty early after a kebab with the Duffman. Saturday we were up early enough. Had a tropical storm for the day. Got a 30 dollar haircut, it was amazing, head massage and hot towels and everything!! Then we collected Aggs brother from the airport (he was supposed to be on the same flight s Bondi but had a wee passport incident and wasn’t allowed board). We had some dinner and headed out again, this time to a club called the Library. Hadn’t been there before even though we walk past it every night! Its a very cool club!! Sunday we went to a pool party in Jimmy James Clarkes girlfriends house. Big BBQ and stuff, it was really nice of her parents. Went home early enough and went down to the Shed. Had to queue for an hour and a half to get in!! Worth it though…..Gar Mac, Ciaran and Duff went to a rave in the Ministry of Sound in Metrocity, they got told it was sold out after trying to buy tickets at the door so they saw everyone wearing yellow bands that you get when u hand in your ticket, so off the boys went to the shop and bought a birthday card with a yellow envelope. Cut it into strips, sellotaped it to their arms and went back! Walked straight in past a 200 people queue!!! Genius! Ed on the other hand went up and saw the normal queue was too long, then joined the VIP line.  Had a peek over the door ladies shoulder to see the guest list. Took Chris Wades name…

The lady says – Name?

Ed - ”Chris Wade”

Lady – “Where is your plus one?”

Ed ” Oh plus one, he’s on his way”  (Whips out the phone, Agg get up here)

…access all areas!!

Monday we hit the beach for the day. Like so….

From the left – Thats me, Gar Mac the Style Icon, Karl “Underbelly” Williams, Agg “Some Craic” Flaherty, Ciaran “Ron” O’Brien, Ned “Kenneth” Holohan….

So all in all a cool weekend!!

No luck on a job improvement yet. Still in this kip. The guy who promised me an oracle job was just on the phone, said he’s still awaiting feedback. I’m gonna kill him if he doesn’t get me one.\

In other news, everyone has jobs now. Well thats a lie, James had a job for 2 days now has nothing again. Nirchall got one yesterday, he’s actually gonna be doing formwork with none other than Houndog from Skerries!! We met him in the pub over the weekend!! Hahahahaa….Scully is doing some night work for a security company installing systems….

Its getting a little chilly in the mornings now, good thing I invested in my all round jacket in sydney…

Started listening to the radio in work, it makes my day less boring.

We got broadband2 into the house. Its gonna be sweet (well Im on the net all day in work) but the boys will appreciate it and at least we can start downloading stuff…

Nothing much else going on….

Laters

Ro