My week in Mackay

Well, after a smooth plane ride, where for dinner we had Curried Chicken, the plane dropped to a halt in Mackay. The door opened and someone forgot to turn off the oven in this town! From the inside of an air-conditioned plane, to the oven like atmosphere of Mackay.

Needless to say, I made a B line for the terminal. Once I picked up my Budget Nissan Pulsar, with 20Km’s on the clock, I hooned out of the airport and headed straight to the motel. Driving along, I noticed the car had a CD player. This cheered me up no end, since I had NO CD’s with me and Mackay radio is about as exciting as static between stations.

I got to the motel and checked into room 7. Nice room, air conditioned, which went on straight away. A double bed and 2 singles, how many of me were they expecting? Showered, checked the map to see where I had to go to get to work in the morning and flipped on the TV. Surfing through the channels, I saw I had cable – Oh well, at least I had my Foxtel! Some of the shows were quite interesting – The Great Egyptians, Ultrascience and the other documentaries. The in-house movies were pretty much up to date to.. They even had Titanic, which of course was on the night before I got there and the night I leave! Tis a good thing I have that at home then.

Thursday, sitting in the office of Ipex in Mackay. Wondering how many hours I had left till I could go home! This town is BORING! Doing the odd jobs around the place. Nothing major though.

Friday – see Thursday. But at least I am off to Rockhampon for the weekend! I leave this place at 5pm, and get to Rocky at 8pm. Good time for the distance. Mind you, the car drives well at 160Km/Hr. I get to my friends place and am greeted by an over excitable kid who wants to be a tenor or something..

Saturday, well, visit the local shopping centre in Rocky, go see our guys at Ipex. Great way to be remembered in another town “Oh, you’re the friend of the strip clubs down there aren’t you?”

Sunday, leave Rocky at 11am. Get back to Mackay about 2:30. Drive around town for a while, just checkin out the scenery. About 5pm, I go out to the Mackay Harbour. Park the car and walk to the end of the rock wall that separates the open ocean and the harbour. Being a very nice windy day, I sat on the outmost part of the wall, listening to the ocean, the wind and contemplating a few things. It’s amazing just how much more clearly you can think when your mind is not being overrun by work etc.. Sunday night, I go to the Globe, an Internet Café in Mackay. I check my mail – 109 messages since Wednesday! I print out just one of these, from a dear friend in NSW. I take it back to the motel to read, since it is 2 pages long! I logon to my channel on IRC and am greeted with the warmth that I am usually greeted with! You know, “Shit, Casper’s here” or “Lock up your daughters, Casper is here”.. That sort of thing. This gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. I am only here for 5 minutes or so, then I leave. I go and read my special mail in the comfort of my air-conditioned motel room.

Monday, back to the grind. See Thursday.

Tuesday – See Monday

Wednesday – YAY!! Home day. I go to work after checking out of the motel with $13-00 of extra fees to the company J Still, after a week, you would think I would walk out with a bag full of motel type goodies. But, alas, I am not that type. All I get if a free Dairy Milk Choccy bar! I leave Ipex at 3pm, to make it to my flight at 4pm. Sit in the lounge for half an hour and get on the plane. Not once looking back.

Plane lands in Brisbane at 5:30. MAN IT’S GOOD TO BE HOME!!!

And that was my week in Mackay.