Thanks Raelene.
I remember that heat!
I've been In Oz 3 times. The 1st time was the usual backpacker year but as I wasn't a usual backpacker I count it as living out there. I would use the bus route to get around but then stayed in out of the way places for 2 or 3 months before moving on. My uncle and aunt were living in Bridgetown, WA at the time so I started there and then went up the west coast. I lived in Newman for 3 months in a caravan park and worked as a barmaid.
Then I went up to Darwin and down through the centre. I fell in love with Coober Pedy (I know!) and spent a week there which led to a couple of jobs. First I was a housekeeper on Allandale station, a small family run concern. Then I was a School of the Air governess for 6 weeks on the largest station in Australia at that time. The name escapes me for now, which is annoying, but I've heard since that the station has been broken up. I was there up until Christmas and the temperature rose higher than 50 degrees C! Well the thermometer only went up that high and we were in the red centre!
Then I spent some time with friends in Adelaide, which I loved! Beautiful city and my favourite after Perth!
Then back across the Nullarbor to Perth and home. I was pretty skint by then! I did manage to meet a boyfriend on the 1st station and so got to experience the delights of a bachelor and spinster ball in a shed somewhere in SA. That was an experience and a half!
My 2nd trip I was out there for a month and visited family and friends in Perth and Adelaide, then did a lightening quick tour of Cairns and Sydney, including the rain forest and the blue mountains. Sydney's lovely too but too large and busy for me.
My 3rd trip was only a couple of weeks for my cousin's wedding. I didn't leave Perth but concentrated on family and friends.
I love Australia and the outback in particular and it's taken me years to get the red dust out of my system.
I'm very happy and content where I am now though.