So we arrived back in Brisbane on the 5th December 2013 and took two trains to our next couch surf. Both of the couch surfs in Perth went really well so we weren't prepared for the one in Riverview Queensland!
By the time we got there we had been up for over 24 hours and were completely knackered. But we got to the guy's house and started chatting. We'd told him on the couch surfing website that we are house sitters and he'd decided that we could couch surf for a few days and then he'd go away and we could mind his house and his 18 year old son.
He did seem a bit weird at first, he was saying about an English couple who'd stayed and just made their own food and kept in their rooms or gone out, which is basically what couch surfing is.. but he likes to share food in return for chores being done or whatever.
Anyways then we heard a really weird noise and we ran to the toilet where the son was having an epileptic fit.. This was the first we'd heard about him having epilepsy so we were not prepared for it at all! He should of then asked if it was still okay for us to have the responsibility of looking after his son, which he didn't. Whatever. He did say that his son has medication for it but he's a naughty teenager and likes to not take it..
We then went to buy food and they dropped us off at aldi and said 'it's okay it's only a 15 minute walk back' they waited to say this when we were right at the store, we thought they were coming shopping with us. So we bought our shopping and then had no idea how to get back, no idea of his address, no sunscreen or hat and the journey in the car had been way longer than 15 minutes.. In the end we asked an information centre, we knew it was vaguely near the train station so we got a map. The walk took 45 minutes..
Anyways I fell asleep where I was sitting and he woke me up and asked me to cook for everyone (him, tanbay, his son, his daughter and her two kids).. He wanted me to do a roast chicken too which is something I've never cooked before in my life.
But I gave it a go and we had dinner, and then afterwards he asked me to wash everything up.
He also asked Tanbay to help him fold some sheets in his room, and there was something in there which I'm gonna go all out and assume is a sex swing.. it was black leather and had studs on it too.
After this we went straight to sleep (I think I had jet lag?)
In the morning we had to leave early to get our computer sorted (our MacBook broke in Perth) and we spent the whole journey there being freaked out, but assuming it was because we were still tired and computer stressed. We forgot to tap on tap off on the train so it charged us an extra $10! But we got onto the bus and got to the apple store. Here they said 'sorry you're not on the list'. In the end it turned out we'd been booked into Carindale not Chermside where we were.
At this point I had a mini break down, we were staying somewhere weird, our computer was broken, we'd been charged extra on the train and now we were in the wrong place (plus there was a Christmas sign 'it's the most wonderful time of the year' that really didn't help). Luckily the apple guy was really nice and decided that since we had an appointment at an apple store we could have it here instead (phew).
Whilst we waited for our appointment I found a free phone and explained to the train people what had happened, and they said they would reimburse us (phew).
So we caused two little problems but managed to fix those!
Then the apple guys said it was a problem with the hard drive and we had lost all of our photos and music and everything.. but they could replace it for us because we bought it in July 2013. But obviously we didn't have our receipt in this country and when they looked it up online it said it had been bought a year earlier than it had been! So it wasn't covered by the warranty.. damn you PC World.
So we left the MacBook there and said we'd get proof to them that we had bought it in the year.
We really didn't want to go back to our couch surf but it was late by then.
He was actually pretty nice about the computer, but seemed really put out when we didn't eat tea with him and ate our own pasta..
That night the police came round at 1am and we're not sure why..
The next day we were waiting on emails from PC World and apple and my lovely mummy managed to get PC World to email us our receipt proving that we'd bought it when we had <3 I love her.
We spent the rest of the day out of the house and found an abandoned mine which was full with water and loads of kids where jumping in, that was nice but we were still really freaked out by the house and the guy that lives there.
That night he played the beatles song 'yesterday' on repeat and really loud for hours..
The next morning we left and rang Kerry and Brian who we house sat with before, I explained to them that we were really sorry and didn't want to bother them but the guy was creeping us out (did I say there was a wooden dildo in our room?) They are such nice people and Brian came and picked us up straight away - he even brought the Prado!
At the end of the day the couch surf guy could have been a lot worse, but we were really uncomfortable there. We didn't feel comfortable with the responsibility of a rude boy who didn't take his epilepsy pills. The worst thing about the sit was the guy, he was generally creepy and just wanted couch surfers who were going to be free labour. He had some good references on his couch surfing profile, but some people have a higher tolerance than others..
We are just grateful to have great friends like Kerry and Brian!
