Hitch Hiker

In 2007 when I was just 17 a few friends and I decided to head north to Lake Borumba for a camping trip full of drinking and partying. Quinny and I jumped in his car and Josh and Jared went in Jared's.

On the way up we had the music pumping and there was excitement flowing through the air until we ran up the back of the car in front at about 80 km/h and careered off into the ditch on the side of the road. His car was a write-off. Luckily he knew a tow truck driver who towed it back to his house.

After being so close, but yet so far, we were determined not to let this ruin our trip. One of our friends, Dean, we were planning on meeting up there had not left yet and had two spare seats in his car, so we ended up getting a ride with him. We arrived at the camping ground at about 8pm.

The first night was pretty low key, although we got pretty drunk but nothing too exciting happened. There was seven of us who slept there. Quinny, Josh, Jared, me, Dean, and his and girlfriend and her friend.

We all woke up the next morning a little worse for wear, but there was not really much to do out there so we started drinking at about noon while playing some cricket with a little boy who was staying at a neighbouring camp site. Quinny noticed some people he went to primary school with setting up near us and they invited us to drink with them that night.

So we did, and it was pretty fun. Until ten hours of drinking caught up with me and I started to get unusually aggressive and punched a glass door for an ice box. It shattered into pieces and woke the camp managers who came out to inform me that they are calling the police. I did not like this idea and got more aggressive. They arrived and went to grab me and I pushed away and was hesitant to hope in the back of there paddy wagon. They sat me on the back of the car and I tried to get up, one of them held me down and the other one leant over and punched me on the cheekbone, it swelled instantly. Eventually they shut the doors and drove me about half an hour to the Gympie Police Station. They were flying too, defintly going over the speed limit. They took my finger-prints and asked a few questions then put me in a cell for the night.

At 5:30 the next morning they opened up the cell and walked me out to the door to leave me to my own way. With no phone or money and about an hour away from home and half an hour away from where my friends were I could only do one thing and that was to hitch-hike back to the camp site.

I started walking with my arm extended out and thumb pointing toward the sky. After walking for about 2 hours finally a truck stopped and picked me up, he took me until he had to turn off, which was not too far. So I continued to walk for another couple of hours until a couple in there forties picked me up and took me too Imbil which was the closest town to the camp-site but still a ten minute drive away.

I had no idea if my friends had left yet or if they were still at the camp-site so I waited on the side of the road for about 4 hours hopeing that they were going to drive past and see me and luckily enough they did. When I jumped in the car they told me that the little boy we played cricket with had told them that he had seen me in town. It was a long, silent trip back!

I also found our months later that Quinny slept with Deans girlfriend, so all in all it was a very eventful weekend.

I went to court a few months later charged with unwillful damage, public nuisance and something else that I cant really remember. I did not cop a conviction, and had to pay for the damage to the ice machine.

Missing Persons in Melbourne?

In Febuary 2008 my mum and I went back to our homeland, Victoria, to visit our extended family. This also gave me an oppurtunity to catch up with my primary school mate, Ryan. So on the Saturday we jumped on a train from his local station and headed to the Melbourne Casino. After losing the majority of our money on the roulette tables we decided to try our luck on the pokie machines. Ryan gave me the tip-off to try Big Red, so we both jumped on neighbouring machines and it paid dividends, both coming out with $150. After this we left, and hopped back on a train to head back to his house, with plans to head to a local nightclub, Blitz.



After a few beers, his sister dropped us off at the club, we waited about 20 minutes in line, then were scanned by security for any weapons etc. Something I had never experienced before. When we went in it was pumping, full of people and a massive dancefloor. I didn't know a soul there (other than Ryan).



The night went on and we were alternating shouts of two beers and two shots of black Sambuca everytime. This was ultimately our downfall with the night very hazy from about midnight. After locking lips with a 'kiwi hippo' (not my finest moment) I could not find Ryan anywhere, after spending a good twenty minutes looking for him I started to stress and left to go the the petrol station across the road. I knew I was in a bit of trouble since I did not know the suburb I was in and had no idea how to get to Ryan's, plus I did not have a phone or any money.



When I was at the petrol station a car pulled up in front of me with two blonde girls in it. The one in the passenger seat yelled out "do you know how to get to Cranbourne?" I had no idea but for some reason I said yes, before I knew it I was in the back seat making out with the one in the passenger seat.After a good twenty minutes of driving we pulled into this house surrounded by only paddocks, we walked in and went to the room with the girl. After doing what you do when a male and a female get together, I hear this 'bang! bang!' on the door, I look up to see this guy come bursting in with a gash across his head pouring out blood, the girl gets up and starts yelling at him and takes him out of the room.I got up and locked the door then layed there staring at the ceiling listening to things getting thrown around and a lot of yelling and swearing. Then he comes to the door again, banging and screaming for me to come out and open the door, at this stage I had en-trenched myself in between the bed and the chest of draws. I was starting to sober up a bit at this stage too, I was starting to realise the situation I was in. After about another twenty minutes the girl came in and we went to sleep.

I woke up to the sunlight peering through the window which had no curtains. I opened up the window, jumped out and walked across the paddock until I hit the dirt road. I just walked the way I thought there was any civilisation, after walking for about half an hour I found myself on the main street of Cranbourne. Back at house I stole $4 from the girl, so I used this to ring my mate up in Queensland because I remembered his number and I rang him off Ryan's phone the day before. Luckily he answered and I asked him to go through his recieved calls to get Ryan's number. I rang Ryan and his mum answered, she was real worried, she informed me that Ryan and his Dad had been looking for me all morning. She asked where I was and came and got me.

Apparently mum had called the police and my whole family was worried. All in all it makes for a good story and I do not regret it one bit.

Next edition I will have a similar type story, where I end up in the lock-up.