As another massive gust of wind swept through the campsite I literally used my entire body weight to hold down the half-collapsed canvas tent. My coworker pounded furiously at the metal stake to secure the tent back in place, but as soon as one stake was firmly in ground the wind would counter-act our efforts, and as if to mock us, two more sides of the tent would launch into the air. An hour passed before the wind died down and the HQ Events staff (including myself) was able to rejoin our group of 35 Australian clients – all happily boozing it up inside the Skippers Canyon gold-mining museum, which was doubling as our dinner venue.
This was night two of a three-day binge of “work”. I had started things off Wednesday evening with an exciting and equally terrifying drive into the canyon. I happily careened around corners and through ruts in a lifted Land Rover whilst re-living the glory days of driving the family jeep in high school (*sidenote: Mom, I never took that car off-road, I swear)! Once onsite, Dugald, Nick, and myself spent several hours pitching 12 mega-tents and admiring the awe-inspiring evening sky –including the most massive full-colored rainbow I’ve ever seen; it was perfect enough to make the front page of the SF Chronicle during Pride weekend! Once the tents were up, the sun was down, and the rain started, the boys and I shared a few beers, stories, and yummy camping grub.
Thursday morning started out ominous and blustery but broke into mildly overcast as Dugald and I literally ran a few kilometers back up the canyon to meet the clients. Mostly middle-aged and mostly men, the Aussies piled out of the bus with their matching backpacks and looks of confusion. Apparently the idea was that the group didn’t know where they were going or what they were doing until the last minute –this included going to the airport and trying to get through immigration without knowing where they were flying (not an easy task and only feasible outside the US)! Dugald made up some fish story regarding the conditions of the road and how the group was going to have to hike 20k’s into camp; to my surprise they all began hiking without complaint. A few minutes later, having figured out Dugald was full of it; we arrived at camp and quickly set to the first of many activities throughout the trip (including jet-boating, gambling, and team competitions).
Our venue was brilliant, an old mining encampment complete with an Indiana Jones style bridge, mining tunnels, and more old mining equipment than you would know what to do with – all sitting atop vertical canyon cliffs that dropped into the teal blue waters of the Shotover River. As the sun set, what was a slight chill turned into down-right cold and the only defense most of the hot-weather-minded Aussies could think of was more booze. Smashed and happy, the good ‘ol boys sat around the campfire and began a competition of who could tell the dirtiest most politically incorrect joke. I learned that night that those who hail from Oz aren’t just good swimmers and crocodile hunters – they can drink and tell jokes with the best of them!
Near midnight my boss Karla and I were able to coerce the last of the group to their tents, but not before having to turn down several sloppy offers of sharing body heat. Tired and annoyed to be frozen in the middle of “summer” I headed to my own tent, curled into bed, and lay gazing at the most starry sky I’ve ever seen; I even caught a glimpse of a few super-sized shooting stars. Shivering and happy, I dozed to sleep listening to the symphony of snores and bodily noises emitting from the tents surrounding me.
A tapping noise stirred me from sleep and as I cracked one eye open I noticed a thin layer of frost was covering the inside of my tent. Not wanting to get up and face the cold, I told Dugald to piss off but was (not so) gently reminded that despite the camp-like environment, I was still “at work”. Within the hour I was chatting up the clients while eating an amazingly delicious catered breakfast and sipping hot tea wondering when or if it was ever going to get warm again. Shortly after I found myself struggling to take down the tents that the wind had so easily dismantled.
By midday camp was packed and Dugald and I were playing musical chairs with vehicles whilst trying to get to the white-water rafting site with everything in order. Arriving just on time with the raft guides, we suited up and were soon on the rafts with our clients headed down the river. I still can’t believe I got paid to paddle through rapids with some of the most hilarious people I’ve ever met!
Once off the river, the group had a few drinks before heading back to the hotel. I had a short period of downtime before having to dress-up and head out to the client’s awards banquet. The banquet was not on my work schedule, but rather the head of the group had invited me to join them (along with getting the free drinks and dinner) because they had enjoyed my company. I was flattered to be invited and enjoyed a lovely evening socializing and listening to one client after another declare how this years’ muster (as the annual even is called) was the best ever. Hearing firsthand from the clients how meaningful the trip was to them and receiving heartfelt praise for my work was an extremely gratifying moment that further established my desire to work in event planning.
With job requirements like being able to talk loudly, talk a lot, socialize, compete, run around (sometimes literally) and make lists, I think I’ve definitely found my calling!
-Ashley
Fun Fact: Today I realized that anyone I meet from Australia or who is a native New Zealander instinctively shortens my name to Ash. It then occurred to me that these people shorten EVERYTHING!
Examples:
- Brekkie (breakfast)
- Tea (dinner)
- Sunnies (sunglasses)
- Ambo (ambulance)
- Avo (avalanche)
- Beaut (beautiful, admirable)
- Ute (utility vehicle, AKA truck or SUV)
- Esky (refrigerator)
- Cardi (cardigan or strappy tank-top)
- Arvo (afternoon)
- Kindy (kindergarten or preschool)
- Mozzie (mosquito)
- OE (overseas experience)
- Sammie (sandwich)
- Ta (thank you)
- Uni (university, not to be confused with college)
- Cuz (cousin)
- Chrissy (Christmas)
- Rellies (relatives, parents)
- Welly (Capital city Wellington)
- Barbie (a barbeque, and yes, for real they say this one)
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