This post will be about my trip to Australia for Ex Wallaby. Recorded everything that happened that day on the day itself, to the best of my ability. Some don't make sense cause I'm writing at 2-3am. For times in the forest when I didn't have the chance, I used my 'amazing' memory power, lol. It is going to be a VERY long post, enjoy reading =)

15 Oct, Day 0 (I was part of the advance party, went there 1 day earlier)

Boarded the plane at 1000, the plane took off at 1100( SG time). The entertainment system was good, got lots of movie. Watched Sex And The City 2 and played some games before sleeping. It was a 7 hours flight and we reached Rockhampton at 2000 (Au time, from now on it will be in AU time). It was already raining heavily when we landed and we had to walk to the airport from the plane in the walk cause there was no shelter. The airport was really small, took a long time to check out of customs. But it was worse after we checked out cause we had to wait for the bus in the rain. The cold temperature (the temperature in AU is about 9-15 degress at night) plus the rain made me shiver like crazy. All of us were drenched when we reached the campsite, Tiger Hill camp. Quite a bad start. Slept at 0200 cause I had a lot of unpacking to do.

16 Oct, Day 1

Woke up at 0445, only had about 2 hours of sleep and I barely slept due to the cold. It was the coldest time of the day and everyone was shivering while moving. Even with my jacket, it was still freezing cold. I was telling my friends, 'Which part of Summer is this?' Was expecting a nice sun and hotter temperature. Soon, I caught a flue and told my sergeants. They also said they were getting sick. Didn't want to see the MO cause he would probably say 'It's normal one, change of environment the body not used to it.' -.-...Oh well. We had breakfast at 0530, went to sleep in our tents for 30 mins then went to carry stores for our vehicles all the way till lunch. After lunch, we did OVM( basically the driver's tools and all) and vehicle handover from the Australian Army, which took up all the way till dinner at 2000. After dinner, did more vehicle stuff and the freezing cold just made you not want to do anything. Imagine living 20 more nights like this...I told myself I must adapt quickly, cause it is going to get tougher. Main body reached at 2300. It's gonna become more chaotic. Gonna sleep soon, waking up at 0500.

17 Oct, Day 2 (Orientation Driving)

This morning was even colder, was freezing and shaking uncontrollably. Everyone, including the sergeants, complained about it. Today was orientation driving (OD) and I was in group B1. Our group is deployed only after lunch. But had to do sang kai from morning till lunch. OD was ok, had to prepare (prep) the vehicle though. The best thing about the weather in the afternoon, was that no matter how hot it is, we'll never sweat. Had OD all the way till the night at 2300. Went back to tent to prep for combat training, a 2 days 1 night outfield. Feeling a bit sick and tired now, due to lack of sleep. Gotta sleep soon, time now 0100.

18-19 Oct, Day 3-4 (Combat Training)

Woke up at 0530 and went for breakfast. Prep vehicle after that for outfield. Had CO talk at 0800 and we moved out at 1200. Can't remember much cause I'm writing at 3am, 2 days after we moved out. I remembered my vehicle got stuck in a mud pool and I spent the night there waiting for the recovery vehicle. So I think it's good, got time to rest, lol. The next day, after the recovery, just moved for 1 hour and the fan gear box mounting bolt got loose, which means my vehicle can't move again. So waited for the tech squad to fix it. All the way from afternoon wait till the night when I got towed to another camp, the place where the workshop is. The camp was called Camp Growl and it's like a totally different life. Got good food at canteen, television and the people there all sitting and slacking. I was like thinking and wanting to be one of them. So waited for the vehicle to be fixed till 0100. Then came back camp and did vehicle maintenance (VM) till 0230. Now it's 0312 and we need to wake up at 0500. God help me...eyes and head super pain.

20-21 Oct, Day 5-6 (CME)

Woke up at 0500 and immediately went to the vehicle shed to prep vehicle for company mission exercise (CME). Breakfast was combat ration. Moved out at 0800. Not long after we moved out, my vehicle overheated and couldn't move. Waited for the tech squad again and they found out the fan shaft and fan gear box were spoiled. What luck, 2 days in a row my vehicle break down. So they towed my vehicle to the workshop again. They said they had no spare parts left so I took over another vehicle. It was tiring, transferring all the OVM from one vehicle to another. Whole process ended at 1715. Went to the canteen for dinner before moving out again. Linked up with the rest of the company at night, couldn't remember the timing. Then had to drive to Wellingsom Airfield with the OC, 2IC and CSM on board for Battalion mission briefing. It was an extremely long journey and I couldn't take it due to lack of rest. Had headache and seeing double vision. I told my VC and he took over me. My VC is really nice, even though it's the first time we're meeting each other. He said he liked driving, especially at high speed, lol. Reached the place at 0100. Briefing ended at 0200. Drove back to meet the rest of the company and slept at 0300. Woke up 0530 the next day. Super tired by this time. Did Before Operation Service (BOS), drove and the Company Mission started. Drove here and there along Richard Axis from 0630 till 1400 and came back camp. Went to top up diesel and did VM till 1600. Finally back in camp! Did admin and personal stuff till dinner. Ate dinner, cleaned my rifle and the time now is 1851. Gonna send arms at 1930 and go shower for the 1st time in this exercise. Hope to rest early later on.

22 Oct, Day 7

Slept early yesterday, at 2300 for the 1st time =). Woke up at 0630 and went for breakfast. Finally had a long sleep, although my eyes still hurt due to the accumulated fatigue. Supposed to fal in at 0730 but our company fall in late. So we knocked it down, on the stony ground. My palms super pain lo. Thought we won't have to knock it down since we're not in camp. Haix...Our CSM was really angry and told us that we'll be waking up at 0500 from now on as punishment. Oh well, there goes my sleep. Today was a slack day, did VM and waited for tech squad to fix my vehicle ramp. Cleaned my vehicle the whole afternoon and went for dinner after that. It's 2036 now, gonna have an early night again. =) 1 week is finally over, 2 more weeks to go! Can't say time flies, cause these 7 days have been freaking long. Hope the next 2 weeks will be better.

23 Oct, Day 8

Woke up at 0530. Got woken up before that by the ppl involved in ALFS at 0300 though, then went back to sleep. Went to the Camp Growl Vehicle Park to break tracks for 2 vehicles today. Took up the whole morning. Then our PS brought us to Camp Growl for canteen break for our hard work, yea! =) Came back at 1430 and he told us to stay in our tents and rest. So I rested a while, couldn't sleep due to the heat. Went to read 'Have a little faith', really good book. Then went for dinner and slept till 2045. Had RO at 2100, then went to wash up and did admin stuff. It's 2227 now, gonna sleep.

24 Oct, Day 9

Woke up at 0530, didn't want to have breakfast so can sleep longer. But I followed my buddy along in the end. Roll Call at 0630, then went back to tent to rest till 0720. Went to my vehicle after that. My VC mounted the LDF plate while I did BOS. Then our CSM told us to clean our vehicles and grease all the road wheels, idler wheels, wheels hubs. My hand was super full of grease. Quite disgusting but fun, lol. Did it until 1300 and went for lunch. HQ platoon had nothing on for the rest of the day. So slept till 1500, went to bath, read finish my book. Then went for dinner. Then my platoon asked me to ask my PS for permission to go canteen. Then my PS said we keep going already and scolded me. Then I told him it's my first time asking. Sian lor, that means someone been asking without telling me. Kena sabo-ed ma...zzz. Went to ask around and found out who it was. Like wtf man, can't do anything about it too. Got scolded for nothing. Back in tent, time now 1920. Tmr the combat platoon having ALFS, while HQ platoon going break track again. Gonna get woken up by them again. Hope tomorrow can go Camp Growl canteen again, lol.

25 Oct, Day 10

This morning was epic, lol! We woke up at 0530 and went to fall in for roll call but our PS was not there. Then our platoon IC went to look for him and he said 'After breakfast, go back to your tents to sleep.' So we went back to sleep, for a few hours, hahah! But it got really hot in the afternoon, till the point we took off our shirts and we're still perspiring, for the 1st time. Couldn't sleep, so talk cock in our tents till 1600. Then our PS called us to go break track. Break till 1930, had dinner and canteen break. Drank sunkist orange. Time now 2057. Gonna go outfield tomorrow for 4 days and 3 nights for the last exercise of this overseas trip, a brigade level mission involving 2000+ people. Will be going 1 day in advance than the rest cause I'm part of the opposition forces. Hope to get enough sleep, especially undisturbed sleep cause the past few days, I've been waking up due to the cold and noise. Thank God for a super nice 2IC, being the 2IC driver rocks. Thank God for my VC and my super hardworking signaller. Help me to throw rubbish and gave me sweets, lol. Last exercise, after this it will be handover and R&R! =)

26-29 Oct, Day 11-14 (Ex Valiant Conqueror)

*Flash forward*

Finally back in my tent after 4 days of outfield! Time now 2227, haven't shower yet cause there is a long queue. So I'm writing now while waiting for the queue to get shorter. Hmm, can't remember much but will try my best.

-26 Oct, Day 11

Woke up at 0600, went for breakfast and prep vehicle. Moved out at 0815 and reached a location at 0900 to rest for awhile. Then drove at the worst possible terrain, at a place called Shogun. Lots of drivers got 'killed' there including me. Requires extreme skill and alertness in order to go through without an accident. 33A throw track, my buddy banged a tree and I hit 2 ditch at the 60 degrees slope, causing 2IC to fly from the right of the vehicle to the the left and hit his head on the chair. Then he scolded me for the 1st time. He rarely scolds btw, and it's really my fault, wasn't careful enough. Got super tired so PC9 took over at 1100. Then drove out of Shogun to another place to camp there. Then 2IC said we're not moving out at night. So slept from 1800 till the next morning. Quite hard to sleep in the vehicle though, keep waking up every 1-2 hours.

-27 Oct, Day 12

Today was more exciting, cause we're moving out. There will be 2 missions. For the first mission, we got to delay the enemy advance from 0800 to 1400 at shogun. Drove more carefully this time, and it went ok. At 1400, drove to Lester and reached there at 1600. At 1600, 2IC and my signaller went to dismount and fight the enemy while I stayed in my vehicle with my VC. They fought till 1900, super long fight 0.o...Then drove to Wellingsom Airfield to camp and sleep there for the night. Reached there at 2100 and slept till the next morning.

-28 Oct, Day 13

Woke up at 0530, did BOS. 2IC said the enemy doing laager, so this morning till afternoon we had nothing to do. Talked cock with my VC and signaller, from games like CS to manga like one piece, then our school, neighborhood, girls, etc. Been so long since I talked to a sergeant so comfortably. 46 SAR sergeants are really friendly. =) Wished he could be my VC till I ORD, lol. We moved out at 1500 to Richard Axis and camped there. Initially, we were going to ambush the enemy at 0400 but it was canceled. In the end, drove to CG vehicle park and slept for the night.

-29 Oct, Day 14

Woke up at 0530, did BOS. Moved out at 0630 to Quintin, then to an open field. My VC asked me to look up and I saw two Apache helicopters flying around, imba cool. Stayed there for the mission to end and then drove back to Tiger Hill camp. Reached camp at 1500, cleaned the vehicle till 1800. Then cleaned weapons till 2030. Had RO at 2100. Then went back to tent. Showered at 2245, went to sleep at 2300. It feel so much better being able to rest back at camp. =)

30 Oct, Day 15

Woke up at 0530, went for breakfast but it came late. Waited till 0630, then ate till 0645. Standby Area at 0730 by CSM. Rested till 0900 then went to vehicle shed to clear up some stuff. Went to CG vehicle park to help out with 85C handover. Then we walked back to Tiger Hill camp. Had lunch and was getting ready to handover my 1st vehicle but found out the battery was empty, can't start engine. So need to wait till tmr to send. Sian...After that went to canteen. They finally installed a television with DVDs of movies to watch. Watched butterfly effect 3, quite nice. Then went to do vehicle stuff again in the evening till night. After dinner, there was nothing else. Then had RO and my platoon got scolded cause our IC lost 3 FAD tags, which is super expensive. Then went to sleep after that.

31 Oct, Day 16

Woke up at 0600, went for breakfast. Roll call at 0730, then went to my vehicle to slave start the engine and charge it. Drove my vehicle to CG vehicle park but got rejected at the handover cause the tech squad 'raped' my vehicle, quoted from my PS. Lots of things missing/not fixed back in it's original position. My VC and I were damn pissed cause we left the vehicle at their care and this happened. Told CSM about it and he said he'll settle it. Crap man...always got this kind of thing. And it only happened to me, not any other drivers from my company. Walked back to Tiger Hill camp. Found out lunch was combat ration. Benjamin, the 85C driver, was super sian about it, lol. At least there was green been soup and ice lemon tea in the cookhouse. Our sergeants at Brigade life firing rehearsal, so whole afternoon nothing to do. Rest at tent. Went to bath but just after I bathed finish, the vehicles came back. So need to help out and got my whole body dirty again. =/ Nothing much happened at night, so went to sleep.

1 Nov, Day 17

Woke up att 0600 and went to mount 40/50 on vehicle for life firing. I was part of the spectator party so went with the whole battalion to Melody, the place where it took place. Watched the firing, took the brigade, battalion and company photos. Went back Tiger Hill camp. Had headache so ate my TCM pills and rested. Went for lunch at 1155 and they said we need to fall in at 1200. So I had 5 minutes to eat only. Sian. In the end it was nothing much, just help out vehicle and clean heavy weapons. Could have let us eat longer right...Cleaning took the whole afternoon. After that went to canteen to watch movie. It was played Dear John, quite a nice movie. Then went for dinner and had CO talk at 1900. Then went to sleep at 1930. Probably the earliest time I've slept yet.

2 Nov, Day 18

Woke up at 0615 and went for breakfast. Then roll call at 0730. I have to send my 2nd vehicle today, so met my VC at my vehicle at 0830. Then drove to camp growl. Whole process took till 1030. Finally! I feel so relieved. The burden and responsibility of the vehicle is gone. Still haven't send my 1st vehicle cause need to wait for CO approval of the statement for all the missing items. Nothing to do for the rest of the day. Went to canteen to watch movie from afternoon till night. Then went to sleep at 2100. Next few days gonna be this slack too. =)

3 Nov, Day 19

Woke up at 0645, went for breakfast. Roll call at 0800. Didn't have anything to do for the whole day. Went to watch movie all the way till 1500. Then rested till 1650. Fall in at 1700 for CO talk and certificate presentation to all the people who are going to ORD. Then battalion dinner at 1800, really good food. Had chicken, lamb chop, breaded prawns, sesame fish, squid balls and vegetables. After dinner, everyone was given a free can of beer. Drank only half cause I was really full. Then watch movie till 2130 and went to sleep. Couldn't sleep properly though, kept waking up every 2 hours. It was rather warm instead of the cold I expected. Think my body used to it already.

4 Nov, Day 20

Today is a really boring day. Watched almost all the Dvds already and it's playing the same thing. Don't want to sleep cause it's probably causing my difficulty to sleep at night. So I went to find my tech friends. They were playing Risk, lol. Watched them play till 1045, then left cause they had to attend a meeting. Went back tent and lie on the stretcher. Was thinking about home, my family, friends, everything about Singapore. Can't wait to get back, just 3 more days. Ended up sleeping till lunch. Then got woken up by Eugene, a driver from Archer Coy, to go eat, then went to sleep again till dinner. Then had duffel bag inspection at 1900. Then went to use the computer at inet room for a while. Slept at 2200.

5 Nov, Day 21

Lots of things happened today,so gonna cut on the minor details. Left camp at 0900 and went to Capricorn caves. Then went to some restaurant for lunch. It was omg to the max, cause we had free buffet and the tables were reserved for us. Benjamin and I said we gonna eat till we die, lol! I really ate until I couldn't take it, the food is just awesome. After eating crap food for 20 days, it's like heaven! After lunch, we went to our hotels. HQ platoon was at Rockhampton Plaza hotel, a 3 star hotel. It was good, the room and facilities, better than I expected. Then had free and easy from 1500 to 1830, when we had to fall in for dinner. During free and easy, went to the supermarkets to buy gummy bears for Edwin. Couldn't find nougats for angel though, even the stuff and people there don't know. Guess Rockhampton doesn't sell it. Bought poker cards too. Went to many shops, can't name all, lol. Then went to take some photos before heading back. Then the bus came at 1900 and bought us to dinner at CQ college. Dinner was normal, army cookhouse standard. There was a piano and Shou Kee said if I went to open it, he would play it cause he bet it was locked. In the end, it wasn't, lol! His reaction was epic, the '10 second stun cannon' face, hahah! He played really well and he has perfect pitch. Super talented and smart too, from HCJC. Everyone there including the owner, approximately 200 ppl, applauded. Then after dinner, went back to hotel and played bridge, big 2, Indian poker, murderer. We were making too much noise till some officer from Air Force came to scold us. So I went back to my room to sleep.

6 Nov, Day 22

Woke up at 0730 and went for breakfast. Breakfast was at the hotel and free flow buffet again. Ate till super full, hahah. I think I'm starting to love buffet, eat till I happy. =) Then went to play bridge and big 2 till 0930 when we checked out. Then we had to spend our time at this mall from 1100 till 1830. It was big, comparatively the size of IMM, but only one storey. So went to shop like crazy. Watched 'Life as it is' at the cinema nearby. The cinema is imba big, nothing like Singapore's. It's not in a mall, it's a building by itself. I guess it is to accommodate the larger population there, lol. Then went back to more shopping. Finally found the nougats angel requested for at Big W. Bought chocolates for my family and CG too. Then the bus came at 1830 and brought us to the airport. Reached the airport at 1915. Did customs, the queue was longer compared to the day I came cause we were with the main body now. Boarded the plane at 2130. Plane took off at 2200.

And I'm back at Singapore at 0300( SG time). Home sweet home!! =)

Countdown to ORD: 389 days