Funds (going) Down Under

My intention in Australia and New Zealand became to earn sufficient surplus to fund my trip about Asia, which I knew would be a jaunt without any income. Due in part to Jetstar and a profusion of rainy days (with a fail voice), I did not accomplish this task. You can see from my earnings that I ran out of steam through the two months. Probably as much of this was my exhaustion as bad luck. When put in conjunction (being stubborn and playing the city in Sydney, encountering rain and racists in Hobart, staying in Coburg on Easter Weekend rather than Williamstown, meeting with the flight troubles in Melbourne, getting to Queenstown during a dead spate, going through Christchurch post-earthquake, encountering racists in Wellington and Nelson, suffering a spate of rainy days all through New Zealand) this made for a highly unlucrative journey. Great fun, of course, and highly educational, and you can see from spots of earnings why I expected to make enough. That is the life of a busker, though. The very definition of unreliable income. I am glad I have savings. You'll also note I've added a "Total Net excepting nothing" to the finances, which I've also added to the older finance posts. This gives a more complete picture of my year of travel, including my foray to Stamsund, my emergency flight home (most of the difference), my flight home for Christmas, my stop in Houston, and now my failed flight to Christchurch.

I know this blog is probably overly exhaustive in information. David's told me (as I knew) that he stopped reading as it got to be the same over and over again. But my goal in writing it, writing regularly, is not to dazzle but to notate. To detail (and detail I have) the smallest of differences from place to place, night to night, weather patterns, acoustics, vibes, and the standouts. I mean to help other potential world buskers like the one I sang Falling Slowly with in Fitzroy see where's good and where's not. How the lifestyle might be. Most important to all that is my finances, and so here I lay them absolutely bare. Enjoy.

Sydney, NSW

Train tickets: 24.20 AUD
Flight to Hobart: 99.00 AUD

Total: 123.20 AUD
Earnings: 294.45 AUD, CD, gumball
Net: +171.25 AUD

DOWN UNDER NET: +171.25 AUD
TOTAL NET: -150.72 AUD

Hobart, TAS

Food: 10.85 AUD
Batteries: 10.00 AUD
Stolen: 7.00 AUD
Airporter Shuttle: 8.00 AUD
Flight to Melbourne: 49.00 AUD
SkyBus Shuttle: 13.00 AUD

Total: 97.85 AUD
Earnings: 247.50 AUD
Net: +160.05 AUD

DOWN UNDER NET: +320.90 AUD
TOTAL NET: -1.07 AUD

Melbourne, VIC

Flight to Christchurch (failed): 205.00 AUD
Flight to Queenstown: 210.00 AUD
SkyBus Shuttle: 13.00 AUD
Metro Tickets: 7.40 AUD
Food: 23.60 AUD

Total: 459.20 AUD
Earnings: 189.75 AUD
Net: -269.25 AUD

DOWN UNDER NET: +51.65 AUD
TOTAL NET: -270.32 AUD

Queenstown

Food: 10.00 NZD
Bus: 6.00 NZD
Internet: 4.00 NZD

Total: 20.00 NZD
Earnings: 171.51 NZD
Net: +151.51 NZD

DOWN UNDER NET: +221.52 NZD
TOTAL NET: -214.93 NZD

Dunedin

Food: 8.20 NZD

Total: 8.20 NZD
Earnings: 12.90 NZD
Net: +4.70 NZD

DOWN UNDER NET: +226.22 NZD
TOTAL NET: -210.23 NZD

Christchurch

Food: 8.50 NZD (19.00 NZD)

Total: 8.50 NZD
Earnings: 0.00 NZD
Net: -8.50 NZD

DOWN UNDER NET: +217.72 NZD
TOTAL NET: -218.73 NZD

Nelson

Food: 6.70 NZD
Pie: 4.00 NZD
Ferry to Wellington: 55.00 NZD

Total: 65.70 NZD
Earnings: 32.90 NZD
Net: -33.80 NZD

DOWN UNDER NET: +183.92 NZD
TOTAL NET: -253.53 NZD

Wellington

Books: 2.00 NZD
Food: 15.00 NZD
Bus to Auckland: 39.00 NZD

Total: 56.00 NZD
Earnings: 29.00 NZD
Net: -27.00 NZD

DOWN UNDER NET: +156.92 NZD
TOTAL NET: -280.53 NZD

Auckland

Food: 22.00 NZD
Flight to Tokyo: 542.72 NZD (662.72)

Total: 564.72 NZD
Earnings: 0.00 NZD
Net: -564.72 NZD

DOWN UNDER NET: -408.80 NZD
DOWN UNDER NET excepting failed flight: 130.91 NZD
TOTAL NET: -845.25 NZD
TOTAL NET excepting failed flight: -567.36 NZD
TOTAL NET excepting nothing: -3831.04 NZD