Just a quick one to sum up my 5 months in Wellington! Apart from the cold, wet and windy weather it has been fun, spent the first month in a freezing hostel with mad people resting my bust up knee! Then rented a room - my own space, yay! and met some wiicked people who have become great mates! Where I live is just at the bottom of the botanical gardens - so a pretty good back yard really! Have been working at ANZ National bank in the payroll department, again another great group of people who I'm gonna miss heaps! Have learnt loads there, so have become useful - so they may miss me too! I also briefly visited a friend, Leasha, up in Stratford, Taranaki. Before the rain set in for the entire weekend I did get to see the impresssive Mt Taranaki! Fireworks here in Wellington were awesome, possibly the best I've seen! Though it was a little scary as everyone over here goes a bit mad, gets drunk and lets off firworks in the streets, right in front of you and just generally getting a bit riot like!!

 

Monday 20th - I fly off to Christchurch for some fun in the south!!

 

Have had a great time the last couple of months in Melbourne!! Got here in a truck, which was set up by the guy I worked for in Loxton, very bumpy ride but it was free and I got here heaps quicker than if I had got the greyhound!

Have been staying in a little hostel above a pub called the 'pint on punt', this is in Windsor just next to St Kilda and is a 4 minute walk from Albert park (Grand Prix Track). Have met some great people here, most of who are crazy!! and after about 2 weeks I started working here as the cleaner, which is one of the reasons I stayed here for 2months instead of the original 2 weeks!!

 

My first week here was the commonwealth games and also the run up  to my birthday so i spoilt myself with food, drink, touristy things and watching  random sporting events!! Also met up with Aaron and a couple of mates from Sydney - Marc and Rob. I then went to the Snowy mountains for a week to recuperate and it was beautiful and very relaxing there!! When I came back it was Grand Prix time, this is what I had been waiting for, for the last 6months!!

 

I then got my job here, which kinda just popped into my lap!! And ever since have been just trying to save money and chill out with friends. The comedy festival was on for about a month aswell and 4 of us went to see a comedian - Jason Byrne who was hilarious. Have also been to the aquarium, art gallery, botanical gardens and museum.

 

last night me and Jimi flew into Sydney and we stayed one night in Wake up (where I stayed when I was here before). over night I became ill with a really bad throat, very similar to what was wrong with me when I was last here!! hmm, I think it is still floating around in the sir con!! Anyway, we're now staying in a really nice place in Kings Cross and we have a week left together before jimi heads off up the east coast with friends Ray, Antoinette and Pete Pom and I head to NZ!! hopefully to gwet a job straight away!!

 

all for now!!

From what I saw of it, Cairns looks like a lovely city and I was sad I didn't stay there longer. It doesn't even feel like a city as its so quiet, the city centre seems to just be one main street! But then I didn't get a chance to explore. The city is also surrounded by mountains that are covered in rainforests, everywhere you look all you see are the mountains! And of course there is the Great Barrier Reef!

 

On my only full day there I took a tour that took me over to Green Island which is a small island right on the reef with quiet beaches and a small resort in the middle. There is also a small marine life and croc sanctuary, which is where I held the baby croc! From Green Island, took a little trip over the reef in a glass bottomed boat, as well as seeing the amazing sealife underneath, the man also threw he fish some food, so we got to see a colourful feeding frenzy, there was even a shark swimming around!

 

In the afternoon I took the skyrail up over the rainforest covered mountains to Kuranda. The trip takes about 30-45mins and has some stunning views, including Baron Falls. You also get to stop off twice and look around the rainforest. Once I landed in Kurand, the guy forgot to tell me that they take a photo of you, so in the shop there was  really funny picture of me looking very vague and in the wrong direction!

 

Kuranda is a small mountain town full of little shops and markets and various different wildlife sanctuaries - butterflies, birds, venomous, fish, native. My tour included the butterfly and native park (Rainforestation). Then on the way home the bus driver was kind enough to stop off at a good lookout so we could take photos from off the mountain over looking Cairns - like I hadn't got enough already from the skyrail!!

 

Back in Sydney briefly, got to meet up with Swediah Rob recovering from a Swedish party! Now waiting to get the bus to Loxton where I will hopefully get some fruit picking work for a few weeks before I set off to Melbourne for the games, GP and my birthday!!!

Well worth a visit if you're in the area! I got to have a swim in the warm clear waters of a river that I can't remember the name of! The sand even cleaned your jewelry! Had an all you can eat buffet at the resort, drove down 75mile beach (well half of it), treated myself to a flight over the island (great views but made me feel sick!), saw the Maheno wreck and paddled in the freezing Eli creek - though by engliah standards it was warm!!