Becoming Australian



I did it! We've started the process towards Australian citizenship! We have our interview soon!

It's all starting to happen

The dream is taking shape. The bank has been, the draughtsman has been, the builder has been...so, our plans for extension are becoming more of a reality than just a mere hope, or whiff of something we've longed for.

It started 6 years ago with a rotten front deck, rotten back landing, rotten carpets, yellow kitchen and bronze bathroom with matching bronze wallpaper!

Step 1: Rip up carpets, polish floor boards, paint all the walls (except the kitchen)
Step 2: Replace rotten decks, plant a garden
Step 3: New bathroom
Step 4: Paint bedroom
Step 5: About to get a green light...extend back room across the deck and get a new kitchen, reclad entire house in corrugated colour-steel

Plans are about to get drawn up - so I'll show you soon.

This is also a fave

La la la de dum dum dum

My favourite song - blast from the past

Africa - Toto

Love is in the Air

Yippee, Dave and Wendy get engaged! Their wedding is coming up very soon in September. So we are eagerly waiting the big day.

And Joel and Hanna get married in Eden Gardens - now that's a touch a Paradise :) A beautiful day and they were beautiful also.

Blogging Lessons with Jenny

Oh the things I've learnt today from Jenny. She's the blog queen and we had fun giving my blog site a face lift - hope you like it!


Not only is she good with computers, but she's creative all round - even with snow!

Come and visit me

Waitangi Day Celebrations

in Wood Street

Kiwis are a proud people. We had our Waitangi Day celebrations with fellow Kiwis and some token Aussies, South Africans and Brits...well, we needed an audience for the Haka. And a mighty fine Haka it was too led by Sean.

A great BBQ! Cooks ablaze - Brent, Tom and Kepu!

Bikers - Rich, Brent, Simon, Ivar and Sean.

Andrew and Brent getting close........a mixed bunch of nationalities

Jess and Kara......................Karen, Jenny and Wendy

Vanessa - performing a strange Kiwi ritual (that she invented)

Tropical North Queensland

Port Douglas

We had a fantastic holiday in Tropical North Queensland. It was such a needed break, and we had the best time.

Cape Tribulation - rainforest meets the beach

The Incredibles about to go snorkelling at Low Isles - jellyfish 'stingers' protection

Watch out for the wildlife - it may cause a temporary loss of sanity if one lands on you...and may cause you to throw off your shirt in a frenzy!

Crocodile spotting on the Daintree River (upper left) and the lush view at Mossman

The beach at Low Isles (lower left) and Fig Tree

10 Favourite Holiday

Things-to-do in Port Douglas

1. Eat tropical fruit that you've never eaten before, even if it's expensive
2. Go on at least 5 boardwalks through the rainforest
3. Go to the Sunday markets - and buy fresh bananas and pineapple, frozen mango, and experience the real flavour of fruit
4. Buy vanilla beans - a bundle of 40 for $17
5. Go to Cape Tribulation and see the rainforest touching the beach
6. Go crocodile hunting on the Daintree River - get the guy with video camera
7. Visit Kuranda village - cute, and go on some boardwalks to see the Barron Falls
8. Find accomodation with a pool - and swim in it twice a day
9. Go out to the reef - Low Isles was great for the kids to snorkel off
10. Chill out - it's casual, watch DVDs and cook your own food...everything tastes better there anyway even if you're shopping from Coles

More from NZ 2007

Brent, Kerey and Jonathan go downhill from Signal Hill

Megan and the view of Dunedin from Signal Hill

We go and visit Ghung Ghung as often as we can in Leslie Grove Hospital.

And Por Por fed us till we were hungry no more!

We celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary again, this time at Megan and Nick's place.

Compelled to blog

Well I feel it's my duty to write something after such a long absence of blogging. Actually I'm compelled to do it because my dear friend Jenny Pocknall is such a blogger that she's tagged me. I wouldn't even know how to tag someone - but she's pretty darn clever.


Let's see. Our lives since the U2 concert in November - in pictures...


January


Megan and Nick get married Jan 2007! They were admirably calm throughout a house renovation and wedding plans the weeks leading up to the big day.







We go camping after the wedding and are joined by our great friends Ross and Fiona and the Wilson clan.




It's heaps of fun, and there's marshmallow madness!


While we're at Glendhu we celebrate Ma and Pa Wishart's 50th wedding anniversary. In true Glendhu Bay style - even with meringues and whipped cream.