Australia 2

Hi Everyone,

Greetings from a warm and sunny Sydney. RESULT!!!! I have got the new visa. It took a time for all the paperwork to arrive here. Thanks Sarah for your help! No thanks to DHL who took 3 days to find me. I was hanging around the house for most of that time so that there was someone to sign for the package. Immigration did it on the spot, ~I couldn't believe it having braced myself for at least 10 working days wait. It is such a relief and now I can enjoy the rest of my stay.

In celebration I took a cruise of the Harbour and met a couple from Manchester on their honeymoon. They took the photo of me and I took one of them - to be their thank you letters! Aahhh!

I expect there will be another episode in the very near so i will finsih by sending all my love and thanks for all the messages.

Carol xxx

Australia 1

Hi Everyone to this my first Aussie blog.

I have left the shaking in Christchurch, and the cold behind and am sunning myself in Sydney. I was so stressed at having to leave, headaches galore, but having visited Immigration here I am feeling much better. With luck, when I get all the pieces of paper together it will not take too long to get the visa Lots of hoops for Sarah and Annie to jump through but my fingers are still crossed - it does make typing hard!!

I am doing a fair bit of walking trying to find my bearings in the city. I have seen the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, visited the Chinese Garden of Friendship - so peaceful - and walked around Paddy's Markets - definitely not peaceful. Took a ride on the Monorail because I could but mostly walk or take the free shuttle so far. I have plans for whale watching, going to the Zoo and taking a day trip into the Blue Mountains, so plenty to keep you all updated on. So, that's it for the first instalment.

All my love Carol xxx

Post earthquake!

Oban, the town in Stewart Island. View of the bay.

Well Folks, greetings from a post-earthquake Christchurch - still suffering aftershocks (more than 1000 so far) some of which are a definite jolt to the system! The roads are getting back to normal - the repairers are doing a great job.

I was intending to tell you about my trip to Stewart Island (great) and about the gallant ferry battling the giant waves and heading into the teeth of a gale - all true - and how we missed all the snow down south that caused the stadium roof in Invercargill to collapse but you will have to imagine it and content yourself with one photo.

More to the forefront in my mind is my upcoming trip to Australia. I have been given my marching orders from Immigration and have to leave the country by the 11th October when my 3 year visitor's visa expires. I asked the minister 3 months ago to allow me to stay until the application for residency is considered (2 years! and my papers were lodged in Feb this year). He said "no!" No reason - that's it. My MP had supported my case but to no avail. The letter arrived last week and you can imagine the dismay and panic.

To cut a long and 'heart-wrenching' story short, I am going to Sydney to apply for another visa - it can only be applied for offshore. Hopefully it will be granted and I can come back in time for the family holiday in late November. I can't contemplate what happens if it isn't given to me. Back to the UK I suspect. The reason for Australia is

it is closer than the UK (less travelling)

they will be able to do it faster (fewer applicants)

it is spring

cheaper to get to.

So think of me as I explore Sydney, guide book in hand. I intend to have a good look round. I have booked to be away for a month but could be back sooner. Keep writing as I will have the computer with me and will miss NZ.

Yours, with love and all the fingers and toes crossed, Carol xx

Earthquake 2010

Hi Everyone and thank you to all who have contacted us in the last few days. Just a short note this time and no photos .... yet! Well, we have survived quite a big one - in the best James Bond tradition .... wait for it ......... "shaken but not stirred". Boom boom! IT was, however, very frightening to experience, especially as it was the middle of the night. Without any light pollution from the city the stars were amazing and I met up with all the neighbours just before 5am!!!

The damage in the city is extensive - there are lots of photos on the NZ Herald website. The power of the earth is 'awesome'. Literally. Sarah and family are staying with me at present as the main beams in the their house have been damaged and they feel it would be best to wait for an assessment. That could take awhile because of the sheer weight of numbers of people waiting. Well over 50 aftershocks have been measured so far and the experts say that we could have another quite big one in the near future. No school for a couple of days, so far and many not at work. We are boiling water in case of contamination, conserving water and not flushing too often. The army are guarding the cordon around the Central Business District where there is a lot of damage.

A lovely day today and the forecast high winds moderated but we have a cold front with lots of rain coming at the end of today. Oh joy!! Still, could be worse. The stiff upper lip is operating even if a bit wobbly at times. Love to you all. Carol xx

Easter 2010

Hi Everyone,

Not long since the last offering but as I have been on another trip I thought I would put fingers to keyboard. I trust that the weather is warming up a little now, that you are keeping well and that the ash from the volcano is not causing problems.

I decided to abandon the family at Easter, having first made sure that the Easter Bunny had enough supplies, of course. This trip was to Nelson - an area of the South Island that I had not yet visited. Another coach tour (filled with people rather older than me but very friendly and they made me feel quite sprightly!!) To my amazement I knew the brother of one of the other passengers in Boxford - Fred Corner for those in the area. Talk about a small world!

Tahunanui Beach where we stayed.

The coach broke down an hour out from our destination - an additive in the diesel destroyed the fuel line - so we were not at the hotel until 8pm; a 12 hour trip from Christchurch!!! No matter as the next day more than made up for it. We had a wonderful 4 hour boat trip up the coast calling in at many of the beautiful bays that edge the Abel Tasman National Park. I would definitely like to visit again and walk some (or all) of the A. T. track. The weather was gorgeous and the scenery so beautiful.

Kaiteriteri - start of Abel Tasman National Park

Nelson Market on the Saturday was full of very talented people and well worth a wander round. We also visited some 'stately homes!' As these homes tend to be less than 150 years old to someone coming from England they are not terribly impressive but I mustn't carp. NZ is after all a very young country by European standards, and anything over a hundred years old is considered 'heritage'.

Many many vineyards in this region but the only wine I tasted was purchased over the bar in the hotel. Honest! Mostly coach travel on the Sunday - no chance for a paddle but I did try the hotel pool - FREEZING! We had a good trip back down the coast, no delays this time, and home in time for tea.

On the way home!

All are well here. School is back this week. Sarah had her birthday this month - her 'surprise' party not quite a surprise we planned. See her blog for details. I have started back at the gym and the motivation is that I have paid for a 3 month membership! Hope that you enjoy the scenery!

Do take care, all my love until next time. Carol xx

Great Barrier Island

Hi Everyone, and welcome to the latest blog.

Whangaparapara Harbour.

And only a few weeks have passed since the last one! Well, I have been on another of my little trips - this time for 2 nights on Gt Barrier Island, 90 kms to the northeast of Auckland. It is the fourth largest land mass in NZ - after South Island, North Island and Stewart Island and I had never heard of it until the info about the trip came through. Mind you, a couple of Kiwis I mentioned it to thought it was off the Australian coast so I didn't feel too bad. (A bit far for a three day trip!) Getting there involved a really early start as I was picked up at 6am for a flight to Auckland and then a transfer to a 'small' plane for the half hour flight to the island. (10 passengers!)

Tryphena Harbour

No mains electricity or water so the inhabitants rely on bore holes, generators and solar panels. Very beautiful as you can see from the photos and lots of tramping trails which I didn't have enough time to take advantage of - although I did walk along some of the beaches and paddle in the sea (a little warmer than Christchurch, I have to say.)

Medlands Beach

All in all a lovely trip, and guess what? I have another booked for Easter, this time to Nelson at the top of the South Island. Then it will be time for another blog. So, still in 'gadding about' mode I will finish - hoping that it is getting warmer for you by now.

Take care, lots of love Carol xxx

Autumn 2010

Hi Everyone,

Autumn is here already but, unlike those of you suffering with the winter cold in the Northern hemisphere we have been languishing under sunny skies ever since the children went back to school (beginning Feb!) So little rain that there is a fire warning out. The tsunami warning last weekend, after the Chilean earthquake was a bit worrying - during the night especially. We were saved by the low tide!!!! However, there were still some idiots who persisted in swimming, surfing, walking on the beach or just driving to the beach to see the wave come in. Annie, Malc and Olive took to the hills and Sarah's family took me to Kate's for a barbeque.

The girls and I went to Auckland last month to visit Margaret who was in turn visiting her daughter Sarah and new grandson, Jack. We had a lovely weekend - although the weather was rather humid and that made it difficult to sleep. We have celebrated a few family birthdays since I last wrote; mine, Roy's and Ash's. Thank you for your cards and good wishes. We all went out to lunch. If you have been reading the Simmerson's blog you will know that Joe broke his arm 2 months ago. He no longer has a cast but is meant to be avoiding trampolining, biking etc. Yeah, right!

I am helping at school again this year; in the same class as before. Unlike Joe I have been kept back a year!!! The only trouble I have is with learning their names - it has never been my strong point. I went to the theatre last night to see 'The Diary of Ann Frank'. It was very moving. There were lots of young people in the audience, presumably studying it at school and they were engrossed throughout. They reacted with applause and whistles when Ann and Peter kissed! There is another visit to the theatre at the end of the month and I am going on a trip next week so there should be another blog soon. The photos this time were taken at the Chinese Lantern Festival last weekend - most enjoyable.
Do take care and keep warm. Not too long before you change your clocks - we change ours back the first weekend in April so making us 11 hours in front of the UK. All my love Carol xxx