Hi B, I hope you are ok. The dive with sharks sounded great. We are just having a lokk at flights from sydney to cairns. where didi you book yours? Could you keep an eye out fro us? looking foraward to seeing you!! take care of yourself. Love Jen and Joe xx

Hi Ben, you must really be enjoying it. Where are you diving? I have just 'broken up'. Loads left to do but I am just going to walk away in a short while and leave it until I return from Oz. It has been a bit of a sad day with the leavers very upset and needing to be 'helped 'through the day. I have the barbeque at 6.30pm which will be lots more good byes and then.....
Looking forward to seeing you

Love Mum

Hello everone been out diving today at the island where they filmed mission impossible 2. I saw lots of sharks only port jackson sharks which are harmless and i held a couple of them,some of them were about 4-5 ft.Saw an octopus and quite alot of other thing. Off out again tomorrow so have lots of reading to do today

Hey Barb whats going on with Raymond? We are all dying to know! I don't know how we passed the time before websites were invented! Anyway......we are all fine if not just al ittle hot. This week we have had the opening of the exhibition at Woodchester Mansion and the leavers evening at Cattle Country and tomorrow is the end of term barbeque, so we are nearly there. Jen has been at home this week so she has been able to walk Jacko and she even brought him on the 'walk in the park' today-which was great-all the children loved him and he was very well behaved. On Saturday I must really start and sort out some packing and get organised. Not sure about your shark escapades but I know it has always been your dream so I hope it works out for you. Also not too sure about this weather-I can't believe I am going to leave the sun for a country where it is winter!!! Anyway we will be in touch soon Lots of love MumXX

That sounds really great if not a little worrying but I'm sure you know what you're doing!!!
Have just been watching Gordon Ramsey reporting on the rise in popularity of crocodile in British restaurants and thought of you!! It seems there's a crocodile farm in Cambridgeshire - how about that for a change of career!!!!
Lots of love. xxxx

Hello i booked up going diving with the great whites today and had some fantastic luck,The company is run by andrew Fox who is Rodney Fox's son. Rodney Fox was attacked by a great white years ago and since then he has been involved with nearly all the GW shark films that you see on tv or in books including Jaws. I booked up to go on the boat then they rang me up later and told me they had double booked so i offered to go another day and they put me on the much more expensive trip with Rodney Fox as the special guest and speaker.August should be great going to cape york then diving with sharks!!!

Nicky i was on the beach back in Cairns the other day at the kite surfing comp and had to go off and get the lunch but i could not get them they would never of tasted as good!

Are you joking?? Diving with great whites!!!! That sounds like the scariest thing EVER!! Looks like you are having a great time, Im very envious sat here melting at my desk looking at you site. Have a great time with your mum and dad and take care.
PS. Have you had a chocbottoms recently??

Sounds like your having a good time at the lake and chris's sailing course sounds great fun maybe when i get back he can teach me! I have just booked some courses myself my advanced diving and rescue diver course so i have loads of reading and DVD's to get through. Also found out about diving with the great whites's yesterday so will be sorting that in the next day or so. Ian i am glad you had agood time away and am looking forward to you buying me a pint over here!(or two)

Hope that the weather holds for all your sailing it not at all good here at the moment luckly we found a heater on the side of the road.
Take care everyone Ben

hiya, Glad to read your message, the scavenging sounds fun. Auntie Mary would have a field day!! Not long now until your Mum and Dad are there. it's so exciting!!!
Weather is wonderful here just right for Summer hols so let's hope it lasts. We spent yesterday at the lake as kevin was on duty. Out in a stationary boat in the middle of the lake in the hot sun for hours on end wasn't his idea of fun but at least it's over for a year now and we can enjoy the rest of the Summer. Chris has aquired a canoe so he had great fun practising his capsizes. I've just booked him on to a sailing course for the end of August and then he'll be able to get his first Scout badge. he was invested on Friday night and is still very keen. There is still talk of pickaxes which I can't quite fathom....
Ian is back form Zante and had a 'wicked' time. He looks very bronzed and is now having to re-adjust his body clock to fit in with those of us who haven't been partying for the last seven days.
Auntie Mary had some exciting news concerning little Raymond which I'm sure you'll hear about, but other than that, nothing much has happened.
Ben and Mary are opening the top Crown on August 4th could be a good night but I'll tell you more nearer the time.
Take care, have fun, we're still missing you.
xxxxxx

Hello were in Sydney now at the house.We spent all day yesterday driving around the suburbs and seeing what people are throwing away. Its so different over here they have what they call council clean up and it when they go around different suburbs and collect all the unwanted things, we have got bads sofas ones a nice black leather one heaters, microwave, tv,lamps and lots more i have taken a few photos but need to take some more when i do i will show you all.
Going to try and get some diving done soon and will let you all know about that when i do.
Hope your all well speak to you soon.

Hello you 2,
Good to hear that you are in your flat and have, at least, beds duvets and cooking utensils. We are struggling to cope with a heat-wave; but I have to say that it is just what we need to remind us that it is the height of summer. How was the rugby match? Of course, like everybody else, we wait for pictures of your flat/house! Hope this doesn't sound too demanding but it is just very exciting to see what you are doing on the other side of the world. This is your month, Ben, can you really be coming up to 24!! I wonder how and where you will spend this birthday? One more week to go and I will finish work for the summer holidays - can't wait! And now what? Work? Leisure? Travel? (for you and Michael, I mean) I'd go for more leisure if I were you, you deserve a stress-free space for a bit longer yet!
Take care,
Lots of love, and remember to enjoy every minute.
Joan xxx and Van and Christiane
p.s. I think your photographs are really beautiful, Ben. That uninhabited beach, near Cairns, looked very inviting - although I wasn't very impressed to hear about the crocodiles!

Hello everone made our way down the coast and am now about 2 hours from Sydney in a place called Newcastle.We are staying with the people that we met in cairns which is nice.Will be heading back to Sydney tomorrow and we get the keys to the house which is good because we have acumulated loads of junk to go in it.