Hello you two! Well thanks for the luck - exams aren't til June though!! New Year in Sydney is great let me know if you need anyone to contact etc. as have many mates there!! My mate from home is coming out on Thursday to visit which will be particularly cool!! Not much else to say really apart from keep the updates coming!!!

Axx

Hello Ste and Kat, how are you both? Enjoying being banana farmers still? My class and I checked out the weather maps to see how the weather was in Australia and we decided to do a snow dance so you were colder than us! This is after I got them to guess your jobs. They were fairly close but one was convinced you were a koala midwife! Cute hey? Well I have nothing to report as school is keeping me busy! It's VERY cold here so make the most of the sun! Miss ya lots, Callie x

Hey guys yeah i did get my way. im not going to disney to get swept away by bloody hurricanes lol (sorry kata tutu but Fiji sounds alot better than seeing men in costumes in disney lol). Glad to see the banana picking is going ok. still no internet at home but im working on it. well while you are in hot weather lets just say it was 6 below freezing the other night and its bloody cold!!! Also got a real christmas tree this year.. there is no way im having that white xmas tree again with pink bloody lights, so thats now two nil to the lads. any way hope you too are having great time and u are nice and tanned, looking forward in seeing the white bits Mr Steven with the kilt for the wedding cause remember no under wear allowed lol. take care both miss ya. love Mr Chris and Fi Fi

Hello all from the hard workers. Have been really busy again at work this week only got another 3.5 weeks left. some people are very nice but some are stroppy b*****s but thats usual. Blisters and soreness are starting to subside so no need to worry but us.. Fi and chris what happened to disney, ( WHAT HAPPENED KAT IS DISAPPOINTED) did chris get his way for once (one nil to the lads) fiji is really really nice (so all the travellers we have met say anyway) bit of a long flight for mr chris tho. the pics of the ball look good (bit of an ugly mug in it tho) . Good luck to Amy for here exams. Dad did you email mike. Mummy Lucas could you do me a favour and try and find out why whsmiths are still giving me money i still think its tax returns but if you could find out how much more is to come back.. Kerry may have left stratford but if you speak to the manager now Jo she should be able to help, and let us know soon please.. and their is no need for you and granny to worry bout us, we is fine. OUR PLANS FOR CHRISTMAS HAVE CHANGED WE WILL BE JUST SOUTH OF BRISBANE AT SURFERS PARIDISE, BUT WE WILL BE BACK IN SYDNEY FOR NEW YEAR.. THEN WE ARE OFF TO NEW ZEALAND AND WILL BE STAYING AT KATY'S DADS FRIEND IN AUCKLAND FOR A FEW DAYS IF YOU WANT AN ADDRESS FOR ONCE..
LOVE FROM KAT AND TINKS XXX

Hi you two, so actually working for a living once again. Seriously glad you have found some work to help top up the funds. Wasn't impressed by the snake mind you but then you know me can't even watch them on the tv. Sounds like the work is hard but that you've met some nie people and are quite enjoying yourselves. Just think what you will be able to add to your cv (experienced banana famers can plant, pick and sort bananas of all varieties) Well we are truly into winter now has been bitterly cold the last few dayswith thick ice on the cars in the mornings. Its also very dark when you leave for work and even darker when you come home. We went out to dinner on saturday to celebrate Dads bday but didn't do much else as I was working. I went to see Wallice and Grommit at the pictures in Newtown with a couple of the girls from work' it was very amusing. Dad and I are going to the little theatre at the bottom of the road tomorrow. It's the first play of the season this week and they are usually pretty good so looking forward to that and also no work on Saturday hurrah. Well keep working hard and stay away from all the nasties. Keep having fun will speak to you again soon love Mum and Dad.

Still havent got the internet at home so Im sneaking on during one of my free's! Had a great time at the grad ball - there's some pix on www.instantpix.co.uk click on worcester uni and i think we're about page 16 and then page 18 for me mates! School is good at the mo. Just taught a really good lesson :0) I like it when they go well. Missin ya both so much. Hopefully we'll still be able to come out and see u in Canada but it all depends on money. Still need to book our honeymoon so that might skint us out. We've made up our mind and now going to Fiji. Well I should really get some marking done! Not sure when we'll be getting internet still waiting for BT to sort it. Text us when u like hehe and we'll be in touch soon. Oh yeah just to let you know Chris is loving his new role. He's staying in Stratford. Pissed sharon off tho hehe. Anyway chat soon Love Fi xx (and Chris)

Oi - no work!!! I'll have you know i am working VERY hard and even started studying this weekend for my exams!!! Played touch against the Aussies in the end!!! Was sooooooo much fun!! They split the boys so we had two teams half girls and boys and it was brilliant fun!!! They used their skills to set up the girls so we could have an active role in the game! was really fun and then we went for drink after!! All good!!! Unfortunately was a bit ill over the weekend so spent most of it in bed!!! :-( So glad am not picking bananas - sounds hideous with the spiders and the cockroaches (I HATE COCKROACHES!!!! YEUCK!!)
Anyway work is calling.

Speak soon
Amy

Hello all,

Well we have just finished our full weeks work we are now sunburnt and all blistered out no we have started to get used to the early mornings well Kat has due to working in bp and ste just gets pushed and moaned at to hurry up or we will be late for the bus by kat!!! Anyway the reason that we got sunburnt was because we spent Friday helping to plant an entire field of new baby banana plants. It was fun and so now ste will be a dab hand at potting all of mummy lucas's new plants when we get back!! As for creepy crawlies where do we start there are green frogs (ok all they do is hop out), Cockroaches (horrible sit on top of bananas until kat drowns them ready for packing), Spiders ( we are not just talking little ones there are some huge ones and they crawl on you, kat also drowns these in the tank as she breaks up and sorts out the bananas ready for packing) and last but by know means least there are Fruit Bats ( they hide inbetween the fruit and are not found until they go through a lot of water they are protected and so we have to fish them out of the sorting tank where hopefully they wont drown because of the water they go through before they get to packing.) and also there has been one snake but dont worry kat kindly kept well away and ste was out in the field and no where near! Amy u dont sound like your doing any work if you are planning on playing rugby with the All Blacks just a piece of advice if they start to run towards you get out the way quickly!!! Mike will let dad know what you said but we have to remeber he is getting old!! Happy birthday Daddy Barker ste says your officially an Antique! Hope you have a great day tomorrow! Congratulations Mr chris and fi fi for your promotion at work and for graduating hope you both had a fab time a the ball and that everything went well!! Also well done for covering up the floor when you moved out i wonder if the new people will get done for it instead!!! Anyway we are going to tully gorge tomorrow apparently it's where you can do whitewater rafting so we might go ands see what it is all about although we still are thinking of doing it in New Zealand!!
Love to you all Kat and tinks (ste)xxx

Ste - how are the blisters? Mummy is worried and granny is very worried! Come home now. Love UsXXXXX

Hello my dears - Banana picking eh? Mum said they were providing food - is that Bananas for lunch, bananas for dinner with bananas for soup!!! ;-)

No seriously glad you found work!! Its rugby week again out here which is cool - spent all day yesterday getting drunk and watching South Africa v Canada (SA whipped @rse) and the Lions v USA (obviously we won!!!). Looks like I also might have the opportunity to play touch rugby with the All Blacks team!!! How cool will that be?

Anyway speak soon

Axx

G'day! Thanks for your last email. We`look forward to seeing you in the New Year. Let us know final arrangements as and when. Also, I expect that you'll be travelling around a lot, so if there's any information you need just ask. Be aware that when you arrive it's holiday time and, although Auckland will be empty, and much better for it(!), the rest of the country will be pretty much booked up. Schools go back at the beginning of February. Tell your Dad it's time he sent me an email, never mind getting on a plane with your Mum to come and see us!