Hi everyone Mum - just to let you know, we lost our phone, so if you've been texting, that's why I've been ignoring you. Hi, Mr Kolin - nice to hear from you...I'll mail you closer to the time about our Christmas Eve night out! Now on the North Island of NZ, in Wellington, which seems to be a lovely place, but we haven't got time to stay any more than one night as we had to spend 2 nights in Kaikoura to see the dolphins as they ended up having a day off on Saturday (lazy b*ggers! - not really, it's just that the sea was too rough for us to go out.) It was amazing though...really surreal to swim so close to them, which we did at 5.30 yesterday morning. I got so sea sick I threw up into a bucket on the boat (despite having a taken a tablet) and felt funny for the rest of the day, which was nice! Still not feeling in the slightest bit Christmassy...maybe it'll kick in when we get to Sydney?? Can't remember if I mentioned that I met an Irish girl whose birthday is on Christmas day, so we're going to have a joint 'do' - she knows lots of Irish men in Sydney, so it's all good!! (Sorry, mum!) Hope the shopping's going well for all you guys though...I'll collect my presents in April! :) Miss you all!!! xxx

Well, two welsh girls did chase the sun and the sun bit them back with a vengence in Fiji!!! lol Just been checking out your site pictures - all good. How did the snorkeling pictures come out Kate?

Looks like I will see you at Christmas in Sydney - expect me to pick your brains on New Zealand as I fly there on 09th Jan!

Cheers for providing amusement of the lobster variety in Fiji!!

You'll be pleased to hear that it's been sunny here! We went on a cruise around Milford Sound (like a massive lake with waterfalls and stuff) and saw seals and dolphins. On Saturday we get to a place called Kaikoura where we will actually get to swim with them...excited!!! We've met some cool people, but the load we're with today are a bit of a miserable bunch and we're stuck in the back of beyond, so I think it might be an early night for me!

Mum, glad to see that Strictly Ballroom is keeping you enthralled (and out of trouble!) - is it sad that I am gutted that I'm missing it?! I miss you loads too (sorry folks, you'll have to get your violins out now!) but it really won't be long til I'm home...we hit the 3 month mark today! Anyway, glad you liked the photos, could you see my mosquito bites on the one?! They think I'm some sort of local delicacy everywhere I go! Rah!!!!!!

Anyway, I'll try and update the journal when I get a chance..keep in touch everyone, it's so nice to hear from you!

xxx

I assume its as wet there as it is here at the moment. Throught my car was going to take offon the way to work this monrning. Have you seen any hobbits yet? The magic bus? Is that like the sunshine bus. And get used to the Irish. They're everywhere in Oz. Its not called County Bondi for nothing.

Speaking of exotic places, I should be moving to the place with 2 Ls tomorrow. Thanks to the good people at Ketih Evans (Sorry Nat) its taken somewhat longer than it should have and three conversations with my solicitor over 6 weeks when I'm tryin to buy a house must be a record or somethhing. I have got to know the muppets who work in the office quite well though. Although having to explain to one what a Telgraphic transfer of funds was worried me a bit. And they keep pulling more fees out of their arses.

Thats my rant over anyway. Was the political coup in Fiji that began this week anything to do with you by the way?

Hi love,
Great talking to you last night, though I realise just how much I miss you when I finally put the 'phone down. Sounds like every place you go is better than the place before and I'm sure it will continue. I'm trying to pluck up the courage to go into Newport but as Phil has just got the 'phone to me and filled me in on a fist fight between two girls, two very large black men and a couple of random pushchairs I'm not exactly rushing as you might imagine- bring it on Newport!!!
The hi-light of my life at the moment is "Strictly Come Dancing". The number of exciting Saturday night dates I've sacrificed just to make sure I'm perched waiting for the TV to warm up(I must get a new one) I can't begin to tell you.
Actually it's our office Xmas Party at the Cwrt Bleddyn this Friday and on Thursday I'm at the Millennium Centre for Katherine Jenkins so don't feel too sorry for me folks!!
Look after yourself and whatever else stay safe nice to see that you got out of Fiji in the nick of time, i hope it wasn't something you said while you were there that caused that coup.
Speak soon love, Mum.
PS. the wedding photos arrived and thay are lovely, thanks for that!

Hi everyone

Just to say, all ok here...I'll put more of a message up when I get a sec...

Miss you all! xxx

Hi all,

Have missed this little message board, unemployment does have its downsides after all.

Must fly as Isabel is requesting the Balamory website - oh my crazy life.

Have fun

Nat xx

Hey folks
Now in Queenstown, adventure capital of the world. NZ has been cool so far...unbelievably wet and cold (so don't be so sure the weather's better than home mum!)...they had 30mm of rain overnight when we were in Franz Josef - where we stayed in a hostel run by a guy from Penarth! Odd. They apparently say if you've visited the west coast of the south island and it didn't rain then you haven't really visited. Well, we've realllllllllllly visited. While in Franz Josef we quad biked and glacier hiked - I'm quite the adrenalin junkie! We've been travelling round on something called the Magic Bus which is like ahop on-hop off bus for backpackers, so we've met some cool people (mostly Irish!) Now we're staying with Em's cousin for a couple of nights and last night went for a BBQ on an island (it finally wasn't raining) so last night at midnight I was on a little boat in the middle of a lake heading back to the mainland. Just like the end of a night out in Cardiff really!

Mum, hope you've had a good time with the cheese eating surrender monkeys (that means the French, mum) and Jools, glad you now have a fire brigade story to add to your repertoire - everyone should have one!!

Miss you all, I'll be in touch xxx

Hello!

Just realised I haven't written on here in a while so thought I'd drop you a line to avoid doing any work! Sounds like you're still having a great time and I'm very jealous. Can't wait to see the pics of NZ and how was the quad biking?!

We had some excitement last night as some idiot started a bonfire in the garden behind ours at 11:30pm and left it to burn unattended! It was so windy that it caught and was getting out of control - right next to a wooden fence and a tree...and our house!!! So, after comtemplating it for a while, and with the 'firestarter' nowhere to be seen, Ben and I called the fire brigade as it needed putting out! So, at 11:45 they turned up with all their lights flashing and two of them trooped into the house to see what was going on. I was in my element! They went round to the fire, climbed over the fence and put it out with a big hose :-) I couldn't sleep after I was so excited by the firemen ;-)! Good job Ben is understanding!

So, after that excitement I think this weekend will be a bit dull. Going Christmas shopping tomorrow with all the pikeys in Croydon, so can't wait for that!

Have a good weekend all and take care Katie.

Lots of love xx

Hi Love,
I'm killing time in work before going to the theatre, fancy going all the way to NZ to see Guys and Dolls, glad you enjoyed it, that's something you didn't expect to be doing. You sound great and I bet your weather is a helluva lot better than ours. Glad it's all working out, speak soon hopefully, Rose and I are very excited about France, I don't suppose you'll ever be excited about anything again after this trip.
Stay safe, missing you loads, love Mum.