Hello New Zealand Hello intrepid travellers! Your time in Melbourne sounds very interesting have you thought of becoming David Attenborough’s apprentice? I’m sure you’d be really good! Can’t believe your Oz days are over and you are now in the ‘land of the long white cloud’. Chris will be happy now he’s actually in Lord of the Rings be careful he doesn’t go off with any strange looking people or starts talking Elvish mind he does have Hobbit feet so one never knows! I’ve been in severe decline since coming home to the UK our time in Sydney was SO fab and we did some fantastic things that it’s taken me a while to get back into routine (God, don’t you just hate routine?) Also I am now thoroughly depressed that it is STILL winter here and you are still enjoying summer days. Ah well must go and turn the heating up and put all the lights on. Stay safe, have fun and look after each other. Chris remember the deal, now that we turned up in Oz you know it’s true!!! My love to you both. Always Mum xxx
G'day Mate It is so unfair,your Mum and I have to come home to cold and freezing Britain whilst you and the boy blunder get to continue your travels in sun kissed Oz. Furthermore you have a visit to TGI without me. Is there is no justice in the world. I am pleased to see your interest in nature is continuing, never mind the tuna count, what's the Koala count like, you must have seen quite a few by now. The penguin parade sounds facinating, take lots of photo's . Keep enjoying and keep on blogging love you lots Dad x
Happy New Year & many Happy Returns Asti/Chris
I was sworn to secrecy not to blogg and slip up giving you any incling that they were coming out to see you for Christmas (only found out myself Tuesday before Chrimbo). I know they needed the trip - they were missing you.
Your Dad has text me to say they are back safe in Newcastle and told me what a wonderful trip it has been. The adventures you all have had sound's fantastic - Sydney Harbour at New Year looked fantastic on the news here so it must have been wonderful to be there.
Continue to enjoy your trip.
LOL
Uncle T
Hey Als Thanks for the lovely lovly messge I love you lots too and hope you had a fantastic time in NYC! I'll write you a long messge soon. But for now - I love you lots too sis xxx
HI!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY my gorgeous sister!!! Hope you are living it up in style! Are mum and dad 2 there as a surprise or did you know they were coming?
I am going to book my tickets to NYC in the next couple of weeks for April so see ya there baby!! Can't wait!
I have done the Blue Mountains trip - fab stuff, although I got a little scared on the look out point that went straight out and all you could see was a drop...my legs started to shake!
I love Sydney - so lushious!
I am stateside at the moment. It is still 2008 by e but obviously you are a whole year ahead of me now AND you are 24 HAHA I am merely 23...for now!
I fly back on Sat although I am hoping I get snowed in as there is snow falling as I type. Have a week prep and then I am let loose on the kiddies - eek! Teaching Y5/6 - remember the attitude at Valley...well that is moi teaching that attitude-wish me luck!
OK my gorgeousness, hope you have had a brill birthday, wish I cvould have been there -especially as it is in Sydney!!!! Next year you could come to NY and celebrate it with me?! Speak soon. LOVE YOU! Love to mum and dad 2 and chris!xxxxxx
MERRY CHRISTMAS G'Day kids. Glad all is well with you both. Hope you had a fantastic Christmas. Will speak to you before Astrid's Bday. loads a love
Jenx x x x x
Merry Christmas Hope you both have a merry Christmas. Let me know what Christmas is like on Bondi beach.
Met up with your Dad yesterday for lunch and swapped pressies.
Lots of Love,
Uncle T
Merry Christmas Hello Travellers, How exciting it's Christmas. Well Asti I am delighted to tell you, your Dad, what a lovely man he is, took me to work with him the other day and then in the evening treated me to several gallons of the amber liquid. I can tell you I cannot remember when I last drank so much. Still it is Christmas and some celebrating needs to be done. He's taking me to stay with some of my friends on Christmas Eve. He's going to let me spend a few days up at Newcastle Airport, he is so generous, he is going to pay for me to stay there while he and your mum, she's drop dead gorgeous by the way, jet of to Burgau. They did offer to take me with them, but I find the aircraft seats are a bit small and I do struggle to get those seat belts across my Boot. Well I must go now, my friend Mercedes wants me to go with her for a romantic evening at St Mary's Lighthouse Car Park, she loves it when her lamps are turned on, I much prefer to get her motor running and see what is going on under her bonnet. Anyway, best wishes for Christmas , have a great New Year and see you in 2009. Love always Bertie xxx
Bronzed goddess Well things seem to be moving on splendidly in the Land of Oz. Chris seems happy playing nicely in the water and you’re a girl after my own heart lounging around on the beach. Hope it’s not too stressful for you! The zoo sounds fab Dad would have loved it. Brisi itself sounds disappointing I thought there would be far more to do and see but I’m sure you’ll find far more to do and see in Sydney! Life here is rumbling quietly towards Christmas which will be very strange without you. I’m thinking of having our official Christmas when you come home in April. It will be almost Easter and thought we could have a tree with eggs, rabbits, daffodils and other springy things on, what do you think? Well must go and stuff a turkey of whatever it is people do at this time of year. Be happy, stay safe and look after each other. My love to you both, as always. Mum xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Where to Pirates shop???..........AAAARRRRRRGOS! Well Hello Sailors!!!!!
Hope you have scrubbed the decks before setting foot off the vessel????
Your Blogs are making me want to cry with jelousy. Especially the Whitehaven Beach part. I told you how amazing it was, and I know I was right!
You will have a fabulous time on Fraser Island. The Shipwreck is phenomenal.
Hope you are both enjoying your experience, and can you please stop complaining about the hellish temperatures. It is minus temperatures here!!!!!!!!!
Im assuming that your tuna count has upped quite considerably since Thailand???? Hit me with the latest number.....
Mike is such a sweetheart. He text me the other day to see if I wanted him to bring anything round, and he wanted to come and sit with me on his way out of town.......Brought a tear to my eye, bless him!!!!!
Hope Beefcake is well, send him a kiss from me, and I will hopefully catch you soooooooon!
A Lorra Lorra LOVE Chucks x x x x x x x x x
Hello Sailors! Hello sailors! So pleased you are having such a fantastic time but sorry the weather seems to be too hot for you. As I type it is snowing here and ‘it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas’ Tra La La La La! I guess Christmas doesn’t look quite the same in Oz perhaps the white sand in the Whitsunday’s will look a bit like snow or maybe not! The sailing trip sounds wonderful and Dad will be so pleased you’ve got the free upgrade it will appeal to his inner Yorkshireman! The light switch tale is absolutely hilarious and I have visions of the two of you trying to find it. Of course it’s just the opposite in UK as it is barely daylight at all at the moment and I have the lights on in the house almost all the time. Ah well must go and do some work, enjoy the sail trip, stay safe and my love to you both. Love Mum xxx ps .. I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky. And all I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer her by .
Spider in the toilet Suffering from Spiders in the toilet. Funnel web, Red Back and White tailed spiders are the ones to be concerned about. Others are just scary. All 3 are venomous but if you are bitten the advice is to seek treatment immediately. Spider bites are rare however the advice from the Ausmus.gov website is take sensible precautions, e.g. avoid walking outside bare foot especially at night, check clothing and shoes when you put them on. Spiders only attack when they feel threatened. So go for the clean kill on second thoughts tell Chris to go for the clean kill and you should step away from the spider.
Do i detect a hint of sarcasm??? Hello travellers!!!! The rafting sounds amazing and despite the bruises I am sure it will be a memory you will never forget!
I have just seen Mikes pics on facebook and it looks like your having so much fun! LOVING THE RAMBO MOMENT BY THE BOYS!!!!!
I think Phil Davie and Ben Broadhead are in Oz, would be wierd if you bumped into them!
Not much to report here, just trotting on as usual.
Jade and I went for a random car drive and were singing very loudly ( and out of tune...jade only of course) to Aerosmith...... WALK THIS WAY!
We had a moment and both agreed that it would have been fun if you were with us! Then we saw a "Bertie" wannabe and followed it for a mile or two thinking it was you..............Unfortunately our dreams were shattered when we saw a 92 year old man with a flat cap, and a face like tha grand canyon!
Anyway, thats about it.......keep living the dream for all of us stuck in the tropics of Manchester!
TA RA CHUCKS X X X X X X X X XX
White Water You're right Asti, I would have loved it and yes I am incredibly proud of you. So you stayed in the boat eh, shame about Chris, I hope he didn't hurt anything more than his pride. Keep enjoying the adventure and stay safe. Love always Dad and Mum xxx
G'day G'day and welcome to Australia. Hope you're having a bonza time and no doubt you'll be knocking back a few tinnies. See you around - like a rissole! Love Mum xxx ps that's all Oz talk you know!
OZ Bound Well the end of the first leg of your journey. Glad the 'round the world on a shoe string' managed to stretch as far as lunch at Raffles as I wouldn't like to think of you roughing it too much. I can't believe you have 'done' Asia and are now off to a land down under. I know a song about that which I am currently singing -you will all be pleased that this is not an audio blog. As you two are hurtling ever more towards summer climes we in Blighty are shivering in zero degrees of snow, sleet and rain which doesn't quite seem fair - but there you go. Happy Landings in Oz and watch out for the spiders, snakes, bugs, alligators............... etc My love to you both. Mum xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Hi Astrid and Chris
Sounds like you're having a great time!! I loved Singapore and Sentosa Island, but got v sunburnt at the time. Have a great time in Oz.
love Jill and James
EXCUSE ME!!! I have been talking to you on Facebook, so am inot excused too???? Im very jelous that you are now heading for the amazing oz. Hope you are both good and still enjoying your travels. lots of love. Jenna. Mandi and Harley came to see me before they head back to Norfolk and they both send you big kisses....well harley sends you more rasberries!!!!!!!!! love ya x x x x xx
Hi guys!! Sounds like you're still having an amazing time!! And yes, a bit of Jimmy Choo would be lovely!! Nothing much happening here, just getting colder! Going to do som Christmas shopping today....spending yet more money!! Can't wait for your next installment.....keep having fun xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
KLL Hiya litter lout. So you received a fine eh! and rightly so. Should be more like that over here,it used to be. You were lucky. Back in my day we would have issued a fine ,then sentenced you to 6 months in jail followed by a spell of community service, picking up litter in the streets. How much was the fine? I hope it wasn't too much. I cannot beleive you set off in the wrong direction, particularily when you are so good at identifying left from right. Still it sounds like you are still having a great time. I took Bertie out for the day today and ha sends his best wishes to you both.Love you lots xxx
Koala Jumper Hi there! Despite the fact we've just had a long ‘phone conversation you omitted to tell me about the fag fine! Is this because you forgot or was it that you thought I’d be nagging you about a) smoking and b) littering? Once a Mum always a Mum so I’m afraid you’re stuck with it soz! However, KL sounds like my kind of place - all those shops! I’m not sure I could have done the twin towers sky bridge too high for me but I’m sure it was worth it for the views. Well must go and turn the heating up as we have snow forecast for tomorrow brrrr winter. Stay safe and be kind to each other. My love to you both. Always Mum xxx
Right, i am officially the MOST jealous person ever!!You sound like you're having an amazing trip......sorry i've not written for a while, but have beeen keeping up with you both! Can't wait to hear more stories, have a nice night under the stars! Lots of love xxxxx
TOUGH LIFE ! Helloooooooooooo!
Wow, sounds like your having a lovely "R n R" session. Im not jelous in the slightest! ok i lied!
"The Beach" should be amazing, make sure you take loads of pics and if you come across Leo tell him to get swimming and head for Southport and i can pick him up?????
Love ya x
We are 23&25, currently living in Manchester & working in recruitment & sales. Going travelling in less than one month - Far East, Oz, New Zealand and the US!
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Hello New Zealand
Hello intrepid travellers! Your time in Melbourne sounds very interesting have you thought of becoming David Attenborough’s apprentice? I’m sure you’d be really good! Can’t believe your Oz days are over and you are now in the ‘land of the long white cloud’. Chris will be happy now he’s actually in Lord of the Rings be careful he doesn’t go off with any strange looking people or starts talking Elvish mind he does have Hobbit feet so one never knows! I’ve been in severe decline since coming home to the UK our time in Sydney was SO fab and we did some fantastic things that it’s taken me a while to get back into routine (God, don’t you just hate routine?) Also I am now thoroughly depressed that it is STILL winter here and you are still enjoying summer days. Ah well must go and turn the heating up and put all the lights on. Stay safe, have fun and look after each other. Chris remember the deal, now that we turned up in Oz you know it’s true!!! My love to you both. Always Mum xxx