Friday, December 9, 2011

Kia Ora

Well we've landed in Aotearoa, it feels strange, I feel a bit disconnected from everything and am very tired and emotional but know it's just part of the adjustment process.



Nemo's are my favourite


We had a lovely two weeks in Cairns with friends Phil and Suz and went diving on the Great Barrier Reef. We hired an underwater camera and had fun taking photos, it was a blast.  

Skydiving underwater!





Turtles are amazing

Cuttlefish
         
                       

                   


I also managed some retail therapy and plenty of swims in the pool.  

The downside of living in Cairns is you can't swim in the beautiful sea as there are Crocs that will eat you and Box Jellyfish that will sting the hell out of you! 

We also went to Undara which is 4hours inland from Cairns to see the Lava Tubes and stay the night in an old railway carriage.  It was great and the Lava Tubes are awesome. 

              
             


On the way to Undara we stopped at the Crystal Caves in Atherton http://www.crystalcaves.com.au/.  It's basically one man's collection of crystals in rock form, as geodes and various other states.  He's created an indoor cave that these crystals have been set into the walls, sitting on display etc.  He's got the largest Amethest geode in the world there which is over 3 metres tall, it's beautiful.  The whole thing is really well done and took us about an hour and a half to go through.

    

Then on the way back from Undara we stopped at Paronella Park http://www.paronellapark.com.au/.  That was stunning too and such a beautiful story behind it.

            



My friend Tina took me to her secret swimming hole up in the bush and we swam in three different rock pools, it was magic. 





We also had a quick look at Port Douglas and I loved Kuranda which had a lovely village feel and lots of lovely shops.

We flew into Auckland on Monday 5th and are slowly making our way down the country to Wellington, spending time with friends and family on the way.




The plan now is to find somewhere to house sit, get some work and save madly so I can go back again in six months.  I'm going to do a TESOL course (Teach English as a Second Language) and once I'm certified I can pick heaps of different countries to teach.  I've said for a long time that I want to get paid to travel and have now found a way for that to happen :-)

I'm missing the children a lot, their smiling happy faces swim in my mind as I think of them every day. I'm in email contact with Yogi and my Group C kids and we have talked to Yogi a couple of times on the phone while in Australia.  He's good and missing us too.

My favourite photo of Yogi - he's so awesome!


All I seem to be doing since back in NZ is sleeping.  I'm really tired and not sleeping well at night.   By the time Christmas is done and dusted and 2012 is under way I should  be well and truely back into the swing of things.

Merry Christmas everyone and may all your dreams for 2012 come true.

Good health and happiness to you all.
Much Love, Paula xxxxxxxxxxxx

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