One way to the UK?

“I had the time of my life…” you all know the classic movie yeah? Mara and I went and saw the live on-stage musical of Dirty Dancing two nights ago!!! It was brilliant! The voices were amazing, especially the Aussie barritone that sang all the familiar songs, and even the lead (johnny) was played by an Aussie so we do produce some talent! The show was fantastic! It really involved the audience and the electronics for the backgrounds and some ‘in water’ scenes was so fantastic and real to life! I think Mara wrote a lot more in detail so check out her blog if you want more on the show!

We did more touristy things the other day, like bought an umbrella and scarfe in the city because it was bucketing down rain! Went on the British Airway’s London Eye yesterday…. I don’t think it was really worth the £14.50 but yeeah… got some pretty good sights over the whole city — nothing as high as the views we got from Mt Gillen Wizza!

Last night Mara and I repacked our bags, went to drop our suitcases off at Mile End…. got a taxi there cuz there’s no way in hell we were carting those big cases up and then down, and then up the underground tube staircases!!! So yeah, Dwain was kind enough to carry the bags upstairs and hopefully when we get back on 1 June they’ll still be in the house and haven’t been sold off on e-bay! Especially as all my shoes bar 2 pairs are in that case!!! So once the bags had been ditched, we got the tube to Covent Garden and met up with Sarah, a chick we met in New Zealand in 2006. Had dinner and a bottle of wine and it was so great to meet Sarah again! Felt like it had been less than 18 months since we all first met anyway! haha not like I’d say anything bad on here, I know you’re reading this Sarah! But really, thanks for taking us out to a new part of town we hadn’t seen at all! It was really nice, and I’m so looking forward to Darby Day on 2 June!!! It’ll be fantastic and I’m sure this great weather will keep up! Yes people, today is hot – even when standing in the shade which is a nice change towards summer!

We’re on our way to Jersey now – just need to register our “oyster” cards so best finish up and then head on the tube to the airport!

PS. will post pictures once we get to a better computer that we can download picture shrinker onto ;o)

Mainly for Mimi and others who were involved in Round Square at school….
On checking into the YHA Hostel near Rotherhithe it was about time to watch the FA Cup so we stayed at the bar here and the other Aussie in the place was a guy called Brett from Lower Plenty… on him saying that I asked if he went to Ivanhoe Grammar (IGS), and well what do ya know? Of course he went to that school ahah. So we watched the game and had a chat then he, Mara and I had dinner together. Chatted some more about the school etc and our association and yep Mimi he knows my mate James Binney, the South African Josh (not his friend, only thru school), Mottau and some others, and his best mate turns out to be Leachy! I mentioned how when I was like 17 I stayed over at Leachy’s house and he had some mates over… and yep, we’re both pretty sure now that Brett was at the same sleepover!

Funny but not overly surprised as this is London and I think it’s half populated by Aussies!

Dwain and his housemates are all really nice – the house is pretty interesting! It’s set over like 3 floors so you go in the door then up stairs, then 1st is kitchen (with washing machine) and a bedroom, then 2 rooms on 2nd floor then bathroom and 1 room on third/top floor… it’s actually not too bad and the atmosphere seems pretty good and relaxed. Hopefully they liked Mara and I and we’ll be able to stay there! ;o)

Went on Big Bus Tour today and saw most of the sights of London – will try post some photos of this big city when I can!

Hello all, Well finally we have arrived in London! (been here few days now…) The flight from Melb-Bankgkok was pretty good and sleeping nearly all of the 9 hours helped the time to pass!

Bangkok airport seemed SO sterile and all concrete and metal and BORING for most of the five hours, and in our true fashion (Mara and I) we left it to the last hour or two to go for a walk around the place and low-and-behold discovered the top (4th) floor of the airport with all the food anc cafe’s and duty free shopping!!! So we found nice little cafe and got our drinks and a danish and settled in to spend the rest of the lay-over time waiting there.

What we should have done was check the arrivals hall for my bag going around on the travellator thing (even though we wouldn’t have actually been allowed out that part of the airport)… but yes…

The Thai Airways flight to London from Bangkok, the long 12 hour flight, was CRAP! The plane was crap compared to the one from Melbourne, and we didn’t even have our own little touch-screen TV’s to use! Mara and I were in the first row of the back section of the plane and so had the one big TV right in front of us on the wall for everyone to see. As I sleep and sit in weird positions (as most my friends know), I had my feet up on the wall so everyone in the back section looking at the TV also got to see my feet :o)   haha lucky I did my nails… kidding, I had socks on anyway. I’m sure the little lady hosties from Thai were much dismayed… when they eventually came around to offer services during the flight… a rarity at best!

 Anyway, for passport control I walked straight through the British citizens line and Mara had to wait little longer for the ‘all other passport holders’ line. I got to the baggage collection first…. and got Mara’s bag and pack… and my bag with all my shoes in it… and then waited and waited, then Mara arrived from passport control and we waited together for my bag… and waited some more…. then I was like Where The Hell Is My Bag? Oh, well you’ll need to come to report it as missing at our desk! said the lady from Thai. Argh yup, all my clothes and everything else I had packed, except my shoes, had been left in Bangkok! I reported it missing, it was put on the next flight to London, and only after asking the service guy did he give me a ‘complimentary overnight kit’ as I had ONLY the clothes on my and a spare pair of undies and socks packed! haha. Hmm yes the plain white t-shirt from the overnight kit was definitely a keeper as was the flip hairbrush and the hard plastic toothbrush! or not!

Anyway, only without clothes for one night as the next morning I went back to Heathrow, called Thai and was escorted downstairs and grabbed my bag from the ‘lost bags’ area, and believe me LOTS of people must have lost their bags! So… grabbed the bag, went through customs for 2nd time in two days and then Mara and I hopped on the tube into the city, then across the city and then down to the east london side of the city and to the YHA – my god! We had to carry all our bags up the stairs at tube stations, then down the stairs, then up more stairs, and once we arrived at the YHA the LIFT IS BROKEN so we had to drag our bags up 3 flights more of stairs!

 K, so we met someone from IGS (another one Mimi) here at the Hostel, but i’ll write about that/him later.

We’re off to meet Dwain and other housemates and see the house we might be living in now.

Oh also before i go – yay got to watch the FA Cup at a decent time (not 4am hey Danny) and even better — got to watch Chelsea win!!!

Well Departure day has finally come, and right now I’m posting this from the Melbourne International Airport – nothing too flash and this netcafe is right next to the toilets that stink like ammonia! Anyway!!!

 We were EARLY to the airport to check in, yep, me early to somewhere in my life!!! So early that the lines hadn’t even actually opened for check in! Anyway, so we were 2nd and 3rd in line, and all was going well until we got up to the line and our bags were overweight! Okay well mine was like exactly on weight but Mara had to ditch about 6kg worth of things!!! I’m sure all can be bought over in London anyway and did we really need all the info guides and maps of London??? Nah! For some reason or other the DVD’s of Dawson’s Creek remained in her backpack though!!! There’s an activity Mara will be going alone!

There were a few tears as Mara and I said goodbye to the families and we’re both pretty apprehensive about what lies ahead but why not do it now in our lives? It’ll be fantastic and travelling as cousins means we’re stuck together whether we like it or not so we’ll look after, and out for each other – no good looking guys on the flight though judging by our scans of the checkin line!

Well, love you all and wish us well! haha. I’ll keep updating this and keep up on the emails too so that you can all ‘travel through me’.

Apart from my friends and my dog, I am also sad to be leaving behind my family and my voluntary work place the RSPCA and all it’s homeless dogs and cats. The family will be fine without me, as I’m usually travelling here or there, and have been planning a living move to Darwin or Brisbane for sometime… that will now come once I’ve returned from the UK in 18 months or 2 years, or whenever!

The RSPCA of Central Australia looks after all the unwanted dogs, pups, cats, kittens and miscellaneous (turtles, rabbits, birds, rats etc) of Alice Springs and surrounding communities. I’ve volunteered there for 12 or so years, and it’s something I love. I may have to find an RSPCA in the UK! The one in Alice Springs is, hopefully, being rebuilt this year to make the facilities better for all the animals. Currently the cages are live-able but not really great and medical facilities are also required in this day and age, where so many people are still irresponsible when it comes to desexing their pet!!! Pictures are the RSPCA now – hopefully when I get back in a few years the new facilities will be built!

I swear I’ve had more coffees, lunch outings and dinners in the last week that in the last six months! It was great to see most people prior to me leaving though so I really didn’t mind!

As the title suggests, pictures from farewell night below:

Well, I can only write a short entry here as I’m borrowing internet time from my mom’s workplace to do this!

I had a good last Thursday and Friday but was a little lost with no job to go to believe it or not! I still woke up at my normal morning time – that’s no longer happening this week! haha. Last Friday I met some of the ladies from work at 16:30 for drinks around the pool at Alice Resort, and the last of us (Lara, Rachel and I) finished up at 11:30pm! That was after some great cocktails and laughs and stories, and getting Shelley very tipsy prior to her going to see the Comedy Road Show – her friends did not sound too impressed when they had to come by the Resort to pick her up! So yeah, it was a good night with the work girls – thanks to those who came!

Saturday night was a day at the Races for Tamara and I which was excellent as we haven’t done much at all with ‘just us two’ for about a year!!! So it was a nice day, and then Tam and I ducked out to Bec and Neil’s house and I got to see Jayden and Caleb and my god kids grow up so fast! I know I hadn’t seen them for ages but they’re both so big now!!! I’ll try get a photo for this page.

 Then – Saturday night I had my actual farewell (thanks Lis for organising it!) with most of my friends from in town, and even my sister came (being nice cuz I’m leaving!) so that was a really nice night. Started off at Firkin (English pub in Alice…) and then we went to Bojangles and then on to Melanka (I know, Skankys will still be skankys whether it’s renamed “Gilligan’s” or not!) and I had to pay it a visit before leaving town – so that I appreciate what I am leaving behind! haha. I’ve posted some pics below of me and some mates – I’m also going to set up a photopage as I’m sure I’ll take lots of pics of people and things once I’m overseas! THREE days left in Alice Springs… 8 days til London!

Well it is with some apprehension that I write this post! It’s my last day of working for Alice Springs Hospital in Australia and it’s a little bit sad! I’ve handed in my keys and my ID tags and now it’s just a matter of leaving the building! I’m sure the place will only temporarily fall-apart without me here! But I have faith in the new Administration girls and I’m sure they will settle in soon enough as a new team! My boss has my mobile so I’m sure I’ll get a call sometime! haha

Work had a lovely farewell for me yesterday morning, and I got an awesome travel bag (shoulder bag) and some other travel-related things which will come in handy! From my boss I also got some really nice earrings…. low and behold – I don’t have my ears pierced! Well, I didn’t yesterday anyway BUT that changed at 11am this morning! So yeah, after getting my second pair of earrings this year I decided it was a sign-enough to go and get holes in my ears!

I’m off to have coffee with some of my best friends in town now, then Friday after work it’s “drinks” with the ladies from work, and then Saturday night is my big farewell party in town at a pub, complete with farewell cake baked by my best friend Elissa! (she’s the one joining me in Europe in August this year).

Here are some pics of me and some work ladies after my farewell! (I’m the one in white shirt)

Well, a few weeks ago I decided that before I leave Alice Springs I should climb Mount Gillen, and get some good photographs! Mt Gillen is the highest point along the Macdonnel Ranges closest to town, and I think it’s something like 4000ft up (but not sure). Anyway, Lis and I were the only two who decided to actually go through with the climb, so gave up partying on Saturday night to wake up nice and early on Sunday to do the climb! It was like hell, with lots of loose rocks and I never knew I was so unfit! I think cuz the whole thing is pretty much up hill, and then it gets steeper up hill, finishing with the actual rock climb to get on the top of the Mountain. We were determined to finish, so we made it up to the top – in good time might I add! Got some great photos… then decided that instead of facing the scary-looking climb / slide back down the way we came (which would only take 1 hour), we instead hiked along the entire top of the ranges, over to the Radio Towers for Alice Springs and then down the service road… from the Cairn (where pic was taken), the towers looked “about an hour away” is what I told mom anyway when we arranged for her to collect us at the base of the towers and drive us back to my car. Well…. I think it was 3.5 hours later that we got to the base of the towers!!! Spiked with spinifex, Lis with a sore knee and two hurt ankles, and me with a sore back and two hurt ankes…. and then lobster red sunburn that developed on my left leg and arm (yeah a ‘bogan tan’!). But still, I’d recommend doing the climb to anyone, as the view is fantastic… mind you I’m never ever doing it again!

It was quite by accident that yesterday, I nicked off from work early (I had an appointment I swear!) and ran into Vicki Prichard in the corridor on my way out. After quick discussion, we realised that she won’t be back from Darwin (left today) until AFTER I’ve already headed to Melbourne for my London flight!!! So I dropped around last night to see Vicki, Jas and their two kitties (one thinks it’s a dog though)! Vicki is someone I’ll always appreciate, both personally and professionally – she was the one who helped me out when I started my Hospital job with no hand-over from anyone! Looking back now I must have been so annoying with all my questions every minute! But she’s got her own back – since she left the Admin Wing I’ve had to train at least 4 people up here!

 – I will have to re-edit this photo (not sure why it’s fuzzy)