The journey is coming to an end

Sponge Bob play area, Slides at White Water World, Green Room - you went down a huge slide and then up side to side and out, Wave pool





















Well its a quickie from Brisbane Airport. We have had a wonderful holiday and we are all sad that the end of it is fast approaching. But I have at least 500 photos lol. There is going to be some serious scrapbooking going down when I get home. We had a fantastic day yesterday at White Water World - the kids said they enjoyed it better than the theme parks. We rode all the sides (except Phil and I didn't do the B.R.O Big Red Octopus - which the boys said was great - they rode it 5 times!!) I sat and watched the Green Room before I got the courage to go on it and then had to ride it backwards - very scary!
I better go - will update more when I get home - and if your lucky there will be a photo or too.



Edited to add Photos of White Water World

Busy busy Busy

well we've had a couple of full on few days. Phil has toncilitis and the dr gave him some pretty strong antibiotics and prednezone tablets. He was feeling about 90% better the next day after he had started taking them. So we went off to Movie World on Thursday - we all really enjoyed it so much to see and do. After our day we went and got changed in the carpark at Outback Spectacular as it was next door to Movie World and waited for the doors to open. What a fantastic show - it started with music in the hall and then we went throu to the Arena which seats 1000 people. Phil and I reckoned there was about 800 there. We all got a stockmans hat and were served tea. The horses were great and there was even camels and a helicopter as part of the show. we all came home tired from our busy day and night. Then next morning we all decided to go off to Dreamworld where we rode the roaring rapids ride 7 times lol. The kids also took part in the slime show - James had to put a cream pie in his own face - you couldn't have chosen anyone better to do that to himself! We had a great day and are going back to Whitewater world which is next door to it on Monday. Today we have been to Carrra markets - wow with every turn there were more stalls. Found a fantastic bead store - never seen so many beads - and yes Heather I did buy a couple! We have just come in to Pacific Fair (big shopping centre) for a look around.
Love Nicki

Off to Surfers

We picked our car up - a brand new Toyota Camry - woohoo - kids couldn't believe it and one of them was heard to say - "its not like our hoady car at home". Its only done 3,000 kms. Phil is just in his element. We travelled down to Surfers Paradise and found our apartment which is in the middle of Surfers - we have walked this morning down to the mall. We were going to go to Warner Brothers but because Phil isn't well he is going to the dr and we will go tomorrow. Wow this place is busy for us country hicks. Phil and the kids are in timezone while I am here typing this. Well I had better go - can't load photos - sorry - had tried to get wireless so that I could use the laptop but no luck. You'll just have to wait loling.
Take care everyone.
Love Nicki

Off the Tourist Route

We had fish n chips from Agnes Waters - very expensive - tried Baramundi $4.00AU per piece of fish but had to be tried. Phil thought it tasted like a mud fish - didn't really like it. Good news was that it was our first takeway food in Ozzie. Just as well as we couldn't afford to eat all the time with that sort of price. We left 1770 on Sunday morning (Happy Mothers Day Mums!!) after a visit to the local market and went to Mirium Vale and then down to Biggerdin where we had lunch at a park. We had brought fresh fruit from a honesty box road store and left one of our water melons behind! We stuck rain as we came down into Goomori - we were tried cheese at a cheese shop and brought an ice cream - ouch again $2.80AU per scoop - things are certainly more expensive here. We then went to Murgon and stayed in Burmbarbah Bush Park - this was voted by us all the best caravan park of the trip - it was so clean and tidy - saw a lot of kookaburras here - while the kids were playing cards one sat on the light and called to its mate the kids thought it was hilarious. We went down to spy the wallabies and on the way saw lots of lorrikeets - unfortunately no wallabies thou. The next day we went to a dairy farm out at Wheatlands - they have been in a drought for 10 years. Phil found this really interesting. Then down to Kingaroy - this was a lovely town and had really friendly staff at their visitors information centre. Kingaroy is know for its nuts so nuts were purchased here. We all tried boiled peanuts as well. Not my cup of tea but Phil enjoyed them. We then followed the highway down to Coolbuture which was just out from Brisbane - this caravan park was voted most scary - lots of permanent residents which was fine until one of them asked me if I was scared of the boogy man. Phil started to feel sick here and yesterday was not much better. He is going to the doctor today - think he has tonsillitis. We got back to the camper van depot around 12pm and check it back in. Just as well we had nil excess as it looks like we had hit something on the top of the sombero part - didn't feel anything thou and didn't even realise it was there but it definately wasn't there when we picked it us some must have been us. They rang a taxi van for us which took us back to the airport.

Gidday Mate!

Gidday folks - hope all is well in NZ - hear there is a lot of rain in the BOP. Well our journey in our camper van has come to an end. We had a fantasic time in it but we are all pleased to be somewhere with a bit of room.
We had a grea tour around the Bundaberg Rum Factory - thought the kids might have got a bit bored but they really enjoyed it - didn't realise the Australian Government took 2/3rds of the money made from the rum in taxes. It was interesting to see how small the bottling plant was for the amount of rum made. We had tastings mmm yum - Green with envy are we Gary!!??!!We then went to the Ginger Beer Barrel to taste all their products and to look at their interactive display which the kids enjoyed and a laser type show that James kept trying to see where the man had disappeared to. Onwards then to the Town of 1770 where we stayed in a site that was right on the beach - saw our first kookaburra here - more excitement! Needed Callum to verfify that thats what it was - our little wildlife warrior. The sand was beautiful and white but no time here to swim as tide was out when we were in! Next morning up at 6am (which isn't hard when you are in bed at 7pm lol) to get the boat out to Lady Musgrave Island which is a protected island with no inhabitants. We were ferryed out to the boat and went straight to the top so that we could sit in the wind - wasn't just wind we were struck with but all advised to put rain coats on as well - when I got off I was saturated even with the raincoat. Woo hoo what a trip - it was rough as - Bec and Phil both sick - I wasn't prepared to leave my seat as I knew that would be the end of it lol. The staff were great - they had there eyes on everyone as it is a regular occurance on the way out. 90 minutes later we arrived at the reef - as we came in we saw a mantra ray. We docked onto the poontoon and we were in the first group to go over to the island - there is only birds there - lots of nests for muttonbirds. The turtles nest there in the season unfortunately they only had 15 turtles nest this year but the previous year there was 200 of them - they think they knew that there was bad weather coming. It was then back to the boat for lunch and then a trip out on the semi submarine - we saw turtles and lots of reef fish - then it was out for snorkling. Bec enjoyed swimming but the rest of us enjoyed the snorkling and seeing all the reef fish - particularly the angel fish. The trip back was so bad but still quite swayey (if there is such a word lol)

Happy Faces - Underwater World - Mooloolaba

A new breed of Fish - The Great Scared Callum

Family Shot - Australia Zoo - Beerwah

Were Here!

Well today is Thursday 8 May. Its 7.10pm and we are all feeling like heading off to bed! Its been a couple of busy days. Headed off to Auckland on Monday and caught up with Rachel and Nick - had tea out at their place in Waiuku. Up early on Tuesday to get the plane it left at 6.40 in the morning. We had a good flight although Bec was a bit bored. Callum got a fright as the plane did a side step. We hit Brisbane and got a taxi out to the Campervan depot where we had a couple of hours wait - the good thing was thou that they decided to upgrade us to the Maui Sprite instead of the Britz one so Phil is driving around in a Mercedes Engine, Maui Sombero Van! He is so enjoying it. Once we got the camper we drove out on to the Bruce Highway then onto Steve Irwin Way - we passed the Australia Zoo and on to Colundra where we went to the Supermarket and Kings Beach. The kids had their first swim in Australian waters - they enjoyed it and seemed to appreciate the break. We went back to the Glasshouse Mountains Camping Ground and stayed there for the night. The next morning Bec and I found a Green Tree Frog in the bathroon and got chatting to another lady who showed us another two of them above the showers. Great excitement as there was a race for the first one of us to see an animal that we had not seen in NZ. Onwards to Australia Zoo where Callum had been wanting to go for a couple of years. What a place to get up close to the animals. The koalas were very sleepy lol. Nic held the koala for the photo - it was very stinky. Bec enjoyed feeding the kangaroos and we all fed the elephants. We then watched the show in the Crocoseum which was a great showcase for wildlife conservation and education. Bec wasn't well and we went back for lunch - while Nic and Bec stayed back at the camper, Bec had a sleep, Phil and the boys went and looked around the rest of the park. Bec and Nic went back out but didn't manage to see the whole place - its quite big. We all had our photo taken with a snake and it was the first time that we had touched one. This was the highlight of the day for both Callum and James. We left there all walked out and tired. Headed to Mooloolaba which was only about 20 km away. And stayed in a camping ground right across from Underwater World which we visited today. The had a really cool car aquarium called A Fish called Honda. Great place but didn't have a lot of the fish on signs so you didn't really know what you were looking at. Nic had a good fall outside on the road here and is nursing a nice sore knee and jarred body. Travelled on to Bundaberg which took around 3.5 hours - which was about 1 hour less than everyone had told us. There is a lot of sugar cane grown in this area. We are off to the Bundaberg Rum Distillery tomorrow and Ginger Beer Factory then on to Town of 1770. Kids have been really good and everyone is enjoying the holiday so far.
Hope all is well in New Zealand!
Love Nic, Phil, James, Callum and Rebecca

Happy National Scrapbook Day

Happy National Scrapbook Day - I didn't do any scrapping but hope others out there did! Busy getting packed etc for the holiday. I got an early Mothers Day Card from Rebecca - she had made it at Grandmas while the kids were away. Its gorgeous!
Nicki

Best laid plans

Well the best laid plans often don't work out and this week has been one of them. I was going to HB this weekend to pick up the kids from mum and dads - where they were having the best of times - going to the movies, building go-carts, building huts and cooking over a camp fire, walking to the shop each morning to get pop his paper, Callum went and helped with the catering of funerals and made himself some money, ANZAC day parade, putt putt golf games, hot chick, chinese, Mcdonalds Whew I couldn't keep up with all they were doing. Phils nana had a stroke on Wednesday so Phil and I shot down to HB that night and saw here then and then took the kids to see her early on Thursday morning then shot home again as Phil had animals arriving back to the farm at 1pm and he needed to be there for them. So we brought the kids back home with us. They are also sick - Bec has had a viral infection in her eyes and they look so sore but are healing well now and James has tonsillitis - took him to the Dr last night to get him better for Monday. Callum is feeling a bit out of sorts now too. Phil is strung out as he trys to get all the last minute things done before Monday - YES MONDAY - MONDAY - MONDAY - we are OFF OFF OFF - YAY we are so looking forward to this trip it is so needed and wanted! Can't wait!

New addition

Phils sister and brother in law Karen and Gary had a gorgeous wee girl on 16 April - she is just the daintiest thing with a cheeky glow in her eyes. Well done to both of you!

SENZ08

Well I've got my three day pass to SENZ! Heather, Colleen and I are all going and I can't wait for a weekend of scrapping, chatting and shopping! We're also going to the crop night and the dinner. Anyone else out there going?

Excited

Well I'm getting excited! This time next week we will be waking up with the anticipation of traveling to Auckland for a long awaited trip to Australia. On Tuesday 6 may we fly out at 6.40am to Brisbane and have 1 week touring the Sunshine Coast in a Camper van then 1 week at the Gold Coast. While over there we have tickets to Australia Zoo, Underwater World, Australian Outback Spectacular, Warner Bros Movie World, Dreamworld and White Water World. Yep we'll do all the theme parks - not going to visit Sea World thou as have heard that after visiting the other two - Australia Zoo and Underwater World that Sea World isn't as good. Soooo I have brought new rechargeable batteries for the camera - as it has been sluggish to take photos - so am hoping that this is what was needed. Also brought a gorilla pod (tripod) so that we can all be in the photos at some stage - if I can drag Phil into them! Have borrowed mum and dads digital video camera and also brought a underwater camera for our visit to here www.lmcruises.com.au its a 35mm camera that is encased in a plastic casing - quite airtight as you can hear a little poof as you open it. I got some extra films for it so that the kids can use to take some pics from their perspective. The kids are really looking forward to their trip - the last time they were in a plane was when Bec was a baby and we were living in the South Island. The last time I was in one was the same time and the boys had gone on a separate plane to me (with their grandparents) and it was when the Ansett strikes were on and I ended up going on what they called the Crayfish Plane which was an old old felt really old DC3 plane that was used to fly cargo/crayfish etc over to the Chatams and I sat their with Bec on my knee she was only a few months old and (a) wondered if it was going to get off the ground (b) was going to land at the other end! I was on one of my never ending diets and when morning tea came round and it was a lamington or some sweet cake I thought I'm gonna eat this cos it might be my last! But it did get off the runway and we did land at our destination safely although it rattled and made a lot of noise as it went (and I still didn't lose the weight!) Anyway I'm packed, the kids stuff is packed, Phil is packed so all I need now is to go and pick the kids up this weekend - we have had a week without them and I'm missing them. Then come Monday its OFF!!!

Another Digital Page

Heres another layout I did. Its another digital one. What I like about the digital scrapping is I did this in bed when I couldn't sleep lol!

Mothers Day CD

A couple of years ago I made a number of these CD Cards for a Mother's Day Breakfast that we had at a family gathering.

With the little pressie that all the mums got.

All lined up in a row!
Took a while to make!

Front of Card

Back of Card

Some digital scrapping

I did this one on the computer a while ago.