Well, thanks to my brother, Julian, I finally know how to find my way around the website to give you all regular updates!  With that in mind, I thought I would write a little bit about life before leaving NZ!!  Some of you may recognise those in the photos.....

It began with a warm and heartfelt farewell from my work, Bruce Andrews Barrister & Solicitor.  We closed early on the afternoon of Tuesday 21 Feb 06 to go ten pin bowling.  While there, we also played air hockey and the basket ball game.  Jane, it took me a couple of days to get over the game of air hockey!!!  That was followed by a fabulous dinner at South Eastern restaurant on George Street!  It was a great day guys, thanks for making it so special.  FYI there are some photos from that night on the website.  The one of Bruce & Jane was taken after I asked for a serious photo!!!

I then had a number of other coffee/dinner/lunch/drinks catch ups with various people in Palmerston North and Wellington.  I wasn't able to get photos from all of those catch ups (Michelle & Scotty, Steve & Chris, Esme, Gail & Mike, Donna & Glen, the Frocks, Jane, Anna, Tracy & Hemi, Trina & Grant and everyone else that escaped...think yourselves lucky!!).  I have put some of the photos I managed to take on the website.

On 24 feb I drove from Palmerston North (leaving at 5am!!) to Christchurch.  There is a picture of the Kaitaki, the ferry I was on, which was quite nice (aisde from one patch where the swells were so big it was hard to stand up cos the boat was moving so much.  Bit more coffee tho and time just flew by.

Once back in CHCH, I spent the first couple of days chilling out and then began catching up with family and friends.  As always, I would love to have spent a lot more time with everyone I saw but as I discovered, time goes fast when you're having fun.  One of the highlights of being in CHCH was attending Jack's 2nd birthday party.  One of the photos is of the train cake that Mandy made Jack - nice Job Mandy! Raylene and Ally came down to CHCh for a few days too which was great and we spent some time in town and some time at mum and dad's bach on Lyttelton Harbour (at Chruch Bay).  it was great to see mum & dad, Julian & Tanya, Mandy & Brett, Leigh, Jess & David, Sandy, Grandad & June and Liz & Howard while I was home.  there are a number of people I would like to have caught up with but time didn't permit.

Then it was down to the last couple of days which was spent packing and doing all the other chores I had been putting off!  I was also able to have a few more lunches/dinners which was great!  Yes, yes, diet starts next week (as always)!

Anyway, that's enough for now.  I leave CHCH at 12noon today to fly to Melbourne.  i am in Melbourne til 19 March when I fly to Thailand so no doubt I will update again some time after that!

Hope you are all well.

A

xx