The house of sickness :(

So a bit of a broken nights sleep again last night due to us trying to teach the puppies to sleep on the floor on their beds & not on our bed. Even though they did kept coming to the side wanting to get up they did go back every time they were told to. And considering they have slept in our bed for the past 7 1/2 years I think they did extremely well....such good puppies. And Charlie kept us up even more as she managed to scoff spaghetti somehow at some stage last night and then vomited early hours of the morning. It's like having toddlers again sometimes....lol. And I didn't say how awesome our accommodation is here either. Sue & Jamie have a beautiful house which has a really neat granny flat above the garage with a bathroom, kitchen & bedroom...it is just so cool and even has a great view. So anyway we went into the house this morning & Sue tells us that Max has vomiting & diarrhea, Jamie is on his way back from work with the same & she is sick with the flu.....hmmmm, not a good start to the day. Sue did go to work though & took Sarah to daycare & we went to the supermarket to get stuff for dinner & also to buy the puppies some new beds. We found this super cool little cocoon like bed for Charlie &  got Issy a bigger mat one....& it turns out that Charlie hates hers & won't stay in it but loves Issy's.....& there's that bloody toddler comparison again...lol. We called in to Aldi for a look & discovered that in Victoria, they sell alcohol.....man, it's a one stop shop....& cheap of course :) When we got home I had a little nanna nap & Sue came home from work sick. We didn't do much for the arvo as it was raining....yes again. I made Best Eva Meatloaf (but made meatballs instead) with coffee sauce & vegies, but unfortunately Tanya & I were the only ones that really got to enjoy it, although Sarah did eat a little bit. So one by one the poor sick people went to bed & then we headed off to our little pad to hang out. We want to go to Beechworth tomorrow but it depends on the weather...and by the look of the forcast we are not too hopeful...oh well we might go to Albury for a look otherwise & do some inside stuff. I spoke to Danielle today & she finally has her date to come home....the 21st of April...YIPEE...I can't wait :)
Night xo

Hello Victoria

So I awoke this morning after having what was probably one of the worst sleeps in my life.....I am pretty sure a train goes through Mittagong every half hour & I am also sure the track is next door to the caravan park, the air mattress (which has been used about 3 times) lost a heap of air so I could feel the cold cement under me most of the night, a street sweeper went past a couple of times, there was non stop traffic & as Tanya had put the dogs food in the tent so it would not get wet, that was all I could smell all night....Now I didn't want to sound all negative to start the blog but you know what, sometimes you've just gotta be....so sorry. But on the bright side though the showers were the best caravan park showers EVER :) So we were up at 6.15 and slowly packed up, I boiled some eggs for breaky and we also had the left over stir fry (& yes it had been in a fridge overnight). We headed off at about 9am into what was a pretty bleak looking day but still with intentions of camping in Gundagai for the night. The freeway is just awesome with 2 lanes & 110 speed limit the whole way but it by passes every town, which is great if you are in a hurry but not so great for us. So we pulled off & went into a little place called Gunning which was very cute & had Chai Latte's & glutton free chocolate fudge. It had started to rain a bit but when we left there & by the time we got to Gundagai it was pouring (although we did manage to get a pic of the Dog on the Tuckerbox before it got too heavy). So at this point in time we decided that camping might not be such a great idea & we would just drive though to Wodonga & hope Sue & Jamie were home....lol. We then stopped at Holbrook where there is a massive submarine in a park that was really cool so we got out & took a few pics then headed off again to get to Wodonga by about 3pm. Sue let us know that Jamie would be home at 1/4 to 4 so we just hung out in their driveway till then. So Jamie & Max (8) got home, then Jamie picked Sarah (nearly 4) up then finally Sue was home. It was great to see them all and we chatted lots, Jamie cooked yummy spag bol, Tanya Charlie proofed the yard as she escaped about 12 times and now it is time for bed.
Night xo

And off we go again.......

Caroline came in to say goodbye to us just before 7am so we decided we would get up then. We leisurely got packed up & packed the car to the brim again under the watchful eyes of the puppies...there was no way they were letting us leave them behind again. They were very eager to get in & even Trish the Labrador tried to stow away with us...lol.  We had a last cuppa with Annie before we headed off at 10am. We decided to go back to NRMA to get a good map as we get very frustrated with the GPS at times but they didn't have a good big one so we just got some little state ones & will look for one somewhere else later on. So we set the GPS to Wodonga which is where we will get to by Wednesday and thought we would just drive until we wanted to stop. So we got through the awfulness of Sydney & turned off to Mittagong which seemed to be the only place around that area that had a pet friendly caravan park. So we pulled in & booked in & went to set up our tent as it looked like the rain was coming. Our tent site has a little undercover area with a picnic table so we moved the table & pitched the tent underneath it....brilliant idea. The rechargeable bed pump went flat so we had to put it on to charge in the toilets and hope to god it charged enough for us to pump up our bed. We ducked down to the shopping centre to get some stuff for dinner & Tanya went to Big W to buy a hammer.....yes we did not bring one....der.....and we had to buy another gas cooker as the one we bought with us we think is still in Caroline & Tony's shed....lucky they are cheap....lol. So we get back to the tent & then it starts to pour with rain....but on the bright side the pump was charged & our bed up so we laid in the tent waiting for it to stop & being glad we were under the shelter. I cooked a chicken stir fry for dinner which was pretty nice and now it is shower time and maybe a game of cards. Here's hoping the weather is better tomorrow.
Night xo

Last lazy day in Singo

Well today was not much different to yesterday except Tanya trimmed the hedges & I cleaned out the fridge....we like to pay our way in manual labor....lol. Apart from that we watched cooking shows for hours and not much else. Caroline made a great salad & chicken for dinner & I made a mushroom polenta bake to go with it....yes we are on a role with polenta :) We all enjoyed a couple of reds together for our last night & everyone went to bed early but we stayed up a bit longer & watched more cooking shows....just love the cooking channel on Austar.
Night xo

Venturing Out

We decided that a trip to the shops was needed today so Exciting Ingredients was our first stop to get some more tissue salts. I just love that shop, they have so many interesting books and different ingredients. Alvo found some Cassava crisps in the specials crate so I decided that they were a must to try. I found some beautiful peppermint and pumice foot and hand soap which I can't wait to try. We then headed over to Big W to see if we could find a little bed for Charlie to snuggle in, no such luck unfortunately. I spotted some nice shorts on a rack out the front of Suzanne Grae.....I know, I know.....but they are really comfy and they were a bargain and after venturing into the store found some great specials. We had fun trying on different things, some things we liked and some things we didn't. I found a great pair of linen blend trousers that will be great for around the house and for doing Qi Gong in the winter time. I got out of there for under $20 and as Alvo will tell you, it usually takes me weeks to buy anything so it must have been the right thing to do. Alvo made polenta chips when we got home and they were just beautiful dipped in a beautiful mustard mayonnaise. Tonight we are all invited to attend Kimmy's (good friend of Caroline) 50th Birthday Party so showers were had and hair was shushed. Kimmy lives on a beautiful hill with bushland all around, it was a great setting and she had an outdoor cinema happening. A few ciders were had and a great BBQ was provided for dinner along with some birthday singing. I got talking to a very interesting man about all things spiritual, I hope I get to see him again sometime. It got cool so Alvo was shivering on the hill outside in her dress, I am so glad I wore jeans. We were buggered when we got home just before midnight so everyone was in bed shortly after arriving home.
Tanya

Back in Singo.......

Had a pretty uneventful day really. I went to get a few things from the shop & had to go to the Post Office, where the lady that served me said, you used to work at Tamworth PO didn't you....god what a small word, she used to work at Gunnedah PO. Tanya & Annie were busy little beavers at home fixing all the screens on the doors that were ripped and they did a mighty fine job too. Tanya mowed the lawn also and when Tony got home he was very impressed his jobs were done. So there really is nothing else to report on so I guess I will leave it at that.
Night xo

Farewell Fiji

So our last morning in Fiji....very sad indeed. We had our last breaky with Gina, said our last few staff goodbyes and went back to the room to pack. Still no internet....so sorry for the lateness of these last few blogs. We were picked up at 11am & made the 25 minute mini bus ride to the airport, checked in and did a bit of browsing in the duty free shops. Was going to get some internet credit but guess what.....it was down...lol....I guess we are not meant to be connected yet. So we waited with Gina till it was time for us to say our good byes and board the plane. We had a pretty uneventful trip and breezed through customs & were being picked up by the carpark people within 20 minutes. We headed off for Singleton & got there at 10pm. Caroline & Annie were waiting up for us with their 3^rd bottle of wine...lol...they were very funny. We chatted till about midnight then it was time for showers & bed.

Night xo

Last day in paradise

It was so nice to awake this morning to silence, and the storm had passed and it was a pretty nice day even though there were alot of clouds. We headed down for breaky and decided we would stay down around the pool area for the day. Still no internet so no blog posting yet. We went kayaking for about 40 mins which was fun and at 11am it was time for the coconut fetching, husking & scrapping demo. Albert is a very interesting man who is from what he calls....the bush part of Fiji. He learned to climb coconut trees as a child and he said it is very good training for him as he plays hockey. He shot up the tree like a monkey and threw down half a dozen young green coconuts. They hit the ground with an almighty thud and he said that if you get hit on the head...you won’t wake up....lol. He used his machete, which I’m sure would take your hand off if you slipped, to cut the husk and reveal beautiful coconut water which Alvo liked better than the first one she tried a few days ago. He then cut them open and the flesh inside was like jelly, it was soooo nice. He then took Alvo and I to show us how to husk the brown coconuts. I was willing to have a go and with Alberts help was successful, he then let me scrape the flesh out with a special tool. He told me to squeeze the flesh in my hand and the most delicious coconut milk flowed out. It was so sweet and smooth.....much better than the canned stuff. He told me that he likes to make coconut fudge and urged me to take it to the kitchen when I was finished all the scraping. The lovely Indian chef in the kitchen knew exactly what to do and about an hour later we were eating the most delicious Indian/Fijian sweet which was a bit like coconut ice but better. She also made one of the nicest curries I have ever tasted by the way, Alvo had that for lunch and she surprised me with a Bloody Mary (which is like a meal) so that was my lunch today. I decided to read some of my book but only got through a few pages before sleep called me so I laid down and drifted off into blissful rest. The sun was just starting to move onto me when I woke up so I moved over near Alvo in the shade before we decided to have a cocktail at the swim up bar. The water was beautiful as usual and we got chatting to some of the other guests. Before you know it dinner arrives and we were again joined by Gina, who received her letter today to be able to remain in Australia. She was very relieved and it is her last night here too. We will all be at the airport at the same time tomorrow so she won’t feel so on her own if we meet up with her there. Off to bed we toddled after a few hugs from the staff we have come so used to seeing each day, we got their names so we can look them up on Facebook (I know....they have facebook too) and we will miss them. They have done such a lovely job of looking after us and although it has only been a week we feel like we have known them forever. Fiji does that to you I guess. We thought it easier to settle our bill tonight so Meli at reception took care of all that and we came in well under budget so that is good. We have organised our lift to the airport in the morning so will be checking out at 11am after enjoying one final breakfast. We are hoping that we can connect to the outside world via the internet in the morning as it has been down again all day. Posting the blog has been a no go.

Tanya

First Landing Resort....Take Two.....

Up at 8am after another night of listening to the neighbour’s bloody air conditioner, but they have changed the setting cause now it is not on continuously but cuts in & out which is just as bad....I think maybe I need to flick their fuse in the middle of the night....lol. So down to breaky and still no internet so was unable to post yesterday’s blog. As we wanted to go back to First Landing we were going to walk to the main road & catch a bus but reception got a driver to take us there which was nice of them. So this time we got dropped at the resort and were right at the spot where they first landed hundreds of years ago. They have made a huge left foot on the beach which you can walk out on to but can’t actually see what it is except from the air. The resort is lovely and we walked around checking it out & taking pics before we sat down for a cold Fiji Gold beer and some lovely food spanning over a few hours. It was very peaceful there and the staff were as friendly as everywhere else here. It was pretty hot and the thought of walking 2 & ½ klms wasn’t very appealing so we got a taxi for a whole $5 Fijian...worth every cent I say. We hung out by the pool, managed to post the blog before the internet dropped out again, had our massages which were lovely again, lazed around a bit more & then headed to our room & had a spa on the balcony whilst finishing off our very ordinary bottle of red wine we bought in town the other day....& it’s Australian so I can’t even blame it on the Fijians...lol. Another small but beautiful dinner was had with the company of Gina again...lots of chatting & the stupid internet shit itself yet again. So when we got back to our room, much to our delight, our new neighbours do not have the aircon on....fingers crossed it stays that way. We watched a movie I had on the laptop, If these walls could talk 2....not a bad flick. It is directed by Ellen Degeneres and was 3 short stories set in 1961, 1972 & 2000 showing 3 different sides to lesbianism, it was quite interesting....am very glad I wasn’t around in the early sixties that’s for sure. We had a pretty wild storm through the night which made it nice & cool.

Night xo

Not quite First Landing

After waking up at 3.30am and not being able to get back to sleep mainly due to the noisy bloody air conditioner on next door, I did manage to doze back on & off till nearly 9am when we decided it was time to get up & go to breaky. I gave in to the toast this morning but just had one piece....I was trying to be good and only have fruit, but good lord a person can only eat so much of that stuff. We then decided it was time to take the trek through the jungle to the First Landing Resort which is about a 25 minute walk along the cane train track, and it is not cane season so the track is very over grown. We were told it was only a 10 minute walk but we know now that when a Fijian tells you something is 10 minutes then you triple it...lol. We made it to the end with itchy legs & very hot but it was all good. First Landing is just what it says & is where the Fijians first landed hundreds of years ago. We sat in the bar which overlooks the ocean and had a nice drink & some lunch & then battled the jungle back to our resort. It was very hot & steamy so a swim was definitely needed when we returned. And as we needed to have some photos at the swim up bar we ordered a bottle of champagne which we thought we could finish at dinner...but we drank the lot...lol...oh well isn’t that what holidays are all about. It was so beautiful sitting at the bar and the water was like a bath.....& we chatted to a nice couple who had just got here from Melbourne. Then it was time to get out so we could watch the cooking demonstration of the “Anchorage Kokoda” which is the fish cooked in lemon juice and is my absolute new favourite dish...I will be making it as much as I can. I did manage to get a facetime session in with Danielle and then another storm was brewing so I decided to head to the room for a lay down. Tanya came up a bit later and we had a bit of a rest & then a couple of drinks before we headed off to the bar for a few more. Gina joined us for dinner & we were talking about going to First Landing and we discovered that we were not actually at the First Landing Site we were only at the Marina....lol...so it looks like we will have to go back tomorrow so we can go to the right place. Although we are going to go the main road and try & catch a bus there as I don’t think our legs will be up for another scratching. We had the seafood platter tonight which was nice but don’t think we would get it again. The internet was down tonight so no facebooking for us. Yet another great day was had & we are looking forward to our other free massage tomorrow.

Night xo

P.S. I put aeroguard on my feet & legs tonight & OMG it stung like hell....just like when you spray some deodorant on your newly shaved armpits....lol....bloody jungle.

Sunday, a day of rest.....

Well today we did just that. We woke up at 8am and headed off for breakfast. Fruit again with a special treat of fresh coconut just picked this morning, it was very nice. We stayed at the restaurant on the laptop for a while before putting on our bathers and heading for a sunbed. I didn’t want to swim so Alvo took a dip while I got comfy in a hammock and started reading my book. We lazed and dozed until lunchtime when we decided on fried rice with fish and good old fish and chips. We were so full afterwards that we decided that more rest was needed so moved closer to the pool and rested once again on the sunbeds by the ocean. The rain looked close so we packed up and headed back to our room where Alvo sorted out some of our photos and I.....slept for a couple of hours. I was obviously tired from all the resting I had been doing all morning. When I woke up it was time for a drink so we sat out on the veranda for a while watching the birds. We saw a mongoose today which were apparently bought to Fiji to control the snakes, hence there are no snakes in Fiji now. It was so cute but disappeared before I could get the camera. Showers came next and then down to the restaurant again to decide on a very light dinner as we were still full from lunch. We decided on the fish “Kokoda” and vegetable fried rice which was just delicious. Gina (the Pommy barber) came and joined us for dinner again and she is quite nice to chat to. It seemed to get late quickly tonight so we have shuffled off to bed to get some more.....rest.

Tanya