Shopping, bungee jumping and a trip home...

Hey all,

It's been a while since the last post so now its time to fill everyone in on what we've managed to get up to since Easter...

April was a very busy month with Aaron working about 3 weeks straight. This was because he did mines rescue training for 8 days and learnt how to rescue people with ropes in hazardous chemical situations. Basically, it meant they ran around in blue smurf suits for several days playing out various situations in which someone invariably 'died' due to (imaginary) toxic chemicals. All in all, a fun 8 days apparently.

April also brought about our second lot of visitor, and the first visitors to our new house. My mum and grandmother came for a couple of days which was lovely. It was really nice to have them there and I got to show them all around Waihi Beach, take them to trivia night and generally hang out together. They're both looking forward to visiting us over at Boddington next year (wine at Margaret River)!

We also had a bit of a work do one friday night, with a Scottish theme. There was scotch tasting (Aaron got all mine), Robbie Burns poetry and haggis. It actually tastes alright (the haggis, not the scotch), its a bit like sausage roll meat, so you can't really tell which part of the animal you're actually eating, which is a relief. I'm sure if I did know I wouldn't have tried it. After that evening, I resolved never to drink scotch again, owing to the horrible taste and what it does to your system!

Anzac day came around and we went down to the dawn service to pay our respects. It was a beautiful morning, so afterwards we decided to head down to the beach and watch the sunrise. It was the stuff of postcards and calendars. Afterwards, we packed up the car and went up to Auckland for a weekend of seeing the city sights! Unfortunately, it was a pretty grey weekend so our plans of jumping off the sky tower failed, as did the idea of taking a ferry out to one of the islands. Instead, we shopped. And shopped. And went to the Comedy Fest, which was hilarious. And came home fully kitted out with ski wear for the season! Plus a couple of extras. Inspired by how much money we spent, we resolved to making sure we get the absolute most that we can out of the ski season with our season passes.

As May came around, we resolved to actually throw ourselves off something, not once, but three times! Gravity Canyon, at Taihape, has a flying fox (174m high, 160kph), a bungee and a swing (off an 80m high bridge, in a very narrow canyon). The flying fox was ok, but I'm not great with heights so I suppose if I opened my eyes it would have been more fun... The bungee was terrifying. We went tandem and Aaron got to be on the edge of the platform, and I don't think I will ever do that ever again. The swing was fun, and I had a sore throat for about 4 days afterwards (epic scream).

I also got to head back to Brisbane for a few precious days, to see family and friends. It was great to be back in civilisation for a while. I got to go shopping, out to restaurants (not just cafes) and, most importantly see my family. Hopefully I'll be able to get back again sometime during the year but I doubt it. All my annual leave is earmarked for holidaying in NZ!

So, that brings us to June. The ski fields at Mt Ruapehu opened on the weekend which was great fun. Unfortunately, the North Island hasn't had much snow so only the beginner areas were open at both ski fields. This was probably a good thing, because if either of us tried to tackle some of the runs we would have run into quite a few problems. So the beginner areas meant we got to get our legs back, and we actually realised just how much strength we have to build up before we really hit the snow. My ankles and shoulders are sore from a couple of hours, I can't imagine what they'd be like after several days! We're hoping that more snow falls within the next fortnight, which is when our families will be here. Aaron is taking Ellie snowboarding for a day, and I'm taking Court skiing for a couple of days too. Its going to be fantastic to show our families a bit more of the country we call home (for now!).

Ciao,

Tara

Houses and Planes

Over Easter we also managed to get away, this time down to Taupo and Rotorua. We didn’t get to see much of Taupo, but we did get a pretty good view! Easter Saturday morning dawned to a beautiful warm and sunny day and what better way to see Taupo than to jump out of a plane! We went skydiving! It was AWESOME! An absolutely amazing rush of adrenaline. On the way up, they gave us oxygen because we were jumping from 15000 feet (5 kms!) and the views are spectacular. You can see Mt Ruapehu in the distance and the whole town is spread out beneath you. Now, I’m not that great with heights but it was definitely worth it. You don’t have time to think about what you’re doing when you are half way out the plane and then falling. We’ll try to get the videos up soon… technology is proving difficult. That same afternoon, Aaron took me Zorbing at Rotorua. It was awesome! Afterwards, the nice warm bed at the B and B in Rotorua was very inviting. One can only handle so much excitement in one day! On Sunday we headed out to the Wai-U-Tapu Thermal Wonderland to see they geyser and the thermal pools. The first two or three were interesting, mainly because they were filled with nice things like arsenic and cadmium but they were interesting as gold and silver were precipitating on the edges. After that, the next 20 pools were pretty boring. We sure we glad to get away from the stink and find some lunch. That night, it was time for some pampering and relaxation so we booked in to have a mineral bath and a massage… bliss! Monday morning we were meant to see the kiwis but honestly couldn’t be bothered… It was time to head home and get the new house properly unpacked and cleaned up before heading back to work for another week.

And so nothing has really changed much lately. We have the home phone and internet finally hooked up and my coffee machine arrived! Its starting to get a bit cold and I’m going to have to get a load of firewood some time but we’re looking forward to more visitors. My mum and grandmother will be here in 2 days, then we’ve got Aaron’s family and mine here in July with Clare, Joe, Jenny and Phil visiting during the holidays. It's going to be a busy time!

So, keep in touch everyone. There’s always a spare bed for anyone who wants to visit.

Our First Holiday in En Zid...

Whilst we’ve been here, we’ve had a bit of a chance to get out and see a few sights. The weekend before Aaron started shiftwork we decided to get out and travel north up the Coromandel Peninsula. Its very picturesque and we stopped at places like Hot Water Beach, Whitianga, Coromandel Town and Thames. Hot Water Beach is literally a beach with hot water. The surf is cold but underneath the sand there are remnants of volcanic activity which heats underground water and pushes it to the surface. By the time it reaches the sand, the water has cooled down to between 50 and 60^oC and so you get yourself a shovel and dig yourself a warm bath on the beach. We arrived a little early, and so had to wait for the tide to recede a bit before we could start digging. In this time, about 50 crazy, pasty white poms and other assorted tourists turned up and started shovelling sand like crazy. We got to have a bit of a splash around in the warmth but left them too it after a while. We also made a visit to the Kauri Grove to check out the massive Kauri trees, to the Coromandel Town Smokehouse where got some lovely hot smoked salmon and lime and pepper smoked trevally. Combine that with the cheeses we bought just outside Thames and dinner that evening was sorted. Delicious! All in all, a good weekend.

Our First Visitors!

Aside from work, we had our very first visitors last month! Stan, a mining engineering exchange student from the Netherlands and his lovely girlfriend Diana came to visit whilst on a big tour of the country in early March. They came during the week that Aaron had some time off and so he took them out and about to show them the sights! First up was Karangahake Gorge, an old gold mine where you are able to see the old workings. Next was over to Mount Maunganui for a climb up the mount. The views are spectacular as it is on the coast and you can almost see Waihi Beach from the summit. The three tourists had an interesting stroll up there and were met but a strange man prophesising the end of the world… never the less, they had a great many stories to tell me over dinner than night. The next day was a bit of a mine tour of Favona underground and then an afternoon trip out to Rotorua. It’s only an hour and a half away and so they decided to go Zorbing. It’s when you sit in a big plastic ball, filled with a bit of water and then you’re pushed down the hill… fantastic stuff! I made Aaron take me back one weekend just so I could try it, having heard about all the fun they had had. Unfortunately, Stan and Dia’s visit drew too quickly to an end, but not before Trivia Night at the Flat White Cafe! It’s a bit of an event each week in the social calendar for the graduates so we brought our guests along to have a go. Split up into girls vs boys the boys unfortunately prevailed but we came second and got a bottle of wine, so there were definitely no sad faces! Stan and Dia left the next morning to head over to Auckland and then back to Europe. It was fantastic having them over and look forward to visiting them in return!

The First Week: On Site and at Work

Hello again and welcome from Waihi Beach! I figured it was time for an update, seeing as the last one was from weeks ago and so much has happened since then!

After we arrived in Waihi, we set about checking out the town and generally getting a feel for the place. The pit was literally 100m from the front door and the lookout gave a fantastic view of the operation. I can't help but think how weird it is to have a pit right in the middle of town, although you would forget that it's there, it's so cleverly hidden! Saturday night saw us check out the local nightlife and it was very disappointing. We thought we'd try the Stirling Hotel, one of two pubs in town, and there were only 5 people there, basically your average kiwi bogan. We thought it was very quiet for a Saturday night. So when we bailed from there at about 10, we all realised that we were starving and the only place open to get food was the night window at the BP. Welcome to Waihi!

After finally getting some rest (we were all knackered after the red-eye flight from Perth on Saturday morning) we figured we should get some real food, and so ventured over to Tauranga to go to Pak 'n' Save on Sunday. This is a bit of a kiwi thing, basically its like Bunnings, just filled with food instead of hardware and they don't give you bags... Instead you pack everything into cardboard boxes, cold stuff gets wrapped in newspaper and off you go from there. So that just about filled out our weekend and come Sunday night we were looking forward to see what site looked like so we were into bed early and eager to see what the next day would bring!

For the first week or so, they had us with the training department before handing us over to our designated department and supervisor. Aaron was bored out of his brain sitting in the underground mine office watching people work and doing inductions but luckily for him, they eventually got him underground after 3 weeks of boredom so he could actually start earning his money. I was put to work in the maintenance department with the fitters which was great. All the guys are great to work with and I got my wish of getting my hands dirty, well and above expectations! So far, I’ve changed out pumps, pipe work, conveyors, learnt to weld (very badly), grind and mill all kinds of things. It’s been a great experience because I’ve been able to get to know the plant, all the operators and most importantly the maintenance crew. As of tomorrow I’ll be working with the projects team so it’s back to being a ‘shiny bottom’ as they call it. Its been great being close to the beach. During the first week, we took advantage of some nice weather to have a swim after work. It was a bit chilly at first but you get used to it eventually!

Greetings from En Zid!

G'day from across the way all,

We made it to Waihi yesterday morning after a very busy week. So lets go back to the beginning of this story.

Last Wednesday night we had one last drink with some of our mates at the Belgian Beer Cafe in Brisbane. Those who made it out enjoyed a good catch up session a few drops of belgian trappiste beer. Something different to aussie beers, as most were quite fruity and tasted like wine, also packed a punch. After beer time, we made it out for one last kebab and slice of newyork... slice. At about midnight, and seeing everyone off for the last time we went home.

Thursday was spent packing...

Friday, we were finally off. Ryan and Emma dropped me off at the airport and Tara was brought out by her mum Jill and sister Court who came in to see us off at the gate. Nunga was good enough to walk over from work and also see us off at the gate. Then we were off and on our way to... Perth. But New Zealand is THAT-A-WAY MAN!!!!

We got to Perth, where my folks picked us up from the airport. See Tara flew away from her family, and I flew right toward mine. We went straight from the airport to Sorrento Bay resort, where we were to stay for my cousin's wedding. Here at the hotel was much of the family, there being auties, uncles and cousins all running around, which gave Tara another opportunity to mix with my family. While she was kept busy, I ducked down to the pub with the uncles.

Saturday was the wedding. My cousin Justin married his long time girlfriend Nicole. The ceremony was held at Cottesloe Gardens, on a lovely Perth summer day, at 37 degrees C. While the guests sat in the sun, the wedding party had to stand, and all the grooms men had wool suits, pants, vest and jacket, and they were sweating. In fact the whole wedding party were just swaying in the heat, especially Nicole in gorgeous but very tight fitting wedding dress. After the ceremony, everyone ran for the shade and for the esky of ice water. Mum, Donny and I had the task of taking all the wedding photos, with Tara helping to arrange all the subjects of the photos.

The reception was great fun! Funnily the first person I met who wasn't a family member was a mining engineer. Its a small world. The night started off with drinks with the fishes at the Aquarium before heading upstairs to the function area. We were seated at the cousin's table with Nicole and Justin's other cousins. We all drank Stella's, had a dance and Tara thankfully didn't catch the bouquet.

On Sunday we checked out of the hotel and had a bit of a look around Perth with Ma and Pa. First stop was King's Park which afforded a fantastic view of Perth and the Swan River. Next up we went on a misguided tour of the Swan Valley to a few breweries and a nougat factory. Some of the grape vines still had fruit on them so Tara jumped out of the car and pinched a bunch to try. They were quite sweet for wine grapes. We eventually went back to my Aunty Allyson's house at Bullsbrook to enjoy a few cold beers to try and cool down in the stifling heat that doesn't abate until 9 o'clock at night!

Monday dawned and Mum and Donny left for Brisbane. Poor mum had a cry because it was the last time she would see me for a few months but we're only across the ditch so they can come and visit at any time. The previous night, Tara and I had decided to stay in Fremantle for a few nights in an Irish Pub before going to the collegiate. Originally Aunty Ally had offered to drive us down but when Justin and Nicole came around, they said they'd take us instead in their hired wedding car, a massive Chrysler 300 Yank tank. Once again, we played luggage tetris and managed to fit most of our stuff in the boot, the rest between us on the back seat then we were off to Freo.

We dumped our luggage at Rosie O'Grady's Irish Pub and went out for lunch with the Cousins at the Oyster Bar. A dozen oysters for a dozen dollars! 2 hours, a bottle of wine and a few beers later our appetites were satisfied! After saying goodbye, we went back to the pub and had a bit of a siesta before watching the sun set over the water at 8:30.

Tuesday we took advantage of what fremantle had to offer and spent the day ripping out to Rottnest Island on the ferry. There we hired ourselves a dodgy tandem bike and snorkels for riding and swimming in the sun. I think we covered about 21kms in all, up and down hills. We even took a tour of the Oliver Hill gun battery (getting lost on the way and having to backtrack). It was pretty interesting checking out the massive 9.2 inch shell cannon. After that we headed out to Parker point to try our hand at snorkeling. Tara had to brave the seaweed, but we enjoyed the time checking out the fish and reefs, taking dodgy photos with a disposable camera. After a big day out, we returned to the mainland, where we had dinner and a chop at the pub's trivia night.

Wednesday, we hit up the historic Fremantle Prison, where we toured one of the world's largest cell block, isolation cells, prison chapel and the gallows. An interesting tour, though, if we hadn't burned so much money on Rottnest, we would have had a go at the prison tunnels tour... maybe next time. After that, we ran around Fremantle getting some last minute errands. That afternoon we moved from the Irish pub around the corner to the Esplanade Hotel, where the Newmont Collegiate was to take place.

That night we caught up with all the head honchos working with Newmont other grads working , including those heading over to Waihi with us, and some who've just come back, letting us know the pros and cons of what we were to get out of New Zealand. After dinner, most of us grads decided to kick on a the Little Creatures brewery where a few more pints were had.

Thursday had us sitting through a company workshop, welcoming us to the company and giving us the run down on each of the operations. After a full day, we were to head down to the hotel restaurant, which turned out to be double booked. So we ended up convincing our HR leader to take us out to the Little Creatures Brewery. It was an interesting dinner, everyone ordering everything, and hands were flying across the table trying things from each plate, and of course there were more pints to be had. Not quite satisfied with how much we'd drank, we decided to stay out after dinner, so we ended up back at Rosie's Irish Pub. Telling you now, Guiness doesn't wash down Chilli muscles very well... but after three 'last' pints, and a request of Holy Grail, I was beer'd enough and Tara was tired so we retired, whilst some of the other grads found themselves to another place where shots were had.

Friday morning saw a few seedy people at breakfast. After a pile of potato gems from the buffet, we went back in for another day of workshops. Then in the arvo, when we finally wrapped things up, said goodbye to all the grads we'd met, then jumped in a cab for the international airport. $800 in excess baggage later, we boarded our flight and finally left Aussie shores. A qucik meal and four rums later, I managed to get some sleep.

Saturday, 5.15 am we landed in Auckland. We actually flew through customs then had to wait an hour for our hire cars. By 7, the five of us grads and two cars were on our way to Waihi. 2ish hours later, with a stop for some breakfast pies from a servo, we made it to Waihi. The local HR rep brought out our keys to our temporary houses, we had a quick shower then set we set off to explore. The Waihi Pit is literally a 60 second walk away from our front door, and the admin office is practically next door. The beach is 10 minutes down the road, and we've been talking to the local real estates looking for rentals.

Since then, we've been chilling out, settling down and getting ready for work tomorra. Sorry everyone for such a lengthly post, but we'll be updating a little more often now... hopefully. Photos to come....

Aaron and Tara

Stage 2 - The Send Off

Australia Day!!!! And in the absence of another Straddie Annual, it was also declared CARTON DAY! More details bout that later...

After signing up for work with Newmont, and landing our jobs New Zealand, it was only a matter of time before we'd be packing up and shipping over, and thus a big send off party was in order. What more fitting day than Australia Day?

Tara and I wish to extend a huge thanks to all those who made it out on the day, be it for a quick hello/goodbye or to partake in the carton day challenge, your presence and well-wishers were much appreciated.

The weather was perfect, and it was a great opportunity to have one last Eckersly street back yard BBQ, (something I'm gonna miss). The pool was cool, the BBQ was hot and we severely under-catered with the snags (my bad, appologies to all who were a little hungry). But all in all, it was great to see everyone once more before we'd bugger off.

We got some great photos by the pool, enjoyed a few drinkies, be it rumbos, southos, bitters or teddies, had a sausage sizzle lunch, lots of talk and catching up, and of course Ripping Time. Ripping time and carton day go hand in hand, as many veterans of the event would be familiar with. The concept of chalking up the score on the shirts was short lived, and not many of the carton crew shirts made it into the late arvo. Many people beared friction burns as a results of savage shirt-ripping.

As the afternoon wore on, my memory faded out. If you had to ask me how drunk I was, I can tell you: not drunk enough to spew, but I still made the mistake of putting the ash-end of a cigar in my mouth. There was even some Hilary Duff singing in there (on video too).

Good times. Tara and I will cherrish those memories (or at least those we can remember).

Stage 1 - Ship it off... Complete

Well Folks,

We are well and truly on our way now. At least our stuff is anyway. Stage 1 of what the folks are referring to as: "FLUSH 'EM OUT" is complete. Today the packers and removalists came and collected our worldly possessions which had been conveniently stockpiled and organised in the garage, thank you Tara-dara. The guys made quick work of the job and were done and dusted within 4 hours.

So now Tara and I will be living out of a suitcase for the next few weeks until we fly out in early February. As far as estimations go for the time it'll take for our gear to ship over there, they ranged from a fortnight to 8 weeks. Time will tell. Now that stage 1 is complete, Stage 2 begins... Wrapping up loose ends, and that includes having one more drink with all our buddies. So the stressfull part is over, and now its time to celebrate. Counting down 'til AUSTRALIA DAY! In the mean time, here's some piccies of the packing. Going... going... GONE!