More pics as promised

Verity sent you all an email saying there was new pics - which was a bit of a lie really. But it did have the effect of making me put them on at long last.

Speaking of Verity, how did you guys enjoy her post? I had many emails asking for me to re-write it in my trademark hilarious style, which is flattering, but its done now folks.

Here is an Orc at the base of Mount Doom....tee hee


These few are from the Tongariro crossing. A weird place called red crater. It was indeed very red and craterish. And there is also a couple of the lakes which were pretty.




There was a similar photo opportunity in Australia (with a kangaroo on skis instead) but I can call this one a skiwi which is very funny indeed.



This was at a place called Kerosene Creek. One of the few places where you can swim in naturally hot water for free. It was on one of Billy Connolly's shows he did and he loved it.


MORDOR! looks kinda scary. Just missing that big flaming eye and it's Lord of The Rings.


This one was called the artists palette or something like. Loads of natural chemicals telling people that the whole place is volcanic and quite likely to blow up in your face sometime soon.



Till next time Blog friends.

NZ

Hello,

I decided I should make an effort and write on the blog for once instead of Mark. NZ is pretty good. We wish we had come here first instead of spending all our money in Australia. We have been all around the north island and now we are working in a ski lodge saving for the south island. We have mainly been visiting places with volcanic activity and have seen geysers, bubbling mud and colourful lakes which all smell of rotten eggs because of the sulphur. There were some cool caves that we went in which had glow worms all over the ceiling. They look pretty in the dark but in the light you realize they are just maggots. We also stopped off at a traditional Maori house where we ate some traditional Maori food and slept in a huge room on the floor with the rest of our fellow backpackers. The highlight of the night was when Mark had to do the Haka and flexed his muscles. The pictures say it all really. I had to do a silly dance with a ball on a string which really wasn't as entertaining as Mark's performance.

Mark also made me do this really difficult walk called the Tongariro Crossing which basically involved walking up and around a bunch of volcanoes. I complained quite a lot on the ascent but the views were worth it in the end. There were huge crators filled with turquoise water. The place we are staying in at the moment is where they filmed some of Lord of the Rings and we can see 'Mount Doom' from the lodge.

So that's about it for now.

We have put more pics on. It just takes so long uploading them.

Verity x

Photos.

Took the first one today - you thought the English were bad with immigration? Imagine a country about 10 times the size, with the Australian males having peanuts for brains, then this is the slogan you get on the back of work vans. Charmers ain't they?




I forgot to add a vital point to the Rottnest trip - Verity was millimetres away from bagging herself a brown snake. It decided to cross the road just as she was turning the corner, and she managed to just miss it's head with the tyre. If i hadn't seen this myself i would have dismissed this claim as pish and balderdash, but it is true. Unfortunately it slithered away before it could be photographed. Below is a reconstruction of the event....

Trip to rottnest.

Hi all,

Just a flying post as i am tired and don't really have much to say. We have been working primarily - which is, as everyone knows, pretty lame. Our lives were brightened slightly as we went to rottnest for the day, a little perth island getaway.

Its about 40 mins on the ferry and you can cycle around it in one day, which we pretty much did, turning Verity into mega-crab mode for the day. Its dotted with some sublime beaches and corals, where I put my mask into use and verity implemented her fear of jelly fish and sharks.

There were cool things for the whole family - there was a WWII cannon that both our dads would be loving. It was built in Newcastle and went the equivalent of 8 stories underground. Then there is snorkelling, swimming, lazing and seeing the little rat-like Quokkas (see pics).

Anyway, until i have more to say, adios.




P.s. These photos are taking ages - i'll add more sooooooon.......

The worst person ever.

Well what a fun few days it has been. Not much been going on really, trying to find work and turning into a semi-vegetarian, due to the Hare Krishna takeaway having ridiculously cheap meals. $2.50 for a massive tea - thats about 1 pound and twenty little pennies. Ace.

I had another job trial at a hotel place for a waitering position, and I thought it went ok till I met the big cheese on the first day. The woman in charge was a pretty awful individual named jess, who had the cheeky-cheek to take issue with my appearance by looking at me like I was repulsive (my 1-day stubble, the sign of a real man) despite her looking something like a beached whale and jabba the hutt. A kinder, nicer person said she would call me, but as they are selling the place I cannot see why they would want more staff. I hold literally no hope of them making contact. On the plus side I am working tomorrow as a receptionist where I will turn up freshly shaven and bushy-tailed.

Verity got registered for her mad free-styling nursing skills and is currently at work till midnight, working as a nurse/guard for ill people and mentals - which is great. Although she did have to pay for all her lifting certificates and uniforms etc, which made her somewhat crabby before she actually got any shifts. I sense deja vu, Verity at work and me stabbing a computer keyboard.

THANKYOU FOR COMMENTING ALL YOU COMMENTERS! We feel loved once more. And to everyone crowing about wanting Verity to write some stuff - take issue and email her! Its like trying to get blood out of a stone.

Hopefully i'll post some more pics soon when i'm on a pc that isn't quite as haggard and old (I'm sat next to a 486 - the ones before pentiums) as i can't see anything that resembles a USB port.

Till next time.

Perthetic

Hello again people.

As you may have guessed from my intelligent pun-title we are now in Perth, although it's not really pathetic. As we are beginning to feel the burn of an increasingly empty bank account, tomorrow is officially find work day - hurrah. Fortunately, the big temping agencies I worked with in Canberra had me in mind and put branches over here especially.

And seeing as it is coming up to Valentine's me and Verity have decided to go all student and go the day after (now known as Vark day, or Merity day, both are catchy).

On to my main point; PLEASE COMMENT ON THE BLOG YOU NON-TALKING GOONS, its what the comment section is there for!

Heres hoping we can get some work and comments so everyone can be happy. And i can go diving and show off my sickeningly good skills.

Goodbye.

Last week in Canberra - city of dreams.

I am being paid to write this - crazy eh? not when you temp for silly companies who leave you with a laptop and nothing to do all day.

We will be moving on up shortly to Perth, home of the most isolated city in Australia. As plans are still up in the air we think we will be staying for at least a couple of months and working our little bottoms off while trying to see the cooler elements of Western Austalia (see Keryl & Dates blog for fun times).

whats happened since the last blog update you ask? nothing much. Although we did see some wild kangaroos on red hill (pics later) and we celebrated Deryls birthday yesterday by eating a spankingly good meal.

I also managed to sample some differing jobs and improve my CV using core skills with positions such as supporting underwater ceramic technician and warehouse shelf distributing loader. People will be clawing for me with such vital credentials.

My latest idea is that we may move over to New Zeland a bit sooner and get working visas for there as it seems like its nice over there. Then get some skiing on the go when the winter comes around! pop pop.

Anyway, not much to say - just letting everyone know we are alive and reasonably well.

ta ra, Mark & Verity