Wanaka

This weekend decided to drive up to Wanaka ( have to be careful when you type that one!) its about 1hr away up massive hills on very narrow roads and no barriers as is the rest of NZ. Had a look aorund, bought a pie and then went to puzzle world. Its slightly geeky yes, but actually good!loads of optical illusions and wierd rooms that make you think you are on a slope and water flows up hill, and other strange things happen. The best part was the maze ( god this sounds like a kid writing about a school trip!) it was a wooden fence maze with 4 turrets in the corners and you had to reach all the turrets and then find the finish. well it sounds simple but it was definatly not, there were so many tearful, angry and generally pissed off people wandering around wondering why exactly they had paid their hard earned cash to get trapped in a row of fences. Well the most important thing is i won!!and James lost!!!!
well here is the stupid photos from it!

Nicks birthday

Well.....went out last night again, this time for Nicks birthday ( 32!!-old man!) went to a very very posh restuarant up in the mountains with a big fire and fancy gardens. The food was lovely ( and expensive!) the kind that comes on a massive plate and there is just a wee bit of food in the middle of the plate! drank nice wine ( alot!) and had a real laugh. Was just eating our main course when someone shouted over 'is someone from Rotherham on this table?' turns out it was this lad who recognised my accent- but not really what i was expecting at the other side of the world!
Boys have got up for work very early this morning looking a bit worse for ware and i don't think looking forward to working all day!

Another friday night!

Well, worked friday ( like the rest of the world)! but was my last day shift downstairs in the cafe. Finished at 4 and had a few shots on the house to wish me well on my way. Had somehow missed lunch- through no fault of my own, too busy to stop at work. Think this may have been the part where it all started to go a little bit wrong!met the others at the bar, drinking wine in the sun and playing a bit of pool- all good. Then me and welly decided to go to Chico's (the bar that i work in) ( while the boys snuck off for a maccy d's) few more shots and glasses of wine and vodka later...........the boys found us chatting away, swaying slightly on the bar stools. Well i think you can tell how it all ended........

Well James broke away from holding my hair back ( where are your girls/sister when you need them most?!) to capture this on camera!Cheers....

Arrowtown and queenstown park

Went up to arrow town last sunday- after me interview. Its absolutly beautiful but it decided to piss it down the whoel time we were there- so anything in grey murky rain kinda looks the same.
Last saturday went into queenstown park ( james decided to try and look as chavvy as poss and to be honest i think he really achieved his goal!) as you can see he blends in well and looks like a real local in his 'town shirt!
They have frisby golf in this park, thinking of doing it next weekend ( using a frisby instead of clubs and golfballs, see how many shots it takes to get to the hole)

Last friday night-got photos working now!

Nanny Louise

I'VE GOT A NEW JOB!!!!!
I am now officially a nanny. I went for the interview on Sunday and got offered the job and of course i accepted. It is for a very very rich family who own several bars in town ( inc Winnibagos and Buffalos-for those queentown proir visitors) They have one daughter called Mia who is 20 months old and the lady is pregnant again and due in Feb. Its more money and regualr hours- finishing at 6:30!this is going to be a shock to the system as i only worked a total of 6 hours last week ( all my shifts got cancelled cos it is so slow, a funny time of year not summer and not busy winter)
Well I am quite nervous about it but think it is definatly better than folding paper napkins. The house is massive and they have two beautiful labradors as well. The parents are only 30 and own this 6/7 bedroom house/estate, a boat, 3 cars, a quad and 4 bars and property in christchurch and some other businesses- how does that happen?!!
Well told the cafe i am leaving but working the shifts this week. So today I have dropped James off at work then go over to Mia's house and work all day, finish at half five and pick James up then go straight over to the restaurant and work a night there- its gonna be hectic and i'm not quite sure where eating fits into this plan, but hey its all money!
Fingers crossed it all goes ok, will keep you updated........

No photos

For some reason it won't puplish pictures anymore!i am going to keep trying but havn't been able to do it in a week, not sure why.

Friday night

All went out on Friday night, did a bit of a pub crawl and had a curry at the end of the night. You can take the boy out of Huddersfield, but you can't take Huddersfied out of the boy!!! went to some cheap crowded bars then went for one drink in this very posh cocktail bar ( not really sure how we ended up in there!) but i do remeber my cocktail was called 'Kermit the frogs piss' but did actually taste lovely!played a bit of pool did a bit of dancing then ended up dishing out a curry back at ours that we had got from the takeawy on the way back.
All feeling not great this morning and had a massive fry-up mmmm!but a beautifully sunny and hot day so went to sit in the park and chill. A good night had by all.

Big tips!

Back to beautiful weather now with the snow on the mountians it looks so pretty. Worked last night till late, was boring but it pays the bills ( just!!!)worked my ass of serving a big table of 12 with all stupid orders and loads of kids and they left NO TIP at all!!!!then 3 lovely french men left me a $15 tip and i hadn't even really done anything ( not sure if they hadn't got the currency converstions quite straight yet!)but i didn't care cos that was like an extra hours wage yeh yeh!!
still looking for another job with more regular hours and no weekend work, but not much around and loads of competition for each job. Still trying to get contacts for nannying, but funnily enough i don't really move in the 'hugely rich' peoples circles and don't see them at parties ( funny that!) so finding it hard to get started there but have a couple of leads ( surely everyone knows somebody who knows somebody)well this is what i am hoping for anyhow.
James had blue fingers when coming home from work yesterday after 10 hours out in the snow with no gloves on, so may get some fingerless ones sent out as he was less than happy on his return home!
Found a good market oppertunity if anyone has any cash and wants to start their own business. There is nowhere that sells decent work clothes out here ( trousers with knee pads etc) and about 9 million builders in queenstown, so next time we come back to the U.K may fill our bags then flog it all when we get back out here!( yes we are that skint!) watch out Richard Branson!
Well got to go washing and cleaning to be done ( tehehe)!

Strange weather

Well just after i posted those pictues yesterday they snow began to stop and the blue skies were back. It looks even nicer now beacuse all the mountains are covered with snow. The temprature dropped last night and it was bloody freezing again and snowing again this morning, I don't think James was too keen on getting out of bed to go to work in the snow :(
Not sure whether the ski resorts will open back up becauase there is so much snow but if they do we will no doubt be up there at the weekend.
Roast lamb again for tea mmmmm! but i miss it because i have to go to work so just have to cook it then leave ahhh!! i hate working nights, but not getting enough day shifts yet to turn down night ones, so taking as many shifts as i can possibly get.

Oh No! Snow!

Well the weather has changed for the worse and it is now snowing/sleeting and freezing, freezing cold!If you are sat reading this in the heat or a lovely sunny autumn day have a good old chuckle cos look what its like here!
In fact in the time it has taken to upload these photos the snow has now settled and i've just got a text off James saying he's working outside and has very very cold hands!!

It's Lou

Sorry! but we hadn't quite worked out how to use these blog things so it looked like james was writing all the entries, but in fact he is too lazy and technically incapable, so it has in fact been me!Think we have changed it now x

Gone fishing!

Well Saturday was a crap day ( weather wise) so got up and decided to all go fishing. Went into town and the boys bought a rod/liscence/lures etc. Still absolutly tipping it down ( first time its rained in the day since we arrived!) so decided to get waterproofs on and head out. Drove up to Glenorchy and stopped at side of the lake near a little jetty. All had a go with several different coloured lures ( apparently they don't do float and bait fishing over here, its all hard work stuff!)
So all tried our own little methods for about 2 1/2hrs fortunatly the rain stopped and had a flask of tea to keep us warm, but in the end we gave up! Everyone at work and shops and friends etc said it was so easy to catch stuff and you don't really have to try,but we proved you did. We wanted to catch a salmon but failed misrably!
So what could we do for tea as we had planned on having grilled salmon fillets, well there was really only one option.......!

Another tough week!!!

The famous Queenstown 'Furg burger'










Well made it through another week (teeheehee) life is pretty good here and we are all getting settled into the jobs and house. Work is loads better now and i am getting more shifts which is good for our bank and my sanity! Working most days, but still have the weekend off which is great! Think James and Nick might get a fishing liscence for the lake and get a boat for the weekend but not sure. Weather ment to be great so no doubt a bit of sunbathing is in order too!

Had a poker night last night. Not the most organised or effcient, but it went well. Me and Sarah got down to the last three ( much to the surprise and amusement of the boys!) but got wiped out by another lad!
Just for the record Licka was out first!!!!

Just put some random pictures on, just cos i can and i learnt how to do it! ( and me nan like looking at them!)

Here comes the boss!

The house Queenstown-Today

Well i think i reached an all time career high yesterday as i got taught how to fold paper napkins in half, in a 10 minute demonstration by my 18 year old boss!yup i think i have finally made it!!
Enjoy working in the day in the cafe but not so sure about the nights in the restaurant upstairs. However, still trying to get more shifts as i think i am going slightly crazy with the amount of time i am not working. If anyone has any suggestions for me to do in these hours and hours and days and days please feel free to post them. So far i have cleaned, cooked, washed, gardened, read, baked, folded clothes, posted letters and washed my hair (ALOT!). i know i moved out here to have a slower pace of life but i think i am in grave danger of just STOPPING ALL TOGETHER!!
I'll keep you updated on any jobs or future training!, love from the domestic goddess

Mmm food!

Been baking today and made two massive plates of muffins. One set healthy breakfast ones with all sorts of wheatgerm, seeds and raisins in. The other, double chocolate ones ( you can guess which were the most popular!). All chipped in for a slow cooker and cooked a leg of lamb for about 15hours mmm!think it was the nicest thing i have ever eaten had roastys and the hugest yorkshire puds with it. Wemt to pub to watch a band and sit next to a huge fire while it was cooking. Food out here does seem to taste loads nicer and fresher ( esp the lamb!) so def a sucess, not a scrap of food was left, as you can see!

Glenorchy

The absolute beast of a car!




Went to on a road trip to Glenorchy today. Amazing drive up there, takes about 40 mins but absolutly nothing there when you get there! ( except 1 cafe and a lot of sheep!- what more do you need!?)
Had a picnic and flask- how very british!
Still snow on the mountains, but all melting now as we are coming into spring and summer.Loads and loads of sheep, just as you would think, and no people anywhere, just as you would think!

Lou's 25th Birthday

Just thougth i'd bang some more birthday photos on!

Think this blog thing could be the way forward, not having to attatch all the photo's and then everyone download them!
Photo is us 'celebrating'! me turning 25!

This is our living room patio doors. All ready for a BBQ, just need the weather to warm up slightly ( or us to toughen up!)

Made it to NZ

well we have made it to the other side of the world and then a little bit further!both got jobs now and getting back to real life ( ish!)