Melbourne, three weeks on.

Mad for AFL, this is our local team who got into the semi finals.

A whole lot of Saudi Arabians celebrating their national day in Federation Square.

A hologram at the ACMI (I think stands for, Australian centre for the moving images) This hologram actually moves around.

Vic, Tom and Evan on the train.

The passive agressive note with lots of explanation marks and underlining for the Asians next door.

Melbourne is crazy for AFL, Aussie rules. We were sitting in Federation Sqaure and the semi finals were on. This man is dressed up supporting the Hawthorn Hawks (Which is the area we live in) They all wear the scarfs, the hats and the jerseys to the game! It is quite something watching them all get off the train.

Putting together our new couch/bed

The warriors game at AAMI stadium

This is who I now work for.

Well so much has happened in three weeks. It feels like we have been here for a very long time. I have managed to score myself a part time job as a photo retoucher. I'm really excited about this job as it has heaps of opportunity to expand. If I do well I could go full time and Johl would like to train me up to do Portrait work which would just be so awesome! So I can handle just part time at the moment. I still can't believe I have work. Tom is still looking for work but I feel something will come along this week fingers crossed!

We have also moved into our first flat. It's a little granny flat with an en suite bathroom. I say little but really it has quite a big kitchen, living room and bedroom. It is in a complex of other apartments which happen to house quite a few old people. You'd think that it would be nice and quite but we have been accosted by three separate people about a pile of rubbish by the rubbish bin. They decided that it had to be the new people, and it wasn't. It was a lovely welcome to the neighbour hood. They then wrote a note and left it on the door of the Asians next door, if it's not the new people it must be the asians.

So we went to IKEA and bought a little coffee table and a couch that turns into a bed plus a whole lot of kitchen stuff. Until we both have full time jobs we might just have to live off of these few things. But thats ok!

We have been having a fab time, we drove down to Portsea and took the ferry over to Geelong with Toms Aunty and Uncle. We have had quite a few drinks in Federation Square, Been to the ACMI exhibition (Which was amazing) Eaten Italian on Lygon st, Eaten Chinese in China Town, Eaten Thai in Hawthorn and been to a Warriors game (The atmosphere was unbelievable, so exciting!) My favorite part has been exploring the little arcades that have the most extraordinary mosaics. I love the Larakeets which hung upside down in the Palm trees at Port Melbourne and the Cockatoos that screeched at me when I was getting off the train in Mooroolbark.

Apart from job hunting which can be stressful, we have been so relaxed. I don't think we realized how up tight and on edge we were in Christchurch. It's amazing to wake up and not worry about the earth moving (Touch wood) .

So that is what we have been doing for the past three weeks. Fingers crossed for Tom for his job hunting!

Miss my family and can't wait to talk to them on Skype when we finally get the internet going!.

Peace

Rah

Searching for work.

Went to the library to get the free wifi and signed up with them. Job hunting is crazy and stressful and it has only been one day!

Peace

Rah

Melbourne

We finally moved to Melbourne!

Love it so much so far!

Will hopefully put more photos up of the city soon.

Peace

Rah

Levin

We certainly did enjoy Levin. They have the best playground and Flying Fox.

Peace

Rah

Keeping entertained

This game was intense and kept us entertained from Timaru to Christchurch. Tom won by 4 points.

Peace

Rah

On our way

Have spent the weekend in Timaru with my family. I had a really relaxed lovely time and it was hard saying goodbye to each and every one of them. It hadn't really hit me that I was moving away till I hugged my parents today before we got on the shuttle. It hit me like a brick wall, I just felt so sad, but so excited at the same time which is truly a bizarre mixture to feel.

People have asked me if Im scared about moving to a new country and a city I've never been to. But Im not in the least bit scared. I know what being scared is like and I know what its like to have my life threatened by an un seen force. I know what its like to feel the most intense anxiety. I never want to feel those feelings again so to move to a new city and a new country is feeling like the most relaxed and carefree thing I've ever done. This feels so right and thats weird for me becuase I stress at the slightest thing.

Ive sort of made a pack with myself to let what ever may be to be. Im lucky to be alive, Im lucky to have amazing friends and a super loving family and I swear to make the most of life.

So that brings me to traveling on a cramped bus, with a driver wearing a piano tie and feeling so happy. We are on our way to Levin to see Toms family and our friends before we make our way to Melbourne on sunday.

Love to all my siblings and Mum and Dad.

Peace

Rah

Mister Tom

I have a gorgeous man!

Peace

Rah

4 course dinner with Alice, Dan and Tophs

Alice, Daniel and Christopher put on the most amazing dinner for Tom and I last night. It was the perfect last dinner before we leave. We had heaps of laughs, heaps of food and lots of singing. I'll post the group photo later.

Loved the card that they gave us too, made me cry! Thank you guys, your the best!

Also Mum and Dad gave us a new pet to take traveling with us. Its super cute and made its first apearance last night at dinner. She will be our new melbourne mascot.

I have a wrap party tonight, would prefer to go to bed but thats all good.

Peace Rah

The Bed fiasco

So it turns out Salvation Army and the City Mission are super busy at the moment collecting stuff so when we finally got round to asking them to pick up our bed they said they couldn't do it for a week. We thought, 'Oh Crap' how are we going to get rid of our bed in one day.

Simple, strap it to the roof of our car, drive really slowly and avoid any police and DaDA! We were rid of it! It was a very happy moment and a huge relief.

It's amazing how much 'stuff' we have collected over the past year. We took 8 supermarket bags of clothes to the charity bins, a million trips to the Sallies to drop things off and yet we still had way more boxes to put in storage than we wanted. It's rather nice to think all our worldly possessions now are all in the one room with us. We can carry it all on our backs (If we forget about the boxes we have in Timaru)

Not long to go,

Peace

Rah

Christophers Haircut

So my younger brother asked me to cut his hair, I zoned out for a little bit while I was doing it and ended up giving a slight bald spot.

Sorry Tophs!

Peace

Rah

Fruity Cocktails

Logan, Alice and I got creative at our going away party and we made a fruity strange cocktails. As you can see by the look on the faces they weren't particularly good tasting. It actually looks like Alice is going to cry, but I think she was laughing.

Peace

Rah

New Shoes

I got new shoes that don't have holes in them!

Peace

Rah

Wet feet

Since the snow it has been bucketing down with rain. Since I've thrown out most of my shoes in anticipation for the move to Melbourne and the shoes I do have all have holes in them, I've had constant wet feet. My lovely producer bought in her gumboots yesterday so I could go on a run and not get wet feet. I loved them!

Not long to go till Melbourne!

Peace

Rah

Online comics

Have loved discovering online comics to entertain me during these long snow days. Mister Tom is getting cabin fever real bad. We are about to trudge to the mall which happens to be open to get important supplies like chocolate and popcorn. Any way one of my new loves is the online comic Scary go Round presents Bad Machinery. Its a pity I've made my way through the whole archive as well.

Any way off into the snow! My toes are frozen.

Peace

Rah

Living in the living room

We are now living in our living room as we pack up the rest of the house. Reminds us of our first tiny one bedroom house we had when we first moved to Christchurch.

The novelty will probably wear off soon but at least its warm.

Peace

Rah

Snow again

It snowed again! We even had a snow fight!Peace

Rah

Old School Games

I had a lovely surprise yesterday when Alice, Christopher and Dan came round with a picnic and a game of marbles and pick up sticks. We had a good laugh and heaps of fun!

Peace

Rah

Black and white Mister Tom and Flynn

So we have another snow day today which is the perfect opportunity to finally play around with some photos. I took these ones when we were staying with my sister in Timaru. I love how creative, inquisitive and entertaining my nephew is. He and Mister Tom were trying to Hula Hoop. I have discovered the B/W settings on Photoshop so had some fun playing around with making B/W look interesting.

Peace

Rah

Inside a computer

I have always wanted to take a laptop apart to see inside it. So when Mister Tom had his ready to throw out I spent a thursday night taking it apart. I had no idea what any of the parts were but I wish I had a macro lense because some parts were beautifull! 

Peace

Rah

Potting cactus

There are some very cool looking cactus out there but my goodness its dangerous to repot them as i learnt the hard way

Peace

Rah

This is me!!

On the road again

Off for a weekend in timaru :) Its Alices 21st. Cant wait to see the family! !!

Tugboat

The lighthouse

This week we are going to the warf. Love the lighthouse i made.

Peace

Rah

The Hospital

This week on Tiki Tours we are going to the hospital. This is my favourite make.

Signs I want to get to Melbourne

Accidently crossed off tommorrows day. This week is so slow so far i thought it was tuesday?

Peace

Rah

The great snow of 2011

Having a treat at the pub

We dont get to go to the pub that often as we are saving to go to melbourne so to have a pub meal and a couple of drinks is a super treat.

Peace

Rah

My latest makes

I'm leaving on a jet plane

Finally have my passport so I can leave this country :) Mister Tom is still waiting on his.

Peace

Rah

My nephews love of ma-mellows

My newphew who is 2 cant say marshmellows very well and actually says ma-mellows. I was so excited to see there was actually a brand called ma-mellows!!

Peace

Rah

Waiting to go to work

I had to be rescued by a coworker to make it to work this morning. Had a hot coffee while i waited on the side walk :)

Peace

Rah

Popcorn and Big Bang on a cold night

Home Made Hot Chocolate

Went for a walk in the snow, infortunatly the snow got worse and we had to hurry back. I am currently snuggled up on the couch with a hot water bottle and home made hot chocolate.

Peace

Rah