As autumn leaves fall

To start where i left of Snow patrol .... AMAZING for an ugly guy he had become a sex god by the end of the concert!! To continue my usual theme ... i cried.

Work has been soooo busy and I have had some very special patients, you know me can never help but get attached.

Sue arrived in feb and we had an fantastic couple of weeks ..... a trip to the auckland cup was great fun ... we didn't exactly win a fortune but we held our own, below is a photo of our treat for our wins!!

We then had a fantastic weekend canoeing down the Whanganui river, Sue was a gem she put all us young ones to shame. It really was the most stunning river and the canoeing, well my outdoor pursuits talents continued to ..... evade me. Sue and I capsized twice the first time we'd only been on the water 30 seconds. Damn it was cold!! Our boat was called Barbie and she was the oldest and had a bit of a reputation for "adventures" or so our organiser told us!!

Work had three fantastic nights out in March .... Turids hen doo, a conference dinner, and a leaving doo as Louisa returned to the UK ( i managed to resist sneaking in her suitcase). The latter was in this restaurant where i had the best seafood in the world and it was overlooking where the rescue helicopters are based so that made dinner dramatic.

Easter weekend was spent in Melbourne which was awsome ... my flatmate clems parents have an apartment there which was perfectly located, so we raided for the weekend.

We managed to cram in all the usual sightseeing

with lots of eating .... yum cha, and oysters the

highlights, plenty of fejoa vodka, the comedy

festival, a very special hot chocolate, an easter

egg hunt in the botanic gardens which was my personal highlight.

oh and a ferris wheel ride, firey cannons

and lots of debauchery in the pool!!!

Not to mention a shopping fix ... all those shops in one place ... wow.... felt like christmas!

I fell in love with melbourne what an amazing city I didn't want to come back.

The following weekend i was away with firneds supposedly to climb tongariro this is one of new zealands many volcanos ( last erupted in the 90s i think!?!) however we couldn't in the end as there was a weather warning!! Boo!! We did however spend the night in a beehive ( well thats what i looked like!!) and climbed a mini mountain ... but again the spa was the hightlight when we treated oursleves to a place on the lakeside at taupo the second night!!

News from home this month has included no. 1 cousin Heathers wedding ... CONGRATULATIONS!!! The conception of baby Dingo ..... congratulations Carole and Andrew, a special tummycam has been put in place so progress can be monitored!!

Other events; a Tango show, pilates ( i love it!!), and i think that may be it ... work work and more work .... oh no does this mean real life is setting in and the holiday period is over?? I suppose it had to happen sometime.

Baby Cameron is now a weekly visitor

... hes such a cutie!!

I think thats all the major nes .... 42 days till I come home to visit ... not that i'm counting!!! Can't wait to see you all

Hugs all round Ruth xxxx

Not a bad way to spend christmas day hey?!?

So much for little and often .... this is going to be a mammouth update, sorry.

Christmas seems a good place to start; work was not as quiet as everyone predicted however as you can see from the photo there was enough time a for a BBQ on the beach and a paddle ( scallops for christmas dinner was amazing!!). Vicky is a girl I work with and that is Nick her fiance.

Then in the evening a proper xmas dinner as prepared by the one and only Yasmin before a final stint at work finally going home at Oh 10pm!!

Boxing day at the cricket 20:20 just never materialised due to a 12 hour day at work bummer!! I was actually gutted i was quite excited by the idea of cricket, ( maybe i was sick or something?)

In the run up to christmas I enjoyed carols at the cathedral, christmas in the park ( we got very wet) , and i climbed rangitoto ( an island volcacno 20mins out in auckland harbour).

and I also spent a very pleasant weekend of xmas eve in the coromandel with a friend of mines family which was lovely i was pat of the secret santa and went to the family bbq where the kids raced rond on quad bikes in the orchard and we ate oysters mussels adn cray fish which had be dived for by members of the family that morning!!! Amazing!! I also was fascinatd by the massive eel that lived in the stream at the bottom of the garden wwhich we fed dog food? ... but the dogs "hunting" dogs lived in cages which upset me no end .... they hunt for wild pigs?!

New year was also in a different part of the coromandel camping at a bach ( see kiwiwana dictionary at the end) with Yas, Neil and co. this was fun but i have to admit to a little homesickness at this point!!

January the height of summer ... yes i know that sounds wierd ...... has been absolutely none stop!!!

Bev was here for most of January which was such good fun:

we went to see circ de soliel (amazing you must must must go if you ever get the chance!)

went to big day out (nz equivalent of V festival but just for 1 day where the killers, evermore and the streets were the highlights)

went to the bay of islands where i got my first swim in the sea, we kayaked, drank wine, and did a bus trip to see where the oceans meet now i'll prob get it wrong but i know its def the tamsin and i think the pacific?? It is amazing ... you can actually see them meeting!!!! (see below)

we had dinner in the revolving restaurant at the top of the sky tower.

we went to see the mens Tennis open finals and oh did it rain!!! But we made the telly!!

we went rock climbing

we went to an observatory to learn about the stars and happened to hit on to see a comet which will not be here again for anouther 270 years ... it was amazing!!

we went to some "infinity pools" rather disapointing we expected luxury spa and got scarboroughs "splash"

we had a few parties a few nights out a few bbqs ate far too much and enjoyed the wine, and Bevs main disapointment was that she didn't get her curry "on-a-tray" ..... oh Bev!!!

Thank you Bev some amazing memories!!

Caroline and I have continued our exploring:

finding a deserted beach in the middle of the city where we rock pooled ate oysters freash from the rocks and caroline rather spectacularly fell splat in asome very slippy mud!!

walking to a waterfall at whangamata

watching the surf lifesaver championships at waihi beach staying in a wonky tent and meeting some random friends to play games with in their amazing house on the beach till 3am followed by a starlight spa!!!! Seeing the most amazing sunsets and moonrises. Followed by a spa at a second luxury bach on the beach at parmanui on the way home and a bbq.

Seeing hooberstank in concert ( i cried when they palyed the reason my all time fav song a real treat!!)

Dinner parties and bbqs galore.

Yoga, and body jam!!

Waiheke wine festival, Devenport wine festival, Mission Bay jazz festival......... all amazing!!!

Zoo music ... Nathan Haimes at the zoo in a bandstand .... awsome!!!!!!

and in between all this work has been really busy with some fascinating and challenging patients however this week was only the second full week i worked since mid december .... perfect life!!!

This weeks treat is snow patrol on thursday ... then sue arrives next week ... bring it on!!!

We have a new flatmate Clementine who is great fun and keeps us entertained!

The boys got engaged on xmas day and are planning a civil union for next Jan which will be great.

I am sure i missed out loads but you get the gist life is good and i am having fun!!

Dictionary:

Bach: New zealand holiday home on the beach often old and rickerty though some are very luxurious! Many handed down through generations.

Puku: protruding tummy.

Jandels: means japaneese sandals aka flip flops ( hint you call them that over here the kiwis disolve in giggles!!)

YesYesYesNo: No

Both commonly used by farmer types!!!

NoNoNoYes: Yes

and finally a prize is on offer here for anyone who knows what Twink is the kiwi word for!? (answers by email!)

And last but not least the thank yous ... to all for my xmas cards and pressies.

It was wierd being away from all your loved ones at xmas, i feeel as if i somehow missed out on someting this year despite having a great time.

and for those of you who always ask .... all of you .... my love life is on hold till after sarahs wedding ... i haven't got time!!!

love and hugs all round

Ruth xxxxxxxx