Australia zoo

Today we had a wonderful and exciting day ... we went to Steve Irwin's Australia zoo. It is about 40 minutes drive from our house in a beautiful area close to the Glasshouse mountains



My impression of the zoo is great, it's not huge, but they really look after their animals, and focus on conservation. You cannot believe the amount of staff! When we walked through the gates we were greeted by someone holding a baby croc and someone holding a snake. We had the opportunity to touch the animals.

Of course Brett dared me to touch the snake ... eeeewww!!!



But I surprised myself and stepped upto the challenge ...



The kids had less trouble with that, obviously more genes from their daddy!





The kids had story time when someone kept them busy for a couple of minutes while we enjoyed the best cup of coffee ever!



Look at the size of this python:



Then we watched the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors show:

Are you ready for some serious wildlife action? Our keepers and their amazing animals will take you on a slithering, swooping, jaw-snapping adventure of epic proportions! Every day in the Crocoseum we are taking on the world’s conservation issues and protecting the animal kingdom, and we want you to join our army of Wildlife Warriors. Come on a journey of discovery and learn all about the incredible world of giant snakes, majestic elephants, colourful, soaring birds and those prehistoric legends, the big Saltwater Crocodiles. Wooo-hoo!

Interesting that the guy who presented some of the show was a Steve Irwin lookalike with the name of "Steven". Forgot to take a photo of him though.

At some point they had these parrots flying around in the arena, amazing!





I thought this guy was more than a bit crazy:





The kids fed some farms animals (I must admit, I think I enjoyed this even more than they did!)



Me and the kids petting a kangaroo, their fur is incredibly soft and fluffy!



And touching koala bears. Their fur is so thick and soft!





And of course, Brett had to show off ;-)



I think Jessica fell asleep before we left the parking lot, and Ryan not long after that, they were exhausted!

Drivers license

Yesterday Brett and I both did the practical driving test in order to get our Queensland driver's licenses. My appointment was at 08:00 and everything went well, except for the reverse park (parallel parking) where I almost drove on top of the kerb and almost failed because of that. When you go for the license you are allowed to make 8 minor driving errors, but 1 fatal mistake can fail you. Driving onto the kerb would have been a fatal mistake. So in the end I passed with 7 minor errors. I paid my fee for 5 years (you can choose from 1 - 5 years) of $70 and were out of there before 9:00 ... with my new license in my hand! No waiting for 6 - 8 weeks! So that took less than an hour to do my driving test, pay my fee, have a photo taken and get the license ... amazing!!!

The pressure was then on Brett ... his appointment was at 09:30. We swopped cars (he did the test in my car, a manual) Jess and I went to the shops and I was so nervous that he wouldn't pass! An hour later he phoned me ... he had failed ... went over the speed limit. I met him somewhere to swop cars again so that I could go to work and he showed me ... his Queensland driver's license! He passed, didn't go over the speed limit like he said! He only made 5 minor errors ... With Brett you never know, do you? :-)

So now we've both got our Aussie driver's licenses, and what a relief that is!

Ryan is doing really really well at school! According to the teacher, the two Ryans are inseparable!

Jess is loving the time with her daddy, but is not giving him a lot of free time to do his thing. Brett joined the gym and goes to gym every morning. He leaves her with a lady there that looks after the kids for a small fee, a much needed break for the dad!

Work is going well, I'm enjoying it here and the work is challenging. I leave home at 06:00 in the morning and get here around 06:45. I'm not so tired anymore, getting used to getting up so early in the morning.

This weekend we're going to visit our friends, Thomas and Ilona, on the gold coast. Can't wait!

The job ...

As most of you know, I got the job! They first offered me a 3 month contract, but then phoned back later to offer me the permanent position (the guy who they offered the job to first got a counter offer from his company and they didn't want to match it) So lucky me!

Yesterday was my first day, and boy was the traffic bad! They wanted me to be there at 08:30 so that they could get stuff ready for me, and I left home just before 7, dropped Ryan off and managed to get there about 2 minutes late. Took me about 90 minutes to drive the 35 km. The traffic back wasn't that bad, drove a different route, 45 km, and it only took an hour. Left work at 5 and got home at 6. It's a small company, about 10 people, and they're all very friendly and helpful. The big boss is a South African (English), started the company 20 years ago, the IT manager is also South African (also English), here for 10 years. Then there's also another guy, a Delphi developer, in Australia for 4 months now, Afrikaans. I'm quite happy to work with the South Africans, makes the transition just a little bit smoother.

The nice thing about the job is that they offer flexible work hours. So as long as I do my 40 hours a week and I'm here between 9:00 and 14:00, I can come in earlier and leave earlier if I want! That suits me perfectly! This morning I got up at 05:15, showered, got ready and left at 06:00. Traffic was much better and I got to work at 06:50. Which means that I can leave at around 15:30. Great!!! Still gives me some time to spend with the family if I don't pass out ;-)
Ryan is doing great, he made a friend at school. Last week Thursday was the first day that he told me he wasn't ready to go home just yet. Showed me around the play ground and I chatted to him and his buddies. It's still a bit of a struggle to get him to go to school in the mornings, but at least we know that he has fun there.

I think it's time for Brett to contribute a bit to the blog again, I'll get him to write an update on our trip to the gold coast!

Moving in!

The big move ...

The move went extremely well! Brett left first to get the keys and the car was loaded, Elize dropped me and Jess off at the house just after 9 (her car also filled up with all our stuff) The first letdown was that the power wasn't connected! The main switch was off, with a notice stuck on it that it was switched off by the council and should we switch it on, we might get a $75 000 fine or 6 months in prison!!! I phoned the electricity company, and they told me that it would be switched on the next day some time. What a pain ... moving and sweating, and then no aircon!!!

The moving company arrived just after 10 (we asked them not to come before 10 because we only got the keys to the house on the day). Boy were they quick! 3 Guys unloaded all our stuff and placed the furniture where we wanted it, removed the wrappings and took it back with them. That all took about 1 1/2 hours. The three of them managed fine with the pianos (9 guys in South Africa almost dropped it!) It was so nice to see all our stuff again after 10 weeks! The delivery from "The Good Guys" came at the same time to bring us our new washing machine and tumble drier and later on our bed got delivered, and the diningroom chairs.

The container arriving:



The guys unloading:



The most amazing thing was Jessica. Just after Elize dropped us off, I put Jessica's camping cot in her new room and made her bed for her. 5 Minutes later Jess started crying next to her bed, so I put her in with a dummy and tea ... thought she would just play a bit. In no time she was fast asleep! Even before the container arrived. She only woke up when everything was delivered, so that was great!

The chaos:

Later on a handyman arrived to mow the lawn (the previous tenants left it long, so the rental agent sent someone out to cut the grass). Cool guy, said "No worries mate, just flip the switch on and switch it on in the mornin'. They'll never know!" So he flipped the electricity switch on. At first I didn't want to use electricity, but the aircon felt sooooo good! Thank goodness, I don't know how we would've survived the night without aircon and fans!

Brett spent the rest of the day assembling Ryan's new bed. The instructions said that it would take 2 men 2 hours, and it took Brett alone 4 hours to do that. After that he assembled the dining room chairs and our bed. Quite a job!

The finished product: Just for kids, right?



... Wrong!!! ...



When I fetched Ryan from school, he was super excited to find his rubbish truck. It was in the container. Took me about an hour to find it, and then he was happy!

We were very brave to organize a birthday party for Ryan on the Saturday ... and started to realize that the next day. Especially when more people said YES than we expected! By Friday the house was still chaotic, but Brett did wonders in the 2 hours I was at the shops to buy party stuff. I couldn't believe it was the same place when I walked in ... boxes gone (okay all shuffed in the garage!), furniture moved, HOME! On Friday night we cleaned up the spare bedroom, a very good thing that we did!

So, the day of the party arrived ... overcast and rainy! About 10 friends from Ryan's class RSVPed, most with a brother or sister. And Gert, Elize, Christiaan and Noelle. Surprisingly it all worked out well. It was hectic, and I don't have a clue how many people and kids there were, but Ryan had a good time with his friends. When everyone left, one lady (Lee Anne) stayed behind and helped clean up while her 2 kids played with Ryan. They're from South Africa, now in Ausralia for 7 years, but moved to Brisbane only last year from Melbourne. We invited her and her family (including her parents who are staying with them) to join us for a barbie later. Thomas, Ilona, our friends from the gold coast, and their boys also joined us and ended up staying over for the night.

Waiting for the birthday boy to blow out the candles:

Hufff ... and puff ....

Kids playing in Jessica's room:

Kids playing in Ryan's room:

Brett's braai (barbie):



On Sunday we just relaxed! Slept until about 08:30, made breakfast and chatted to our friends. In the afternoon Brett and Ryan went for a cycle around the block, came back to get me and Jess ... a kangaroo about 50 m from our house!



Monday I had a job interview, went really well! Small company about 5 km from the cbd, so quite far from our house. Started by a South African 20 years ago. That was so nice to have an interview with a Souh African (or ex SA?) ... with the economic crisis so many people are unemployed, so I have this guilty feeling that I'm taking a job away from an Aussie. But not in that interview. The job is for ASP.Net web developer with strong sql skills, exactly what I am. They invited me for a second interview next week Monday with the development manager (also a South African). Hold thumbs! Not the ideal job, it's far away! Took me about 40 minutes to get there in normal traffic. But we need the money, so I can't afford to be picky. The plus is that they offer flexible hours!

Our phone line just got connected, so we'll have internet in the next week. Then, I promise, I will upload some photos of the house, the neighbourhood, etc. And tell the stories of our adventures here in Oz!

Update : We've got internet!!! So, more updates will follow soon!
The job interview was so-so ... will have to wait and see. At least with internet we'll be able to apply for jobs again.

Our house:



Ryan dressed as a pirate, they had a pirates and fairy day at school on Friday (I have to add that he left the feather sword at home, because it's pink and for girls! Oh, and those were his words, not daddys, although daddy was VERY proud!)



Ryan and Jess playing in his room:

An update

It's been a while since the previous update, but things are a bit hectic. I'm sure it will get much better from next week when we're in our house, unpacked!

Tomorrow is moving day!!! We're moving into our house in North lakes, and our container will also be delivered, as well as some other things that we've bought in the mean time ... tumbledrier, washing machine, beds, etc. Can't wait!!!

Our container has been cleared by customs and quarantine, but they found one problem ... a dirty pair of shoes! We had to choose ... destroy for $80 or let them clean it for $150. So now we've got one less pair of shoes ... I'm just happy that it has been cleared and that they'll be delivering everything on the day that we're moving into the house. Perfect!

Ryan is in school now, very close to our new house. So far he's doing okay, but it is a struggle every morning because he doesn't want to go. But it's been like that every time we changed his school. Yesterday was his birthday, and we fetched him earlier, went to the beach and tried out Brett's new kayak. Ryan was very chuffed with his new rubbish truck (thanks Nini & Papa), his excavator toy and his diving stuff (fins, mask and snorkel) We'll have a party for him this weekend at our new house, so we've got a lot of stuff to get ready before then!!!

Jess is doing great, much friendlier now that another 4 teeth managed to cut through. She's finally used to Noelle and at home here, and now it's time to move out! I'm sure she'll enjoy having her own room again.

On Thursday Telstra will install our home telephone line and our ADSL, so we will be connected soon! Unfortunately North lakes (the area we're moving to) doesn't have ADSL2, so it's just normal (slower) ADSL for us. Should still be faster than what we had in SA though.

Jobs ... not yet, unfortunately. Seems like really bad time to be job hunting, but we're sure that something will turn up soon!

I'll post updates about all our adventures in and around Brisbane soon!

Chipmunks

Last Sunday we went to a place called Chipmunks. It's warehouse full of toys and slides and jungle gyms for the kids. Think Wacky warehouse on steroids!

Of course, the kids passed out in the car .............

Brisbane!

The flight from Perth to Brisbane took forever! It was about 4 1/2 hours long, but with the kids awake most of the time, it felt more like 2 days. When we arrived in Brisbane we were greeted by Gert, and with a lot of effort we managed to squeeze ourselves and our baggage into his Hyundai Terracan.

When we arrived at their house in Rothwell, about 30 minutes north of the CBD, Elize was there to welcome us with home made (of course) Bobotie, complete with Mrs Balls chutney! The evening Gert and Brett went out to watch a 20 0ver cricket game between SA and Aus.

The next day the hunt for a car started (Gert took the day off work to show us around) ... After driving around and looking at a lot of second hand cars, we decided on a Mitsubishi Outlander, 2007 model, with the remainder of the guarantee. It's a 4x4, but is more like a station wagon. So far we're loving it! The last thing we expected was to buy a car in Afrikaans, but that's exactly what happened! The sales guy pickup up on our accent and started chatting in Afrikaans! We paid a bit extra to get the windows tinted to keep some of the harsh Aussie sun out (it really helps a lot!)

This is our car, sexy isn't it?

Gert and Elize's house

Next thing on the list was to find a rental property. Boy, what a mission! The suburb that I researched and decided on was North lakes, with a very popular state school, nice new houses and lots of parks. Unfortunately a lot of other people also loved the suburb. After phoning a lot of agents we decided to expand the area and look at other suburbs. We saw a couple of crappy rentals, small houses, tiny properties and huge price tags! On Sunday I found 2 rentals in North Lakes with inspection times on Monday. That's basically like "show" days, except that the show is only for 15 minutes and a whole bunch of people rush through the house. It's also not a first come first serve like in SA. You must fill out an application and the the agent will approve you (it works on a 100 point system where you have to supply a couple of documents to identify yourself) I made a bunch of copies of our passports, visas, ID books, driver's licenses, tenant reference, reference from the lawyer that transferred our house in SA, letter from the bank stating our bank balance (because we didn't have jobs), car registration paper, etc. Well, on Monday we saw the 2 houses, loved them both and applied. And on Wednesday we got the good news that we were approved for one of the houses! It wasn't our first choice, but the area is stunning! Very close to a park with a gas braai overlooking a lake. There are currently tenants in, so we can only move in on 11 February.

For some reason I can't find a picture of the house, but it's really not spectacular from outside. For me the area is the best thing about the house.

Ryan hasn't been able to start creche yet, because we're waiting for a reference number from Centrelink for family assistance. Apparently they can't take him in without that. He is devastated and can't wait to start school. His creche, Sesame lane is about 1 km from our new house. They don't have space for Jessica at the moment, but she will be on a waiting list.

I will post more news soon! Thanks for reading, we miss everyone at home, but are having a great time here. Things are still hectic.

Oh, Brett and I both passed our learners driver's license today! Now we want to go for a lesson before doing the practical driving test!

Lots of love,

Linda