Merry Christmas to my NZ and UK friends

Well I was reminiscing over living in Southland to my work colleague Kevin, as he has bought my painting that I did of the Toi Toi grass overlooking the 3 sisters and the Moko Moko
I do miss NZ, but hopefully next June we will be back for a visit.

So from Hot Hot Central Queensland  currently 33 degrees, I wish you all a Lovely seasonal holiday whether its in Sunny NZ or Wintery UK :)

Long time No Post...

Hi all

I havent posted for a long while so I thought I would write a brief post about what we have been up to

the biggy is we moved to Queensland, most friends realised this was probably going to happen since I was involved with the grand kids a lot and would eventually miss them more and more...

This is Lilly being a Diva in her lovely dress from NEXT DIRECT UK ;)  can't beat Next thank goodness they deliver to Australia LOL

So when we returned from our trip in June I missed the kids more and more, I was finding riding and looking after the horses harder, with my leg and old injuries flaring up and preventing me riding like I wanted to, it took me 3 times as long to deal with mucking out over winter than the year before, so I knew I had to re-think our lifestyle.
Then we were invited to spend Christmas 2011 with Rachel and Richard and the kids, they told us to really think about moving over as there were more job opportunities for us than  there were in Invercargill at that time...

Rob was not sure about working in the heat, but I was more keen as saying good bye at the airport in June was terrible.

So while we were over there Rob applied for a few jobs... and blow me down he was selected for one of the first he applied for... this ended with him staying in QLD and me returning home by myself.

I packed up and sold off our furniture, put our house up for sale, shipped of our worldly posessions and headed back...

THE hardest part was finding homes for the animals.

Luckily I found good homes for all of our horses, and I keep in touch with them on facebook etc.
The cats all went to the same home, which was a bit of a surprise, but a welcome bonus... so they went from one farm to another just a bit further inland near Otautau.

Rachel sent Bay - her horse to Queensland but has found the summer heat very hard going for horses, so she isnt riding as much as she hoped too, she looks forward to winter (or is that the other way around!!! QLD weather terminology baffles me)  but the cooler months of  March onwards are what she is looking forward too.

So our life in New Zealand/Southand Came to an end... for now,  as who knows where we will be in a few years time.

I miss NZ loads, the landscape, the people... But for now our location is in QLD, and I am enjoying being with my grandkids as they grow up... after all they stay small for such a short time nowadays, I mean I can't believe Lilly is 3 in April!!!!!!! and Cole turned 7 a few weeks ago.

Gladstone Marina

Our trip around Spinnaker Park, Gladstone Marina.

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On Day 3 we went for a trip to Gladstone City Centre, where we had lunch at a nice Italian restaurant - the pizza was awesome!

This photo album customized with Smilebox

Then after lunch we walked it off around the Botanical Gardens... after Icecream that is ;)

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Gladstone trip part 2

Day 2 of our trip to Rachels dawned bright and sunny, not a cloud in the sky, thank goodness for aircon in the car

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Part 2 of our day, we went to walk Layla at Canoe Point

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our trip to Australia to see Rachel

This picture slideshow made with Smilebox

this is a collection of the photos of our first day in Boyne & Tannum Sands QLD, Australia when we visited our daughter and her family

Seasons Greetings

just a quick post for the season
hopefully the hot sun will come back for the weekend, at the moment its Raining (and My paddocks are grateful) so is the garden!

To all in the UK - your probably going to have a white christmas, which will be nice to look at...but I guess a bit hazerdous to navigate anywhere in - so be safe and take lots of Xmassy pictures for us to see :)

I'm off with Rachel to take the kids to see Santa today.

ps the picture was taken at Jason's Graduation of his Bachelor Degree in Information Technology.

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ITS MY DADS 69TH BIRTHDAY TODAY!
So Have a great day today and We all miss you....

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June to November....

well other than work, home and visiting Rachel and the kids, we haven't done anything too exciting.

I tend to be on Facebook more than blog...quicker and easier to keep in touch with friends and family that are also on Facebook.

July 2010 Rachel, Cole and Lilly at Mainly Music, a playgroup that they go to in Invercargill


Rob & Jason with Lilly August 2010



September 2010, we had a huge snowfall...it was very heavy wet snow, and a few buildings were damaged, roof cave-ins and one was the Stadium across the road from Rachel's house




I went on a cavalcade in October on Jasmine, she was very well behaved and we had great fun, it was supposed to be raining and possibly snow! - BUT I GOT SUNBURNT! go figure!


I have started riding Tim. He has been a good boy, and is very willing and is progressing nicely.



Jester suffered a bit with his joints over winter, but has bounced back, but after a hill ride this weekend he is stiff and sore again, so he will not be riding on any cavalcades or steep hill work anymore, Just nice leisurely hacks around home which is flat :)
Jester and Rob at Waituna Lagoon Nov 7th 2010




Lilly and Cole have continued to grow, and are beautiful and I love that they are here in NZ with us :)

It was Rachels 24th Birthday today... we went to Queens Park.
The kids played in the pool.



Jason graduates on the 10th Dec, with a Bachelor in Information Technology, and will be going to Otago University in Feb 2011 to continue in Computer Science.... more on that on a separate post

well Its nearly Midnight....so its off to bed for me

its been a while...and this will be a sad post

Wow, well I guess I have been busy for the last 6 months!
I just read the post below, and it made me cry...why you may ask?

Well because I saw the pictures of Acia, and It makes me sad to actually type this...

She died tragically on the 22nd August 2010
she had escaped into the side paddock, and instead of coming back through that way, she jumped the fence, tripped and broke her neck when she fell.
it was the worst day of my life, I loved her as if she were mine, but worst of all she belonged to my darling daughter, so it was even worse, and I had to get her dad to tell her...

I will never forget her and this poem is dedicated to her memory.....


The Foal
I'll lend you for a little while my grandest foal, HE said.
for you to love while she's alive and mourn when she is dead.
It may be one or twenty years, or days or months, you see,
but will you, till I take him back, take care of her for me?
She'll bring her charms to gladden you, and should her stay be brief,
you'll have treasured memories as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise she will stay, since all from earth return,
but there are lessons taught on earth I want this foal to learn.
I've looked the wide world over In my search for teachers true.
And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes, with trust, I've chosen you.
Now will you give her total love? not think the labor vain,
nor hate me when I come here to take her back again?
I know you'll give her tenderness and love will bloom each day,
and for the happiness you've known, forever grateful stay
But should I come and call for her much sooner than you'd planned,
you'll brave the bitter grief that comes, and someday, understand.

I hope you understand why I had to write this, and the next post will hopefully be a bit less painful to read.