From this................................................................to this in the space of 24 hours (well really 48 but 24 sounds better)

Half way day is a traditional day in the vet 3rd year calender, it is a day off uni, which is spent as a class causing havoc in some part of new zealand...this year we took off to taupo for the night...went white water rafting...awesome, fabulous views, adrenaline rush and complete serenity for a couple of hours....then into taupo for some drinking and games. Saturday brought us back to palmy for the annual vet ball, so our glad rags were donned and the dancing shoes polished and off we went..dont we look smart.


my pictures didnt really go on as I wanted them to, but never mind...not enough time to faff around with them, as this is my lunch break and my stomach is starting to rumble....not good...anyway top left, is one half of my class before we started rafting...all looking very good I may say.
top right: those of my class that went to the vet ball....now that is a good looking photo...bling.
middle left: Babs and I looking smart as we headed out to the ball.
middle right: My flatmates and I at the half-way day night out.....it was very cold but lots of fun...many fond memories to look back on laugh about.
Bottom left: The boys looking pimp like, as they headed to the bling ball, from left to right is Aliaster (First year vet student), James (Kate's fiancee...so one of the long suffer boyfriends of vets), Ryan (Charlottes other half....aka long suffering boyfriend) and finally Dale (Sarahs other half..yep another one of those suckers)...but seriously some very cool guys and part of really nice, cute couples.

Since Babs was always dragging me off round the countryside to see various lighthouses I felt that I had to do them justice and include them in my blogspot...this is perhaps the nicest one and is to be found in Taranaki. We must have spent at least an hour (babs wanted to see the light go on) here before truddling down the road to what has to have been our most bizarre nights accomodation in the middle of nowhere on a dairy farm, with another guest who never turned up....spooky, but we made it out fine. Sulky babs because I wouldnt have any more pictures taken.....She made me give in later but, I could hear in my head the slide show when she got home......'and here is hannah in taupo and here is hannah in piaha.....and on and on'. But anyway this is babs standing on the lookout, with taupo and the mountains in the background.

So these pictures are really in no sort of order at all, as I was doing this in the library and was rushed for time, so just tried to throw them on...oops that will teach me....anyway so this is the sunrise on my little dairy farm. I relief milk here every other weekend, at the minute we are milking about 200 or so cows but that will keep going up as in the middle of spring herd calving...so much fun, especially because the herd is full of kicking heifers, but good training.

Holiday in Fiji....mana island (pic to follow at some point, well ahead....).....beautiful..I would go back in an instant..despite the losing the bag thing (I hope that someone in fiji is now a pathology wizzz!!) and the photos from the digital camera etc...the sun, the sand and the people were amazing...These are four of the boys from the island...actually from Rotoma (sp!)..entertainment staff ...(Romano, Patrick, John, and ok babs heres where I need help, what was the other guys name) anyway..very very funny guys and beautiful bodies.

Back in New Zealand, but on the south island now, in Christchurch...This is the oold university buildings...reminded us both a lot of the university buildings back home...gorgeous

This is my Artsy photo, in Dunedin we went visiting the Royal albatross colony on Taroa head...these really are magnificant birds, as juveniles they spend about two years at sea, without touching land, and then come back to the same spot to mature when old enough... They have an amazing wingspan and are about a quarter the height of an average person....wow

This place made me feel like I was back home, this is a reconstruction of Old Cromwell town, which was flooded sometime in the last century in the making of the clyde dam, which aimed to supply most of new zealand with power......It worked and was highly efficient, but the houses that where lost made it a bit of a shame.
Mum at the huka falls, just outside of Taupo...not very big falls by world standards but non the less very impressive and I certainly wouldnt like to be plummeting over them...


On holiday with mum and Barbara in november 2004 - more blurb to follow......This is mum and Barbara, alongside lack taupo....may be the only photo I have of barbara, and she insisted that the bird book, was much more interesting than the view....

The views in New Zealand really are something else and here is just a taster of what there is my advice to you all would be come and visit, because a picture only tells half the story and all those who have been here can second that I am sure.


To your left is the beautiful milford sounds, on a not uncommonly grey day but in a lot of ways that makes it even more special....gives it a kind of mystical appearance.



An very well composed picture I think curtesy of Graeme Goudy thank you hun, of the lake front in Franz Josef, where some of us were lucky enough to spend some time kayaking...its is an extremely serene place to be, makes you glad to be alive.








This picture is thanks to babs and is of the cape reinga lighthouse, which is situated at the very top of the north island...well worth the bus trip up there especially as the trip back down included...sand surfing (throwing yourself down the side of a sand dune on a body board...very exhilerating...thats why I did it 5times), a drive now 90mile beach and a view of some wild horses - awesome.

Ok I'm going to take you back a little bit to my trips last year and to begin with I will start with a holiday with Helen, Benny, Graeme and Fiona, last July which was absolutely fab, three weeks travelling the islands in our little people carrier - edna, she was fabulous..

This was taken in puzzling world in wanaka...just look how strong those boys are...

This is how I feel most of the time, being over here and having all the work to do....my world is unfortunately somewhat slanty but with that brings a lot of fun and games, and I wouldnt change it for anything... :-) (that smiley face has kinda a sadistic look....)

Who would have guessed that you could be this cold in New Zealand...all year round..you can the franz josef glacier is the place to go, but watch out it rains ALOT...

at this point I have to write a very very quick apology because none of my pictures are going onto this thing in any sort of order...but you'l all get the gist eventually....take care to one and all going to run now and milk some cows. Hx

This is me with my flatmates, Jen, Jenna and Lucy, before we headed out to the retro vet happy hour.... need I say much more than 'looking good'. I personally like the afro puff.....

August 12th is official 'National Appreciation Day for Skanks' (NADS), Yes this is how we went to lectures and unfortunately we werent under the influence, it just seemed like such a good idea at the time... but you have to admit everyone that we look HOT.

Also to let you all know that August 19th is 'International Pirate Day', so put on your eye patches and get out swords and set to sea for some pillaging and plundering.

Me and my flatmate Jenna....on a night in town listening to the local boys "the fiddlers bitches" sing in the celtic...It was their opening night and were very good apart from the lack of Van Morrison......(have to support the man since we share a name)

So the long awaited photo...yes it really was that cool and fun, plus the little blitter decided to fart just at the moment that jenna took the photo. But I do suggest to you all that if you ever get the opportunity to try a rectal palpation on a cow give it a go...you will be pleasantly suprised.