Loadsa new pictures and stuff

We've been off this internet thing recently but rest assured we're thinking about all you people way over the other side of the planet. We've been taking plenty of photos of our excursions into the city and that and we'd like to share them with you's now.

Before the links to the gallery we'll start with a general update on our lives:

Chris is now on her third job here, she hasn't been sacked for stealing office supplies or anything (although it'll be a shock if she isn't due to the amount of pens she's already brought home) she's just been promoted up the pay scale. Currently she is working at Country Womens Association which can be found on the internet here. She earns mega-bucks to 'assess and process' applications for drought relief funds and all the checking that this involves. Faxes are an important tool of the trade as the farmers don't seem to have internet and the post is shit. The farmers have definitely had it hard here cause the weathers gone mental in recent years. She has a friend spookily also called Chris who is from England and has travelled all around Australia with his redundancy money. The old people who make up the rest of the staff make tea, chuckle a lot and love the Queen (Elizabeth that is.)

Dave is working with the Ambulance Service of New South Wales grilling applicants whose dream is to become Ambulance drivers or Ambos as they call them here. (more to follow on Aussie Abbreviationed words) He likes being on the other side of the interviewing table especially when the candidates really push it with the whole honesty thing. He can't say too much here as it wouldn't be prudent given all the confidentiality and that but barely a day goes by without an funny anicdote emerging. There is sometimes cake and free sandwiches left over from functions elsewhere in the building. His coworkers are all nice, a few of them are really into rugby so Dave is looking forward to the world cup even more now.

The photos are an assorted bunch of our days out to the beautiful Darling Harbour area as well as some of the harbour (from none-other-than the Harbour Bridge.) We spent a class Saturday afternoon at the acquarium and the neighbouring wildlife park. We got a photo taken with a koala but disappointingly couldn't hold it. We got a little pet of its ass though. Unfortunately the photo of this incident isn't digital and has a copyright notice printed on it. We expect to be able to hold the koalas at Taronga Zoo so don't be too disappointed!

Oh yeah, almost forgot...as we mentioned earlier the Aussies are quite fond of shortening words and know almost no bounds as to which words they'll abridge. For example:

Renos - Renovations
Firies - Firemen
Probie - A person on probation
Ambos - Ambulance driver
Bikies - Cyclists
Vinnies - St Vincent de Paul
Salvos - Salvation Army
Kero - Kerosene

That's all we can come up with off hand but we may add more as we learn them. We think you'll be astounded by what we have already.

Another strange cultural difference from home is that Aussies all call their girlfriend/boyfriend their partner. It's dead funny, well we thought so anyway.

One of Australias greatest achievements has to be the ANZAC cookies. They are delicious:

Photos of our outings


Sydney Acquarium and Wildlife Park