After 12 days later in Fiji

Time has passed quickly as I have been so busy. Work has been most interesting, meeting lots of great people and admiring their improvisation skills and their ingenuity to provide a high quality program for young children with very few resources. As always, it is the people who make a difference to a children's service. The APTC staff have been wonderful and I am very lucky to be among some great colleagues as I was in Box Hill.
Kerryn has returned to Australia now, a little earlier than planned as her son shattered his wrist and needed an operation. She was a legend in inducting me to the position.
I have been driving the Hyundai Touscon (4 wheel drive ) and finding my own way around Fiji. Quite difficult at times as many roads are not signposted. The local people are most helpful when I become lost ! Yesterday I remebered a short cut during a traffic jam ( they are still doing lots of roadworks to repair flood damage)
When all this round of student visits are completed tomorrow, I begin teaching classes next week. I have a total of 29 students in 2 groups.
Simon arrived last Monday morning and has been discovering new parts of Nadi each day. He is settling into the lifestyle very well, buying a colourful Bula shirt today!
I indulged in a $20 Pacific back massage which was delightful
Some of the food prices are steep ! $2.00 for one tomato, although prices are decreasing slightly as supplies are being replenished since the floods in mid January.
Chocolate is $9.00 for a Cadbury's 200gm block ! and I cannot find any cammomile teabags ! some other of herb ones ! but no camomile ! should have brought more across ! Dam.....

I am now here in Fiji !

Bula !
It has been an eventful journey, but I have finally arrived in Fiji. My 10.30am plane flight from Melbourne was the last one before the baggage handlers walked off the job. When landing in Sydney, I was told that my connecting Air Pacific flight to Fiji had left 2 hours ago, as they decided to leave EARLY ! Qantas (who owns Air Pacific) were helpful, booking me on another domestic flight, this time to Brisbane to catch the plane to Nadi Fiji. This part was fine and I finally landed in Fiji at 9.00pm. Waiting..... waiting......waiting at the luggage carousel.... no shiny silver "spiffy" spinner suitcase was in sight! My luggage had not followed me as promised... it had gone to Auckland !
It finally was delivered to me the next evening !
Sunday was a sightseeing day with Kerryn and other APTC staff... steamy waether, especially in the mud bath up in the Fijian mountains... in the pouring rain. It is SO green here... something I have not seen in Australia for a long time... rain or green grass.
When I figure out the computer and downlading.. I will add some spectacular photos
Today, my first day at work went very well... I feel very welcome here. Tomorrow we make an assessment visit to two students. Kerryn is passing on lots of information to me.... my brain is in overload...but it is so good to be here at last !

Not long to go now...

It is so hard to believe... only 4 sleeps to go .. however our excitement has naturely been subdued with the heart-breaking devastation of the Victorian bushfires. My brother James ans his wife Helen in Bendigo, have been kindly assisting others as CFA volunteers. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to the selfless CFA fraternity and all emergency service personnel.
We are leaving this tragedy here, to go to a country who are recovering from the worst floods in decades..
One never knows what is around the corner.. a lesson for all of us to make the most of every day.
I fly out at 10.30am on Sat 14th Feb for Nadi, Fiji, travelling via Sydney. Simon flies out on 22nd Feb after our son leaves for Europe for 6 weeks the previous day.
Simon and I have enjoyed many more farewell functions this past week, being thoroughly spoilt.
Now, the challenge of packing is upon us.. Not sure where to start ?