A Successful Job Interview

I'm so excited to announce that I will be changing roles at Western Health soon.

With a successful panel interview I will be transitioning from working with Chronic Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and Community into working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Families.

I will be taking some leave over Christmas this year before I begin this new role and am absolutely looking forward to continuing to support our First Nations Community here at Western Health.

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Day 5: Flying Home

 

So there is no way of sugar coating this day!

By this point I was absolutely completely exhausted and too exhausted to share breakfast with the kids as early as they wanted to go down so I told them to go ahead without me and I opted for another hour of sleep.

When the kids returned I had them start packing and they watched some TV while I headed down to have a quiet breakfast alone.

Being a Sunday, I phoned David after breakfast but I wasn't in the mood for the chatty man I usually love listening to first thing in the morning so I ended the call and went back up to our room to pack and give what little energy I had to the kids who needed me.

We checked out and I fell asleep waiting for the bus to the airport.

We got to the airport in less than an hour from our plane leaving, checked our luggage in, grabbed a drink and waited for our boarding call.

I just couldn't wait to get home to my own bed and although being abrupt with my David that morning, all I really wanted was his arms around me.

I messaged him to make sure he knew our flight deets and said I'd call him once at the airport.

The flight was okay, Nevaeh had the window seat this time, enjoyed the take off with her toy puppy Ralphy, but then opted to have it closed and fell asleep pretty much straight afterward.

Jie read for a while, did some journaling, listened to music and then also fell asleep on Nevaeh's toy puppy Ralphy!

I just reflected on our trip, the amazing time I set out to give my kids and the great times we enjoyed together before my body shut down and I fell asleep also.

Once back in Melbourne, gone was the beautiful weather.. We got off the plane to a wintery grey and windy Sunday.

We grabbed our luggage and I called David to come and get us.

As we waited, the wind became gusty and it started pouring down.

I was so happy to see my car and my David.

He packed our luggage in the boot and I drove us all home.

I dropped the kids off and then David and I drove out to my fave Korean Chicken place in Ballarat for dinner just the two of us.

My fave food with the man I love and missed so much, it felt really good to be back.

That night I had the best sleep, my bed, my pillows beside my David <3

A perfect end to a massive few days away!

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Day 4: Movie World on the Gold Coast

Before Movie World this morning we enjoyed the complementary buffet breakfast and I couldn't help but show the kids the one of a kind Queensland Breakfast Tradition.

Pancakes, Bacon and Maple Syrup!!

I first experienced it on our first trip to Cairns back in 2016.

Since then it appears only ever on special occasions and being that today was my sons 20th birthday I had to bring it out again:

 

Movie World was the most exciting theme park to show the kids. That and the fact that we were meeting my best friend Kel, her partner Jeff, her brother Zane and her precious little girl, Sadie!

They got there before us so we posed outside for a quick pic before heading in:

The kids, Jeff and Zane all went on the Wild West Ride while I got reacquainted with my bestie and my little neicey noo who pulled me into the nearby gift shop.

As we walked to take a look around the park I had Jie pose with Marilyn Munroe and Cat Woman:

The boys headed off to ride the rollercoasters while Kel, Nevaeh, Sadie and I went to get ourselves a drink and caught up on the goss..

After that we went into the Toon Town where all the little kids rides were and Nevaeh and I couldn't resist this pic with Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny:

When the boys returned we went to grab a bite to eat, Kel and Jeff bought Sadie a Bubbly wand and Nevaeh finally got up the courage to ride a Coaster with the boys.

Jie and Jeff even did one of the coasters backwards!!

The absolute highlight of my day was reliving my childhood through the emerald city!

All while watching my besties daughter enjoy a Wizard of Oz lollipop:

Sadie was getting tired by the time we headed into the Emeral City so these were the last pictures we all got together before they hit the road to get Sadie home for the day:

Once we said our good byes, the kids and I entered the Emerald city and went through to see the Wizard of Oz, experienced the Poppy Field, walked through the Haunted Forest and ended up at the wicked witch of the West Castle which was a Rollarcoaster Ride.

The kids enjoyed this one and but didn't want to do the Wizard of Oz Twister Roller Coaster as it went backwards and kids by this time just wanted to rest.

We went back to one of the classic old fashioned bars and watched the Movie World  Characters take to the streets for their end of the day parade.

We went to one last gift shop and I enjoyed one last Looney Tune Cupcake before we headed back to the hotel.

Kel sent me this photo of Sadie on her way home <3

The remainder of the night was spent at the Hotel Pool and Spa:

And Jie and I ordered Room Service for dinner as Nevaeh fell asleep pretty much straight away. Initially we ordered Lobster for his 20th Birthday, but had to settle for room service as the delivery never came!! We had dinner together watched Sister Act 2 and went to bed:

Home tomorrow..

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Day 3: Sea World on the Gold Coast

Day 3 started off just as the day before, with a big breakfast and then a few Hotel Selfies before catching our bus to SEA WORLD!

This was a first for all of us today and on the eve of my sons 20th birthday, I paid for him to go on the Sea World Helicopter Experience as his 20th Birthday gift from all of us!

But first, we spent a good amount of time with the stars of Sea World, the dolphins <3

We followed the crowd and ended up at the Seal Show where the kids enjoyed some popcorn and sat together on the side away from me for this one.

After leaving the Seal Show, we made our way towards Ray Reef where the kids touched Sting Rays for the very first time:

It was onwards from there to Shark Bay, and keen to get out of the sun we headed straight to the under water tank experience in which I could have sat there forever.

I bought the kids a glass bottom boat experience which took them on a half hour tour in and around the shark tank. 

The Tour Guide was awesome educating them on the different species of fish, shark, turtles and Sting Rays.

I stayed in the shade and got these few pics:

After the Boat ride, we did a toilet stop, grabbed a bite to eat and got a few things from the gift shop.

Jie was so courageous when the time come for him to experience a Helicopter.

They had him sit up front and Jie said that his hands were so sweaty that he really didn't get too many pics while on the helicopter. 

But he faced his fear of heights and bravely took the scenic tour over Surfers Paradise.

It was a very emotional moment for me to be able to give my son such an experience of a lifetime.

And, as we do, we took a few pics under a big palm as we waited for our lift back to the hotel:

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