Leaving the cold cold South! The end of my Full On contract....

My contract with Full On has come to an end and to my great excitement its only a few days until I leave Christchurch & head back home to the Wairarapa & Sam yay! Its been a fabulous few months with lots of learnings & much fun. I have a couple of weeks off before I start another season with Wairarapa Outdoor Pursuits yep, I've signed up for more school camps! To my fellow SOMs and the rest of the head office team THANKS for a wicked time you guys rock & I will miss you all heaps.

We finished the season in style with a boat trip to the Marlborough Sounds....thanks to Mark & to Paul our able Captains. My first time in a sailing boat!

FosJo at the helm
Wends above, Waikawa Harbour below

SOM Teambuilding!

The Season that was.....

End of season ice skating......






around the beautiful ozzi coast line with the crew

the full on programme in action....

thanks guys and gals, you were awesome!!!

oops its been a while!

Hey everyone, I've been living and working in the land of Oz for since late May doing another season for Full On. The company provides a personal development programme for students from the States. check it out sometime at www.fullon.co.nz its a pretty awesome programme and I'm having a great time learning bout being a manager....me as the boss?? scary i know! I've been out of contact for a while and all sorts of things have been happening for people, pregnancies and weddings left right and centre which is very exciting - and great for the social calendar. Nice work Luc, Bomber and Chels. Things have been crazy busy here at work but are quietening down over the next week and then not long till I'm back in NZ.....but on that note, I betta get back to work!

xxx J9

WOMAD & the Coromandal

Sam & I headed off on a bit of a road trip before I headed off to the South Is to start work. It was a fantastic trip, starting off with an epic weekend at WOMAD with Peps & Quinn (Peps is Sams sista), torrential rain and magic cats. Thanks for a wonderful present Peta! After a night drying out in Rotovegas and visiting galleries, we headed to the Coromandal to catch up & for me, meet, some of Sams good friends up that way and enjoy the stunning weather that had finally come our way. To finish it all off we spend a wonderful couple of days up at Driving Creek Railway & Pottery created by legendary potter Barry Brickall and came away feeling utterly inspired to go away and make our markson the world! pics attached.......


Random addition to photos....Sam's eels at Sculpture at the Park recently


Check out Angus's new studio in the wop wops....beautiful!

Sam & Angus hangin at the bar


At Dirty Creek Pottery....miniature kiln


The famous railway winding its way up the gully

Movin South....

Kia ora folks,

Just a quick note to say that I've moved down to Christchurch to start another season with Full On, the outdoors based personal development programme I worked on in Sydney last year. Check it out at fullon.co.nz if you're interested. Living with a friend from last year, Fiona, in Linwood and biking down to the Full On office each day on Ferry Rd (for those of you that know CHCH!). Its going great, tho i am of course missing the lovely Sam somewhat. Sam, myself and a small crew of friends celebrated my 30th in style on a fantastic sea kayaking trip around the sounds at Easter.....pics to come.

Am in Chch for 6 weeks, head to Syd again in early May for 3 months, then back to CHCH for another 6 weeks of post-season goodies then HOME to the Wai.

Will endevour to keep in touch (I hope!)

xxJ9

ps I have lost my cell phone, smashed on the road not sure if i will purchase another (shut up Graeme!)

Celebrations.....Mo's 30th & Hellena and Eli's Wedding Partay

The girls....

Mo, Leanne & Whetu in Welly for Mo's 30th

Mandy & Harry looking lovely



Zo & Charlotte at H & Eli's party

Me & Mrs Briasco!

Sorry guys, no pics from Lucy & Bomba's wedding.....would seem the focus was not on cameras but on socialising. Can't wait to see someone else's though, the bride and her lovely ladies looked absolutely fabulous to say the least. Hellena & Eli's Wedding party went off with the St Matts's girls rockin to Rage into the early hours of the morning, reminiscent of a certain 30th in Taupo!

River East exhibition opening

Another highlight of the summer was Sam's exhibition opening with Sam Melser, his mate out here from France. It was a great success and great wine & cheese was had by all. Some art was even sold.....Sam M is a painter and Sam Ludden threw some pots to complement his work and give them the opportunity to get together and dress up strangely!

Sam's studio out the back of his parents place in Victoria St

Sam and Sam at the post-match barbee

Pots and paintings

Sam & I with the photos he took of Blair in the clay bath

The Rakau Rd crew came over for the exhibition and we went camping out at Potter Paul Melser's place....gatecrashing his 60th party and pulling out some dance moves you definitely won't see in Wellington! Arti you're lovely!

Lots of playing....a little work!

Hey everyone and a happy belated new year to you all. someone mentioned monthly installments on the blog but its not gonna happen, more like 3 monthly i reckon! its been a great summer, finally getting some good weather for work at WOP the last few weeks....and my first time on the river and out of the pool in a kayak! New Year at Bull Gully was rainy & wet like most of the country but there was stil lots of fun to be had......

clearing out space for the tents

Jacques at his most useful

Sam I am

Sams Mum Peta & his sister Peps on our walk around the bush

All loved up!

Yes the rumours are true, Sam & I got engaged! To add to the drama of it all we made the big announcement on Xmas Day.....great because Rach was home from London and Manu & Laurie (Sam's sis and her partner) were taking a break from elephant keeping in Aussie to join us on the big day. Tears & laughter all around. No wedding plans as such just lots of crazy ideas floating round, if you've got any goodies post em and they will be considered!

Bring on Dubdoubt as the wedding band I say.... if i play my cards right i may have an in with the Manager - I hear she's deceptively cute, but ruthless

Happy New Year and lots of love to you all

Your (engaged) friend,

J9!