Brisbane: April 11-15

I have no soul. It's a proven fact. Why? Because I did not cry when I left New Zealand. I just kind of accepted that I was going on another adventure through life. The Invercargill airport was commical. There are only two desks for tickets/luggage. As for security, what security? No metal detectors. No guards. No sniffing dogs. Nada. Janelle and Kathy came in Ged's old rugby jerseys. Joyce and Christie had coffee together. I waited for our flight-the ONLY flight that leaves Invercargill-while watching THE plane land. We hopped on a plane and waved goodbye.

And that was it. I didn't even get to say goodbye to my grandkids. I didn't even get to say goodbye to half the group because they're on diferent flights. Since the program is over we're all split up. Some of us are going to Brisbane and Fiji. Some are going to Sydney and Fiji. Some are staying in New Zealand for a while longer with their families (American families, not Kiwi families), and some are going straight home. The girls in my group and I are going to Brisbane, Sydney, and then Fiji.

We flew from Invercargill to Christchurch, Christchurch to Auckland, and Auckland to Brisbane. I waved goodbye to Joyce and found myself to an older man with a beard. He was rough. A true biker. He was flying to Christchurch to see his mate get a new leg.

Yes, a new leg. He lost it in a biking accident.

It was good to see Invercargill from up high. I saw the bright yellow Pack N Save and the pokey-upy church on Jed St next to SIT. (I think it's a Baptist church building). I saw the racecourse and was able to locate my house; my home in New Zealand. I took one last look at Invercargill.




I'll probably never be back. That pricks my heart a bit.

In Auckland we had to pay a departure fee of $25 to leave New Zealand. That's just one more reason to stay in the country. We followed the blue-painted line to take us to the international terminal. The flight was good. I slept and had delicious dinner of crumb chicken, potatoe salad, and honey icecream. I love Air New Zealand. The food is good, the service is great, they have sturdy plasticware, and if you ask for it they'll give you Milo. :)

We got to Brisbane and my group (Me, Megan Bird, Mary, Stephanie Richards, Erin, Brooke)
said goodbye to Becky's group (Becky, Janelle, Ashley, Julia, Katie Jo) and Cameron and Tyler. We're all going to be in Brisbane but then my group is going to Sydney while Becky's group is going to Fiji and the boys are going around Australia. Ashley's parents met her at the airport. She's hanging out with them and then going to Fiji with the rest of her group.

We rented a white van and played the fun game of stuffing it with 6 girls plus their luggage. We each had 2 bags and a backpack. We had a lot of stuff. If you think about it, I had all my belongings. Everything I lived with for the last 3 months was in the van. Between the 6 of us we had snorkeling gear, tramping bags, tents, and at least a hundred granola bars.



We stayed with Tido and Bada, friends of Jess Setu from the Invercargill branch. Saturday we went to town to work out scuba diving. I didn't go because I really had a bad feeling about it. I don't know why. I was kinda mad because the whole reason I went to Brisbane was to dive the Great Barrier Reef. But I heeded the promptings of the spirit and while the other girls went diving Brooke and I laid out at the beach (Deception Bay on Sunshine Coast) and had Red Rooster for dinner.



Sunday we went to the Brisbane temple. It was so pretty. As chance would have it, the stake was watching Conference in the chapel adjacent to the temple. All the missionaries were there. Brooke ran into an elder from her high school. I asked an elder is he new Zach Powers. He said yes so I wrote a quick note for the elder to deliver to Zach. Small world. The Church makes the world small.



After that we went to the beach: Surfer's Paradise on the Golden Coast. I took heaps of pictures. We tried to take pictures of us jumping in the air and attacking each other. I think I've become quite the photographer.





That night we stayed with Maree and Will. They have two kids. Monday rolled around and we were at the zoo at approximately 9:07. I don't know if you know this about me, but I am master at planning theme parks and zoos. I had the day down to a T. I factored in toilet time and mathmatically deduced we had 4:37 at each exhibit. Cameron and Tyler joined us at the elephant feeding. High lights of the day included:

• Holding koalas
• Sneak-patting a wombat
• Feeding elephants
• "I don't want to pat a koala" -Cameron through clenched teeth telling Tyler that he'd rather see the otter show than seeing the koala show
• Feeding kangaroos
• Crocodile show, I was the best monkey dancer
• Kookaburras
• 3-minute camel appreciation

I have a new love for Cameron and Tyler. They're funny. They bought us icecream (boysenberry and fudge....they just don't have boysenberry icecream in the States) and we ate it on the way home. Tyler and Mary ate more than their fair share :S

For a list of Cool Animal Facts from Australia Zoo see my other blog: listitup.blogspot.com

On Tuesday the 15th we woke up at an insane hour (5am) so we could start packing up the van by 5:30 and leave by 6. We were a lot faster at packing than we were at the airport 4 days ago. We were all sitting in the van when Will came out. He laughed at our stuffed van. We started to get ready to backout and he gave us last minute driving instructions...

...and a hundred dollars.

We refused and said we really couldn't accept money from them. We stayed with them for free, used their phone for free, and showered for free. If anything we should be paying them. But Will wouldn't let us leave without taking it. "To turn it down would be offensive in my culture" he said. So we took the $100.

Wow. This was a defining moment in my life. I don't think I've ever met any one so giving. We had stayed with them only 2 days; hardly enough time to form a strong relationship. Yet they were giving us money like we were friends of the family. Will is a painter. They live in a small house. Maree is pregnant with a 3rd child. Yet they handed us a crisp hundred-dollar bill. I want to be more giving like the example set forth by Maree and Will. I want to give to the point I can feel that I gave something. I want to offer my house to any one who needs it. My home will always be open for others.