on a race... around newcastle.

So I've had a very exciting 2 days.

Monday was Emma's birthday, and she loves photography. So we decided to go and do the photo shoot that had been planned for ages, even though it was raining.

Anyways, after about 3 hours of me freezing my ass off in the rain, we got some pretty good shots. I've already got a few, but Emma is still editing heaps.





Then yesterday, she had a formal birthday party at King Edward Park. After eating lots of Peanut M&Ms, we decided it was time for the Amazing Race around Newcastle...
I was partnered with Georgia, and we had so much fun. I knew my way around Newcastle and wasn't afraid to ask for directions. And she had a tonne of energy.

So we...
1. Searched all around the Garside Gardens for a tiny gold package which we were told we had to count the contents of. We were the last team to find it, and there was a package of rice inside of it. No teams actually bothered to count it, and we were the last team to leave King Edward Park.

2. The next clue told us to go to the Cathedral. Luckily I knew where that was, and Georgia and I basically ran from the park to Christ Church Cathedral. We were the first team to arrive. Once there we had to find the oldest grave, which turned out to be from 1829. We were the first team to leave the graveyard.

3. Then we got lost. We had to find a business with a logo of a key and lock, that was on Hunter St, between Perkins and Watt Street. Once there, we had to take a photo of ourselves in front of it. Only problem was that the camera we had had run out of batteries. So we wrote down the 'John Paynter Gallery', which took us about 15 minutes to find. I asked for so many directions, and Georgia and I probably looked insane running everywhere with our formal gear.

4. We had to go to Spotlight and buy 20 cms of a certain type of fabric. We took the bus there, and Hana and Dani caught the same bus. When the bus arrived at Spotlight, all four of us ran out of the bus, and I ran up the stairs and started looking for the fabric. I found it pretty quickly, and we ran downstairs where there was no line so the woman could cut the fabric. I've never realised how slow the people are there that cut the fabric. It was agonising.

5. After that, we ran to King Street McDonalds where we had to wait for everyone to catch up, and then buy an 'icecream cone'. Georgia being the thinker that she is, realised that it only said cone, not that it had to have icecream in it. So we sat at a table with Emma and Spencer, which I realised was a pretty stupid idea. I got up from the table and looked out the window, only to see Aaron and Brittany running to Maccas. So Georgia and I ran to the counter and paid $1 for 2 icecream cones, whilst everyone else bought the icecream. It was so funny shoving out mouth full of waffle cone while everyone else got brain freezes.

6. So we ran out of McDonalds, and ran all the way to the Newcastle Regional Library, which is right near Civic Park. We had to find a book with a certain code on it, and take a photo of ourselves holding it. Only we didn't have a camera. So we wrote down the name of the book and the author.

7. Next we had to go to the Newcastle Regional Art Gallery, which was thankfully right next door to the Library. We had to find an artwork called 'Intel-igence' and write down the artists name. I'd already been to see the exhibition, so I knew exactly where it was.

8. This was our last task. We had to find Sally (Emma's Mum) at Newcastle Baths. We knew it was too far away, so Georgia and I ran to a bus stop. Only Emma and Spencer caught up. For some reason, everyone started running to the next bus stop. Georgia and I waited there, because the next stop was actually the last stop for the bus. So Georgia and I got on the next bus, and we passed Emma and Spence who were still running. The bus driver asked me 'Why are they running? The bus stops here'. I asked him if he had a ever watched the Amazing Race and he said he didn't watch TV.

9. So we got off the bus at Newcastle Station, ahead of Emma and Spencer. From there, we actually ran to Newcastle Baths. Anyone who knows Newcastle knows that that is not an easy run. Especially after you had been running for the past hour and a half.

Anyways, we get to Newcastle Baths, and Hana and Dani had already arrived because they hitched a ride with some P platers. So legally, Georgia and I won.

Phil would be proud.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA!