Cairns Crew Christmas 2019
Merry Christmas to you all.
We have had a pretty good year overall and we are looking forward to having a relaxing break over the next few weeks. It is a typical hot and humid time Cairns at present and the wet season proper is at least a month away so we are making good use of the pool to cool ourselves down and air cons!
One of the highlights of the year was a fabulous family holiday to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park where experienced the true Aussie Outback, brilliant sunrises and sunsets, aboriginal culture and amazing scenery.
The boys didn’t get used to the flies but we had a fantastic holiday and we would recommend you all visit the region.
Connor has had his first year of working and midday way through the year he started working as a trade assistant for a local Solar PV Specialists called Replenishable Energy. His goal for 2020 is to be accepted into an Electrical Apprenticeship so he becomes a qualified Electrician in the future.
The other highlight of his year was to spend 5 weeks in London with his girlfriend Nanako Binst who is studying for a Diploma in Nutrition/Gastronomy and Food Trends. Nanako and he also caught up with Isabella and Ben in Paris.
Aidan successfully completed grade 11 and had another great year in Athletics. He competed at the Australian National Track & Field Championships in Sydney in April at achieved a 5th in the U17 800m race.
In June he was selected to compete for the Regional Australia Team at the Oceania Games in Townsville where he achieved a silver medal in the 4 x 400m relay and 4th in the U18 800m. His other highlight was a silver medal in the 1500m and a 4th in the 800m at the QLD Junior State Athletic Championships held in Cairns in October.
He played basketball for the local U18 Redlynch Roar team and they made it to the semi-finals in the local competition. He has still indicated an interest in Engineering so he we need to do continue to study hard next year in his last year at school.
He is ending his year on a high on a trip through Malaysia and Borneo with school colleagues organised with World Challenge and highlights will be seeing orangutans, visiting Kuala Lumpur and experiencing the jungle of Borneo.
Bryce has another successful year sporting wise. In late March he travelled with John and the North QLD Branch Surf Lifesaving Team to Burleigh Heads in the Gold Coast for his third Junior State Championships.
He achieved some good results at the local Surf Life saving carnivals throughout the year and was selected in the QLD Country SLS team for the second straight year and competed at Currumbin in the Gold Coast in December.
He will get back into training hard in the New Year with the North QLD Branch Surf Lifesaving Team and John and Bryce are looking forward to attending the QLD Junior SLS State Championships again in late March 2019 at Alexander Headlands in the Sunshine Coast.
He also has a goal next year to make the Peninsula Swimming team to compete at the QLD Junior State Swimming Championships. He has done well at school and enjoys mathematics, digital technology subjects and HPE.
John and Marilyn had an enjoyable holiday to the Adelaide region in May and were able to enjoy the beaches, art galleries, catch up with Judy, Mariah and Riley, and fabulous wineries of McLaren vale and Barossa Valley.
Marilyn has been working as an administrator at Replenishable Energy being the same company who Connor works for and she enjoys working with Amanda and Rollo. She has enjoyed getting more fitness in this year and was also able to compete in the Masters category at the local Surf Life saving carnivals.
She is looking forward to a well-earned break over Christmas and in the New Year.
John has again enjoyed his age manager role for Bryce’s U14 age group at Cairns SLS Club again. He has had another busy year managing a couple of design projects for Council and is currently project managing the refurbishment of the original Court House Building in Cairns.
He is looking forward to some downtime over the Christmas and New Year’s break with Maz and the boys and extended Woods family.
Roxy has been joined by Thor who is half Pomeranian/half Jack Russell and he has been an enjoyable addition to the family.
We hope you all have an enjoyable Christmas and happy year in 2020.
Lots of Love
John, Maz, Connor, Aidan & Bryce