This article will be my final message to you all as APRE at St Joseph’s and it is with a very sad but also joyful heart that I write to you this week. My journey here started as a fly in fly out role for a couple of months to help Rosie with interviews for staffing, choosing furniture and many other miscellaneous jobs needed to open a new school. I took up residence early December 2015 and then the hard work began with unpacking and constructing furniture, covering books, setting up teacher accommodation and meeting a lot of new faces within the community.

The past four years have been an amazing chapter for Terry and I and I know this week is going to be a hard one having to say goodbye to a lot of good friends, students, colleagues and families. I also have been blessed that I actually had some of my family here in Weipa which made the move just that little bit easier.

Where do I start? First with this little passage I found - I really like the German word for goodbye. Auf Wiedersehen. It means you’ll see the person again. It’s not the end. Why is there even the word “good” in “goodbye” anyway? There is nothing very good about leaving people you love, leaving a place you love. Four years have gone so quickly and during this time I have discovered a few new passions as well as just how to live remotely. Some of you may laugh but I still never perfected my skills of online shopping and still prefer to have my mail delivered.

Thus, begins my process of trying to adequately say goodbye to you all. I’ll be honest this is going to be exhausting and please excuse my tears for the next few days. Although it is going to be emotional, I would still prefer to say to you ‘see ya later.’ The positive part of all this though is that I can come back and I can stay in touch. With all of the good friends and relationships Terry and I have made here in Weipa we know that when we see you or speak to you again, we will just pick up from where we left off. The reverse also applies that if any of you are down our way and would like to catch up please let us know.

As I finish my article, I would like to mention that there are always more positives about leaving and that is the memories you make. I look and think back on photos, camping trips, day trips, waterfalls, quading, fishing (which you all know is definitely not for me) and the ridiculous amount of hilarious, crazy, funny and fun times we have had both at school and outside in the community and a smile instantly comes to my face.

So without waffling on too much – Thank you all for the part you have played in the Weipa chapter of our story and we wish you all the very best ahead and know that we will see each other again soon.

“See ya later” and God bless,

Amanda and Terry Saunders