So after several weeks of waiting and stressing and worrying and making 'alternative plans', I finally got my visa extension today! I went into the department of immigration and citizenship to fill out a new form (the first one I submitted having been invalidated by an outstanding hospital appointment, which I have now HAD), with all my pieces of evidence and prepared for it to be sent away and having to wait another 1-2weeks to find out the decision. It was super-quiet, the reception guy gave me a numbered ticket and I went straight through to talk to someone face-to-face!

I explained to the nice lady why I wanted to stay, she briefly flipped through my form, asked how I wanted to pay and that was it! We had a bit of chit chat about the dangers of treadmills (she fell off the back of one when she first had a go on it at her brother's house when she was younger!), Airlie Beach and New Zealand (perhaps she was *checking* my story, but she just seemed friendly and interested). It was a slight shock to realise that the fee was $250 for an extension, not the $105 I was expecting (which is the fee for a tourist visa) but she said I could have a few extra weeks on it, so I am now authorised to stay til the end of May, a whole two months more!

This means that I can remain in Adelaide, walking as little as possible and resting my foot for another six to eight weeks, so that hopefully by the time I get to New Zealand around May time, I should have full use of it again, so that I am able to do all the activities and stuff that I really want to do.

Now that I know for definite and I have stopped the worrying and planning, it is beginning to sink in a little bit that the $2500 I saved whilst working for the last three months, which was going to fund my travels round New Zealand, will now be spent living in Adelaide for six more weeks. I may have some left over when I get to NZ but it is unlikely to be enough to fund my travels right round both islands and I will most likely have to try to find work a lot sooner. It will be important that I can find enough work to SAVE again, so that I can work a bit first, save money, then travel later on.

This is a bit of a shame, this foot thing has cost me so much money overall in new flights and visa and lost work time and whatnot, but that's life.

Stuff like this happens, there's nothing I can do about it, the most important thing is for my foot to heal properly. I'm actually pretty lucky that I DID save that money in the last three months, otherwise I would have nothing to support my 'rest period' now. I'm lucky it happened here in Adelaide, where I am comfortable and content and quite happy to remain for a further six to eight weeks and also that I was granted the visa extension to allow me to do so, to give my foot the best chance of getting better. I'm fortunate to have medicare and to have not had to pay for a single bit of the treatment I have received for my foot thus far. It's all good, I'd say.