Morning all! Thanks for joining me again. I'm getting more and more energised about writing now, so I really appreciate your readership, and would love you to urge all your friends to give my blog a go. Speaking of energetic writing: if this one starts to feel a bit long, please skip to THE IMPORTANT BIT at the end, rather than stop reading altogether! Finally this one goes out with big hugs to my mum who just sent me a lovely message - she's an emotional sort, you know... Enjoy! We’re engaged! I believe that title was what the kids these days are calling a ‘spoiler’. Terribly sorry about that, but it’s just such exciting news, and hopefully the full story won’t be any the less entertaining for having its climax foretold. The story begins (or ... read more

That last entry probably benefited me more than you, and I'm sorry if it was hard, but thanks for listening. Now for something that actually tells you what we're getting up to over here, which is the whole point of this blog, I guess... Mooroolbark Sarah’s parents were wonderful hosts, easing me gently but deliberately into Australian life, and affording us our own space within their home. Not wishing to outstay my welcome though, we followed a friend’s advice and investigated the possibility of house sitting, the theory being that we could experience living together in our own place - something we’ve actually never done before for longer than a week - without committing more time or finance than we have available, what with me being an unqualified immigrant with a limited visa. Eventually we found ... read more

Goodbye Not cool, mate. NOT cool, at all. Now I know it was your day - you made it that way - But I still feel a little pissed off, I must say. There was nothing we could do; it was inevitable; We mustn’t blame ourselves. Really though? REALLY? For hours we talked, mate, and it seemed like you listened. I sure as hell listened to you and it really helped. So, yeah, thanks. Seriously though, you totally should not have done that. You know, killed yourself. I mean, think about what you put ME through! Your father stood there, beginning to weep As years of determined fighting ended, His only son gone forever. He’s telling me through the tears: “If it’s not him it’s some other poor bugger,” What an incredible, selfless man. I hugged ... read more

What can I say? I haven't blogged in a little while, have I? Sorry about that... but here are THREE in a row! The first, below, is a repeat, just to get you back in the swing of things and make you laugh. That's because the second is a bit intense, to say the least. To some of you it will mean little, to others a little too much, and I apologise for any distress caused. All I can suggest is that you read the third, immediately afterwards, to take your mind off things. I'm just excited to be blogging again, and looking forward to your feedback. This blog, or a potential sister project, might turn into something more than just a series of postcards, so do keep reading and spread the word, even to those ... read more

Hello! I'm back, after an involuntary hiatus due to the lack of internet in our new place. Now, though, we have a dongle! Someone run THAT concept past Nana... Anyway, before I besiege your inbox with all of the latest goings on in my life, here's a little essay I wrote in a quiet moment, just to get you back into the swing of things: I am reclining in a comfortable seat, one of a scattered crowd of those elite sport obsessives, domestic cricket fans - our numbers, in the hundreds, seemingly reduced to a mere handful by the vast, cavernous majesty of the MCG. I am bathed in glorious sunshine but have access to ample shade, sun block and water, not to mention beer on tap just yards away. I am privileged to be witnessing ... read more

Greetings one and all, and welcome to Blog#3, where two things change. First, I get to assuage my slight guilt at always entering the exact same location for what is, after all, supposed to be a TRAVEL blog. Secondly, and more importantly if many of your comments are anything to go by, this one will feature a few PHOTOS! Thanks very much to Nina, Stan, Karen and Pete for our wonderful gift of a weekend break in Lorne on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. Without further ado then, here is “What We Did On Our Holidays…”: The Journey Having started work on Wednesday, I managed to get the Thursday off so that we could make an early start. It’s not as bad it sounds, honestly! Unfortunately the trip clashed with Neill’s invite to join him at an ... read more

Thanks for all your comments and messages. Yes Ged, February’s fine, we’ll see you then! and Trish, make sure you and James pay us a visit in March please. My next blog will be topic based and a bit shorter, but first, as promised, here’s Part Two of the day by day stuff: Mon Nov 23 Today was mostly spent in pursuit of gainful employment. I’d already started looking for JOBS and the hunt goes on to this day. Neill is always ‘helpfully’ handing me newspapers with a few circled suggestions! I’ve applied for loads of office stuff, some of which looks quite interesting, and despite a couple of rejections, most places have said they’ll take a few weeks to select interviewees so we’ll see. Rosie’s written me an excellent reference for the events management positions ... read more

Welcome to my first blog! I’m sorry that it’s taken me so long to get started, but here, to get you caught up, is the first half of a day by day account of my Aussie experience so far: Wed Nov 18 After a long but actually not too gruelling journey I landed in Melbourne at 6.30am and, a little over cautiously, sought assurance that camel’s milk chocolate purchased in Dubai wouldn’t be an issue at customs. This done, I emerged to find Sarah waiting, which was, well, tremendous, obviously - we’ve no current plans to self impose another three-month separation! I was wide eyed and struggling to take everything in as she drove home, and the first sign of jet lag was my comment on kids ‘walking home from school’ when obviously they were on ... read more