Every now and again, we escape the country to get a taste of city life. We've vowed to escape the country at least once per school term, but in the busy summer months we had a few more trips planned for engagement parties, weddings, and other events. Escaping to the city means shopping, eating, more shopping and more eating. And people watching. Sitting at cafés while eating after lots of shopping, watching the people go by. And relishing in the ease of walking everywhere to soak in this excitement of the hustle and bustle. I look forward to trips to Sydney to go shopping. I never thought I would enjoy shopping so much, and while I still hate it, there are only so many stores in Orange. So if I want certain things (including necessities like ... read more

I'm not sure when it was decided, but we had booked tickets to Perth for Christmas. We flew over on Christmas day, arriving in time for Christmas lunch with my sister-in-law, her husband and the three little rascals, I mean, kids. They live in North Cottesloe, within a 10 minute walk to the beach, in a beautiful house. It truly felt like we were on holidays, walking down to the beach often twice a day for a swim. By the end of the week I felt like a beach bum, with a tan and salty blonde-tipped hair. I also felt very fit and motivated to be super healthy. I suppose the week of seeing super fit women running along the sidewalks and men fit from hours of surfing may have inspired me. I think the next ... read more

For our first anniversary, we decided an escape to the beach was in order. Specifically, an escape to a tropical beach. So we packed our bags and north we went! We rented a car in Cairns and immediately drove north to Port Douglas, where we checked into our home away from home. The warm sand, the warm sun, and the warm water were exactly what we needed after months of shivering in Orange, NSW. Over the next few days, we explored the Port Douglas area, including a trip to Mossman to see Mossman Gorge and the amazing Botanical Ark! The Botanical Ark, a private ethno-botanic garden home to thousands of species of fruit and nut trees, was started by planting a few fruit trees on land that was once razed for cattle farmers and sugarcane. Unfortunately ... read more

My first month as a resident of Australia has flown by! Firstly, yes, I am safe from the floods, the cyclones and the bush fires. La Nina seems to be making quite a mess of the country! My first month was both busy and relaxing. We relaxed in Jamberoo and celebrated a friend's birthday in Sydney. We enjoyed a lovely summer day while celebrating Christmas in Sydney, and shivered two days later when Mother Nature thought it'd be funny to give us another dose of chilly wedding reception weather. At our "meet the newlweds" reception, the cold, rainy weather forced us under tents and awnings and inside around the fireplace. We enjoyed the party anyways. And I survived my first large family gathering with the new in-laws and all the extended family, friends and neighbours. The ... read more

Grüsse!! The rest of my time in Switzerland flew by! Before I knew it, I only had 2 weeks left and so much to fit in! The last two weeks included lots visiting with various family members around Hasle Rüegsau, a trip to Zürich, celebrating a cousin's birthday and making Christmas cookies in Bern, visiting Fribourg and Gruyères, a trip to Strasbourg and a wedding in the Alps near Kiental. On my trip to Zürich, I met up with my friend Edwin for lunch and dinner, and otherwise wandered around. In the morning, I wasn't so bothered to actually be much of a tourist, but still I forced myself to at least wander around the older part of town along the river. I found a cute street to take a lovely photo of, but I never ... read more