Written 28 Dec First of all I want to say how lovely it has been to have all your messages to me this Xmas time– emails, and texts and phone calls from many of you - thank you all for your kind wishes and thoughts. Christmas Day will forever be that day when Michael died and nothing will ever change that as being the first thing I think of… but as time goes by I find that the day is not all about the sadness and loss…but I can enjoy whatever is going on and this year was also so different being here in Sydney. Xmas Day and Boxing Day I spent happily with Angela and Ed and their family. My own Xmas preparations had consisted of nothing at all …so it was lovely to be ... read more

Good morning - its just after 8 am and as I am staying at the YHA in the Blue Mountains and have got 4 hours left of my internet connection before my money runs out - I thought I would do a quick blog of the last few days. Bet you can't beleive I am up so early!!!! Arrived here in Blue Mnts - which is about 11/2hr drive west of Sydney. A good road to get here - but then its a toll road... it seems that any faster travel on a road or a tunnel you have to pay... there is an electronic tag things in the car which adds it all up - so I will pay Jo for that when I give her the car back....well thats convenient anyway. So I managed ... read more

Well I have moved again and here I am in Hunter’s Hill a suburb of Sydney on the North side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. No internet access here at the apartment so I am doing library stints in a lovely place called Lane Cove. ( Composing and typing up at “home” so I can cut and paste at the library) . I arrived here by train ( best not say to much about the train …an express it was called …took 6h 40 mins to go 400 km!!!... but it was lovely scenery…and I got to see some of those very swollen rivers in NSW)from Port Macquarie last Thursday and was met by Jo and Stuart , whose apartment this is… they have already been to Eastbourne and so it was nice to be greeted ... read more

Here I am again having survived a little trip away from my home base here in Port Macquarie. 3 years ago when I was here Jenny and I took a road trip through the hinterland of this part of NSW...and we drove through some lovely country - so finding myself within striking distance of this area agian - off I went to Dorrigo National Park and the Waterfall Way as the road is called. Got myself a room in the Bellingen Hostel - lovely and friendly and relaxing - verandahs to loaf around on with beautiful views of the mountains and down to the river, hammocks to lie in while reading a book ...and lots of nice travellers to talk to. The place was spotless and very efficientlyy run...thanks to Graham. ( I could have got ... read more

Hello dear all. Saturday evening here in Brisbane and had a rest day ...read a book and watched a dvd - Lantana - very good Aus movie which won lots of awards. Had a busy couple of days so now and then I have to take a rest from sightseeing!! I love Brisbane - its such a mix of old and new architecture and the riverside is stunning .. a public transport off peak ticket for only $5 for the day means you can do bus and boats all along the river and you know that for me boat trips are obligatory!! So up river I went this time ...amd as you can see from the photos it is just beautiful...no scruffy places anywhere that I could see. I had been confused that when you cross ... read more