Geo: -33.8261, 151.199Jun 08Welcome to southern hemisphere winter. Week 1: Pissing rain all week. Last day of autumn so hot I was stripped down to vest top on walk over to Neutral Bay while the next day was dark and wintery and had torrential jungle style rain all day.2nd: Operation passport photo continues, C's photos rejected, probably cause his beard is too pointy, wonder what happens for ZZTop type beards..... 10th He finally gets new photos in 'recommended by consulate' hard-to-find place. 11th The justice of the peace (has to verify photos is who it says it is) goes a.w.o.l. with the photos he was supposed to be signing! 12th Ok have photos going to express post them this time. 16th photos accepted, hurray. 23rd Passports ready for collection, yay. The bio page is now like ... read more

Geo: -33.6361, 151.329... read more

Geo: -33.8261, 151.199Begining of Autumn 2008Mon 3rd Mar 08The weather the 1st three days of autumn has been ... wait for it... sunny! But there is a cooler air in it, I am wearing my leather jacket in work cause the a/c is too cold, I even interviewed someone while wearing it I was so cold on Friday 29th Feb (aka last day of summer). Also the autumnal light is really nice and the jacaranda trees are still good. And Mother's day isn't the same day here as Ireland, weird huh, luckily my Mum reminded me!My nieces 7th birthday was on Saturday 1st Mar. so after her own party (which I didn't go to as frankly there's nothing sadder than going to a 7 year olds birthday when you have no kids yourself) all the women ... read more

Geo: -33.714, 150.312This Easter involved just the two of us on a 500km round trip (incl. excursions) to the Blue Mountains. We had been there 5 years ago on 2 separate day trips (one with A&S to Glenbrook and Wentworth falls and one to Katoomba by ourselves) and had always said we'd go back for longer, so we booked an old style hotel in Katoomba for 3 nights this time.The autumn weather has been fabulous but I found out on maudy Thursday that no matter when Easter falls it always rains in NSW, it was 28 degrees that day so I didn't really believe it would happen, woke up Good Friday to a grey and wet day and it didn't stop til Holy Saturday night, relentless and amazing really.So C rented a car on Good Friday ... read more

Geo: -32.9264, 151.781We spent 24 hrs in Newcastle for the official opening of a veranda in our bro-in-laws bar, opened by Kevin Rudd (prime minister) look-a-like (who is also bro-in-laws uncle and is really funny). Stayed in Travelodge as it was handy but stupidly didn't book it on their own website and got charged extra than the others for no breakfast and twin beds! Stupid wotif.com. But Newcastle has it all and was even on the Channel 9 travel show 'Getaway' see http://getaway.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=393373 (the pub The Kent in the clip is bro-in-laws bar).I hadn't been there for 3 years, in fact to the day as the Hamilton Festival was on then too or maybe that was another time, anyway, it was great to have brunch on funky Darby St. and check out the great clothes shops ... read more