Thanks for all your best wishes and cards, best wishes to all in the UK! We have had a busy few weeks going out and about with the boys and enjoying the sun. Yes, it has finally decided to shine and has been lovely and warm. Most days have been about 23 – 28 degrees, new years eve was 41 degrees in the shade, sooo hot! Cant do much on days like that, everything feels like so much effort. It was particularly horrendous on the train traveling into the city to watch the musical ‘Hairspray’. The transport was free so many more people were using it to get into the city, it was so packed and was on old train so the air-con wasn’t great. I felt like a sardine in a tin being cooked!!! The musical was fantastic and quite funny, finished about 11.00, we had taken a picnic so headed to the park looking over the skyline which had images projected onto it, then fireworks at midnight off the rooftops. They were stunning and lasted over 15 mins, was still 23 degrees at midnight.

Steve and the boys had a fantastic time at the boxing day cricket, what a match. They were surrounded by Aussies and had some really good banter with them, we won the ashes the weather was really good to0 , so a day to remember for them all in all!

We have been around visiting friends, introducing them to the boys and having  drink or two. Sam & Tom went out with Maria’s son Mark last Wednesday to the local, it is student night and very popular. I woke at 2am to find them not home and realised they probably didn’t even know our address, so I sent them a text just as they walked in. They had found our house eventually and no, they didn’t know where we lived!!

We had a ride down to Philip Island, famous for the penguins rolling in to the beach at sunset. We sat there for 2 hours, along with a million other people, most of whom turned up at the last minute and sat in front of us, blocking our view Ggrrr…. It was absolutely freezing as the wind was blowing off the ocean and we saw all of 15 penguins. Most have wised up and come in along the side of the beach out of public view and sneak to their nests as there were hundreds of the little buggers when walking back to the car. We also went to a wildlife sanctuary where we stroked a koala and hand fed kangaroos, that was really good. There is a place called Rhyl on Philip Island, so we had to go there. Not a scouser in sight and very pretty, best fish & chips ever to!

Today we had a ride down the Mornington peninsula, met up with my cousin who is in Melbourne for a week, and went to a vineyard and had lunch, then went to the beach near Rye. It was much busier than when we were there last but we have to remember that it is the main summer holidays here, Ellie goes back at the end of Jan.

The house seems fine so far, and the garden gets the sun all day. We walk down to the beach every morning with the dog, but have to be off by 10.00, quite strict dog rules here. Xena has settled into her routine now, will be shocked when we go back to work. Steve has had 3 weeks off, back in on Mon. I have worked 2 days – both public holidays so double time! I have sent off my CV to a cancer centre today, think it’s time to start looking for something new.

New pics on Flickr