Marshs Down Under

Tom has arrived safely in Aus, he found it a slightly better journey second time around. He landed at 07.30 and managed to stay awake until 7.30 pm before falling asleep, but he’s into Australian time now. The weather has remained nice, blue skies and 26 degrees. We walked along the beach to the next village of Mordialloc, they had a food, wine and music festival on over the weekend which was very relaxing. We sat in the sun (burning as I found out later!), listening to swing sipping strawberry champagne, whilst Tom and Ellie tucked into sampling the Indian food. It turns out that they have a restaurant 5 mins away, they advertise as making Birmingham and Bradford inspired food, and the owner had just got back from Rusholme in Manchester! We are off to there tonight to try properly.

Tom hasn’t had much luck on the job front, he has applied for a few jobs but not much luck as he’s only here for 5 weeks now.He has a project from uni to complete though, and Chris has given him a free gym pass for the duration of his visit so he’s keeping busy. We are hoping to go away for a long weekend from 14th April, maybe Great Ocean road or Gold Coast.

Steve & I went on the wine tour of the Yarra Valley with other couples on Sunday. We left home at 9.00am and got home 9pm, it was a long day but beautiful scenery and a lovely sunny day, will put some pics on Flickr. It was really nice to see some greenery and hills, reminded me of the area around our lodge in the lakes, but made us feel a little homesick though. I really could not have forced another sip of wine through my lips by the time we reached our last vinyard! The owners of this were great and gave us a tour, along with olives, cheeses and friuts, and explained that the wine industry has really suffered this year because of the damp weather, a lot of crops have been wiped out with mildew. 2 years previous they were all burned with the severe fires!  Of course we felt sorry for them and bought lots of wine as it was only a small concern.

Ellie had a great time on camp, climbing huge trees then abseiling down, surfing, scubadiving and horse-riding along the beach.They met up with a group of Japanese exchange students and their teachers, it turned out that they were from the area that got wiped out with the tsunami and some girls had lost their whole families. Ellie’s English teacher was looking at fostering one of the girls, very sad.

Steve is going through a quiet time at work, but the guys say this is normal for this time of year, its end of financial year so not much business gets done. Should pick up after that though. One of his work colleagues is an official marshall at the grandprix which has just started, and so has given Steve & Tom his complimentary access all areas tickets for this Sunday, so that’s where they’re off to ( sorry Sam!). The sports season has just started so it’s Aussie rules football and rugby every day now, woohoo…. not!

It is definatley getting more Autumnal here now, the leaves are starting to change colour slightly now,and the clocks go back on 2nd April. I suppose the weather is not bad for the time of year, as it is equivalent to the end of October here. I have got used to the sunshine and warm days, it was only 22 degrees today and I had my work coat on!

I am detaching myself from nursing in the UK a little more. I have wrote to the NMC and told them to cancel my registration with them, no point paying 80 pounds per year if I am not even there, so I cant work as a nurse in UK anymore – until I re-register that is! I hear there are lots of changes happening in the NHS though, so I may decide just to work at M&S if we come back!

The tenants in our house have asked if they can sign to stay for a further 6 months, and re-decorate the bedroom. So we have to decide if we want that or whether to re advertise for a new tenant for 12 months or so. If the current tenants leave, November is not a good time to be re-advertising, most people want to be in for the new school year, decisions decisions…..

Sam also has to leave his flat in Reading as the landlord is moving back in, so he is flat hunting again.

NEW PICS ON FLICKR

Well the weather is becoming Autumnal now, colder in the mornings and the sun is setting at 8pm now, the Aussies are all gutted that they have not had a decent summer and now it’s Autumn – welcome to the UK summer!! It has officially been the wettest summer EVER on record – Hhmm, never mind El Nina I think it’s El Marsho!! Steve spent 3 weeks in New Zealand then they had a severe earthquake – there is a link somewhere! A lot of the girls at work have family and friends over there and this has been the final straw, a lot are looking to leave New Zealand now.

We have just a fantastic weather for the past 3 days, 25 – 28 degrees and clear blue skies, absolutely lovely. On Saturday we took a ferry from the city along the Yarra river to a place called Williamstown, the place where the first settlers landed in 1853 (really not much history here!), but a lovely place with fantastic views of Melbourne from across the river, we had a great day there.

We have bought Ellie a bicycle as she is going on a Duke of Edinburgh weekend on April 2nd for her silver award, which includes a 2 day cycle ride, so thought she had better get some practice. We have just got in from a lovely bike ride, along the beach path with the sun shimmering over the sea, and up to Mordialloc, around the pier and country park which is a bit like Pennington flash and back home. It has been a long time since we have been on a bike ride and could do with some padded shorts!!

I enjoyed my sailing day on Sunday, the weather was pretty grey and drizzly but fun never the less. Cathy (the doctor owner of the practice) has made us a lovely lunch with wine, didn’t mix well with the kwells though so only had a sip! Didn’t feel sea sick though!! As I hadn’t sailed before and didn’t know how to do the sails etc I was used a ballast – cheek! I had to keep moving to different sided of the yacht depending on which side was leaning, to counterbalance it. We were out for a couple of hours and I had a go at steering even, then went back to the yacht club and changed – it is VERY posh, and met the husbands, had drinks and nibbles paid for by Cathy whilst listening to the jazz band playing! A very enjoyable day.

I have just taken delivery of my NEXT order. I discovered that next will deliver to Aus, any amount for only 7 pounds delivery, so Jane came over and we ordered a few things each, as she is from Liverpool and also misses next at Gemini! A lot of the companies deliver to here, M& S and Debenham’s, but the returns may be an issue so you just have to order things you know will be OK. The clothes here are not bad, not into fashion so much as the UK, and they can be expensive.

Ellie seems to be settling into her new school well, she has a camp on 14th March for a week, they are doing horse riding (can you imagine!), scuba, surfing and lots of other activities, then Duke of Edinburgh camp day after her birthday. She is also becoming involved with the debating society and has started venture scouts on a Wednesday evening.

My work at the practice is going well, it is interesting and varied, like a mini A&E some days. Last week we had a chest pain, acute asthmatic child, bleeding pregnancy and trauma injuries needing suturing, oh and a bead up a child’s nose! It is so different from UK, you would be sent to casualty straight away, we also do a lot of minor surgical procedures, I was cutting for a doctor doing sutures the other day.They do look after their staff here, I had a neck, back  shoulder massage for 30 mins on Tuesday by a masseur they pay for once a month, then sent for lunch afterward’s.  The district nursing is good money but a bit boring, all aged care. I have said I will do every Thur & Fri through March for them, and Tue & wed at the practice, so am a very busy girl! I need to work to pay for all the flights etc I am booking. Tom flies out next Sat and we have booked Sam & Toms flight for next Christmas- we need to explore Australia whilst we are here, there is so much to see. We have found a lovely old lady to look after Xena whilst we are away. Her name is Val and she only lives around the corner. Maria used to use her to mind her dog when she came to Aus, she had moved house but we did some investigative work and tracked her down. She doesn’t dog mind  a lot now as she is getting on but she loved Xena and said she was the image of her Labrador that passed away last year, so she has agreed to mind her when we go away. She has  a lovely little garden and said the dogs sleep in the corner in her bedroom,  she lives across from the beach where she takes them every day, I think Xena wont want to come home!!

The agent is going to our house in UK to do her 3 month inspection and to discuss with the tenants whether they want to extend their stay in the house, if not they will advertise soon. They have been there 10 months now, and it was 12 months ago since we found out we were definatley moving to Australia, we were in Tenerife for the half term hols with my parents when Steve got the phone call, what a journey we have been on since then. Wanted down-under was on TV last night, a couple that were moving to Melbourne, so funny listening to their expectations and watching their reaction when they arrived here, and expecting that they can pick up a big house for next to nothing when in reality Melbourne has the most overpriced property in the world! It has been voted second best place to live in the world though and it really is a fantastic place to live – just so bloody pricey- Oh, and the weather is VERY changeable!

Finally got time to sit down and update the blog, been a busy few weeks. I am really enjoying my job so far, I have worked four days a week for the past 2 weeks but it has been good and I have learned a lot. It is so different to general practice in the UK, the nurses are very hands on doing dressings, injections and dealing with any walk in emergencies. We had a middle aged lady come in collapsed on the car park, nasty cuts to her head, I thought she had collapsed with a stroke as she couldn’t stand properly and speech was slurred – until I found a half empty bottle of vodka in her bag! When we wouldn’t let her smoke she was really verbally abusive, calling us Nazi fascist, same idiots – different country!! It’s also strange billing patients, they pay for the doctors visit, and the nurses time, $20 per visit plus any dressings used. They can claim some back of medicare but not all, could you imagine that in the UK! The Aussies cant believe all health care is free in UK, they are amazed. I am booked on a couple of courses already and get paid for any meetings we attend, as well as getting a meal provided. The girls are all really nice and we have a couple of social events planned, it is this Sunday that we are going sailing, though they have brought the time forward as the weather is forecast is ‘a bit choppy!’ I was going to cancel as I get so travel sick but I have been told that is not the Aussie attitude, you have to ‘give it a go’. So I will, but if I am ill they can’t say I didn’t warn them! I haven’t worked for district nurses for two weeks, but did  yesterday. Really felt like I didn’t want to be there, but it is good money, so I will do one or 2 shifts per week, it pays for our holidays!

Steve has been in New Zealand for the last two weeks, coming home at the weekend, but he has finally finished there now, he has gone to the first rugby union match of the Melbourne rebels tonight with some guys from work. He has no desire to move to New Zealand (at least Wellington anyway), it is a cooler climate than here, we are definatley acclimatised now, if it drops to 21 deg or so we are putting our jumpers on. The Autumn fashions are in the stores now and the sun is setting a little earlier now, wouldn’t it be nice to do summer in Aus then come home to do summer  the UK!

Ellie has settled into school, she is doing before school swimming at 7am on Mondays, they have a heated outdoor pool which is like getting into a warm bath, and swimming at the local pool twice per week, she is also going on school camp in March where they will horse ride, scuba dive and surf and the Duke of Edinburgh camp in April. Just got back from the mall, Ellie needed a mask as she has a masquerade party on Sunday, babysitting Saturday evening, she has not heard anything from the jobs she has applied for yet but fingers crossed. They can apply for a job 3 months before their 15th Birthday, the kids start to learn to drive here from 16, but have to do 120 hours of driving practice before they can take their test, so a lot of her friends are applying for their learner permits now.

We have booked more flights, off up to the tropical north of Queensland for 6 days end Oct, mum & dad will be here so will do the Great Barrier reef and Daintree tropical rain forest which is supposed to be magical, apparently there are crocodiles though (mum – don’t mention this to dad!!), and the gorgeous beaches. We can actually hold a koala in Queensland instead of standing next to one and not touching here in Victoria. We are already looking at booking Sam & Toms flights over for next Christmas, they have just been released, the time is just passing so fast, we will have been here 10 months on 4th March!  Tom will be arriving here in Melbourne on 13th March for 6 weeks, not long now.I mention to everyone I meet that he is looking for casual work, so far Harry the hirer is an option, he employs students, backpackers etc to put up marquees at events, good money tho!! Either that or temp agency work, or McDonalds!!

I am finally going to watch Michael Buble next Friday, seems so long ago that I booked the tickets, back in out little unit in Sandringham 5 weeks into our Australian adventure! Maria & I are going out for dinner then on to the concert, should be a good evening, then off to watch Lionel Ritchie end March with Maria and Stuart. We have tickets to go to a wine tour in the Yarra valley with two other couples, prob book a date in March, pick up in the city so we can catch the train in so wont have to spit out the wine!!

Well, it’s 5am and I have hardly slept. Cyclone Yasi’s effects  have finally made it’s way down to Melbourne and it has not stopped raining since 4pm yesterday. The temperature was 30 degrees and about 95% humidity, very tropical weather from Queensland, then the black clouds rolled over, one hell of a storm which tripped the power in the house, and it has not stopped since! My garage was about 2 inch underwater last night, god knows what it’s like now – we may have a swimming pool! It has thundered and absolutely poured down all night, water was dripping through the spotlight in the ceiling in the laundry room, god knows what it must have felt like when it was a category 5 in Cairns!!

To top it all, Steve is stuck in Sydney now. They were supposed to land back from New Zealand just for the weekend before returning on Sunday morning, the flight on Fri kept getting delayed before they finally left 5 hours late, but the captain decided the weather in Melbourne was too bad to land so diverted to Sydney! So impressed as you can imagine, so he & Stu had to stay overnight, and were booked on a 6am flight to Melbourne this morning. I have just checked the departure’s at Sydney and it hasn’t even boarded so I don’t think that’s leaving either! Looks like they will be spending a day in Sydney then going back to New Zealand from there then!

My first week at my job went well, quite varied and interesting and the people are lovely. The senior doctor has invited the nurses on to her yacht at the royal yacht club in April, the for BBQ back at her home, how nice is that!

Well, the temperature has soared today to 40 degrees, there is only one thing you can do on a day like this – hit the beach! Armed with beach shelter, Esky (cooler box), and lots of suntan cream we have just spent 4 hours on the beach, but it so warm even the wind is hot. I even swam in the sea to cool down, that’s a drastic step for me!! The poor dog can’t understand why we won’t let her out, she would just go and lay in the sun, then start to cook. The weather man said a cool change will come in this evening, temperatures back to late 20’s -30 next few days. I have learned now not to open the windows and doors on days like this, it is a British thing and the Aussies say we all do it when we first  arrive but soon learn, it’s like someone standing outside your window with a hairdryer on maximum heat blowing inside! Thank goodness for air conditioner’s.

Steve is going to cooler climates for the next week or so. He is going to New Zealand tomorrow, they are working on a big contract over there. Its a 3.5 hour flight from here, didn’t know it was so far. I start my new job on Tuesday and Ellie starts school so we should be kept busy. Ellie is also resuming her swimming, she is having a term of lessons twice a week to regain her technique then will go into the squad for fitness training. The pool is a huge international pool just around the corner so she can walk it easily.

Tom is joining us again in 7 weeks. He arrives on March 13th for 6 weeks as the university is closed and rather than sleeping on peoples floors etc it is better that he comes here. He is hoping he can find some casual work whilst he is here to earn some cash, there does seem to be quite a lot of jobs around but not sure if anyone will employ him for just 6 weeks, we’ll have to work on that! It was Tom’s birthday yesterday, no longer a teenager – Happy Birthday Tom!! They are going back up north in Feb for the Wigan rugby world cup challenge, 28th Feb I think, so you may see them around.

Well the weather continues to be lovely, but the variability never ceases to amaze me, I would say that’s its more changeable than the UK, but the Melbournian’s do say you can get four seasons in one day, always carry an umbrella! It can be 26 deg one day, followed by 35 the next then 16 deg the next – so strange. At least if you wake up and it’s raining you know it will be sunny by lunch time, you don’t seem to get the days of grey skies and rain setting in here. We spent yesterday on the beach (the one where dogs are allowed in the day), lovely and sunny, swimming in the sea and picnicking, hardly anyone around as there are so many beaches the people spread themselves around. Went around to my new bosses house yesterday for a get together and leaving do for the girl that is going on maternity leave. Yes I have a new job but it is not the cancer hospital one, it is strange how fate intervenes sometimes. I got a call from the practice at Brighton again, they have  a permanent position of 2 shifts a week, 10 – 5  Tue and 12 – 7  Wed, so I decided to take it to try. I will do shifts for district nurses once or twice per week also, need to build our savings up again so we can go and explore different parts of Aus. All the girls seem really nice at the practice, and it turns out that 5 of the nurses live in here Parkdale, including the boss – 5 doors away! I think that will work really well from a social aspect, as you don’t get to chat or meet other people in the other job as you are out on your own all day. They are also filling me in on the area, good places to go with the dog, restaurants etc, and all the gossip!

The big clean up continues in Queensland, 3/4 of the state has been declared a disaster zone, thats the size of France, Germany and nearly all of Spain together! The TV coverage has been really upsetting with the presenters in tears (and me). The most emotional aspect is the sheer number of volunteers that have turned up from all over Australia, the army have been drafted in and are managing the rescue effort, strangers are coming together and ripping the houses back to the timber frames, power washing the mud away, and the old people that cant physically help are baking and taking drinks and food to all the volunteers – so sad. There are loads of fund raising events going on, even the tennis are donating proceeds. The people have been overwhelmed by Australia’s response to them and the premier has been in tears on TV describing it as a ‘war effort’. Hopefully they will be back to normal in 6 months or so. The floods in Victoria have been in the north of the country, so quite a way away, we are South/East Melbourne. The government are talking about introducing a tax levy in order to rebuild Queensland.

Look out for Oprah Winfrey’s TV program when she visited Aus, its really interesting and shows Australia at it’s best. Was filmed just before Christmas and has just been aired here, bit tacky but interesting! The TV are just discussing the latest research showing Melbourne is the 4th most expensive place to buy a house in the world! This is so true and will be the deciding factor in whether we stay here or not. For a 3 bed home (timber not brick) on a small plot of land you are talking $700,000. (approx 500,00 pounds!)  So not worth it, but it is the land that costs. The exchange rate is the worst it has been in over 25 years, but we have 3 years before we need to decide so we will watch the market. I hear houses are not selling in the UK either though.

Xena is better now, the lab in Brisbane lost he samples so they had to be re-done. They have come back clear now, she has had 2 weeks of antibiotics in the meantime, so hopefully the problem is now resolved.

Ellie is preparing to go back to school after her summer hols next Tuesday, she has a 10 min walk to school along the beach, the nicest walk to school I have ever seen.

I may look at ways of making this blog more secure, It makes me feel a bit sick some of the weirdos that are able to read it as it is public, and some of the comments are soooo strange, this is the latest one –

Hi there, I found your blog by way of Google even though looking for initial aid to get a heart attack and your post
looks pretty interesting for me.’   WTF….

I really don’t know whats going on with the weather here in Australia. The floods that Queensland are experiencing are horrendous and still going on, and now Brisbane and the sunshine coast are under water. This area is a popular holiday destination and it is the main holiday season, but Brisbane city houses all the offices etc in the central business district, the Melbourne office got a memo stating the office was being evacuated as the river was about to burst it’s banks. They haven’t experienced anything like this since 1974, but these floods are going to be a lot worse, some rivers are going to peak at 20 metres – that’s over 60 foot!! You have to see it to believe it. Apparently this weather is making its way down to Melbourne, lots of rain predicted for the next few days, still very warm though, 27 degrees. To put the distance into perspective though, Queeensland is a 4 hour flight from Melbourne. I really hope all this rain stops soon, what is the next biblical disaster to happen , we’ve had fire,drought, locust, floods – bring it on……….. The Queensland premier has just been on TV in tears saying ‘this may be breaking our hearts, but will not break our spirit,’ so sad to see, lots of people missing and 10 dead so far, they reckon it will be much higher.

I’m sure  the boys are glad they went home when they did, it’s been a miserable week so far. The guys at work keep telling Steve they cannot remember the last time the weather was like this. I’m sure the Australian government will cotton on soon and request the Marsh family to leave Australia and take all the s**t back to the UK with us!!   The house is so quiet without the boys, they were here a month and we got used to them being here, all the same very sad emotions associated with leaving the first time are experienced all over again. Still, they have lives to live and studies to undertake, life goes on.

Xena has been unwell, went to the vets who did some tests, but we can’t get the results because the laboratory is in Brisbane and has been evacuated!! She seems better anyway, has been on antibiotics.

Steve is back to work now after his 3 weeks off, so good not having to get up and drive him to the train station. I am also back at work, doing 3 days a week, I have an interview at a cancer centre/hospice  next Fri morning ( 10 days time), I need a more interesting and rewarding job – will let you know how it goes!

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

We are finally in our new house! The move went well, we moved most of the smaller items ourselves and got a removal firm in that charges by the hour to move the heavy stuff, it worked out much cheaper that way. The two guys were huge and picked up the washing machine and other big items single handed, one was a Maori though.  Ste, Sam & Tom helped to load up the van also to make it quicker, they all worked so hard and were absolutely exhausted by the end of the day, we couldn’t have done it without the boys. I have just been doing the last of the unpacking whilst they are all at the cricket, by all accounts England are kicking the Aussies asses!! They should have a great day, particularly as they found out they are in the same area as the barmy army. We walked past the barmy armies headquarters in Sydney – the Paragon hotel, it had lots of banners outside announcing they were there.

The house seems great (fingers crossed), it has a ‘retreat’ area upstairs (big landing) with a balcony and lovely sea views, so I have put sofas up there, it also has a beer fridge and other bits so we need never leave the retreat! The open plan family area downstairs is really nice and Xena is loving the garden, so we will hopefully finally settle and start enjoying Australia. We have cable TV, a phone and broadband – feels like we’re in heaven! I cleaned the old house reluctantly, I was going to leave it in the same state we received it in, but didn’t want problems getting the bond back so did the right thing. Our new agent is really encouraging us to go back to VCAT as he has not made any effort, or even been in touch at all in fact, to correct any of the outstanding problems and we have had to continue living in a faulty house. I may just do that.

Sydney was fantastic, and so was the weather. We went to Bondi beach, then walked the coastal path and came across some lovely beaches. We also walked to the harbour and saw Sydney harbour bridge and the opera house up close, we had seen it from the ferry the previous day. We saw the royal botanical gardens and walked through Hyde park, saw the lovely Anzac war memorial, and of course shopping. I will put some pics on Flickr. We have booked to go and watch Hairspray the musical in the city on New Years eve, then we can watch the fireworks at midnight, they are saying they will be better than Sydney’s this year!

We decided to have a traditional Christmas dinner – BBQ! Partly due to the lack of time available to shop for Christmas fayre as we got home at 23.00 on Wed night and was up at 6.00am Thur morning packing, and partly because the boys are not that thrilled with Christmas dinner. It is strange not seeing sprouts (don’t think they even have them here), parsnips are out of season and I don’t think they do stuffing either. Most Aussies BBQ, and eat seafood, especially lobster for dinner. We had a lovely celebration, anti pasta to start, then veal, chicken, burgers and sausage of course. I did do some crispy roast potatoes though as a token gesture! Some nice beer and wine then chatting with our family’s when they had all woken up. Not right though, celebrating Christmas in the sunshine!!

The good thing is that the supermarkets just don’t get crazily busy, I went shopping for food on Christmas eve with dread, only to find the place quieter than normal. The mall also was just like a normal Saturday, it just isn’t  celebrated as intensely over here., but boxing day is a big thing, the mall was packed out. Ellie  and I did one hour and left, the Aussies must love their bargains and so do I, but not that much….

We arrived in Sydney at lunchtime today, so strange flying for only one hour, we started our descent shortly after we reached altitude! The weather has been lovely, 27 deg and sunshine, the apartment is absolutely fantastic. We are on the 71st floor of Sydney’s tallest building and the views are amazing, just sat here watching the sunset over Darling harbour. We have been on the ferry to Manly this afternoon, got fantastic view of the harbour bridge and the opera house, it really is stunning to see.  We are here for 3 more days so will fit in lots more sights hopefully. Tuesday is forecast to be the hottest day so we may visit Bondi beach, the tan is coming on nicely!

The weather in Melbourne continues to be changeable, some lovely sunshine followed by a downpour, only 19 deg today so was glad to be leaving it behind! We have shown the boys the city and been to the beach on a couple of days, they have been in the sea with the dog.

I have been packing and transporting some boxes over to the new house, so hopefully when we get back, (midnight Wed), we wont have a full day on Thursday. Ellie and I went to the new house waiting for Telstra (BT) to arrive, so we put the Christmas tree up – no furniture at all just a tree!

Hope you are all coping with the weather, its been making the news over here. We just googled the weather for Cumbria -18 deg, 8 inches of snow in Oxford and Heathrow closed, at least it looks like the pictures on the christmas cards!

Anyway, off out to eat now, and maybe carols around the tree later.