Spending time with the parents

Mum and Dad are nearly at the end of their time here, and what a time we have had. Much to everyone's surprise, thus far, and with only 3 full days to go, there has not yet been any sort of family showdown. I put this down to my being super mature these days (after all - I am nearly 40!). All this despite the fact that it turns out that I don't use my washing machine and tumble dryer correctly (amongst other things I suspect). The reassuring thing about all this is that on a straw poll of other expat women I have asked, it turns out that most of them - in the view of their visiting mothers - have various shortcomings on the domestic front. All is well with the world then...

We have done so much while mum and dad have been here, that I think the best thing is to precis it here then to do some separate photo only (with captions when I can think of something witty and informative to write) entries relating to the various trips.

So - first things first. The first week we spent hanging around the northern beaches, showing mum where we had chosen to live - the beach, Pittwater, the village, the shops and the school. All met with enthusiasm - it's good to know that mum now knows where we are and also totally understands why we love it. They came and watched George play basketball - and he won man of the match! His play has improved enormously, and he is proving to be a valuable member of the team this year. Granny and Grandad also got to see Anna play a netball match, which Anna was very pleased about, as Grandad had not been able to see her play when he visited last year.

The Thursday after mum and dad arrived, we had a visit for a couple of nights from friend Steve and his son Owen, who were doing a bit of male bonding Down Under. Steve is one of our oldest friends from the New Forest, and we've known Owen since he was a toddler, so it was great to see them. Mum and Dad spent an evening with the children while we had a great chat at a local restaurant, and the next evening Andrew and I met up with them again at Circular Quay for supper. We were going to the Opera House to see Swan Lake (very good) so it was a quick one, but pleasurable all the same.

Then the next morning we were all up early to drive off to the Blue Mountains for the weekend. None of us had been there before, so it was good to discover it together, and we will certainly be returning. You will see from the photos that the scenery is spectacular, and the walks take you from one breathtaking panorama to another. It would take a life time to do all the walks, but we'll give it a go (if our hearts can take it - some of the inclines were cardiac arrest inducing!). It was cold there, but sunny - much crisper than in Sydney. It was nice to get away from the humidity.

The next week still being a school one, mum and dad did the city thing, whilst I tried to keep the home fires burning and get us ready for the next trip! They thoroughly enjoyed the guided tour round the Opera House, the Botanic Gardens (and the fruit bats) and Darling Harbour. Their especial favourite was the Queen Victoria Building, which I haven't been to since I was out here before - I really must get over there (if only because not only is it a beautiful Victorian building, but it also houses some of the best shopping opportunities in Australia.....not that I think dad noticed...).

Then Friday I was sneaking the kids out of school early and we flew off to Melbourne, for a week on the Victorian Goldfields. And what a lovely place this was. Once again, in the photos you will see how attractive the scenery was, and how much it differs from the terrain we are used to in Sydney. This is a very historic area, born of the Australian goldrush in the 1850s, and much of the architecture reflects its former affluence. Lots of Gothic Victorian buildings, beautiful Botanic Gardens, and, for the first time since we have been in Australia - some autumn colours. These come from imported deciduous trees, as all the natives are evergreens. The browns, reds and yellows, along with the chillier weather reminded us of England a little, if it weren't for the fact that it was so dry. It is much easier to have sympathy for the 10 year drought in Victoria, where they are still really suffering. Whereas in Sydney it has been raining - well forever this year - it is so dry in this area they are on Stage 5 drought measures (this is bad). The fields are all brown, not a patch of green, and river walks revealed dry river beds, and empty lakes. A walk to see a waterfall became a waste of time. While we were there, there was no rain, and everyday was clear and sunny. Let's hope it breaks for them soon.

At end of the week, Mum and Dad flew back to Sydney with the children, to take them on a trip to Jervis Bay. They get back tomorrow, and from the inordinate number of text messages I have received from them, they seem to have had an excellent time (inspite of a couple of messages from Anna informing me that 'Grandad is being mean', which I have ignored...). Whilst the children have been having fun by the sea, Andrew and I stayed on and did the city thing in Melbourne. Melbourne is an attractive city, but not blessed with the sort of natural wonders of Sydney. However, having said that, we had a very interesting time admiring the many very well preserved examples of Victorian architecture (they are much more keen on holding on to these buildings than we have been in the UK - but you have to remember that these number amongst some of the oldest buildings in the nation....), wandering about in the sun, and partaking of some of their fabulous restaurants. It struck me that Melbourne is a more mature city than Sydney - in that it is for more grown up people. Sydney is all about the beach, having fun, splashing about in the water, relaxing and enjoying life. Melbourne seems more serious - about culture, the theatre, restaurants and museums. Perhaps this is why I preferred Sydney....we did however, immensely enjoy the Immigration Museum, which was all about the various stories of different people and groups who have made Australia their home. Although it is rather odd to actually be an 'immigrant'. Not in a Daily Mail sense I hope....

So that's it. Mum and Dad and the children get back tomorrow. We will have another couple of days in the city and then it will be goodbye until we see them again in July. It's not actually that long is it? Then they are back here for 2 weeks in Feb. I think we are seeing them more than we did when we lived in the UK.

Is there anywhere further away than Australia? Only kidding.....