The Victorian Goldfields

Historic tram in Bendigo. When we went here, Anna and I looked at the shops, Andrew went on the tram and George and Grandad actually went down a goldmine....but this is the only picture we have!



George and Grandad having a chat at Sovereign Hill



Anna panning for gold at Sovereign Hill. There were actual bits of gold in there!



Eureka! I think we've found gold!



Main Street, Sovereign Hill



Anna learning about firing a musket at Sovereign Hill.



Gold smelting at Sovereign Hill, Ballarat. This was a really good place - an authentic replica of a Victorian Goldmining Town around 1850. We spent the day there learning about what life was like then, and about the Eureka Stockade, a very important part of Australian history.



I'm fairly certain that there is no better start to a day on holiday, than a cuddle in bed with your children



Anna really loves her granny



Dad enjoying a glass of wine while we bbq at the resort



She looks pretty good for 69 I reckon!



This cheeky kookaburra swooped down and stole some of George's meat from his plate while we were having a BBQ!



George exploring the bush



Anna and George seeing if they can push a boulder off the hill. It keeps them amused...



Mum and Dad and the children. I'm going to frame this one.



We went for a walk through an area of really old volcanic boulders which was near the resort. Andrew is stopping this one from falling on Anna's head. He is sooooo strong.



There were lots of kangaroos around our cabins at the bushland resort, and this one had a joey - you can see his head sticking out the pouch. Not very in focus I am afraid - the light was very low and I didn't have a tripod.



Daylesford Lake - we weren't sure how, but this lake was the only one we saw which seemed to be normal level. The autumn colours were lovely.

Hanging about the Northern Beaches - then the Blue Mountains!

Mum and Dad at the Flying Fox park at the end of our street



The proud granchildren



In the Blue Mountains the views are tremendous!



Aaaaggghhhh!!!



It's scary high up there!



Granny and Grandad enjoying the view on a walk from Wentworth Falls



View from walk between Echo Point and Scenic World



Katoomba Falls



The Three Sisters



George and Anna at Echo Point - it was chilly



On the Cable Car at Scenic World, Katoomba



Going backwards up the steepest incline railway in the world at Scenic World in Katoomba

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.....

Reflecting on a year gone by (Part 2)

Mum and Dad arrived on the 31st March, and on the way to the airport it occurred to me that it was exactly a year since we had left the UK, and therefore exactly a year since I had seen my mum. This was the longest period not to have seen her since the first time I visited Australia in 87/88.

But what a difference 20 years makes. Whereas on my previous visit, contact was sporadic and snail mail (unless I collected together enough money to phone), this time around we have been almost constantly in communication. I knew within minutes when there had been an earthquake in the UK, receiving both a text from my sister in law and an email from Mum. Something of note happens to the family, and we get an instant text. My nephew has a good day at school, and we receive all the photos. And I have seen mum showing me her new clothes on the webcam, and darting down the landing wrapped in a towel straight from the shower. We have seen our nieces and nephews on the webcam, shared all our news with both sets of parents, and kept in contact with our friends. Australia seems to have moved closer to home since 1988.

What of this last year though?

I think for me, it has been about learning some lessons. The most irritating one has been that it is indeed better for us as a family if Andrew and I are not both on some enormous career trajectory all the time. The best one has been learning that it's ok to be me - along with all my flaws. It seems I am the only person who ever thought I needed to be perfect. I've learnt that my children are resilient and that challenges can help them grow as people. I've learnt that throwing all your security up in the air and waiting to see how it lands can be scary, but can also deliver great rewards if you are willing to take the risk. And I've learnt that after 18 years, having an adventure with your partner can bring back a closeness you feared you had lost.

Some people might think that it takes a strong person to emigrate. But we had already learnt that we were stronger than we had ever suspected.

If someone had said to me two years ago, that I'd be sitting in my rumpus room on the Northern Beaches, having not worked for a year and enjoying it - I'd have said they were mad. I had a five to ten year plan for world domination, which did not include lounging about on the eastern coast of Australia. So my final lesson would be that John Lennon truly was a wise man when he said 'life is what happens when you are busy making plans'.....

Camping at Jervis Bay

The white sands of Chinaman's Beach



Dawn at Collingwood Beach



Don't worry - it's a dolphin!




Some of the children playing at Hole in the Wall Beach







Beach Babe!



Fitzroy Falls on the way to Jervis Bay



Andrew, Graham and Richard take part in the Krypton Factor!


We spent the Easter long weekend at Jervis Bay, camping with the Stevensons and the Leifers. Easter has a reputation here for being a bit wet and it didn't disappoint, but having said that, my dad sent me some pictures of the snow in the UK and we had to admit that although it drizzled a bit, it was never cold, and in fact on Easter Sunday it was boiling and we all got sunburnt.

The whole area of Jervis Bay is National Park, and when you get there you can see why - white sand beaches and the clearest, greenest water you've ever seen. Add to this dolphins, stingrays, lots of kangaroos, and good restaurants and coffee bars, and you have a near perfect destination for a holiday. The fact that it is only about 3 hours south of Sydney is also a big plus, although the route down there can be tortuous in terms of traffic jams. Not for us though - we avoided the coastal road for as long as possible, taking an inland route then cutting across Kangaroo Valley (which was really beautiful) and stopping at Fitzroy Falls on the way.



Joel at Hole in the Wall beach




George digging!

Highlight for me was definitely getting up at dawn with Nicky and Graham and going down to watch the sunrise over the beach whilst dolphins played in the surf. Seeing a huge (about 3 metres across) stingray in the water at Chinaman's Beach was slightly marred by the fact that all the children were in the water and not taking much notice of our frantic attempts to get them out.....the stingray actually passed within about a metre of them!

Camping is great fun, but very labour intensive, and as a result I am not sure I would want to do it without being in a group of families. With 6 adults to cook, wash up, put up and take down tents, and lots of children to keep each other amused, it's doable. Not sure whether it would be fun with just the 4 of us though....

Mum and Dad arrive tomorrow, and then it is go go go for a month. We have next weekend in the Blue Mountains, and then the following Friday we all fly to Melbourne to spend a week at a bush resort. Then Andrew and I will be staying on in the city for a couple of days while Mum and Dad and the children have 4 days back at Jervis Bay. School breaks up for Easter for 2 weeks on the 11th, and then it won't be that long before we are flying back to the UK for a bit of a holiday. The cricket season ended yesterday, with George's team, coached by Andrew, finishing 3rd on the table, and the netball season has just begun. I need a rest!!

Enjoy the photos!

Reflecting on a year gone by (Part 1)

Hello. Its the man of the house here. I know you haven't heard much from me lately, this blog mainly being the preserve of the more literate member of the household (hey I'm an engineer - she has a degree in English!) but I thought that with our one year in Oz anniversary rapidly approaching it was time for a bit of reflection on my part. I am anticipating that the more literate one will probably be reflecting on a similar theme, hence the 'Part 1' title.

I feel like I should be saying something really profound about the life changing decision that we made and the impact it has had on me so that people far and wide can learn from the experience but in reality it seems far simpler than that. I think the biggest impact has not been so much that we now live somewhere different or better but that by throwing all the balls up in the air it has prompted me to do a whole load of things that I would not otherwise have done (see below). I am by nature a conservative sort of person (decidedly small 'c' please note) and so tend towards inertia, whereas the other 'alf is only happy when things are changing, a product of our respective up-bringings no doubt. With so much change happening in such a short space of time however I have become rather accustomed to this new way of life. It reminds me of that old cliche about life not being about the number of breaths that you take but the number of times that your breath is taken away. I was once accused of being in danger of "having a life half-lived" which struck a chord, I think I have done enough to refute that one, at least for the time being!

It will be interesting to see how year 2 pans out, now that the novelty of all that Oz life offers has started to wear off. On the whole I am convinced that the lifestyle here makes a big difference, in particular the climate and all that goes with it in terms of outdoor lifestyle. We have been well aware of this despite it having been the wettest and coldest Sydney summer for decades.

So here is my list of 20 things that I have done in the last year that I would not have done had we not come to Australia:

1. Commute to work by ferry.
2. Commute to work by bus.
3. Not have a car.
4. Visit Seoul.
5. Spend an evening at Raffles in Singapore.
6. Watch dolphins playing in the surf.
7. Watch whales breaching in the Pacific.
8. Become a qualified cricket coach.
9. See Sachin Tendulkar score a century at the SCG.
10. Become a rugby league fan (go Manly!)
11. Join a gym and actually go to it regularly.
12. Take up camping.
13. Play tennis in the back garden.
14. Swim in the front garden.
15. Spend boxing day on the beach with my best man and his family.
16. Sign up to play over-35's soccer this season (middle aged limbs permitting).
17. Watch the cup final in the middle of the night.
18. Go to an orchestral concert at Sydney Opera House (and the ballet next week).
19. Catch fish, although not yet one big enough to eat.
20. Start a new job.

So I guess the lesson is that if you are feeling a bit of malaise in your life then the answer doesn't have to be as radical as giving up a perfectly good job, moving 11,000 miles and starting over (although it might be). Perhaps just come up with a list of 20 things you have always wanted to do (or even that you had never thought of doing) and go for it.

Barrenjoey Lighthouse

Walking up the beach on the Pittwater side of Barrenjoey Headland - we are off up to the lighthouse you can see up there



Anna taking a break halfway up


George and Anna have a pretty frenetic social life here, and as their taxi driver I do too. Most weekends are full of sport plus extra children sleeping on put-me-ups around the house. In many respects I love having a home where children are keen to visit and where their parents feel confident that they will be well looked after, but every now and again I would like to have the house to ourselves and not share the my children with their friends. In the last couple of weeks we have had Joel, Jack, Eben, Luke, Chloe and Georgie for sleepovers - all lovely kids, but lots of noise, mess, late nights and bedlinen!

As a result, this weekend was declared a sleepover free zone, and today a family only day. This plan was greeted with a decided lack of enthusiasm from George and Anna, but Andrew and I perservered - despite feeling like the world's worst parents when fighting off requests from all corners for various apparently enormously important social events!

Having been for a great walk with Sharon and Joel on Friday to the top of the Barrenjoey Headland (Joel should have been at school but, as 6 year olds are inclined to do, he had been suffering from a mysterious ailment in the morning, of which by lunch time he had been miraculously cured...), we thought it would be fun to do the walk again with the children, have a look around the lighthouse, and then retire to the beach.

We started the morning with a fun game I have invented called tidying up the house. I am the only person who is keen on this game, but Andrew and the children reluctantly joined in. It involves going methodically from room to room collecting all the things which belong to you, and then returning them to your room. I follow with a black sack getting everyone to pick up bits of rubbish. The final stage is to go to your room and tidy that up. Can't understand why everyone was so negative about it myself....and of course we wouldn't have to play the game IF EVERYONE PUT EVERYTHING BACK IN THE RIGHT PLACE IN THE FIRST PLACE. I know women across the world are nodding their heads in agreement...

Anyway - back to our lovely family day...

Barrenjoey Headland is the rocky outcrop at the end of the Palm Beach peninsula with Pittwater on one side and the ocean on the other. You will have seen it in the opening credits on Home and Away, if you ever watch it, because the programme is filmed there. It's 350 feet about sea level, and is therefore a pretty steep walk up steps hewn out of the rock to get there. Although it is tiring - especially in the heat - the view when you get to the top is plenty rewarding enough to make it worthwhile. You can see all the way up the central coast in one direction, and in the other you can make out Centrepoint Tower in Sydney city centre. We went on the tour of the lighthouse and found out that the tower and the buildings had been built by convicts, who had dragged great chunks of sandstone up there for the construction. Given that it was tough carrying nothing but a water bottle, I reckon that was quite an achievement!



George has spotted a big lizard. We are told there are (highly venomous) brown snakes up there too!




At the top, looking over to the beautiful beaches of the Central Coast

After that, we retired to 'Carmel's Cafe' on the jetty on Pittwater - where the seaplanes set off from - for refreshments and then went over to the beach on the ocean side to cool off. Andrew and the children went in with their bodyboards and I watched anxiously from the edge of the water. I still find it difficult to relax when George and Anna are in the water, even when Andrew is there. The more I see 'Bondi Rescue' on the tv, the more I realise how treacherous the sea really is, although I accept that George and Anna rarely go in above their waists and always between the flags and are really not ever in any danger. In the end, I decided that the best thing was to take myself back to our stuff and read my magazine, on the grounds that what the eyes don't see, the heart doesn't grieve over...

Despite the dodgy start, and the initial muted commitment to the idea, family day was announced a success, and it was agreed that it should happen at least once a month. Disappointingly, no one wanted to make the tidying up game a regular thing. Funny that.

You will all be pleased to know that for the last couple of weeks, the weather has been glorious - consistently hovering around 30 degrees, and without a cloud in the sky. We are keeping our fingers crossed for the bank holiday weekend when we are going camping....perhaps you could cross yours for us too!



Taken from the top of the lighthouse, looking along the Barrenjoey Headland back towards Palm Beach, with the ocean on the left and Pittwater on the right. You can see the jetty where the seaplanes go from, and where we had our refreshments