VIC/NSW/ACT Holiday Travelogue...

Pod of Dolphins on Day 2 Lakes Entrance Cruise. There were at least 20 out there fishing and frolicking with some jumping high out of the water. I got you, you got me and by the sea we're as happy as can be.
The Peacock from Hell at the so-called 'Comfort Inn' Lincoln Downs in Batemans Bay. He gave new meaning to being 'at it' all night long...

Cool Cubism at Canberra's New Parliament House, opened 9 May 1988 (the day after my 18th birthday).
Hello peeps!

Just came back from a fab holiday along the South East coast of Oz. We set off on 2nd November, which happened to coincide with the biggest event in Melbourne's social calendar - The Melbourne Cup (that's horse racing folks, not a drinking festival) and so instead of donning feathers and fascinators in our caps and heading to the rain soaked Flemington Race Course, we headed in completely the opposite direction ...East... to Lakes Entrance where the Lakes meet the sea. Gorgeous spot and we were spoiled with our own cabin overlooking the North Arm lake complete with corner spa bath - luxury!

En route we saw a kangaroo (bouncing right in front of the car as I drove - yowza!), a magnificent Wedge-tailed Eagle, an Echidna, and then finally as we arrived at our cabin, a Wombat! happily munching by the kerbside as we drove past - unbelievable! It was more like a wildlife safari drive than the usual escape from the metropolis.

Anyhoo, we spent 2 nights in LE and went on a cruise upon which we saw a huge pod of playful dolphins and a 'mob' of roos on an embankment as we sailed past. Magic. We did the Cunningham Arm walk lakeside which reaches 'The Entrance' to the sea, then returned via the beach.

Then 3hrs drive further up the coast to Eden/Bega/Merimbula and on to Batemans Bay for 2 nights, where the wildlife was in fact a resident peacock midst mating season and therefore doing a merry dance and making a merry noise all through both nights! Must find a recipe for peacock pie.

Then we went directly inland via Braidwood to Canberra upon which Alex managed to find himself in the midst of a man-on-man scuffle in a bookshop of all places! and had to provide police with what little he could recall of the event as he heard but did not see what unfolded. Strange things do happen in small towns. Alas, we finally arrived in Canberra and had a fab 2 nights' stay seeing heaps - new Parliament house, The Black Tower lookout, Red Hill Lookout, the Anzac Parade Memorial complete with Scottish piper at closing time, the National Museum, and the National Art Gallery! Not to mention former Prime Minister, Paul Keating's favourite CD&DVD shop 'Abels' where we both spent a few bob. Had breakfast in Manuka - the posh spot to 'be seen' as it were, and even managed.... wait for it.... a bicycle ride around Lake Burley Griffin! OMG! Neither of us have ridden in decades so that was an experience.

Then drove on through wicked rain storm to Kangaroo Valley, where we saw absolutely NO kangaroos! and on to Jervis Bay where we stayed in a B&B owned by a Geordie (South Shields) and occupied only by another pom, from York! Then headed back down the coast taking in the stunning coastal scenery, passing many rivers, creeks and basically having the road to ourselves as we swept past national park after national park. It was a lovely trip. Thanks for reading and check out the pics! Juz xx

We're back!

We've been inundated with a complaint that we haven't updated the blog - guilty as charged!

So our news here is that I will start work here next Monday, and that J's dad Steve has arrived for a 3 week visit - he will head to Queensland later to visit friends up there.

Other events are the Melbourne hailstorm last week which led to the city being flooded - not here, luckily, though our house was lashed with hailstones the size of golfballs which shredded most of the trees.

The weather here is still good, mid 20s this week.

A Christmas message to our family and friends

We are having breakfast on a sunny Sunday morning. Mine is Vegemite on toast (an Aussie favourite) whilst Alex is sticking with his St Dalfour black cherry jam. If what you have for breakfast gives you a clue as to what sort of person you are, well that's just got to be it!

Our new little Christmas tree is sitting proudly in our sitting room. It's about 11.30am and it's gorgeously sunny outside. The trees are dappled with mid morning sunlight and the only sound to be heard is our refrigerator's hum. Alex is reading the 'Travel' section of The Australian - his new favourite newspaper after giving The Melbourne Age (our local broadsheet) the thumbs down for being too parochial. Why he's reading 'Travel' I do not know as the only travel we can afford at the moment is to our mailbox and back.

This is a typical morning for us. Alex is already up and about, having showered, dressed and on the computer 'facebooking' friends. Meanwhile I am still in my pyjamas, unshowered and hair resembling Dame Edna Everidge's before a much needed coiffure, though thankfully not blue rinsed.. yet.

We are both astonished that we've been here 3 months almost exactly. That's a quarter of a year, a whole season in fact! Where did the time go. We are equally astonished that Christmas is just 20 days away and yet there isn't a frosty snowman to be seen. The only thing we keep frosted these days are the ice cubes from our freezer's automatic ice cube dispenser - a must in Australia.

Our plans for Christmas are quite simple. Christmas Eve Eve (that's the 23rd) will be spent at a big Christmas Carol concert rehearsal somewhere in town; the main event being too crowded for any real enjoyment. My brother Jonathan arrives that night as well from Adelaide. It's been a quarter of a century (yikes!) since we spent a Christmas together so long overdue. He'll stay with us for a few days after making an 11 hour drive from Adelaide to be here in his little motor that's already clocked up 250,000 kilometres! If it makes this trip here and back, that car will deserve a medal.

We then spend Christmas Eve with my friend Nicky, her 4 year old son James (who is tall enough to pass as a 6 year old) and her mum Leslie. There will be another of Nicky's friends there with her three young boys so it will be a hectic day I'm sure. We are in charge of desserts and Alex is tasked with trifle. I've bought a Christmas cake (couldn't face baking in 30 degree heat), and I'll make some rum balls for after afters - you know, that time on Christmas Day when you really can't face any more food but that tiny little rum ball sure looks good enough to eat, so you do.

Nicky is bravely cooking for all of us and is doing a traditional dinner on Christmas Eve. She's already made a trip to the Rutherglen Vineyards north of Melbourne for all the wine, champagne and dessert wines we'll need, and I'm guessing she'll need most of it.

On Christmas Day it's just Alex, me, Jonathan, Nicky, Leslie and James for a picnic in the park opposite her apartment.

Christmas in Australia is a unique experience. Usually it's a blazing hot day and everyone is outdoors which means that instead of being tucked in cozily at home watching a new DVD Christmas present as you do in the UK, everyone's at the beach or in the park. As such, it's like one big outdoor party as everywhere you go there are loads of people laughing, swimming, eating, drinking and avoiding talking to their mothers-in-law.

Christmas day lunch is usually cold cooked prawns the size of small lobsters, coleslaw, potato salad, french bread, and if you're having a barbecue, the prerequisite sausages and steak, all sizzled to charcoaled imperfection. Desserts are usually pavlova if you're indoors (the cream won't survive outside), or chilled fruit salad if you're out. Nobody in their right mind would cook a turkey on Christmas Day here.

Well, that's pretty much what's in store for us this Christmas. We will, however, definitely miss the company of our family and friends and the excuse of staying indoors to watch DVDs whilst a hot dinner settles.

We've spent the last few Christmases with Alex's family; his two brothers Tim and Robin and their respective wives Sally and Lydia, will be greatly missed, as will our beautiful, lively and amazing niece, Florence, who has just turned 9 and will be a young lady before we know it. We congratulate Robin and Lydia on their first Christmas together as newlyweds and hello to their 'bump' who will be sharing Christmas with them but won't be delivered until next March.

Happy Christmas to my mum, dad, Peter, Jan and all the family and our friends. We miss you and think of you loads.

Alex has just finished part two of his breakfast - a bowl of Cheerios. What that tells you about him I can only guess!

I'm off to do something about this birdsnest I'm wearing so it's Happy Christmas from me, and Happy Christmas from him.

Christmas in Melbourne

Well, they haven't gone too overboard with decorations but I attach a photo of a large wreath on Chapel Street, the city's bohemian shopping area (a bit dodgy at the south end then gets better as you go up). I must have been in arty black and white mode... Also one of the city's horse and carriage rides, which ply their trade at exorbitant cost.

We had a great day in Williamstown on the other side of the city - one of Melbourne's best-kept secrets we think. Lovely beach where we did some swimming for the first time, and a very pleasant olde worlde town centre. They do cruises up the Yarra River to the city and back, which we will do next time.

Melbourne Cup Festival

Justine and Nicole went to Flemington racecourse this week, as part of the Melbourne Cup meeting. I was banned as it was considered a girls' day out...

They chose Ladies' Day in order to get dressed up a bit - and enjoyed very good weather. In fact it has been warm here for quite a few days, hitting 32C yesterday, when we had a picnic.

Our outside blinds have been down over the windows for a couple of weeks to keep the apartment cool - they seem to be working so far. We are now looking forward to our 24 boxes arriving on Tuesday after their long sea journey. They have at least cleared customs now.

PomsInOz gathering, Mornington

Today we had a great afternoon by the coast at Mornington, about an hour's drive south.

It was a picnic and barbecue organised by the PomsInOz forum, an online community of Brits who have emigrated here. Mostly families so there were loads of kids around.

The weather was superb and it was very nice to chat with other Brits.

We have now moved into our new apartment at 2/26 Lithgow Street, Glen Iris.

We had four deliveries on the first day, all of which went smoothly. Today we have had our sitting room furniture delivered, we had it made by a local dealer.