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As I said all my goodbyes in the UK before heading to make a new life in Australia, many of my family and friends all pledged to come and visit me at some point.  Little did I realise the first person to do this would be my exe boyfriend Mick!  This came as a bit of a surprise but was fabulous news.

I had lived in Australia now for 6 months with no time off, and after so many changes in my life, I was exhausted and ready for a holiday and I was keen to explore this beautiful country!  It is such a vast place that you can barely scratch the surface in 2 weeks off, but I would try my best!

I prepared for the arrival of my first visitor with my usual enthusiasm and penchant for coordinating and planning , and set about producing an itinerary.  Then I remembered how I felt when I first arrived here following the long flight from the UK and the jet lag which hit me and worried I had planned too much, particularly as this visitor was 6ft 3, nearly 20% taller than little ol’ me!  However, he was only here for 16 nights and I didnt want to waste a minute.  I was also keen on exploring a piece of Australia for myself too.

Here is a little diary of my first holiday since moving here, will try to keep the text to the minimum and let the pictures tell the story!!

Mick arrived bang on time and within minutes we arrived at Castle Hill which has a great vantage point for Townsville

A cosy night in that night, and ready to start our Australian mini tour – time for one of our first dips – Crystal Creek.  A beautiful area in Paluma Range, just 45 mins drive north of Townsville, a beautiful clear river, waterfall

 

and rocks you could slide down

 

The day out was finished off beautifully by making use of one of the public BBq’s where we cooked kangaroo burgers and risked being imprisoned by drinking chilled wine in public (see previous blog….!)

We made it back to Townsville just in time to set sail on my usual Wednesday night twilight sail – what a beauty!

We headed once more into the Paluma Range the following day and made it to the top and found a 10oC difference in temperature from the coast to the hills – Mick found this a blessed relief, but, having lived here for 6 months now, dropping from 31 to 21oC was a shock!  It was beautiful up there, with a gorgeous dam (which feeds water to Townsville) and camping area – something to keep in mind for another time!

The finish of a beautiful day, heading back to Townsville to attend a Trivial Night for my dive club.

I take things seriously you know, and took a team with me, we didnt win the quiz, but I won a prize for bringing the most non-members with me – thanks Mick,  Mick and Val, Andrea, Sean and Jack!

You can’t visit Townsville without popping on the ferry and visiting Magnetic Island.  I have been here before and sailed around it too, but you can never have enough of maggie Island.  We stayed at Bungalow Bay, and, being in holiday mode, upgraded at the YHA (I know how to live!!)

It was perfect, a view of the pool, and had its own bathroom – not bad for a hostel, fabulous value.  A wonderful spot for relaxation

 

A quick walk the following afternoon up and around the fortresses completed the trip, stunning views even though we didnt see the resident koala along the way

 

before heading back to Townsville – we had a race the following day – around Maggie itself!  We managed a night with my friends Mick and Val, and were just a bit tidily (or was it jet lag?) when we got home!

Time is moving very quickly so its time to leave the local area and head north – we drove to Port Douglas.  This involves following the Bruce Highway – the motorway (Hmmm……well, a single carriageway with passing places every few miles or so) to Cairns then follow the Captain Cook Highway (this could only be Australia!) Most of the Bruce Highway is really boring to drive – Ive now driven every bit of it now so I can attest to this!  However, the Captain Cook Highway up to Port Douglas is absolutely stunning!

 

 

Port Douglas is a gorgeous place

 

Its a 5 hour drive to take us to a beautiful place and close to the Great Barrier Reef – we came here to scuba dive!  Mick hadnt dived since June last year, and we only had one day to dive during this trip so we hired our own guide from Blue Dive in Port Douglas and had a great day diving with Jorg

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were keen to explore the area north of Port Douglas, but I had a lovely surprise ready and didnt want to spend too much time traveling, so we spent a couple of hours at Mosman Gorge.

 A little piece of paradise, which I would recommend anyone to visit.   Then we took a rainforest walk, unfortunately, we did this without any insect repellent, which I really wouldn’t recommend anyone to do, I was eaten alive!

Our next stop was the Atherton Tablelands, and I had booked us 2 nights at Mt Quincan Crater Resort, near Yungaburra, in a gorgeous treehouse.

Wow, if anyone wants a lovely romantic getaway, this is the place.  The owners Barb and Kerry think of everything and leave lots of little treats, and the cabin has stunning views

 It seemed such a shame not to spend every minute of our time at the tree house, but we wanted to take a trip on the Kuranda skyrail and railway, and I’m so glad we did, it was amazing

 

 

 

We dashed back to the tree house as soon as we could, and Mick lit a lovely fire, toasty warm we were!

We really didnt want to leave there, it was so perfect, but we had our itinerary to complete and next stop was Mission Beach, taking a quick dip along the way.  Firstly we took a stroll around the Mt Quincan Crater and had very close encounters with spiders along the way

saw the giant creeping fig

stopped at Lake Eacham, the weather had turned and it had been raining, which meant this place was virtually empty and we had a lake to ourselves

 

A tad cold, but refreshing and we had found a window in between showers.  Next stop was Milla Milla  – a stunning waterfall.  This speaks for itself

 

Again very cold, but we had this stunning place (the most photographed waterfall in Australia) to ourselves!

We looked forward to stargazing on Mission Beach, I guess I could control an itinerary but not the weather!  Beautiful nonetheless.

 

and we met some new friends……

Every cloud has a silver lining, and we had a quick change of plan to take account of the weather – I figured we might as well get wet anyway so we headed to Tully Gorge to whitewater raft.  A fabulous trip – try it if you never have!

Back to Townsville in time for the next phase of our trip – can you recognise where we landed next?

However, it was dark when we arrived, and, despite the panic I had when we headed into the city and I realised I had left my laptop on plane (thank you to Jet Star for sorting this for me!!), we were impressed by the view from our hotel room

and in the morning…

and a view back at our hotel

Ive done good with booking accommodation so far…..

A day of sightseeing

 

 

 

And a day out in the country to the beautiful Blue Mountains

 

and after 2 weeks together, Mick is driven to pushing me off a cliff!

with a visit to a wildlife park

With a  spot of cultural education and entertainment

and even a spot of boomerang throwing

and a quick stop at the Olympic Park

And our time in Sydney ended far too quickly.  Next stop – Brisbane.

A sadness descended us as this was the final part of the trip for Mick and we knew his departure was imminent.  I had meticulously planned this trip, and we had stayed at some lovely places, but I certainly made a boob at the end with the final choice of hotel – possibly the smallest ever hotel room

A good job I only had a small bag as we would never have fitted in there if we both had our full luggage allowance.  An ensuite toilet where I barely had to step out of bed onto the toilet (enough detail!!)

We splashed out on a lovely meal for our last night together with a lovely view of the gorgeous Story Bridge.

Mick seemed to have a good time in Australia, and Im sure he is planning his return here and future career  as a crocodile hunter right now – how could you stay away?  Hope you are not too cold back there in Sheffield!

He had to depart at midnight, I went outside to wave him off and turned back with tear-filled eyes to find my key card wouldn’t work and I was locked out of the hotel, with no money nor phone on me, oh joy!!

Woke in the morning and was glad to check out of my miniature room.  Just in time to meet Lucy for breakfast.  She is the daughter of my old boss from my last job in the UK, and she is due her first baby any time now.  She is gorgeous and reminds me of a young version of her mother (yes, I did like my boss!), then headed to my lovely friend Alis house for the night.

A very early start the following morning and a return to Townsville in time for a weekend of sailing.  A trip to Herald Island and a barbecue on the beach,

 

little swim at breakfast to help say goodbye to the hang over

sailing the next day to Magnetic Island and a whole heap of fun

Such a lovely way to end my holiday and help me to get over the departure of Mick, in some part any way!  Missing you Mick!

Which visitor is next?  Does this look enticing enough?

Back to work and to reality, and already planning my next adventure!

 

Sittin on my balcony listening to the laughing of the Kookaburra, and watching the red tailed black cockatoos flying around, I felt a Attenborough moment coming on!

When I told family and friends I was moving to Australia, many asked if I wasn’t scared of the fact that most of the worlds dangerous creatures live in this continent and wasn’t I worried.  To be honest, it was part of the attraction – to be somewhere with different creatures.  To live somewhere which has warning signs about crocodiles in the water and birds which we only see in cages in the UK happily fly around was a real draw.  Im not an animal expert – a long way from it, but I will try to give you a bit of a representation of my brush with the wildlife so far, enjoy my photographs!

So, lets start with the crocs!  Here is a little sign next to the river which runs through Townsville….

So imagine my surprise when I saw the locals swimming in the river, including families with their children.  Apparently these aren’t the dangerous type (believe that??) and it is the salt water crocodiles you should worry about.  The waterways of course close to the sea are a different matter, with the salt water, so here is the sign you see there.  I thought I would pose next to it

You can see how dangerous the crocs are!!!!!  Still, fishing being one of the most popular pastimes here (60% of the local population fish according the local radio station!) they line the rivers, wading in and risking all for the big catch!

I did have a close encounter with a croc of my own on Magnetic Island, courtesy of Bungalow Bay

I was part of a group and we all got to hold this gorgeous beast, but I was the one who asked how long he had his mouth taped closed.  At the end, the guide volunteered me to take the tape off – such a brave lass!

Most people stood back as I did this, but I knew he was only a little toddler, until he took hold of my admission ticket….

I think they could make use of this little critter as a conductor on the trains!

Australia is home to most of the worlds most venomous snakes, and Im a little disappointed that I still haven’t encountered one (honest I am!), except at a wildlife park

I think 2 snakes was a little greedy, but snakes know the meaning of greedy – take a look at this python which sneaked up on a possum for its breakfast on my friends (Mick and Val) balcony one morning….

The python then slithered off, lifting the possum as it did and slowly digested it in the roof space of my friends house.  Imagine sleeping in bed with that going on above your bedroom – welcome to Australia!  Did I mention the fact she lives only 2 streets away from me??

Of course, not all the critters are dangerous, most are really cute.  One of my favourites is the green tree frog, they are regular visitors to my house, and land on the balcony sounding like a lump of squishy dough landing on a board in a splat

and of course, it wouldn’t be Australia without a mention of a kookaburra.  This one was sat on the lamppost by my house, I took the photograph from my balcony (no pythons on mine!)

They make a right racket and sound like they are laughing and mocking, extremely loud and often in pairs to give a stereo effect!  Here is a lovely blue winged kookaburra

I took loads of photos at good distance of this gorgeous bird, getting closer and closer, ending up in touching distance, a little too brave I thought when I read that this bird will catch and eat snakes…I guess it didn’t fancy taking a bite out of me that day!

Kangaroos are an icon of Australia,

so imagine my delight when 3 made an appearance at my fence on my first morning here

These are in fact rock wallabies, but they put a big smile on my face that morning! Im living a bit far north to see proper kangaroos, they are common place in South Oz, in fact, they are culling them as they are so numerous and make pests of themselves.  These little guys are so cute.  I wonder how long it will take you to utter a big Ahhhhh when you see this next photo –

Still not gone gooey? Well, try this one for size and take a closer look

Absolutely gorgeous! I spent hours with these little creatures in the Atherton Tablelands!

Not all creatures are of course, one which springs to mind is the common pest –

I took this one shortly after arriving here.  I was shocked to see a cockroach in my kitchen, never ever had one in my home in the UK, This would be enough to have any restaurant closed down back there, but they are really commonplace here.

However, I was none too happy when I opened my fridge one evening after I came home from work eager to make some food

It was clearly after my chilli peppers – urrrrghhhh!!!  Quick clear out of the fridge and a  trip to the supermarket for my staple items, amongst them ….

They work a treat – all I see are dead ones now so now longer a chase with aerosol!  If you thought that was gross, then imagine my horror when one night, fast asleep, I was stirred by the feel of something tickling my back and shoulder. Half asleep, I swept my hand across my shoulder, realised I had felt something, quickly switched on the light to see a cockroach scuttling along into my wardrobe….urrrrgh!  A shower and a scrub and a very unsettled night that night!

One little critter who is another common visitor is the little gecko.  The first time I saw one of these in my room, I chased it around and caught it (not an easy feat as they are quick little buggers) and carefully put it outside before I left for work, I couldn’t imagine leaving it in my house all day…

Of course I quickly discovered that these guys regularly come into the house, they love to hide behind pictures on the wall and poop til their hearts delight! (still cute though!)

Its fun watching them the other side of the insect screen in the dark with your lights on – they sit around waiting for the insects then pounce

I was amazed when I first saw this particular bird – this is the Ibis (did you think that was a hotel?)

So numerous, they are considered pests – very smelly creatures (Im told) which root around for food

I was looking forward to a glimpse of a wombat, another iconic creature.  I was told at Bungalow Bay on Magnetic Island there was one lounging around in a tree trunk, but difficult to see inside.  I stuck my camera through the end and blindly photographed

Oops, guess I got the wrong end of the tree, but no doubting the gender of this one!

Here is a better shot

A better angle I think, but this one doesn’t look half as relaxed!

A trip to Australia wouldn’t be complete of course without a cuddle of a cute koala!  ~My daughter Francesca chose to do this for her birthday, and Natasha and I were keen to oblige!

 

Thats all for now folks…..plenty more to come!  Ive not even mentioned spiders yet….watch this space!

I thought I would be leaving my stiff upper lip behind in the UK when I came to live in Australia.  To us Poms, “The land Downunder” is portrayed as one with relaxed surfers walking barefoot down the street, a can of Fosters in hand saying “No Worries Mate”.  The fact that you can’t actually get Fosters here in Australia doesnt seem to matter, and the Paul Hoganites continue with this stereotype……

So imagine my surprise when I discover Australian bureaucracy!  Let me explain, and try not to rant (no promises!)

This first hit me when I got my 1^st parking fine within a week of living here, what a naughty newcomer!

I parked in what I thought was a legal place, albeit a little strange as it semi-obscured (but not blocked) the entrance to the Yacht Club.  The lines on the road were there, and the sign to tell me parking was permitted, and as it was the only parking space available, I popped my little hire car right there!  Surprise number one when I found a $100 fine on my windscreen at the end of a lovely evenings sail.  I thought long and hard about challenging this with Townsville Council, but thoughts of my tenuous visa and the need to be a good citizen got the better of me and I paid up!  Four days later – they came along and re-painted the lines, excluding this space – glad to have made a donation to their line painting!

The 2^nd parking fine, gained a couple of weeks ago was for parking the wrong way round…..the signs tell you when you park that you have to be parallel or angled.  Being a good potential future citizen of Australia, I parked angled as stated, but had my front end in instead of my rear – another bloody fine.  I’m still steaming about it, so not yet coughed up the dollars, but likely I will.  Will watch out for that one in the future!

Steam settling down, now let me tell you about traffic control.  Anytime anyone does any work on the roads, they have to employ traffic control.  This is a separate company which supplies signs and the numerous people to hold them.  You may wonder whats wrong with this, how sensible for the government to hold the safety of its public at heart, however!

Down the road from me, the roads are hardly used, This area of Townsville is very quiet, you could probably count the number of cars which drive by on one hand. Imagine how frustrated I became when I approached the end of this quiet road as I rushed to work and a small hole was being dug to see a man holding a stop sign.  He slowly walked up to me,  in a Hoganesque manner and asked me which way I was going.  I tried to bite my tongue and avoid sarcasm as with no indicators on my car flashing, I was hoping to go straight on.   He spoke into his radio in his Ozzie drawl to tell them of my intentions, then waved me to go.

This company supplied 2 people on each of the 4 sides of the junction to do this (and one of the roads is a dead end!!)  Imagine the cost!  I ranted on about this to one of my clients as I was examining her tummy.  She agreed with me, and said the water company she runs has to hire them out, no way of avoiding it.  She explained that on one occasion, she had work going on in a park, and still had to employ them, despite the fact a car would have had to mount the pavement and travel along a patch of grass to get anywhere near the hole!

Maybe the government have their theories based on Keynesian economics – digging holes to fill them back up again – it may serve to boost the economy but it didnt boost my spirits on that particular journey to work!

Being a Brit abroad, I do find a need to send the odd postcard or two (you not got yours from me yet??)  How easy in the UK to buy a card, buy a stamp, in pretty much any shop, or kiosk in any town, out on the street, even in machines.  Oh no, not in Australia, for you have to have a licence to sell a postage stamp – so you have to visit “Australia Post” shops to buy one – how convenient!

Am I ranting, just a little?  So sorry!  Shall I continue?  Well, it isnt out of my system yet so I shall.

I remember as a kid that Sunday feeling when nothing was open, half day shopping on a Wednesday, everything shutting early – well, although it wasnt that long ago that I was a kid (honest!) its like traveling back through time coming here.  Admittedly, shops (some) are now open on a Sunday, but only just.  During the week, everything shuts at 5pm, but on a Saturday, you have to be sharpish as they close at 4!  Maybe its a good thing, certainly wasnt when I first discovered it at 3.30 when I set out to shop one Saturday!  Thinking about it, maybe this is a good thing, once you get used to it!

Carrying on…….did you know that I now live in Queensbureaucracyland??? Much of it originates in Brisbane, some 1500km away!  Even the air conditioning for our public buildings is controlled from a room there!  I’m far too professional to talk about work too much here, but I can say that I have never seen so much rules, regulations and paperwork.  I have been looking around for the procedure on passing wind before a fine lands in my rain afflicted mailbox!

There are also so many bylaws, one of my favourites came to light when I sat on the beachfront with my daughter, bag of fish and chips in hand and a small bottle of cider at our sides.

Within seconds, two very enthusiastic officers cycled up to us as the first chip entered our mouths and ordered us to tip our offensive drinks away instantly as it was illegal.  We clearly looked like we were about to commit a public order offence, but keen not to break the law and be evicted from my our new country, yet being far too Welsh to waste anything, into my car the drinks went and our whole “Fish and Chip and Beach Treat” spoiled!  Hmmmm!  G’day!

So, here I am, in the Land Down Under, land of the chilled out, the relaxed, but watching my P’s and Qs and which way round to park my car.  When I first arrived here and watched the TV, I was amazed at the adverts which seemed to have a preoccupation with life assurance and funeral planning, now I understand things a little more!

Come visit Australia, but read your rule book first, or else!

Well G’day everyone!

January is nearly over, Christmas is a distant past, the rainy season is finally here in the Tropics and Im feeling more and more Australian as time passes!

I actually have my own barbecue  and am found at times uttering phrases like “No Worries”, “No Dramas” and occasionally add the word “Hey” onto the end of sentences.  My little wobble at Christmas is well behind me and Im finally settling in well.  Ive a new home, new car, new country, so I thought it would be time to find myself a new Aussie Man!

Before I headed out here, my friends in the UK told me that I probably wouldn’t return, that I will find myself a “Nice Surfer Dude” and settle down in this vast and wonderful country.  I laughed and replied “Not a chance”, but I got to thinking that maybe they could be right!

So, I decided to dip my toe into the gene pool and try a spot of internet dating.  I would like to share this with you today!

Having lived in Tamworth (UK Tamworth rather than the Country Capital of Australia of the same name), Im pretty used to a rather dreary gene pool and I resigned myself to remaining single for the duration.

I was however, rather hopeful that things might be a little different in this wonderful country of hunks and surfer dudes….

are you getting my drift?

Well, can you imagine my thoughts as I started to view the matches which this wonderful internet site tried to make for me!  Sit tight and try to keep an open mind!

Let me explain.

Australian guys are very keen on fishing, and seem to think that women will be mightily impressed by their catch of the day and maybe think they might be a great catch too

Ive never really been into fishing, never been able to see the point of dragging a poor creature out of the water having created a gash in its mouth, take a few photos, weigh it and chuck it back in and hope it heals……(sorry guys, have I missed the point here?!)

Those who know me realise Im a keen scuba diver and enjoy spotting interesting creatures in the blue, and I particularly like the ones who camouflage themselves well.  One of these is something called a crocodile fish, so you can imagine how impressed I was by this guy…..

Well, its probably not a crocodile fish, it could be a wobbegong shark, but either way, Ive never before seen one in air hanging on a mans arm before and would much prefer to see them on an entirely different wreck – 20 metres under!

Australian men are also fond of their cars and machines, and I imagine some of the local Matildas’ might be impressed by this….

 

or even this….

 

As for showing a girl a good time, then weekends away camping are a favourite past time and of course you would want to join this man in all the fun…..!

and this one looks like a bundle of laughs too

loving the hat….and the moustache

Aussie hunks love their beards too

actually, this beard is a little short, how about this one…

 

 

 

Thats more like it, but hang on, it does look a little like a wanted poster, not unlike this one

Sorry maaaate, you are probably a respectable real estate agent!  Hang on,  what am I doing using the words “respectable” and “Real Estate Agent” in one sentence!!

I really don’t think this one is a Real Estate Agent though,

 

Maybe it is their literary skills which impress a girl – with an opening line like this, x

“looking for posable relationship”

how could he fail?

Maybe it is the attention to detail that some put into the construction of their ad

I love the way he clears up his room before he takes that all important photo, illustrating the fact he can iron his own trousers and has a woman dressed in her nightwear taking his photo in his room!

I think by now you might just be catching my drift?  I tried not to be dismayed and continued and started to appreciate how fond Aussie men were of their animals

but its not just cats and dogs which are a mans best friend downunder

and of course snakes…

So I went to work on my ad and thought I would take a leaf out of their book

 Hows that for starters?  Wish me luck, I really think I might need it!

Christmas, is it really Christmas?  It certainly doesn’t feel like it – with 34 degrees during the day and 26 at night, no snow, it takes alot of imagination.  Anyway, here is a little glimpse into my festive delights.  I suggest you fix yourself a lovely drink of mulled wine/chilled Bundaberg and coke * (delete as appropriate to your location!) and relax to read my very long blog, tried to include as many photos as I could to tell the story!

Anyway, at long last, I managed to get a weekend off – they saw the new Brit coming and rostered me to work all the shifts no one else wanted.  I have tried to grin and bear it thinking of the enhanced pay packet, to find the tax has just gone up and I earned more money during my first fortnight which were the only weeks I worked Monday to Friday!  The tax we pay here is 33% plus superannuation on top, so what I thought would be a reasonable salary was considerably slashed.  No worries ( my new Aussie phrase!) cut the cloth and all that. Easy said, but trickier to do in Australia which is one of the most expensive countries I have visited, and I was about to move home and gain an unfurnished unit, with little more than a few suitcases full of bits and pieces.  Alas, time first to make good use of a weekend off.

Meet Kim – she is a student midwife, and a great gal who needed help and commiseration at turning 25 (you can imagine, I was extremely sympathetic!)

She decided she wanted to celebrate her birthday in Cairns, staying in a hostel (fine by me) and join the “Ultimate Party Bus”

This is a double decker which carries groups of people through the city from bar to bar, introducing them to lots of 18-30’s games and lots of drinks.  Kimmy decided it would be good to go in fancy dress – and as this is Christmas……

I got into the swing of things too.  Feeling my age just a touch, I was a little dismayed at getting pulled onto stage for the first “game”  As you can see….

it involved a group of women, sorry, girls on their knees in front a boy who had to put his hands behind his head…..following me so far, as this game is very complicated, please try to keep up…….when the whistle blows, the girls have to pass a packet of bubblegum up one of the trouser legs, down the other, open it, masticate (I said MASTICATE!) like crazy and be the first to blow an inch long bubble…….

Im not sure why the cheeky young man had such a smile on his face, with the other guys having luscious young gals at their feet and me, but he smiled as the middle aged angel became business like and suggested he loosen his belt to make it easier for me to retrieve the bubblegum as it came round the bend.  Despite my well thought out tactics, I didn’t win, must have been the mastication!

So, here I was, partying in Cairns a week before Christmas with a group of women I had only just met, all about a quarter of a century younger than me, and including me as part of their group – Australia is so friendly!

Kimmy reassured me I wouldn’t be the oldest in the group, she was absolutely right, as one of the groups on the bus was celebrating his 78th birthday!  He had a wonderful time, as it seemed to give him the right to kiss every beautiful young thing going….no idea why he chose to spend his birthday this way!

I can see the bookings going up for ultimate party Cairns for the 60+!

Back to Townsville the next day and ready to pack up my bits and pieces to move into my new and permanent place.  Queensland Health provided me with a unit for 2 months, which was well received, but I was looking forward to moving into somewhere more permanent – and mine!  Well, not exactly mine, as I have a house in the UK and the cost of housing is, like everything except meat, much more expensive than the UK, I have to rent.

Anyway, here is my new pad – all empty…..ready for a quick tour??

 

I had to work quickly to make it into a home, I had Christmas looming, a daughter arriving for a couple of days, and a late shift directly followed by 4 night shifts to do from the day I moved in to Christmas Day – no pressure!

I had been searching the classified section of the local paper, the gumtree.com.au and cadging what I could to furnish my new home – and managed to get hold of a corner lounge suite, a table and chairs, a queen size bed a fridge freezer, TV and corner unit and a washing machine ready to make my new house into a home, and with use 5 days to go to Christmas, tried to move in.

Mick and Val (and Phil) helped me move my things across but there was just a little problem, the stairs wouldn’t allow furniture up.  My first night saw me sat on half of my settee dreaming of how my place could be, but was so glad that the bed and mattress managed it up the stairs, for I was whacked and ready for sleep

 

 

So, just before I started my night shifts, I helped a removal company move my things from outside, up and over the balcony. Ive since found out that the owners hired a forklift truck to move their things out, they could have warned me!!

With all my things finally moved in, and just before working my 1st night shift – I went sailing (life is too short not to pack everything into one day!)

Would you turn down a twilight sail like this just because you were working the night shift, and the next night, and the next, and the next with Santa beating you home??  I guess not!

terrible isn’t it…….I hate every minute of it…..

Well, we didn’t win the race, nothing to do with the crew far too busy taking photographs to trim the sails of course!

Straight from sailing to work, I took a deep breath and headed to Townsville Hospital.  The first shift dragged and dragged, and I hit a bit of a low around 2ish and wondered how I would get through to the end – no idea why it was so tough!

I was excited about Friday as Francesca was joining me from Mission Beach to celebrate Christmas with me and I wouldn’t way to give her a big hug!  She made such a difference to Christmas for me, its a time I usually find very difficult anyway, particularly being so far away from home and she made all the difference.  I picked her up from the greyhound station at 7, we ate a hurried meal, then I headed to work once more and felt guilty at leaving her all alone.  She has spent 6 weeks in a hostel, sharing a dorm with several lads, so I think she was rather looking forward to an apartment all to herself for 2 nights.  I only have one bed so far, so I snuggled in with her at the end of my night shift, and she managed to sleep through until the end of my day sleep too – she must be more than a beach bum in Mission Beach!

Christmas was soon upon us, and I cried a little when I entered my apartment in the morning, to find Francesca had improved upon my hastily thrown up decorations.  Ready to greet me at the top of my stairs were Berry and RoBE

who were getting into the swing of Christmas!

 

Francesca was delighted to find that Santa had worked out that she was the other side of the world to where she belonged, and managed to get his sack to her – can you see the pillowcase on the right hand side of the tree?

It contained lots of goodies, like Cosmo….

and toothpaste!

Thanks Santa!

I had my own “Secret Santa” who brought me a fabulous gift

and here it is……

Once again, thanks to our new friends, Mick and Val, who have become such good friends and made such a difference to my initial experience of Australia.  They opened up their homes and hearts to Ces and I for Christmas Day and we enjoyed an Aussie Christmas Dinner!

Mick carves the meat, and there was plenty!

 

And of course it wouldn’t be Australia without shrimps….

So, I can hear you say in the UK, thought there would be a barbecue on Christmas Day in Australia, and here are joints of meat and cooked prawns.  Well, as it happens, see where the meat is cooked……

and Francesca made her contribution too – a tropical seafood salad….

Yummy Christmas Dinner!  Thanks so much Mick and Val!
Just a touch of veg with the meat!  Yum!

Time to relax after dinner….

Did you spy the pool below???

Time for a swim after dinner!

The day got a bit too much for Val and I, and we caught the last bit of sun of the day

As the sun started to set, it was time to set our bodies to action and exercise the dogs….

Time to walk!

 

This is 5 minutes walk from my apartment, through Australian bushland

Christmas Day came and went so fast , not helped by working til 7.30 in the morning and needing to sleep a few hours before getting going of course.  Boxing Day soon came, and it was time to say goodbye to my beach bum of a daughter, and wave her off on the Greyhound Bus to Mission Beach for her to continue living the dream once more

and, being the embarrassing parent that I am, I took a photo of her setting off – sorry babe!

So, that was my Christmas – it went by in a humid blur!

Its now the evening of 27th December, and Im writing this sat in my new apartment and feeling a little glum!

Moving across the world is no mean feat, people said I was brave to do it, and I never felt I was.  However, its difficult being so far away from familiarity and those you love.  I “skyped” Deb and Will, then Mick this morning and had a lovely chat, but instead of it making me feel uplifted, I feel deflated.

Today, I busied myself on one of my precious days off finishing unpacking my bits and pieces, and making my place seem more like a home, trying not to turn on the air con, but takin regular showers, then took a stroll along the beach, but I found myself wondering what the hell I was doing here!  I knew it wouldn’t be easy to make such a big move and anticipated I would have my ups and my downs.

Well, today is my first real “down”, I have prepared myself for it, but I didn’t enjoy todays down!  I think I need to read my own blog and remind myself of why Im here! Remember the lovely sunset sailing, the warm seas, the friendly people, the adventures Im having…..must read my blog and have adventures to write more!

Back to work tomorrow, deep breath as I prepare myself to check yet another caesarean section scar!!

Well, it is 9 days to Christmas, but it certainly doesnt feel like it.  I’m living in the tropics, its 34oC during the day and it drops down to a balmy 26 at night, so it is hard to think of reindeer, snow and santa!  The Australians do their best to make believe

And here is a cleaner at Townsville Hospital getting into the festive spirit!

As I mentioned in previous blog, Francesca is doing the beach bum thing in Mission Beach.  Actually, she is working long hours, getting eaten by mosquitos and saving hard to travel to Sydney in the New Year. I miss her terribly, as I do Tash and Cal, so I popped up to visit her and stopped on South Mission beach on the way for a quick photo.

When I arrived, I found a little bear had sneaked a ride in my suitcase, and brought his friend with him!

He was obviously missing Francesca, so much that he refused to return with me when I left! Poor RoBE!

Mission Beach is close to Tully, which is the wettest place in Australia, and a brilliant place to grow bananas!

And I thought it was wonderful to see the rows of bananas growing, so naturally in their little blue plastic bags!

True to the meteorological knowledge, we drove through the rain up Tully Gorge and met by a glorious landscape

I like living in Townsville, it is really pretty,

and close to so many other lovely areas, many of which access our hospital when they are ill or injured, often being flown in by helicopter.

In fact, this is the view I have from the maternity ward during my breaks (yes midwives in the UK, we do get breaks here in Australia – how progressive!!)

On of the main reasons for coming to Townsville was the fact the hospital has a birth centre (more about this in a future blog), but the fact it is right on the coast, and sailing is an important part of the towns culture.  I’m very grateful to Val and Mick Gillam who have given me such a warm welcome, and embraced me as part of the crew of their boat.  I turn up every single Wednesday to race, and am learning loads as each week goes by.

Its such a treat to head from work, get to the yacht club and sail in shorts and t shirt on the Coral Sea, often with glorious sunsets.  Racing takes alot of your time and energy when you are crewing, but the views are often so spectacular, I dive down below and grab my camera….here is a selection of my photos, I’m sure you will agree, its a lovely way to spend a Wednesday evening!

 

Val is not only my sailing buddy, but a good social friend too

in fact, she is a great friend!

Her husband Mick is a fab skipper, very calm, collected and welcomes anyone on the boat

 

Life has been pretty busy for me, I know it looks all fun and games, but it has been pretty stressful making so many changes in my life.  One of the most important things on my list was to find permanent accomodation, and real estate agents are another breed in themselves!  I committed the cardinal sin of viewing a flat which was out of my price range too, and everything else I saw paled into insignificance.

 

 

I really wanted this place – which I thought was great value at $570, until I realised it was per week not per month – so about £1500 a month before bills…….so I quickly discounted this and went for the sensible option instead.

Not quite the same views, but lots of space for visitors (please come!)  It is 15 mins walk to the yacht club and the city, and the beach, on a lovely quiet street and it felt like home the minute I walked through the door!

So, my temporary home of 7 and a bit weeks is all packed up now, I’m sitting writing this surrounded by boxes and I head there on Monday.  Its unfurnished, but in the last week I have managed to buy a corner lounge suite, a queen size bed, a washing machine, fridge freezer – what else do you need in life??  Oh, Val is giving me a corner TV unit and TV, and Ive bought a set top box to go with it – thanks Val!

Its Friday night, sex and the city is on TV, I have a glass of grenache shiraz at my side and all is well with the world.

I have just worked 9 days in a row and looking forward to some time off.  It is the first weekend in 5 weeks that Im not working, so I’m heading to Cairns in the morning, to join a group who are celebrating the birthday of a student midwife I work with. She is called Kim, and is looking for sympathy for the fact she has reached the grand old age of 25 – Ive a feeling she wont be getting much of that from me.  I will be trying to act as if I’m 25 as we all head onto the “party bus” and move from pub to pub in Cairns in fancy dress……yes, my packing has come in handy and I’m so glad I shipped over my Christmas Angel costume!!  More to come in future blogs……….

 

 

 

They say time flies when you are having fun – so I must be!  Its now 4 weeks since I landed here in Australia and it feels just like 5 minutes.

I have been to Australia a few times before, I certainly did my research before I arrived, and I have always enjoyed my time here.  Being here this time is different, as I don’t have a return ticket.  However, I keep thinking that I am on holiday, taking to the beach, swimming in pools and enjoying the sunshine – but this time – someone is making me go to work too!

Its alot to take on when you move home, when you change areas, when you take a new job – and I have done all of these in one go.  I may be in an English speaking country, but there are many differences, which I will expand on as I continue my blog over the coming months.

The first thing I needed to do was buy a car.  Its difficult traveling around without one, as there is so much space and everything is spread out, and public transport is minimal.  So, my car of choice was a Subaru Impreza which was all wrapped up for me when I picked it up

This is the first time in my life I have bought a new car, and I had to take a deep breath before buying it.  I was concerned about buying a used car here – remember the news earlier this year of all the floods, then the cyclone – the last thing I wanted was one which had been sat in that, so I bit the bullet and bought one.  Well, not that I had the money to buy one outright of course, but I discovered how easy it is to get into debt in a country which has only been your home for less than a fortnight.

My first trip in the car was with Francesca as we headed north to Mission Beach

Mission Beach is a piece of paradise between Townsville and Cairns in North Queensland and, now feeling poor, didnt head to the local hotel, but checked into the local backpacker hostel aptly named “Mission Beach Retreat”

A lovely little hostel and we immediately warmed to the lovely atmosphere in this chilled out part of the world.

Suddenly forgetting my recently acquired debt, I treated us both to a lovely meal in a restaurant called Shrubbery, right on the beach

And we tucked into the oysters, freshly brought in from Tasmania just 3,000 km away!

After a good nights sleep in our cosy little twin room, we headed to the beach

Paradise indeed.  The sea was so warm and a relief to enter after a few minutes lying on the beach (are you feeling just a little jealous now?)

So, you can see why I feel like I am on holiday all the time!

I had such a lovely weekend in Mission Beach, and felt sad driving back to Townsville, not just because a lovely weekend was over and I had to go to work the following day, but because I had left my baby behind!

She is now having the time of her life, working in the hostel to gain free board (and internet!) and waiting on at tables in the local restaurant.  She has an instant new group of friends and is certainly living the dream!

The journey home was so beautiful, and I took a few photos along the way

I returned back to my apartment feeling a bit down in the dumps, and discovered a little friend waiting on my bed

If you don’t already know this character – this is “Berry Bear” he is the cherished teddy given to Francesca at birth by her great grandma.  He has been her constant companion in her 23 and a bit years and now he has been entrusted to me, as she didnt think he would like staying in a hostel!!

Townsville is a gorgeous place, and an ideal setting, close to some picturesque areas – opposite Magnetic Island, close to lovely reefs, wreck dives and rainforests and it boasts 300 days of sunshine every year!

So far I’m loving the weather, which has ranged between 29-30oC during the day and 22-24 during the night.  People here talk about “when it gets hot” so it will be interesting to see just how hot it will get.  So far I havent seen any rain – it has a little, but only at night, and its not too humid, but I think that will soon change – so watch this space!

When I came over here last year in November to research where I wanted to live, then returned to the UK to announce it to everyone – the rains came here which led to severe floods, then one of the worst cyclones in living history – Cyclone Yasi – my friends and family asked me if I really wanted to live in such a godforsaken place!

Looking at that map above, it is difficult to appreciate the scale of it – maybe this map will help…..

Certainly, the effects of Cyclone Yasi are still felt here – the beach is being rebuilt here, and many buidings were damaged – certainly in Mission Beach which was in the eye of the cyclone

But I feel reassured that what is now standing, managed to survive one of the worst ever cyclones so must be made of something very sturdy!

I would rather live in an area where you get fair warnings of severe weather rather than a place with sudden tornadoes and earthquakes with no notice whatsoever!  If you look at the map charting the progress of Yasi – the population knew it was coming, but it built from a category 3 on 31st Jan to a 5 (top of the scale!) by the time it hit the coastline (Mission Beach) on 2nd Feb.  But if you know its coming, where do you run to with such a vast scale.  Locals here tell me the army evacuated many areas, so often the people were not left with a choice about it!

Phew!  At least I work in a very safe building in the town – somewhere most head when a cyclone is coming – Townsville Hospital!  I’m settling into work here now in Townsville, and amazed at how friendly everyone is and already feel part of the team.  I will write more about midwifery in Australia in another blog.

I’m now on a mission to find somewhere permanent to live, and its not an easy task – subject of yet another blog methinks!

I’m very grateful to Townsville yacht club for making me feel so welcome too. Val and Mick have quickly become really good friends and I love meeting up with them each week and feel proud to be part of their crew – especially when they picked up most of the awards on Saturdays presentation night!

I have a day off, and will continue my mission to find suitable accomodation, as I am on nights starting tomorrow – so my body will soon be back on UK time – cheers!

 

 

This certainly was a bonfire night with a difference!  I normally host a party in my garden to celebrate early terrorism with 50 or so guests, all togged up for the cold weather, gathering around a stack of garden rubbish donated by my lovely neighbours and trying to stay warm, drinking mulled wine and smelling of smoke.

In Australia, bonfire night meant sailing for 5 hours to an island in the Coral Sea called Herald Island (next to the not so beautifully named “Rattlesnake Island”)

I feel so lucky to have met Mick and Val, who own the boat “Panacea”  Mick is one of the calmest skippers Ive met, he quietly watches everything which goes on and is very skilled in making his boat go where he wants it to – I was so grateful to this during the journey home as his skills were tested…..continue reading!

This makes a change from my back garden in the November chills!

Sailing is a serious business, particularly when racing, but in true Aussie style, frosty beverages are served …..

Meet my new friend – this is Val!

We couldn’t complain of lack of wind for our race, with 20-25 knots, the skippers using spinnakers were tested to their limits.  This poor boat struggled and the spinnaker halyard got stuck – which necessitated the skipper sending one of his female crew up to the top of the mast to cut it off – imagine that!

 

Doesn’t this boat look fabulous!

 

Our destination for our party – a lovely beach on the island.  Just off to the right hand side of the photo is a campsite for a couple who set themselves up for a romantic weekend – only to have dozens of boats turn up and 100 people arrive on their beach to party until the early hours!

 

 

What a fabulous party atmosphere!  Ces and I thought it looked like paradise, had a wonderful time, and, ignoring the tales of a crocodile recently being spotted on the island, braved it out and went at regular intervals to relieve our poor bladders – each keeping a look out – well, Ive been given a lesson in how to fight crocs!!

The barbecue was fabulous with steak, sausage, salads, bread and buckets full of fresh prawns.  With far too much wine consumed, I did find myself snoozing off to sleep as I lay on the sand next to the fire………

This is the morning after the night before – and it looked far more beautiful than me!  A gentle sail back to Townsville was planned, but it turned out to be a very interesting trip.  Mick spent most of the trip in the engine room trying to fix the problem created by “dirty fuel” but the bowl for the fuel filter, which is made of glass smashed, with no replacement on board – we knew we would need to sail the boat into the marina and onto its berth.  Mick was completely cool about this, and we all tried to relax and enjoy the remainder of the journey back.

Relax we did, until the depth alarm sounded, and we had less than 1metre beneath the keel, this quickly turned to 10cm, then our keel met with soft mud and the boat came to an abrupt stop……..I would like to point out here that Mick was not at the helm, and Im far too much of a lady to mention who was steering – but he is a Wally!! (Sorry Wal!)

So, here we were, grounded, with no engine, but fortunately on a rising tide.  It took some effort, and the weight of the combined crew hanging onto the beam and dangling into the water to free Panacea from the gooey hold – Mick impressed me yet again!

So, a big thank you to Mick and Val for a fabulous weekend, and lots learned about sailing – every day is a school day (Ive heard those words somewhere before!!)

Time certainly flies, one week already in Australia!  Time for a few reflections……

The people are so friendly and welcoming, they are probably used to newcomers arriving from different parts of the world, but even so, not only is the weather fabulously warm, but warmer still are the people!

Its so strange being in a place where you don’t know a single person, not even one.  We could so easily sit in our apartment, watch the TV and be too scared to make friends anywhere, but thats not our way.

We are so glad we contacted the yacht club, and have been amazed at the welcome they have extended to us.  We attended the members night on Friday, it was lively there with a halloween theme and most people came and chatted with us.  We met a lovely couple called Mick and Val who asked if we were free on Sunday and would we like to join them on their boat – well, we had planned to attend a talk about cyclones, so there really was no competition.  They were in a race around Magnetic Island Continue reading →

We finally made it!  Here we are in Townsville, Australia!

What a journey we had, Birmingham to Townsville- and it only took 28 hours!  We felt surprisingly  fresh when we were greeted by a representative from the hospital with a sign held up with both our names on!  I felt like a business executive!

It was a smooth journey if you forget the security alerts we both generated along the way!  I mentioned on my last blog about the first one Francesca created at Birmingham but I created one the other end!

We had scoffed at the government video which was shown on the plane shortly before arrival warning us about strict penalties for people bringing food and animal products into the country – and the film showed a woman being caught with an apple, which, on this video, seemed tantamount to bringing a kilo of heroin into the country!

So, as we cleared security at Brisbane airport, along came this cute little dog on a leash with a security guard urging us to carry on walking, we had seen dozens of people do just that as we had been standing in the long line for passport control, so on our turn, we felt quite relaxed.  However, this cute little dog suddenly took alot of interest in me and I was ordered to stand to one side in a marked area in the middle of the concourse, where the other hundreds of arrivals could see!

Having travelled so far, I was feeling a little wiffy, and in desperate need for a change of clothes and a shower so its not a great feeling when a sniffer dog comes along and takes a specific interest in you, but I guessed all the other entrants would have the same pheromones as me!

I put on my saddest face as I looked over at a security guard and asked how long it would be as I had a connecting domestic flight in little over an hour and was scared I would miss it.  She responded sternly “you just have to wait!”

A few more minutes passed, with my sad face finally winning her over she came and checked me out.  She asked if I was carrying any foodstuff, my sad face instantly turned angelic as I denied carrying anything that may contravene their strict laws.  My shawl was strapped onto the front of my day pack, and I mentioned I had that around me whilst eating on the plane.  She seemed satisfied with that and let me go without even opening my bag!

It was only on the flight from Brisbane to Townsville that I found the culprit – a small chocolate bar hidden away for emergencies – something John Varty had bought for me during our Round Britain Experience in Scotland – cheers John!  I quickly ate it just in case my small bar of  bournville causes another security alert!

Such relief getting into Townsville, I took a deep breath and held it as I asked Francesca if I had done good in choosing this to be our home – she took one look around and gave a resounding ‘yes’’!

Our apartment is right by the river, backing onto lots of trees, loads of eucalyptus, and it feels like tropical Australia!  It has 2 bedrooms, one is ensuite, a large kitchen, living area with a settee and 2 reclining chairs – one each for me and Ces – we call them Joey and Chandlers!

My boxes were here when we arrived,

and it has been great unloading things I packed away back in June (thanks for your help with that Mychelle!) and to quickly make the place feel homely and ours!

Right next to our apartment is a small pool which we quickly made use of

A quick snooze followed by our 1^st initiative test – trying to catch a bus to the local shopping centre – we failed!  We stood the wrong side of the road to catch the one bus going there that hour, so, pretending it didnt really matter, we took a stroll instead and found a bar where we had a “scooner” of beer!

Next was a “Bottle O” (we know these as off licences) so bought some Aussie red, and some tonic to go with our duty free purchase!

Our apartment is next to the river, so we decided to follow this back and try to be clever finding our apartment that way – with success I’m glad to say.  However, along the way, the scooner of beer and the fact my body was quickly trying to excrete the retained fluid from the long haul flight meant I quickly needed to wee – so I crept into the undergrowth – or the bush as they call it and squatted down to do the business.  It was only when my bottom was close to the ground above the scattering of twigs and leaves that I thought about the brown snake (not a euphemism guys!) and realised that relieving yourself in the bush (again no euphemism!) is not the same as doing it in the peak district (yet again – no euphemism!)  I really ought to be more careful!

Exhausted by our first day, we sat in our Joey/Chandler chairs, drank aussie red wine and ate our dial a pizza before crashing into the bed.

I went to sleep at 22.15 and when I woke, I was so happy that I had slept so well, but realised it was only 22.30.  It turns out that exactly the same thing happened to Francesca!

Our 1^st full day in Australia was very full indeed!  Awake at 5.15 and Ces at 6, we sat on our patio and enjoyed our cups of tea and our buttered toast listening to the cries of the various, yet to be identified birds.

Francesca then saw some movement in the bush, to which I responded was probably someone walking their dog, to discover it was a wallaby!

Delighted by this, we treated ourselves to another cuppa and some toast with vegemite

 

whereupon several bush turkey came walking by, and squeezed themselves through the fence to make our acquaintance

We were picked up at 10am and taken to the hospital.  I completed all my signing in paperwork, got a photo ID, security swipe, registered for my tax file number, sorted out uniforms (photos to come later!) and sorted out my shifts for the next fortnight.

I am completely new to Australia and, although I know babies come out the same way as they do in the Northern Hemisphere, the systems, and I imagine the rules are a little different, not to mention the computer systems.  So, imagine my suprise to find I am only supernumary (not counted in the numbers) for only 3 short shifts!  Good job I’m a confident midwife!

We were dropped off into the nearest shopping centre following this with a long list of important things to do.  The first was to open a bank account, as need this to be paid and we were looked after by a lovely lady called Amy.  Not only did we manage to open our accounts, but we got advise on renting houses and an offer to use her car for the next fortnight as she was going on holiday – we love this place!

Next priority was to sort our health care, so we successfully registered with medicare, then headed to our next important task – sorting an aussie phone and some internet!  This took quite some time as we are brand new to this country, and a credit check was needed.  We needed more aussie ID to get the “points” needed.  We were about to be rejected until we got a Queensland drivers license when I thought about my new work ID – and as it is “Queensland Government” this worked a treat!  I also get higher interest rates on my bank account as I’m a Government employee!

Strange, but I never thought about myself as working for the government when I worked in the NHS, but that is what we are!

We shopped in our local supermarket – “Woolworths” (Honest!) then headed out of the shopping centre – it was now dark, and I worried that I hadnt brought a jacket and would be cold when we got outside.  Silly me, it only felt cold with the air con, and I had quite forgotten we had moved to the tropics, as we headed outside, the heat of the evening warmed us beautifully!  We tried once more to catch a bus home – to find 7pm was far too late to be able to use public transport!!  A car is the only option living here!

Anyway, we now have internet, food in our fridge and wine to drink, the world is a good place once more!

I snuggled down in bed for the night, to hear a knock on my door – Francesca had found a “huge bug” in the bathroom and could I please come and rescue her!  She illustrated using her hands, and I expected a rat sized creature, to discover a 3cm beatle.

Unhappy to leave it overnight, I zapped it with the insect spray kindly left for us at the apartment and returned to my bed feeling very guilty for killing one of gods creatures on my first day in Australia! I have a feeling this may be a regular thing!

Time to sleep once more, something my body had been asking for most of the day, ready to start another adventure tomorrow!