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……
And Im such an Angel!!
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…….
With Kimmy is Ruth and Amanda - all looking gorgeous!
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…..
Of course, I had to wear fancy dress to sail......!
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!
My first ever artificial Christmas Tree!
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
look how excited I am - I had a pressie!
and here it is……
The girls at work, helping me learn my new language!
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!
Noice Mick!
Francesca looks longingly at the meat!
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….
Me and my mate Val!
and with my gorgeous baby girl - Francesca!
Did you spy the pool below???
Time for a swim after dinner!
What a great way to spend Christmas Day - hardly feels like Christmas!
Brit girls enjoying the Australian sun on Christmas Day
Cheers!
Mick and Val Gillam - my Australian friends
The day got a bit too much for Val and I, and we caught the last bit of sun of the day
Just resting our eyes you understand!
As the sun started to set, it was time to set our bodies to action and exercise the dogs….
Lickie pup enjoying resting on my feet
Time to walk!
Did I mention that I live very close to the sea?
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!!
