Our Fisher and Paykel Washing Machine

We bought a Fisher and Paykel branded washing machine. These machines are manufactured in New Zealand. We were told by the seller how to programme our machine to play the NZ National Anthem. It works. Strange but true.

Funny Old First Day of the Hols

Today, Oli and I went to Noosa... I ordered a coffee and a 'slice of coconut cake'. The coconut cake arrived toasted: TOASTED (?).  I bought CHICKEN MINCE for tonight's chilli, then took my skirt to the newsagents to be dry-cleaned (?). On our way home, I left a box of books at Tewantin Bowls Club to be sold to members/drinkers etc. to raise money for the club. I then PAID to recycle my unwanted goods at the recycling yard. I walked in to Eumundi and bought my 5-year driving licence as well as the compulsory 3rd party insurance. I then paid an enormous amount of money (on-line) for my top-up comprehensive car insurance. No road tax here in Oz. I paid the first installment of Oli's braces, which will be $240 per month for the next 18 months. No free dental care here either. I sold several household items on Gumtree and the buyers picked them up this afternoon: without trying to knock me down on the price at all. Finally, I went to the bottle shop for some wine (not sold in supermarkets here in Oz and certainly no 'three for ten pounds' deals here!!). A day of differences.

School Holiday on the Sunshine Coast

I have been waiting for these holidays for soooo looooong... I was in hospital and recuperating during the last school hols, so feel very excited about these next two weeks. Not much planned. We have two 'lodgers' coming to stay for term 4 - fellow teachers at my present school - as their house is now let, prior to them returning to NZ to start new teaching jobs in the New Year (Boohoo!!). Will miss them both desperately, but a trip to NZ is now on the cards for next year, so all good I guess.

Three years ago today, we arrived in Oz! Wowzers... the time has really flown and we still feel that we're learning stuff daily about this wonderful country. Really glad that we made the move and don't regret it at all: we're having so much fun here, and every weekend seems to be an adventure. Well, apart from this weekend, as I need to clean and dust... sigh... 

We have had a couple of quotes for our landscaping to be completed so will decide over the next few days about who will be doing the work. I loved the chappie who seemed soooooo excited about constructing a retaining wall: he seriously was so excited that we could be needing a few walls (we're on a slope) and wouldn't stop scribbling little plans, bless him! Hopefully, we will be able to get the digging and concreting completed before the next holidays and then we will be able to sit out looking at dirt during the hot months. Haha! We should get the weeds cleared though, as it's snake season  and we wouldn't want to give a home to one in our 'garden'- which is called  a 'yard' here in Oz: confusing to say the least.

Ooh... just remembered. We went to a wonderful all-day music festival last weekend in Noosa. We took Oli and wondered how it would all be. Really well organised though and we were all able to have the best time, without getting in each other's way. Booze section separated from the under 18s/family section. 40,000 people attended and no real issues, as far as we were aware anyways. Oli giggled when we (his parents: how could we possibly?!!) DANCED, but then realised that he looked silly as he wasn't dancing, so joined in too. Good times.