Lovely Sunday with my boys. Woke early and went down to Mooloolaba beach. Mooloolaba seems as if the population has quadrupled due to the influx of visitors: that's what happens if you live in a tourist destination s'pose and it's Easter holidays. Oli and I went for a run along the coast and it was glorious... the humidity has now virtually disappeared and although still hot, it's much, much more pleasant and manageable! Jeff went surfing and we came back to meet him, taking a dip in the ocean to cool off: water temperature 26 degrees. Lovely. In the evening, went for a cooling walk around the marina and then back for dinner (which Jeff cooked: even better!). Jeff now off for 10 days which is brilliant: the team is reunited!
Have decided to rent the place we're in for another 6 months as we just couldn't face moving and then perhaps having to move again at the end of the tenancy when we (hope) to buy. At least Oli can cycle to school from here and we're close to the motorway for work. Rents are quite expensive (we pay $380 per week for a 4 bed house and that was the cheapest we could find) but that includes council rates and water rates. There's no gas and we just pay for electricity every 3 months. ALL of our cul de sac rent as that is the 'norm' here. Australians seem quite transient and none of the tenants here actually were born here. That also gives us time to look around at what's on the market to buy too.
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Saturday, 24 March 2012
Voting Day in Queensland!!
Voting day here in Queensland... we can't vote as we're not Australian citizens... (we have to be in the country for four years before we can apply for citizenship)... Big shift from Australian Labour Party to the Liberal National Party...
We spent the afternoon down at Mooloolaba as it was the annual triathlon... fantastic that the event was able to take place at all as we had HORRENDOUS monsoon storms on Thursday evening where the whole local area flooded (363mm in 2 hours!!): the worst in 100 years apparently. Our garage flooded but that was all thankfully: Oli and I worked hard and just opened the garage door so that the water could escape and swept it all out. Loads of local businesses 'mopping out' on Friday morning. It happened so very quickly and therefore surprised so many people... I drove Oli to school on Friday morning and there were heaps of abandoned cars littering the route: glad that we were home when it started. Lovely to see a beautiful blue sky today, although the sea looked less than inviting as still had the 'muck' washed down from the rivers on Thursday evening... yuckadoodle... poor triathlon-ers.
We spent the afternoon down at Mooloolaba as it was the annual triathlon... fantastic that the event was able to take place at all as we had HORRENDOUS monsoon storms on Thursday evening where the whole local area flooded (363mm in 2 hours!!): the worst in 100 years apparently. Our garage flooded but that was all thankfully: Oli and I worked hard and just opened the garage door so that the water could escape and swept it all out. Loads of local businesses 'mopping out' on Friday morning. It happened so very quickly and therefore surprised so many people... I drove Oli to school on Friday morning and there were heaps of abandoned cars littering the route: glad that we were home when it started. Lovely to see a beautiful blue sky today, although the sea looked less than inviting as still had the 'muck' washed down from the rivers on Thursday evening... yuckadoodle... poor triathlon-ers.
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Well Done Jeffers!
Jeffers has a new job! He's starting with an employer HERE ON THE COAST! Yay! He's been lodging away during the week since he found work and it's hard: we miss him sooooo much! We'll be able to argue EVERY night now... hurrah! He starts on Monday (at an increased hourly rate too). Gotta love him ♥
Monday, 12 March 2012
Autumn In Oz
March the 1st signified the first day of Autumn here in Oz. Must admit, the morning and evening temperatures have dropped to 20 degrees which is a blessing: we are able to sleep now! Daytime temperatures are still around 30 degrees but we're losing that humidity, so all in all; life's a smidge more bearable. The water temperature is still around 26 degrees too which means that we can still swim and body board.
Jeff had his birthday last week but was working away so celebrated at the weeekend by going out with friends for fish and chips at a roof-top restaurant in Mooloolaba... lovely jubbly. The fish here is so very fresh and tasty and even Oli eats it! Lovely to be able to sit outside too.
Oli and I also were involved in a community 'clean-up' last week and went off scouring the streets of Buderim for rubbish. Heaps of people involved and we all met back at the centre for a 'sausage sizzle' which Oli appreciated (our life seems to revolve around food with a growing lad in the house!).
Tenancy runs out on the house in a month so we've started looking around for another property. We have 4 bedrooms at the moment but we don't mind dropping a bedroom and replacing it with a pool! We won't be buying until the exchange rate improves so we can bring our money over. The Aussie dollar is very strong at the moment which isn't helping us with our money stuck in the UK but is good if you're earning here so can't complain.
Work is going well... still a bit sporadic but even if I manage 2 days a week, that's fine with me. Last week I was at Mountain Creek High which was ideal but prior to that, was working further inland and it started to rain: heavily. I had this vision of me having to stay in a shelter overnight due to flooding and Oli 'home alone'. Luckily, got back just in time as the town was cut off the next day due to the waters rising. Australia is certainly a land of extremes!
Jeff had his birthday last week but was working away so celebrated at the weeekend by going out with friends for fish and chips at a roof-top restaurant in Mooloolaba... lovely jubbly. The fish here is so very fresh and tasty and even Oli eats it! Lovely to be able to sit outside too.
Oli and I also were involved in a community 'clean-up' last week and went off scouring the streets of Buderim for rubbish. Heaps of people involved and we all met back at the centre for a 'sausage sizzle' which Oli appreciated (our life seems to revolve around food with a growing lad in the house!).
Tenancy runs out on the house in a month so we've started looking around for another property. We have 4 bedrooms at the moment but we don't mind dropping a bedroom and replacing it with a pool! We won't be buying until the exchange rate improves so we can bring our money over. The Aussie dollar is very strong at the moment which isn't helping us with our money stuck in the UK but is good if you're earning here so can't complain.
Work is going well... still a bit sporadic but even if I manage 2 days a week, that's fine with me. Last week I was at Mountain Creek High which was ideal but prior to that, was working further inland and it started to rain: heavily. I had this vision of me having to stay in a shelter overnight due to flooding and Oli 'home alone'. Luckily, got back just in time as the town was cut off the next day due to the waters rising. Australia is certainly a land of extremes!
Friday, 24 February 2012
Ouch!
Jeff's just owned up to the fact that he was caught for speeding earlier in the week... he was doing 120K in a 100K area: $340 fine (day's wages) and 4 points on his licence. The points will stay on his licence for 3 years and if he racks up 12 points in total: he'll lose his licence. GULP!!! Tough lesson. Neither of us could work in Australia if we didn't have our driving licences, that's for sure. He was late coming home night as he was adhering to ALL the speed limits along the way!
Thursday, 23 February 2012
A Week in the Wet Season!
It has rained all week this week! Terrific storms too... on Tuesday, there were 20,000 lightning strikes in the space of the afternoon! I had to venture out to pick up Oli from school and it was soooo scary. Luckily, we suffered no structural damage and the worst is over I think. One good thing is that the temperature has - at last - decided to drop; we're around 24 degrees which is positively chilly to us now. The shops are full of 'winter clothing' too! However, I don't feel like dragging on Ugg boots and a sweatshirt just yet!
Shrove Tuesday this week which is very low key in Australia... none of the classes I have taught this week had pancakes or knew the meaning of eating them on that particular day. I made them write the occasion in their planners for next year and was happy that at least they'd learnt something in my lessons that day!
I have had quite a bit of teaching work this week which is good. It means an early start for me as I must be available for an agency telephone call from 6am each morning and I need to, obviously, ensure Oli is organised and off to school: he has no concept of time at all but he's come up with the goods this week, bless him and hasn't been late at all. I am also enjoying driving some very scenic routes to the different schools,
Relating to school, Oli decided that he wanted to go for the role of Year 7 House Captain at Mountain Creek. Jeff and I were a bit concerned as very few of the 350 kids in the house actually know him and we didn't want him setting himself up for a very hard fall. However, Oli was insistent and wrote his own speech detailing why the students should choose him over the other 9 candidates, delivering it to the students yesterday morning. He was duly voted in by the students and teachers and takes up his role today! We are soooo very proud of him and it's the perfect way for kids at the school to get to know him too. Oli also found out that he attracted 96% of the female students' votes which means that his teenage years are going to be tough for us!!! He's over the moon and so are we. A perfect end to the week.
Shrove Tuesday this week which is very low key in Australia... none of the classes I have taught this week had pancakes or knew the meaning of eating them on that particular day. I made them write the occasion in their planners for next year and was happy that at least they'd learnt something in my lessons that day!
I have had quite a bit of teaching work this week which is good. It means an early start for me as I must be available for an agency telephone call from 6am each morning and I need to, obviously, ensure Oli is organised and off to school: he has no concept of time at all but he's come up with the goods this week, bless him and hasn't been late at all. I am also enjoying driving some very scenic routes to the different schools,
Relating to school, Oli decided that he wanted to go for the role of Year 7 House Captain at Mountain Creek. Jeff and I were a bit concerned as very few of the 350 kids in the house actually know him and we didn't want him setting himself up for a very hard fall. However, Oli was insistent and wrote his own speech detailing why the students should choose him over the other 9 candidates, delivering it to the students yesterday morning. He was duly voted in by the students and teachers and takes up his role today! We are soooo very proud of him and it's the perfect way for kids at the school to get to know him too. Oli also found out that he attracted 96% of the female students' votes which means that his teenage years are going to be tough for us!!! He's over the moon and so are we. A perfect end to the week.
Sunday, 12 February 2012
13th: Unlucky for Some But Not For Me
Funny old day today... Oli is off down on the Gold Coast for a school trip all this week. He's due back on Friday afternoon... I was a bit shaky as he's never been away from us for as long before now and it's also his birthday on Thursday! However, it's me who has the issues: Oli is totally cool about it and was increasingly excited this morning. He'll have a very full week by all accounts although Oli's not too keen on getting up at 6.30am for 'morning exercise'!!!
I registered with seemingly every teaching agency in the Southern Hemisphere and last week, went around to a whole heap of schools in the area leaving my C.V. with them and 'showing my face'. One of the agencies advised me that I should be available from 6am for a call if needed (!). This morning, at 6.10am I duly received a call from them advising me that they had found me 4 days supply teaching at Mountain Creek State High School which is, of course, just along the road. YIPPEE!! I was on the 'morning shift' today which meant that I started at 7am and finished at 1pm. What a rush! Virtually pushed Oli on the coach, waved him off and then off to schoolio. No time for tears which was just as well (mine, not his!).
Fabulous to be back in the classroom. I haven't taught since term finished in July last year and have really missed it. What a wonderful day. The kids are definitely 'lively' but in all fairness, they were great to teach and I wouldn't have expected anything different from them on a Monday with a new supply teacher! The classes are smaller too which is good. What's lovely about supply teaching is that you turn up, sign in at reception, deliver someone else's lessons, leave the teacher notes about the kids if needed and then sign out! Great introduction to the Australian curriculum for me as well and relatively very well paid... Celebrations this weekend when we're all together again, eating Oli's birthday cake and I CAN AFFORD THOSE SHOES NOW JEFF!!!
I registered with seemingly every teaching agency in the Southern Hemisphere and last week, went around to a whole heap of schools in the area leaving my C.V. with them and 'showing my face'. One of the agencies advised me that I should be available from 6am for a call if needed (!). This morning, at 6.10am I duly received a call from them advising me that they had found me 4 days supply teaching at Mountain Creek State High School which is, of course, just along the road. YIPPEE!! I was on the 'morning shift' today which meant that I started at 7am and finished at 1pm. What a rush! Virtually pushed Oli on the coach, waved him off and then off to schoolio. No time for tears which was just as well (mine, not his!).
Fabulous to be back in the classroom. I haven't taught since term finished in July last year and have really missed it. What a wonderful day. The kids are definitely 'lively' but in all fairness, they were great to teach and I wouldn't have expected anything different from them on a Monday with a new supply teacher! The classes are smaller too which is good. What's lovely about supply teaching is that you turn up, sign in at reception, deliver someone else's lessons, leave the teacher notes about the kids if needed and then sign out! Great introduction to the Australian curriculum for me as well and relatively very well paid... Celebrations this weekend when we're all together again, eating Oli's birthday cake and I CAN AFFORD THOSE SHOES NOW JEFF!!!
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