The Big 50

26 April 1962... I entered the world... move along 50 years to 26 April 2012 and I celebrated my 50th birthday!  Busy day... I have taken a new job working as Admin Manager at the local tennis club in Mooloolaba... I work Monday to Thursday and I am available for supply teaching on Fridays only (that tended to be the day I was telephoned for work anyways which is good!). On Thursdays, I work from 7am to 7pm so yesterday (my birthday) was a very busy day indeedy.  My boss did buy me a cake and flowers and I arrived home to a gorgeous meal, a bottle of wine chilling and a BEAUTIFUL diamond eternity ring from my husband... gotta love that ♥

Anzac Day

Anzac day today in Australia... it's a national public holiday when the Aussie army Corps who served with the New Zealanders at Gallipolli in Turkey in 1915 are remembered.  No school today although Oli represented the school in a parade and wreath laying ceremony at Cotton Tree in Maroochydore.  Very moving as all the services were present along with the veterans from Viet Nam, Malaya etc... Very moving indeed: hard to believe that Viet Nam conflict was around 40 years ago.  The occasion was extremely well supported: lots of flag waving and cheering, army jeeps and zimmer frames! Lest we forget ♥

'Builder's Bum' is 'Plumber's Crack' here in Australia and 'Green Fingers' are 'Green Thumbs' !!

Good Friday

Good Friday in Oz is traditionally a 'meat-free' day... good to have an excuse for prawns on the barbie I suppose! All the main shopping malls and supermarkets shut today... only the beach shops along with the fishmongers (of course!) and the bakeries (hot cross buns!). Jeff and I remember coming to Oz 20 years ago when all the shops shut on Saturday afternoons and Sundays... seems unbelievable now doesn't it?

Brisbane for a few days...

Brisbane is just 'down the road' from us (around an hour's drive) but we decided to spend a couple of nights there to enable us to take a good look around. Went back to the B&B we stayed in when we first emigrated... very quirky and homely and WE LOVE IT... good to be there again.  Took Oli back to Dreamworld/White Water World, (theme parks on the Gold Coast) for a day. Our tickets will run out in June so thought we should get back some of the money we spent on them. Lovely hot day although tiring (only for Jeff and me though: Oli's seemingly running on duracell batteries).  Strolled down to Chinatown in the evening for a meal (guess what we had?!) and we were all asleep by 9pm... zzzzzzzzzz
Had a good look around the shops in the morning and then took the bridge over to the south bank which reminded me of the south bank in London actually: theatres, library, art gallery etc... Went in to the science museum, which was very 'hands on' and fun. Also, on the south bank, there's an artificial beach, complete with lifeguards, a surf club and sand! Bought some snacks and drinks and sat in the botanical gardens at tea-time... so relaxing... right next to Parliament House which we want to visit next time and heckle from the galleries!
Oli decided that the Sunshine Coast is too quiet for him and when he's old enough, he's going to move to Brisbane, work in the city and drive a sports car... lordy, lordy... really don't know who he's inherited that from!!

Easter Hols

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.  

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.