Christmas Eve

I've just finished all my Christmas wrapping and wanted to give you all a very brief glimpse of our Christmas eve in Hobart:

• Outside temperatue at 8:30 a.m. was 17 degrees celsius,
• late this morning my neighbour was mowing his lawn,
• my other neighbour's pet peacock came to visit us again,
• we ate popsicles today,
• we bought a 10lb watermelon at the grocery store,
• the boys and I played frisbee before dinner.

Merry Christmas everyone!

A Month In Review

Well it's a little more than a month in review but I finally got a few pictures posted on this blog.

Yeah!!!! It's about time!!

I've been trying for several weeks to upload photos from our files onto this blog and it is frustratingly slow. I'd set it all up, choose the photos, plan the text and click 'upload now', only to sit and wait, and wait, and wait while our seemingly slow broadband connection would upload the pictures. It got to the point where I'd give up and walk away or go to bed (as I was usually trying to do this late at night). The next day there'd be no indication that anything had succeeded so I'd forget about it until I felt unfrustrated enough to give it another go. Even Martin tried a few days ago, seemingly without success.

Well then I found the 'drafts' folder for my blog and what was in there? All my 'attempted' uploads sitting waiting to be published.

So you'll have to scroll down a bit and read backwards. The postings are there with photos back as far as the end of October. I'm not going to go through it all again just to post them under the current date. They're published according to the dates I'd originally attempted to get them posted. This doesn't mean the uploads will go any faster now. It just means all my previous time spent is not wasted.

So read on, scroll down and have a look at the few pictures of our journey so far.

. . . And Some More Pictures

Emily, Patrick and 'friend' outside the Sydney aquarium. Actually, I think Ethan is in the picture too but decided he didn't want to be 'visible' so is hiding behind the 'friend'.


Just had to take a picture of this 'rather' large sheep located . . . somewhere . . . south-ish of Sydney. I just look at the scenery - I don't actually ever remember where I am!

And here is a picture of the very first live kangaroo we spotted (not to be confused with the flat kangaroo we stopped to look at that led to the 'tyre puncture' I wrote about earlier

Too Cute!!

This little fellow is called an echidna (pronounced 'eh-kid-nah'). I'm not sure what family they belong to (hedgehog? porcupine?). Just too cute for words . . .

Just like Vancouver . . . or not

It's raining.

A lot.

It started last night about suppertime and hasn't stopped. Martin needed the van at work today so last night I reminded the kids we'd be walking to school today - regardless of the weather. So this morning we grabbed our umbrellas and headed out - all of us in sneakers or canvas shoes (you'd think we'd know better!!) Before we'd gone half a block we all had wet shoes and socks and Patrick's pants were wet up to his knees.

Made me kinda homesick (sniff).

As we walked along the sidewalk, commenting on the rivers of water flowing towards the spring debris-plugged drains, I warned the kids not to complain at all about the rain in earshot of any Taswegian. I reminded them this may be standard weather for November in Vancouver but in Tasmania it is much-needed and quite welcome by many - especially the farmers. Emily commented one of her teachers had said she would be catching the rainwater in barrels to use for watering her garden, rather than using precious drinking water. Something I'm certain many people do here.

Upon arriving at school we noted most of the older kids hurrying into classrooms, not playing on the playground as usual (no surprise). I said goodbye to Emily as we dropped her off at her classroom and headed to the other side of the school where the younger grades are located. When we came around the corner of the building I saw lots of kids running around in the rain, none with raincoats and Patrick's teacher standing under cover imploring the kids to come in out of the rain.

Come in?? No way! They were having too much fun. They were laughing and chasing each other around, they were playing in the rain! A few of the girls from Patrick's class gathered around us as I was helping the boys fold up their umbrellas. "Good morning Patrick's Mom" said one girl. "Good morning" I replied. "Did you walk?" they asked. I told them in Vancouver it rained a lot like this in November so we were quite used to it. One girl beamed at me and said "I've brought an extra change of clothes so I can go out later and get nice and wet!"
Yes, just like Vancouver . . . but not :)

All Hallows Eve

Okay so I'm feeling prolific so here's another little blurb . . .

I may have mentioned to some of you we expected Hallowe'en to be a bit different here. We had been told there would be no trick or treating as it wasn't something Australians do. We decided we'd have our own little party if necessary but it seems some other Canadian ex-pats had got the jump on things.

Our friends Andrew & Jill invited us to celebrate Hallowe'en with them and some other families last Friday night. Emily as a pirate, Patrick and Ethan as sword-wielding DJ/rockstar guys (??), Martin as a mad scientist and me as Old Mother Hubbard. We were to join them for a BBQ down at 7 mile beach followed by some door to door trick or treating in that neighbourhood. Seems that particular neighbourhood had 'gotten into' the spirit of handing out candy to little ghosts and gremlins so who were we to let them down?!

Although we were late in joining our friends, the kids caught up with some other late-comers and managed to race around the neighbourhood before all the homes ran out of candy. Racing around was necessary as, contrary to what many of you might think, it's darned cold down here! Part of my costume as old mother hubbard included a plastic shower cap on my head. Let me tell you - never underestimate the thermal value of a plastic shower cap when you're on the beach and the wind is blowing and it's about 8 degrees celsius!!

So Hallowe'en was a little different for us but the kids had fun and that's what it's all about.

Stop and Smell the Roses

As many of you know I'm a real home-body. I love being in my home - especially alone. I love the peace and quiet and rarely even turn on any music at all.

I still love being inside my 'new home' but there's something special about being outside in a new place and just . . . discovering. When I walk the kids to school it's usually along the same route every time (there are a couple of slight variations but basically the same streets). Each time I discover something new along the way and most often it's a plant or tree. Of course it's spring here now and so many plants are just coming into bloom. One of the first flowering plants I noticed when we arrived in Australia a month ago, was a lilac. Now, I love lilacs. They are my absolute favourite flower. I love the way they look and I love their smell. I could fill my house with lilacs and not get tired of the smell. Sadly, their bloom time is really short - typically lasting no more than a couple to three weeks. So when I saw lilacs here I was overjoyed to have lilacs for the second time in a year! There doesn't seem to be any on our property here but I've seen plenty in the neighbourhood.

The gardens here are so prolific and varied. It's nice to see so many plants that I recognize; hydrangea, cala lilies, tulips, daffodils, dianthus, iris', columbine, azaleas, fuschias, rhododendrons, alstromeria and dozens more. There's also some very beautiful plants that I've never seen and will hopefully learn the names of eventually.

But the roses . . . they are everywhere. They seem to be one of the most popular plants, or maybe they just grow extremely well. They abound. And the colours are amazing; crisp whites, soft yellows, deep, rich reds, delicate pinks and mauves and peachy tones. Some are huge blossoms - bigger than my hand. Some are miniatures. I've seen tall rosebushes, small rosebushes, climbing roses and even a hedge of roses.

And they smell . . . heavenly. The scent is everywhere as we walk down the street and sometimes, when we're not too rushed, they beckon with their velvety petals and we just have to stop - and smell the roses.

Some Pictures!

Our first look at the Australian coast after leaving Sydney - somewhere south-east of Sydney :)













This sign was in a park in Canberra. I like the last 'suggestion' best!









And our new wheels! A Toyota Hiace.

And the Visuals . . .

Finally found the camera cable so here are a few pics: Okay, actually just this one of Ethan and Patrick waiting (not so) patiently at the Sydney airport with our 4 luggage carts of luggage!

Of Drains and the Night Sky

My dear friend Michelle has a deep-seated interest in hydrology; the ebb and flow of tides, the pounds per square inch (p.s.i.) of the powerful Niagara Falls, which bottled version tastes the best.

Actually all she really wants to know is this; in Australia, does the water really flow down the drain in the opposite direction as it does in Canada?

Well, in our house all the sinks and tub drains are kind of flat which means the water sort of flows around both sides of the drain. I've tried to determine if it really does flow in the opposite direction but given the current water shortage in Australia, I don't feel I could justify the extra usage just to watch the water flow endlessly in an effort to answer this age-old question.

So the truth of the matter Michelle? Sorry, I can't really tell.

What I have learned is this: the night sky is different. Yeah, I know some of you are thinking "Yup, Laurie sure is a sharp one." But hey, I really hadn't thought about it before. The stars are really beautiful here. It's lovely and dark around our house at night so we can see all the lights across the harbour and a spectacular show of stars from our front room and master bedroom. Shortly after we arrived here I was searching the night sky for the big dipper, the little dipper and Orion's belt (impressed you, huh?! Well actually those are the only constellations I know!) After a while I realized I wouldn't find them. What I should be looking for is the Southern Cross (haven't found it yet). I felt a little sad knowing I could not be looking at the same star configurations as my family and friends in Canada. Then I remembered there's only one moon! I could take comfort in knowing we'd all be looking at the same moon.

Well yeah, except instead of the crescent moon looking like the letter "C" or a backwards letter "C", it looks like either a smile or a frown.

I guess I'll just have to look at it sideways.

B - LOGged On!

Well it's been a looooong wait but we finally have our internet connection at home. Things are a little different down under! We're still trying to figure out the cheapest way to make phone calls (local and international), and it seems getting a 'mobile' could cost upwards of 40 cents for each connection plus about 1 cent per second! I told Martin I didn't think we needed to get a cell phone right now. Maybe wait till we win the lottery!

We'll be posting some photos very soon . . . just as soon as we find the camera cable. I know it's in one of these suitcases waiting to be unpacked . . . .

Yes, we're still unpacking suitcases but we're whittling away at it and as of last Thursday, we also have our container goods. Seems there were no problems at all with any of the things we brought down (bikes, boats, non-perishable food items, kids toys, etc.) There were a number of things we had been led to believe might be confiscated but everything came through. Now we just have to figure out where to put all this stuff!

The kids had their first full week of school this past week and they all seem to have settled in just fine. After the second day I didn't hear any more complaints about the uniforms they have to wear. They're very casual (navy pants and polo shirts), but the colours are specific to the school so I've had to spend a fortune re-outfitting them!

We're finding the cost of food is quite a bit more expensive than we're used to. Some things are cheaper (like lamb!), but most produce is expensive (of course we're in the 'off' season right now), and dining out is significantly more expensive (local muffin stop at the mall charges $7.00 for coffee & a muffin!!) Of course there are some very interesting things at the grocery (like kangaroo meat!), and we're having to adapt to not having some of our favourite products available (like certain breakfast cereals and good coffee!), but it's all part of the adventure.

As soon as we can get some pictures posted, you'll see what I mean about our beautiful location here. The house is surrounded by eucalyptus trees, flowering shrubs and the most interesting sounding birds. So far I can identify the magpies and the sulphur-crested cockatoos but there are so many others I have yet to learn about. Our view is spectacular - we look out towards the harbour and catch all the beautiful sunsets. The property is very private so we tend to leave the curtains open to enjoy the view day and night.

Every one I've come in contact with so far has been extremely friendly and helpful. A perfect example is the call I made to the local equivalent of the motor vehicle branch. Purchasing and registering the car in Sydney but living in Hobart meant we had to have certain inspections and paperwork in place within a certain period of time. I was expecting to be put through my paces with automated systems, multiple transfers to various departments and the usual bureaucratic efficiencies I've experienced in Canada. Instead what I got was this; first number dialed, answered by the only person I needed to talk to. Not only did she explain what I needed to do, but she also provided me with the names and phone numbers of several local vehicle inspection agencies along with what I could expect to pay. By the end of the call she had also given me (without my soliciting this information), the name of her Canadian neighbour who is a physiotherapist and where she works on specific days! I mean we're talking friendly!

Yesterday we went for a short bike ride down near the beach below our house. There's a lovely, relatively flat walking/cycling path all along that leads to a playground area but along the way we saw a pod of dolphins playing just off shore. We watched them for quite a while as they were travelling in the same direction we were. Ethan was certain they must be sharks because of their dorsal fins but we assured him they were dolphins (sharks don't swim in pods!)

So check back soon . . . we'll get some visuals going!

Giving Thanks

This post comes to you from beautiful, uptown Mt. Rumney in Tasmania at the home of our friends Jill and Andrew. Jill is a Canadian ex-pat married to born-and-raised-in-Tasmania Andrew. We met them in 1990 when we lived next door to them in a Vancouver west end apartment block. 18 years, six kids and two continents later, we've just finished the most decadent Sunday brunch at their home, in honour of Canadian Thanksgiving. We arrived in Hobart about 48 hours ago and have just dined with half a dozen other Canadian ex-pats, their partners and kids. It's been a full-on immersion this a.m. and we're thankful for it all.

To recap our travels since my last blog; we caught the overnight ferry from Melbourne last Thursday. We departed about 8:30 p.m. and arrived in Devonport, Tasmania about 7:00 a.m. Friday. The crossing was fairly calm by Bass Straights standards, just a bit of 'rocking' (no worse than sleeping on a waterbed with Martin!) We had to fess up to Tasmania quarantine inspection when we arrived with a bag full of fruit and had to go through the inspection lineup. There was no getting past the dog sniffers with anything stashed (not that we were trying to do that, just that we were loath to toss our purchases). But toss we did, after having our own fruit-eating contest in the car as we waited in line for our turn at inspection. Amazing how much contraband fruit one family of five can consume within a 15 minute period!

We drove straight through to Hobart - a 3 hour trip that only took us about 7 hours! We arrived in time to collect the house keys from the real estate agent's office, locate and look at the house, drop in (unannounced) to the principals office of the kids school and have a tour of the school, purchase a few groceries and make and eat dinner before falling into bed. We did not have time to arrange telephone or internet service so are still without both of those until sometime this coming week (we hope).

Our house is terrific. Fantastic views, lovely and comfortable furnishings, kid-friendly trappings (movies, books, toys, fort in the yard). We're very fortunate to have located this home through Jill and Andrew and thank Rob, Jane, Bixby and Solomon for providing same to us!

I had my first 'pang' of homesickness this a.m. when I discovered our breakfast invitation was in honour of Thanksgiving. I had forgotten Thanksgiving was so early this year and as it's such a family-oriented time, I am feeling the distance. Today I am thankful for much, including technology, which facilitates this communication thereby making the distance seem less.

So to all of you in Canada who are preparing for your Thanksgiving feasts, may you enjoy the warm feelings of being in the company of family and friends and know that we are missing being with you in body but are with you in spirit.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For Serious Shoppers Only

Imagine living your dream in a place full of signs declaring "Sale". Everywhere you look, every streetcorner you pass, the city is full of signs screaming at you, taunting you, enticing you.

That's how it is when you arrive in Sale, Victoria.

And I write this from the public library computer terminal in Sale, Victoria somewhere south-east of Melbourne. We bought a computer several days ago but have been unsuccessful in finding any internet connections (wireless or otherwise). Tonight we board the Spirit of Tasmania ferry bound for Devonport, Tasmania. It's an overnight ferry so we won't be seeing much but when we land tomorrow a.m., we'll be about 4 hours drive from our new home. I think we're all ready to turn the page on this chapter of our journey. We've seen some beautiful scenery and enjoyed checking out different towns along our way but are anxious to 'settle in'.

More musings and observations from the past few days;

• First kangaroo spotted: roadkill somewhere outside of Cooma. The kids really wanted to get a closer look so we turned around and drove up beside it. Martin was quick to point out to the kids all the car debris scattered about proving the potential dangers of a kangaroo/car collision. I was quick to point out the smell of the carcass did not warrant a lingering perusal of same.
• First flat tire: about 1 km beyond the aforementioned roadkill observation. Seems scattered road debris can present a hazard unto itself. Good thing we brought our handy dandy Daddy tire-changer thingy.
• First road kill by us: on the dark, windy road to the coastal town of Pambula. So busy watching for bush kangaroos we were unable to swerve/stop/avoid running right over the poor little echidna (sp?) This little creature looks a lot like a large hedgehog and moves slightly faster than a speeding turtle with an awkward, stiff-legged gait.
• First encounter with the outback: Ethan waking up one morning and declaring to all that he's going to have a look at the outback as he heads out of the motel room. A moment later he's back asking "Where's the outback?"

And so we carry on through Sale. Not shopping but enjoying our visit all the same.

We are Melbourne-bound!

On the Ground

Well, we made it. Landed in Sydney 3 days ago. Left Vancouver in a whirlwind of good intentions and goodbyes. Rushing through last minute instructions to family and friends who graciously offered to deal with the shrapnel of our departure. I don't even know what's been forgotten or left undone. I know we'll find out eventually . . .

Our flight was great thanks to having an 'inside connection'. Once the kids were happily plugged in to their personal TV's (took Ethan about 2 minutes to figure out all the controls!), flight attendant Marilyn escorted Martin and me to first class where we were treated to 'bed pods', champagne, great meals with real cutlery, blessed sleep!, and a continuous update on our 3 little people who were left on there own to slum in economy class. Thanks Marilyn, economy class will never be the same!

Our non-stop flight was 15 hours and after our arrival and spending 5 hours in the airport trying to book, arrange, find accommodations, we headed into town with our 3 little people and 15 suitcases in tow. We generated a few looks along the way - me or Martin pushing two luggage dolly's at a time or me pushing two along with the help of Ethan & Patrick (not great steerers!) Seems everything arrived safe and sound.

Here's a few quick observations & tidbits from our adventure so far:

• Patrick indicating there was nothing good left to watch on the in-flight television as he'd watched everthing. When I asked he admitted 14 hours of non-stop television was maybe a bit too much!
• Don't shop in airport gift shops for a camera replacement - they run about 33% higher in price than an in-town shop!
• Don't assume a bank draft issued in Vancouver on a Sydney bank will be honoured by the exact branch in Sydney the draft is issued from!
• Weekends, stat holidays and the Sydney soccer equivalent of the Grey Cup weekend make it difficult (understatement) to shop for and purchase a vehicle.
• First Australian wildlife observed: an ibis, followed a few hours later (at dusk) by flocks of giant (seagull-sized) bats flying overhead.
• Best aussie phrase heard so far; Australian equivalent for a man's speedo swimsuit - a 'budgie smuggler'!

The dream has begun but the stress continues . . . still on the list; purchase vehicle, computer and cell phone. Drive 1500 km to Melbourne to catch Thursday night ferry to Tas.

Goal: To arrive safely in Tas with a few dollars in our pockets . . .

Hours in a Day . . .

Five. Four. Less than the number of fingers on one hand. The fingers that are ticking off the things that have yet-to-be-done in any given hour of each day.

Absolute insanity to think we could accomplish all that we set out to do in just 3 short months. There are too many details to think of and I know we'll arrive in Hobart and discover some major issue/item/legal document has been forgotten. That's Murphy's law. Or maybe just the 'law of the move'.

We are so very fortunate to have the good friends we do. Friends who feed us, ply us with drink, look after our kids, house our 'treasures'. These people are the threads that weave together and bind us to this country, this city, this community. People say "Maybe you'll love it so much you'll never want to come back". Anything is possible.

But that one's not likely.

Musings of the Sleep-Deprived

Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. As quick as it is to read those words, the days have flown just as quickly. We are going flat out to complete all the tasks on our respective lists but instead of getting smaller, my list just keeps getting bigger!

So I flew off to Toronto to visit a friend I've known since kindergarten. We had 30 quality hours together before I headed back home this morning. Seems a bit selfish and irresponsible of me in the midst of everything, but it felt more like a much-needed coffee break from the chaos that has become our lives.

I like to think I'm learning to 'live life while I still can'. We never know what lies around the next corner, or just over the next hill. All we know is what's in front of us right now. And if we're always wondering about what lies ahead, we may trip over (or worse, stepover and miss) what is right before us.

Like the opportunity to spend 30 hours laughing, eating and drinking with someone who once coveted my purple-striped bell bottoms and remembers what my natural hair colour is (even if I don't!)

These are the moments we need to grab more of and yet we find excuses why we can't until fate or a long-distance move makes us realize that life is precious and short. Friends, really good friends, are never far from our thoughts. And though time and sometimes distance, great distance, provide convenient excuses for our absenteeism, all that really matters is that in the end we live with no regrets.

Countdown Begins

Ten. This is a good number to start with. Don't all the most important countdowns begin with this number? Rocket launches, bungee jumps, New Year's Eve, you know, all the really big things.


Like moving your family to the other side of the planet.


One of Martin's former co-workers said to him "Man, you must be brave or crazy".


How about some of both. I'm brave he's crazy. Although most days I think I must be half crazy to be feeling so calm about all this. He says to me tonight "I'm so stressed right now I can only imagine how stressed you must be". Strangely, I'm not doing half bad. So that's it; half crazy and half bad.


What does that really mean????


Yesterday Patrick said "I can't wait to get on that plane"! I'm sure he'll feel different after 15 hours in the air.


And so it begins . . . countdown to take-off. Or should that be lift-off . . . as in reaching for the stars??