Here's to a great 08

Well time is fleeting, and it is already the 13th Jan - I can't believe it! My new years resolution to be a better blogger doesn't seem to be becoming particularly true.....

So.... our new year's eve was so boring that I won't even mention it - however we have made a pact that this year we are actually going to get off our arses and do something on new year's eve. which is something we don't normally manage. We are hoping to go to Sydney to see the amazing fireworks, and hopefully get a harbour view suite like we did on our honeymoon in order to maximise the experience! Costs may prohibit as always, but we are always so boring on NYE that we want to do something a bit different this year.

I have started my new job.... it is going OK. I think there is going to be a bit of a learning curve in terms of some of the... personalities I will be working with, but it should be OK. Flextime for anything worked over 36.25 hours a week should make up for this I reckon. At least it is not the previous hell employers.

We've not done anything very exciting yet - money's too tight to mention with the gap in my paydays from changing jobs, and christmas and new year, so we're eating a lot of pasta and baked beans. The most exciting news is probably the expansion to the Robinson family..... please welcome wee Margot! I just couldn't resist her - she kept shimmying under the door of the pen at the RSPCA and running up to me and climbing up my leg. She clearly wanted to come home with us. She is a little wee poppet, and is getting on pretty well with Jerry. She has been poorly this week and had to go to hospital, but she is all better now.

Rejoining the land of the connected

I'll not bore you with the ins and outs of the lengthy saga of getting the internet and phones connected in our new house - it is lengthy and a bit of a saga - although it did bring out a creative side in Stuart I was unaware of. Other than such teething troubles (I suppose only to be expected when we are first into a brand newly renovated house) we are very content. I sit here tippety tapping in my wee study, and I can only hear a little bit of traffic, the cat snoring at my feet, and some Lorikeets rowing in a tree outside. Given the (well documented) alternative in our previous accommodation, I can only smile. Obviously if that bunch of useless bastards would give us our deposit back I could combine smiling with being able to buy stuff, but hey. It's a lovely sunny afternoon and I will not let such things disturb my serenity.

So what have we been up to in the Telstra imposed hiatus I hear you cry (if any of you still check the damn blog). Well we have been through a Queensland spring, and I have to say how very pleasant it was. Whilst the temperature has definitely been on the side of what we poms would call hot, I am reliably informed it has been quite a mild spring. I think the nicest thing about it has been the annual blossoming of the Jacarandas, a tree I have to admit I wouldn't usually be able to pick out of a lineup, but when it blooms it leaves the whole city dotted around with purple. It is lovely (especially for an aging hippy like me). Also springtime means the lead up to the month formerly known as November - now Movember. This is quite possibly the best idea ever for fundraising I have to say, and it is so much fun spotting all the guys around and about who are taking part. Despite my best efforts I was unable to persuade Stu to take part (miserable git) - but I have a whole year to work on him now.

We have also purchased ourselves a car - it is quite nice to have transport again. It's not as nice as our old megane in the UK, but it will get us from A-B (and hopefully back again).

The most notable events of the last few weeks have been a couple of bloody great concerts - Justin Timberlake and The Killers who were both absolutely amazing (in kind of different ways). If you get a chance to see JT on this tour, even if you're not too sure whether you like him I can pretty much guarantee you'll like it. It is a truly amazing show (and he's a sexy wee beastie).

Work is still totally shit - some days I wonder whether I am at work, or at school, due to the actions of some of the pathetic wee shites I have the misfortune to share an office with. I am still keeping my eyes peeled for something else - wish me luck. One good thing is that they have relented over trying to force me to take 3 weeks annual leave at Christmas - I am trying my best to believe that this change of heart is due to the benevolence of our CEO, and not the fact that they have recently hired an internal HR person (the irony!) who has pointed out that this is a trifle dodgy.

Finally, we went to the Gabba to watch the cricket last weekend, which I am assured by people who get much more excited about such things than me, is quite exciting. I was quite excited by the fact that it was quite acceptable, nay mandatory, that you should start drinking beer at about 10:30am, and continue for as long as you like. Whilst I feel none the wiser about cricket itself, due to the fact that the absence of Freddie and Steve Handsomison reduced my attention capacity somewhat, we had a bloody good day. This was the day after the Killers, and before Stu's 31st birthday, so he had a bloody great birthday treat weekend all in all.

I think that is about all I can think of for the minute - now we're back on line I am resolved to be better at this - promise. In the meantime, here are some pics for your viewing pleasure.

Bye

x

Long Overdue Bloggage

Sooooooooooooooooo behind on blogging!

Hello hello

I am rubbish at blogging at the minute - I am terribly sorry. I hope someone other than my mum (hello mum!) is listening.

Lots to catch up on from the last couple of weekends, as they have been very uncharacteristically busy. I have barely had any time for sitting around in my pyjamas - I am sure you can imagine how traumatic a time it has been.

I have now officially commenced my stint as an RSPCA volunteer. I work in the wildlife ward, in the Fairfield Shelter in Brisbane, which is the state HQ. It is huuuuuuuuuge and has a big farmyard section, all the usual dogs, cats etc and my little section which is for wildlife. Last weekend I had my orientation where they showed us a video that made everyone cry, then a tour of the shelter and bit of animal behaviour and training training. On Saturday I started properly. Mostly scrubbing poo and cutting up fruit and whatnot, but it's very interesting and rewarding. There are a lot of birds in at the minute - a couple of Rosellas, a Lorikeet, 2 Kookaburras, a couple of cockatiels, a plover, and a couple of Galahs. Just as I was leaving they were bringing in a Tawny Frogmouth, which is pretty exciting! There's also a blue tongued skink with a missing foot, a brush tailed possum and a couple of ringtail possums, and some mice. There are also 150 Peachfaces whose owner is in prison, so we get the unenviable task of looking after them for the minute. Being lovebirds they are getting pretty busy with the lovin, and there's shortly going to be a bit of a population explosion which everyone's pretty worried about.

We are responsible for cleaning out cages (which is pretty grim in the case of the possums) and getting them all fed, and that's what I'll be doing with my Saturday mornings from now on! I am very excited, if a little intimidated at the prospect of having to handle these animals as some of them are a little fierce, and obviously they're all wild and not too keen on being held. On Saturday me and the other girl who just started managed to release 4 birds by accident, which was a bit traumatic. Obviously on the way out I find it a little hard to walk past the cat section without pausing for a while... I have fallen quite badly in love with one chap in particular and I have the distinct feeling that if he's still around once we have moved out to a house he might be coming home with me one day.... (hope Stu isn't reading this)

Last Sunday we had a bit of an exciting adventure... One of Stu's ex colleagues has a boat, and offered to take all the poms out to South Stradbroke Island for the day. It was fab - South Straddie is lovely, and we had a great boozy afternoon on the boat and the Island and whatnot.

Trip out to South Stradbroke Island

So what else has been happening in the world of Robinson.....

Oh yes, we have decided upon the suburb we want to move to - Paddington. I have long coveted it, and this weekend took Stu up for a look round, and he also fell in love. It is lovely - really nice houses and cafes and little boutiquey shops, and stuff and things shops and whatnot. I heart it. It is really seriously hilly though, which is a bit of a drawback, but does mean that the views are fabulous. We love it so much, and are so sick of here that we are considering breaking our lease so we can move soon. There are some great places for rent at the moment (and obviously we need somewhere suitable for cats) and we are very excited! In other grown up decision news, we have decided that we are going to apply for Permanent Residency. Being here on the visa type that we are frankly sucks arse as we get absolutely no benefits at all, and are fleeced left and right by the taxman. It's going to take a while to save up the cash to apply, but I'll keep you posted. Apparently it should be pretty easy because we are already here and working and whatnot.

Next week I'll be going to the gold coast for 4 days, for my company conference. I am really very unexcited about it - 18 hour days and lots of schmoozing, room sharing and all that bollocks. In fact I tried to get out of it - there are concerns about cost because of the number of staff going, so I volunteered to take one for the team and stay back. That backfired slightly - not only am I going, I am going for the full 4 days, I am hosting a table at the conference dinner, and manning a stand to talk about the analytics team. I have been working there for 10 minutes, and am somewhat surprised and feeling distinctly intimidated by the whole thing as I don't really know anything and have no idea how to schmooze HR big cheeses. I'm also pretty concerned that someone will notice that I have no real HR or analytic background, and my appointment as an analytic consultant is a bit of a fraud. Ah well - just gonna have to hope all the delegates just get pissed and don't care.

Well, I hope that you are still awake after reading that essay. I'll try and be a bit less rubbish in future. Wish me luck for the stupid conference!

Now THAT'S what I call winter

We arrived here in April, which is kind of mid Autumn down here. I was by turns puzzled/amused/annoyed by the insistence upon referring to winter, the prevalence of cold medication and electric blankets, and the impossibility of buying any clothes that are not woollen, long sleeved, or lined with feathers. To give you a context, when we arrived the temperature ranged between 25-30 degrees, with about 70% humidity as a rule.

In the last week or so the temperature has dropped below 20 degrees consistently for the first time, and there has actually been RAIN. I swear if you walked the streets of Brisbane you would think there was some kind of compulsory eskimo fancy dress policy going on.

Yesterday I left work, it was dark and raining, and I actually for a moment span out about where I was. I walked home, got in thoroughly soggy and miserable, and had to cuddle up on the sofa with my warmest pyjamas on. Now THAT'S what I call winter!

No news really, which is why I have been a bit quiet of late. Still no sign of our stuff, and no response from Allied Pickfords. I reckon they're checking under all the carpets, down the back of the sofa, through all the drawers and right at the back of the wardrobe under a pile of shoes for our shipment. I have lost all hope of seeing my belongings ever again. Also my new work seem to expect me to actually do stuff in return for my wages. I'm really not sure how I feel about THAT!

It's all takin and no givin

I am feeling a bit bereft of interesting ideas for blog titles just now, hence the repetitive dolly references. Sorry about that.

My first week at work went well, and since they have allowed me to return today I will take that as a good sign. Everyone here is very nice and chilled, and it seems like a great place to work. We have a casual dress policy, drinks every Friday and whatnot. They treat everyone like grown ups here, basically assuming that you will manage to do your work and in return you can do what you like around it. Which is a very nice refreshing change from some recent office policies I have worked under! I have even done an actual piece of work which has gone to an actual client, which was quite a nice change from the usual first week fish out of water feeling that you get. Also there's a possibility that I might have to go to Canberra this evening with the MD, so they can't think I'm a total numpty. In response to queries about the coffee machine it looks a bit like this:
and I am now quite the expert at frothing milk and whatnot. Should it all go horribly wrong here I can now pursue a career in Starbucks.

Not a massive amount of other news though. Had quite a quiet weekend, as we are poor and tired, but we're starting to get really itchy feet now and can't wait to get some money together so we can actually get out of the city! I have become a bit obssessed with this website which is an excellent way to while away some time and get ridiculously overexcited at the thoughts of seeing this great country. I can't wait! Oooh I tell a lie, there is an event today which is very newsworthy down here - rain! I don't know whether you know but there's a massive and very serious drought in Australia at the moment, so in a bit of a role reversal from the UK whenever there is rain forecast everyone gets really excited, and it goes straight to the top of the news broadcast. I'm not sure whether it'll be enough to get us out of level 5 water restrictions, but hopefully it'll stave off unprecedented level 6, where presumably you can't wash at all. This will not help us stave off the general opinion of poms being a bit bath shy.

What a way to make a livin

Just a very quick one today to say that early indications suggest that new job and new company are pretty good! First day today, and they seem like a really good bunch of folk, with a really chilled ethos. My new boss seems pretty cool, and the offices are dead nice. They even have a proper barista style coffee machine there, although I am far too scared to try it. I think it's going to be quite hard work, and they have pretty high standards by the looks of things, but I think that'll do me good. I've had far too much opportunity to indulge my lazy side over the last couple of years.

I'll keep you posted obviously, but tonight I am far too brain drained to write a big fat blog.

x

Today is a GOOD day

So today is a good day. And why? well this morning we took delivery of a sofa. I now no longer have to sit on the floor. The simple pleasures in life are amazing - I am sitting on a sofa watching telly. It's great. I am enjoying my view, although I don't think I'll have it much longer as there are a shedload of diggers in the site over the road, and I have a feeling there will be a new 50 story apartment block there before very long. They don't hang about over here - when Stu gets up at 6 am they are already in the diggers digging away, and they only stop when it gets dark, so I don't think that we'll even have the luxury of watching it go up slowly and not impeding our little patch of sky before too long. Reckon we might open the curtain one morning to find it built, and folk moved in.

Also today I have got a job. It is for that company who turned me down, then invited me for interviews etc. Apparently they were very impressed with my homework, and as of Monday I will be an analytics consultant. I'm not quite sure what that means, so I'll have to update you on that another day. I am quite excited about it, as they seem a good bunch, have a casual clothing policy and the work seems interesting. However I also have not worked for nearly 3 months, so I think it's going to be a bit of a shock to the system.

However, every silver lining has a cloud. It turns out that our stuff is still in England, as Pickfords just haven't quite got round to sending it yet. So another god only knows how long til we get it over here. Also we have somehow managed to puncture the airbed (that sounds really dodgy, but I don't think it is) so every night we pump it up and go to bed, and every morning we wake up lying on the floor. Not quite sure what we're going to do about it - we're only in a one bedder so we can't buy an interim bed til ours gets here, and our budget doesn't really stretch to it anyway. Hey ho.

In other important news, I have changed campaign of the week (more like campaign of the arbitrary amount of time til I decide to change it). I recently saw some footage of professional kangaroo hunters over here. Picture the scene - a kangaroo is shot and wounded. The hunters pull the joey out of her pouch and stamp on its head. As she struggles to get up, they cut holes in her legs and hang her upside down next to a few other corpses on the back of her truck. They drive away with her still alive, and you can hear the wounded but not dead joey crying in the background. This is so they can make pet food, and Adidas can make football boots and footballs. If like me you think this is a bonkers way to treat any animal, let alone one which is your national emblem and graces your national airline and government sponsored tourism adverts, please visit campaign of the week for suggestions as to who to write to to protest.

Happy Hammers, Horrible Hangovers, Holiday Homes, Hollywood Hotties, and um... Hemployment Hopportunities

Well well well - where to begin? Feels like bloody ages since I've been on here, although it's only 2 weeks.

SO - first things first. We have moved into our new little pad. We are officially camping out in our own flat - sitting on bean bags and sleeping on an air bed. I cannot wait til we can afford to buy some furniture - getting up and down off the floor all the time and having no back support at all is an ergonomic nightmare I tells ya. At least our relationship has survived enforced conversation and spending time together. The flat is grand though - nice and central, very pretty, good facilities etc. There's a gym onsite and I have been going very regularly - me! I'll do a proper blog about it another time when I've uploaded some pics and stuff.

We're on a bit of a poverty trip at the minute as I am STILL not working, and Stu doesn't get paid til Weds, so a strict diet of 2 minute noodles is called for just now. We've managed a few trips out in the last fortnight though.

The weekend we moved in here we went to a meeting of the Brisbane British Club which is an expat group who meets on the last Sunday of every month in the Pig & Whistle (Stu's favourite pub as we know). It was very nice, and we met some nice folk. Of course we got completely totally and utterly shit faced, and neither of us remember getting home. One of the folk we met emailed us the next day to say that he'd had to throw a sickie that day as he had practically puked up a lung when he got home. Another bloke who neither of us remember at all emailed Stu to ask whether he could pass on the details of Naylor recruitment as discussed. Neither of us have ever heard of Naylor recruitment. Hopefully we weren't having some sort of fantasy conversation and making up a load of nonsense to this bloke. I'm just hoping we're allowed back next time. I don't know how Stu made it to work on the Monday as I just wanted to die all day.

Last weekend we went to the Bathing Buddha Festival over on the South Bank which is rapidly becoming one of my favourite parts of Brisbane. It was a really lovely day, loads of great food stalls, all very educational. It was only slightly marred by the fact that on our way in someone gave us a leaflet which I assumed was information on the event - but no. It was in fact helpfully pointing out that all Buddhists are going to go to hell because they worship an idol. I will let you know how the author responds when I email him to ask him how he would feel if a load of Buddhists picketed his Christmas or Easter celebrations - but then it wouldn't happen as they seem to generally be nice open minded people!

Afterwards we went to the Jade Buddha for a few scoops as it seemed appropriate under the circumstances. (It turns out that Pat Rafter owns Jade Buddha, so I fully intend to stake it out at every available opportunity from now on). Anyway, there we were minding our own business when a bunch of too cool for school folk traipse in with some kind of minder bloke in big shades and a bluetooth headset. They all settle down to a table, and one of them gets out a camera and starts filming one of them doing such riveting things as ordering and eating food, etc. Being a naturally inquisitive person I gawped at them, til I figured out that it was Jared Leto with his band. So check me right out, rubbing shoulders with Hollywood A listers. Barnes verdict: Very very very pretty, but a bit of a knob.

As I said above, I'm still not working but things are kind of looking up on that front. I'm in what I hope are the last stages of an application with an HR consultancy firm. I originally applied for a job as a business analyst, which they turned me down for. I emailed them and said please keep me in mind etc etc, then they invited me to apply for an HR admin role. Better than nowt I thought, so I trotted along and got invited back for a second interview. Half way through this interview it turns out that they were interviewing me for an analyst post - the one they originally turned me down for. Very confusing. I have to do a case study thing this weekend, then hopefully I'll get a decision. So fingers crossed and positive vibes down under please, as I really want the job!

I think that's it for the minute. I've got a load of emails to catch up on this weekend, so hope to be in touch soon!

Oh yeah - and have a look at where I'll be spending Christmas.

Domestic bliss

Another day another update. I decided to change my font for this one to spice things up a bit.

On Friday I went to a careers expo all dressed up all smart (sweating like a Brit abroad), armed with copious CVs and a determined and professional attitude. Unfortunately it was heaving with school kids on day release (and making the most of it) and I stuck out like a sore pom. I didn't make it very far around to be honest, as I felt a little bit dismissed by most of the people I spoke to, who showed very little interest in anything I had to say. I did get a contact for an agency that deal with placing people into the police, so am preparing myself to lay siege to them and prove that just because I am Johnny Foreigner does not mean I am Johnny Unemployable. Will keep you posted.

Then we went over to our new little apartment. The phrase 'compact and Bijou' springs to mind, but it'll do us grand for the forseeable. Unfortunately the folk who run the building are desperately in need of an arse-elbow orienteering course - they could not run a bath. I suppose though it is a pretty busy time for them with 800 odd people moving in in the space of about a month. It is very exciting to be doing trendy inner city living - I'm really looking forward to it. Yesterday we went off and bought a Fridge Freezer and Washing Machine for our new place - bizarrely this made us both feel more grown up than getting hitched and moving to the other side of the world did! So although we will be sitting and sleeping on the floor and staring at the walls (no budget for telly or sofa!) we will have cold beer and clean clothes. Not sure we need much else really!

We also set ourselves up with boring but essential things like phones and electrickery and the such like. I think it's sinking in a bit now that we really live here - we've certainly got a paper trail now!

Today we just kind of pottered around - went down to the pier for eggs benedict and latte breakfasts and just to watch the river go by in the sunshine. One of Stu's new colleagues was there, and he kept calling him Simon. Stu didn't correct him so now we're in that awful quandary of either - a) embarrassing him by correcting him next time he gets it wrong, or b) letting him call Stu Simon for ever. He's a pom too (from Orpington no less) and wants us to get together for beers and stuff with him and his wife, so this one could run and run.

That's it for the minute really - all very dull and domesticated, but hey it all needs to be sorted before the proper business of holidaying can begin!

Also - a word to the wise for anyone coming out here. Avoid this stuff at all costs. It is NOT Marmite. Repeat it is NOT marmite. It has the texture, colour and consistency of a red wine hangover poo and does not look becoming on a slice of toast. If you do come out - please bring us lots of marmite. REAL marmite.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Starting to feel a little frustrated now!

I just can't believe how incredibly difficult it is to persuade anyone to rent us a flat! You would NOT believe the amount of stuff I have had to produce for the people in the flats that we really want to live in - marriage and birth certificates, bank cards, even a letter from the people who run the serviced apartments that we're staying in saying that we're staying here. It is RIDICULOUS. Last night they decided that we had to both produce 2 personal referees each who are based in Australia. We've not even been here 2 weeks yet! So I've had to call on the services of a poor chap who I shared a hostel room with for 2 weeks 6 years ago to be one of my referees - god bless him he's doing it, but how stupid is that? I did look over my journal from when I was here backpacking the other day and it notes the day that I met him - apparently I jumped off the top bunk (he had the bottom bunk) and the landing caused me to do a fart in his face. I hope he does not mention that when questioned.

Slightly worried that we are going to end up homeless a week on Friday when our time here finishes.

On a brighter note - the bag that we had to ship off separately at Gatwick airport has now arrived, which I am VERY pleased about as I was getting totally sick of my clothes. Only problem is I don't know where the padlock keys are.

On another bright note - yesterday Stu found out that he has his first proper assignment as a consultant type person! He is very clever - it was his first interview that he had been sent out on, with SMS' biggest client, not even been in the company a full week yet and he got the job. I am very proud of him. He went off this morning looking very smart, I will let you know how he gets on.

Well best go and make my daily visit to these apartments to comply with their info requests. I might chuck a right down Walking Over Hot Coals Street, then shortcut through Crawling Over Broken Glass Avenue.

This little piggy went to market

Still no joy in finding somewhere to live - we've seen some right horrors this weekend I tells ya! Still can't believe the states that some Landlords think it's acceptable to try and rent a place in. Ah well, we shall persevere.

This weekend we mostly went looking at horrible places to live, and visited a couple of the local markets (of which there seem to be no shortage happily enough!). Yesterday we went to the Jan Powers Market in New Farm (which is definitely somewhere we would want to live if we could find somewhere). It was like a great big farmers market in a park right on one of the bends of the river. It was really lovely, and Stu managed to get some organic meat so he is happy out. Got some lovely Thai veggies and stuff to make a nice veg curry with tonight too - yum.

Unfortunately in a day of a lot of pottering around I managed to do a very silly thing - got sunburnt. But not just any old sunburn - oh no, I managed to do it whilst wearing a vest top and carrying a bag with the strap across my body. Leaving me very stripy. Twat.

We also encountered our very first horrendously racist Australians. They took umbrage to the fact that there was an aboriginal family on the Ferry, and were not shy about using some extremely unpleasant language to express their viewpoint quite loudly. I have to say though, whilst it was very uncomfortable, in the main everyone we have met has been outstandingly lovely, and I don't think they are representative of general attitudes. It's great here - as soon as you stop and get your little 'I'm a tourist' map out, folk stop to make sure you're OK and try and give you directions. Can you imagine if someone tried to do that in London? You'd just clutch your handbag a bit tighter, put your head down and scurry off.

Today we've just been for a bit of a potter round the Riverside and Eagle Street markets. They were really lovely, full of lots of precious things. I am pretty sure that once we are settled and a bit more solvent quite a lot of them will be finding their way home with me. Stu has a little bit of a hangover as he went off to the Pig & Whistle last night to watch the Hammers. And is feeling a little sorry for himself due to their now likely demotion. I've set aside this afternoon to do my CV and get applying for some work - boo. I can think of many more ways I would like to spend a sunny Sunday!

Memory Lane

Well, we'll have been here for one week tomorrow, which feels at the same time like it's been bloody ages, and no time at all. Haven't been up to much in the last couple of days. I went for a bit of a walk past the hostel I used to work in, and around that neck of the woods the other day, which was a bit weird. Everything is still there and still exactly the same - felt like I'd got in my dolorean and gone back 6 years.

Stu has started work now, and seems to be enjoying it. I think he still feels very much like the new boy and as is typical in new work he has a lot to take in, but I think he'll be grand. He's a smart cookie my husband. I'm not doing anything really yet - just lots of admin. Getting visas stamped, bank accounts, all that malarkey. Starting to feel a little anxious about sorting out some accommodation as we'll be getting booted out of this place in a couple of weeks. We're trying to apply to the fancy new apartments in town but the process of getting somewhere to rent over here is a bit rigorous, and not very easy to get all the necessary paperwork and jump through all the necessary hoops when you're Johnny Foreigner fresh off the boat. Also they are now out of 2 bed places, and only have 1 bed, and Stu is being a bit stubborn about having 2 beds. So there may be a domestic on the horizon.

Anyway once all the admin is done I'll be throwing myself into looking for a job as money is something else I'm meithering about!

So sorry there are no exciting tales of drunken excess today, but the holiday couldn't last forever unfortunately! Hope you're all well and enjoyed the bank holiday sunshine at home.

x

Settling in

This one might be a bit of a long one - sorry.

Last few days have been mostly taken up with exploring, and slowly killing ourselves with alcohol. In the event of my untimely demise there is a strong possibility that I may not need embalming.

It all started innocently enough on Saturday night with a game of Canasta. This is an activity usually undertaken with the Darkinses, and as with most Darkins related activities it would be rude not to have a few scoops to mark the occasion. As we had invested in a bottle of Havana Club at the trusty duty free we thought Cuba Libres would be appropriate. So we sank a few of those. Then thought as we didn't want to drink a whole litre of rum in one night we would switch to red wine. Then happily finding ourselves still awake at midnight we decided to decamp to the local where the West Ham v Arsenal game was playing (Stu being a Hammer and me being a very dedicated wife). Naturally, watching football involves drinking beer (can you tell where this is headed yet?).

Turns out as well that this pub is the meeting place of the Brisbane Hammers for most of their match watchings. At some point in the second half I lost the will to live, ability to walk and talk etc, so decided to head home. I had the intention of leaving a key for Stu on reception so he could get in whenever he came back, but for reasons which are somewhat hazy I didn't. I then realised some time later that he wasn't there, so went out looking for him. The pub was all shut up, so I came back again, and the very nice man on reception in our apartment thingies asked me if I was looking for a drunk pommy. I confirmed that was indeed the purpose of my search, and it turned out he had just let him in. We are neither of us any the wiser as to where he had been, or how we had managed to pass each other.

We decided to carry on with the cuba libres - after all what use is a half full bottle of rum to anyone? Might as well empty it and get it in the recycling. Awaking at 2pm the next afternoon with a herd of wildebeest stampeding in my head I realised the folly of this decision.

So there we were on our first wedding anniversary, absolutely hanging and with no inclination to do anything but hide from the day. But we dragged ourselves kicking and screaming out, and went to the Jade Buddha on Eagle Street Pier for the barbecue option - and very nice it was too. No anniversary news to report though due to our absolutely death like states.

Easter Monday was slightly more successful - we went out for a great big walk round the South Bank (very nice - wee market on and it's where the city beach is which is slightly surreal but nice), then over to the Botanical Gardens, which was a bit of a blast from the past as myself and Alison Flanagan once hired Rollerblades for the afternoon and chose that location to demonstrate to Australia a lack of co-ordination the likes of which had never been seen before. We then headed over to Kangaroo Point (which is on the short list of suburbs that we would like to live in, in the event that we win the lottery at some point in the next few weeks). Refresher in the Story Bridge Hotel and then got the ferry back over to town for a bit of a wander. I'm hoping that has satisfied Stuart's sight-seeing demands for a little while as I am far too fat to be enjoying such exertions.

Anyway - I'm boring myself a bit now, so I'm sure I must have lost your attention by now. I'm off out shortly to visit some of the old stomping grounds from my previous visit to Brisbane 6 years. How very nostalgic of me! Stu went off to start his new job today, so fingers crossed for him everyone! Below is a wee album of a few bits we've seen/done so far if you haven't totally switched off yet.

Robinsons Down Under