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End of Year Update |
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Well, we have just about completed our first full calendar year in Australia and boy how it has flown by. This time last year both boys were at home and under my feet, now they are both well and truly settled here in their respective new environments. As I am writing this it is so hot outside it is very hard to feel Christmassy, something I don’t think I shall ever get used to, not that I will give up trying! We are looking forward to a very exciting time at Christmas as our friends Andrew and Charlotte with their two young boys, Harry and Jamie are spending it with us. It will be great having small kids here over the holidays; I am sure Santa visits Australia, even though it’s hot! Adam also has a friend over from the UK so it will be a houseful which is lovely. We can’t guarantee the weather in this part of Aus but fingers crossed it should be good. As I said this year has flown by and we all feel very at home and settled here. January saw our first over 40 degree day. These are declared TFB’s (Total Fire Ban) days. This means you need to have a fire plan in place and be ready to evacuate or stay to protect your property should fire break out. You mustn’t use machinery or anything likely to spark or start a fire. (No hot shoeing for horses) It was a bit scary at first to imagine it could happen but by the end of the summer it became the norm. Lawrence loves it as his school being on the mountain and quite remote closes on TFB days. Mind you it also closed for snow this year! So Lawrence started school in February and Adam went off to University in Canberra. He seems to be very happy there and is having a great time as well as managing to do a bit of work. He is on course at the end of year one to beat his father’s degree, though Dave seems to think that’s because they are so much easier now, especially in Australia! March was a very exciting time for me as the EI was finally eradicated and Merlin allowed into Victoria after 8 months stuck in NSW. He arrived on my birthday and it was the best birthday present I have ever received. He was very well, if a bit chubby but soon got used to being back in work and I am really enjoying having him here. He has been very successful and has won several events and competitions. By April it was cooling down a little and Vera, Dave’s mum, came to stay for a couple of weeks. It was a massive adventure for her and we were so pleased to see her and show her around. She had perfect weather for her stay and we hope she enjoyed it. It is a long, long journey, especially when you don’t do much travelling. At the end of April I drove back up to Canberra with Adam to see the uni and also to meet up with my old friend Heather who moved here some years ago. Adam and her son Ben had been best friends when they were 3 so it was lovely for them to meet again too. In fact Ben’s best friend is on the same course as Adam at ANU and he and Adam were already mates so he probably would have met up with Ben again without knowing it. That would have been a coincidence! Although he is in Wagga at uni, Adam still sees him when he is home in Canberra and went out with him on his birthday in July. What a small world it is.
The winter was fairly quiet. I had a couple of great fun weekends away showjumping with friends from the riding club. Dave managed to get one field shelter built as well as lots of odd jobs that needed doing. He is now very busy at work and enjoying the challenges (I think). We had a lovely weekend away in Echuca in September to celebrate his half century. Echuca is about 3 hours north of here on the border of NSW and on the Murray River. It was a beautiful spring weekend and we stayed in a lovely B&B on the river’s edge. We have put some photos on the web site www.wwwebb.co.uk. Lawrence was left holding the fort here and did a grand job, horses, dogs, cats and house surviving his attentions! By October the weather is more consistently warm but still with the odd really cold snap. Adam got himself a job working for TAB the bookies in Canberra. They employ students for the spring racing carnival which is huge here and pay very well. He has managed to keep some shifts now it has finished which is great for him as he is heading to the National Gliding championships in December. He has managed to secure some sponsorship to help cover his costs but every bit helps. He is very excited as he has wanted to fly in the “Joey Glide” (juniors) since we arrived. He has persuaded a club in Canberra to loan him quite a good glider so is really happy. Now November is upon us and the Christmas ads are appearing and the shops becoming all festive and glittery. I am very busy teaching now that the equestrian scene is back to normal and loving it. I have met lots of great new friends both through the horses and the tennis club. I went to ladies’ day at Flemmington with a few of the girls from tennis which was a great day out until Connex (as bad here as in the UK) managed to fuse the city link rail network, leaving 50,000 people stranded at the racecourse. Fortunately for us Dave was on hand to come to our rescue. Even so it was a fun day though we didn’t win a cent! We are off on holiday to Noosa in Queensland for a week in December then home just in time to welcome all our visitors from the UK for Christmas. I can’t wait. I hope you all have had a happy and healthy 2008 on the other side of the world and wish you all the best for 2009. |
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Bullengarook, November 2008 |
