update

Well, still haven't finished the pool fence, sorted out citizenship, got Callum a British passport, or upgraded the PC.

Petrol is now $1.60 a litre (or, as we need RON95, nearer $1.70!) - at this rate it will be the same cost as the UK!

Back in Sydney

Back in Sydney now, for Mother's Day.

I managed to get the work 'business upgrade' this time - fly SAS, and you get economy to KL or Bangkok, then Business with SAS to Stockholm (via Copenhagen). SAS Business is ok - a nearly flat bed type seat - enough that I did get some sleep.

(I watched movies on the Economy bit in Qantas - there and back)

Sweden -2

Luggage has just been delivered to the hotel

Sweden

Horray - I'm in Sweden. Boo - my luggage hasn't made it (yet).

vegetarian products

A gripe (no - really? from a pom?) - in the UK many food products which used to be made with gelatine or renet have slowly moved over to using vegetarian replacements where possible.

Not so here - in fact I'm finding more and more products are now including gelatine. Pasta sauce has gelatine added to cream as a thickener

(Cakes are made with 'pre-gelatinised starch', but this isn't gelatine..)

Up goes the fence...

2nd weekend of putting up the (old) pool fence - 2 sides fully done, one side nearly done (with a safety gate), and the final side untouched.

Pleased with it, even it if does look a little wonky (going for safety, not aesthetics!)


Autumn weather is truly here now - can still get hot in the sun in the afternoon, but night temperature is dropping to the point where we have to close the doors in the evening...

2 Years - now we can become citizens

Well, we have been in Australia for 2 years now - Louise/Amelia on the 23rd Feb, me, 2 weeks later (ie about now) - so we can raid the piggy bank for cash to apply for citizenship.

Jazz at the park

Thanks to Nicky for inviting us all to Jazz in the Park at Wahroonga today - was good, if a bit nippy (where did the summer go!?!)

the zoo, the QE2 and the QV

We spent much of today at the zoo again, but decided to take the ferry over to Circular Quay - on the way over we saw both the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Queen Victoria moored in the harbour...

Australia Day

Monday 28th of January was Australia day - a long weekend. We joined many others locally for a concert and fireworks at KMC Bicentenial Park where Amelia enjoyed the Shrek the Third stage show, and both of the kids got a balloon to try hold on to (A let her balloon go, but not before trying to beat up Brendan Nelson our local MP (oh - also leader of the Opposition).
Evening ended with fireworks by the same guy who does the new year fireworks off the Harbour Bridge at new year.

A meal out

Thanks to Claire for babysitting A &C last Saturday - we managed to get a meal out for what must be the first time since Callum was born (or longer!)

We went to Tables in Pymble, which was nice. Not having to handle A & C was nicer.

Zoo

We went to Sydney Zoo today using our year pass. Both A&C loved it - of course, A decided as we were leaving that she wasn't ready to go, and wanted to see the lions. Next time...

just to busy

more busy than a busy thing, that is exceptionally busy - will try to sit down at the weekend for an update, and more pictures...

New pool pump

More work - just had the pool pump replaced. The old one gave up (either it didn't like the new pool cleaner being attached, or was about to give up anyway). Ho Hum.

More on the drains

We had Tim the drains expert round again, this time with the camera - not as bad news as we expected - much of the pipe work has already been replaced - we may be able to get away with just treating a small section with chemicals for a next couple of years, then get it replaced as part of the house rebuild...

Happy New Year

Well, we made it to the family fireworks (the Sydney ones, not ones of our own!). Pics later.

Not as good as last year (or may be it wasn't as exciting as it wasn't our first NYE in Sydney), but not bad. The midnight ones looked good on the tv, and spanked the ones in Melbourne!

Back at work now.

(but off home soon, and perhaps a dip in the pool. It is summer after all)

A day at Manly

Today was Louise's Christmas Dive day.

So up early and off to Manly. Weather was looking good (28degrees, little cloud).

Louise had two good shore dives with SydneyDive, whilst we went for a walk down the Corso at Manly, and off to the beach (then because the sun was getting far to hot for sensitive skin), back to the Corso for lunch.

Where the smell came from

Well, we discovered where the smell was coming from - raw sewage was bubbling up from an drain access point near the bottom of the garden - given the way it "bubbled" up suggested a blockage (I put the lid on, and weighted it down with 20Litres of liquid chlorine!)

So, off to the list of tradies, and our recently obtained plumber (who is actually a drain specialist).

Yes, it was blocked, and yes it is likely to block again - tree roots have penetrated the pipe. What isn't clear is if the blocking point is on our pipe or Sydney Water's part - that is going to take another visit and a camera.

Joy.

Off to the sales now.

Boxing Day gardening

Louise spent most of today filling up the neighbour's WheelyBin with bits of the garden.

We were going to go into the pool at the end of the day, but the kids had a late sleep and by the time they were up, it was a bit late, and nearly dinner time!

We did discover an interesting smell though...

Christmas Day

Back at home now after Christmas lunch/dinner with friends, at friends.


Amelia and Callum were generous enough to wait until 7am before getting up (later than normal!), which was nice. Then time to open a couple of presents that Santa brought (oh look, Santa ate the jelly and dranks the beer that we left for 'him').

Callum isn't sure about the whole opening thing - Amelia has no doubts.

Then some breakie and more opening gifts. Then bathtime, and time to make the salad and start packing for going to lunch.

Lunch was good, with prawns, ham, bbq'd swordfish, salads, pinapple desert and christmas pud and custard. The weather was cold though - only about 20 degrees.

Both the kids were sparko by the time we got home (I drove) - Louise wasn't far behind :-)