3 months in....

THREE MONTHS!!!! OMG!! It has gone so very fast. At times, it feels like I've been here for years. And then something will happen and I'll think, "OK, that's new, add it to your list of things to learn v. fast!"

Work
So, I completed the 3 week contract at the state school this week, on Thursday - I'd been looking after a Year 8 form group, teaching them English, Humanities, Visual Arts (!!) and My Journey (a bit like PSHCE), for 3 days per week. I really enjoyed the focus and the different subject areas. I was covering for the regular teacher who was taking long service leave - after 10 years' service, teachers are entitled to take paid time off. What a brilliant way to retain teachers' skills in the profession! I also had to assess the work against the criteria for each task and provide feedback, enter all the marks into a global markbook and would have written the reports, if the MIS system had been working.  There was no formal lesson plan template but all teachers have laptops and many of the resources are on a system called C2C, which is the whole Australian curriculum with activities, etc, for all to use.

What I've learned about assessment so far, is that students have control over their exercise books, for all subjects. Teachers don't mark these at all. Assignments for every subject, including the PSHCE one, are set every term and students are provided with the criteria way in advance. The assignments span around 4 weeks; teachers then mark the assignments against the shared criteria, grade it A+-E and report back to parents/carers once a term.

Teachers have to have a Learning Intention or Goal on the board at all times (like the UK) and also a Success Criteria for every lesson, which the students write in their books.


I had two duty slots on my timetable too - the main job is to ensure that everyone is wearing a "bucket hat" if in the sunshine. There is a longer break in the morning ("morning tea") and then a shorter break in the afternoon.  I've also come across a school which is running a 7 day timetable.... that's a new one on me! I'm used to 5 or 10... but 7? I don't know what the rationale is but I know that I'm going to really have to focus on what day it is!

I did lots of online CPD too over the last month; CPD has to be recorded and every teacher has to do 20 per year to continue being a teacher. I've already done 24!! I like the fact that it's online and you can do it at your own pace. I've now done 3 different types of child protection: state, Catholic and private/independent schools!

Students are fascinated by the accent ("do you have an ACCENT?!") and also by the fact I've been away in Europe for 44 years and now I'm back. It's great to teach European history (I was doing medieval life earlier this week) but to put an Australian spin on it. Truly fascinating.

School buildings have been interesting at the schools I've been working in. Mainly concrete with airways through at ceiling level; very little glass around the sites; solar panels to reduce electricity bills; corrugated metal roofs to protect us from sun and rain over all the pathways; ceiling fans everywhere.

I've now come across some textbooks - if you remember, I hadn't seen many in my first two schools! What I really like about them is that they are written for the Queensland curriculum by serving Queensland teachers - there's an info page about who is teaching where. Also, there is only one exam board - Queensland - for the final year exams, so no competition there. It also means that there should be comparability across the state? The textbooks have online videos, animations and workbooks to go with textbooks - I'm wondering if this is because of the remote regions where maybe teachers can't get access to more resources; but also, this might be helpful for those students who are remote and can't actually get to school.

One of the schools I've worked at is really well resourced; the students all have a Mac provided by the school (but paid for by the parents). When I took a supply lesson I saw that all the laptops had the students' names printed on them - facing me when they're using them - so straightaway I knew which student was which, such a brilliant but simple idea.

Uniform is often like a sports shirt and shorts, with the house colours and name on the sleeve. Students sometimes have different coloured hats for their different houses too. At some schools the girls have to wear ties but the boys don't - I'm not sure why that is but the girls don't like it! At other schools, the girls are wearing uniform dresses. The boys told me at one school that their winter uniform (for term 2, which we're about to start after Easter) has trousers, not shorts. 

So the best work news is that I had two interviews and got one - which is for a Humanities/English maternity cover from Easter to Christmas. Lovely staff and a great feel to the school, my own set of classes (6 of them) and all Year 7 and 8. I think it's a superb way for me to understand more about Queensland education and what I can contribute. I have done supply at the school and been made so welcome, so I'm really looking forward to being part of the team for three terms.

I've also learned about the Teacher Classification Teams - unlike in the UK, where it's the school/principal who decides the pay grade - here it's an external team who look at your qualifications, your experience and then say "you're 4 years qualified". What??!! You have to provide "statements of service" to prove where you've worked and as what - I had to get this notarised as a statutory declaration by a JP... luckily the local library provides a JP every single day, which is free.  I thought this was brilliant - and it shows you how many people need to get statutory declarations done for work/life! I'm hopeful that for my 3 term contract the team will review my "you're 4 years qualified"... it's 20 years!! But it's made me research how to become more qualified in the QLD system so I am paid for the years I've done.

Life
The furniture FINALLY arrived last Friday, just under 3 months since I last saw it. 156 boxes were delivered and I spent the weekend trying to make sense of it. I've been ruthless again with clothes and took 9 bags to the Salvation Army store in Caloundra. I've kept all the packing boxes because this lease runs out at the end of Jan 2020, and I'll need to pack again. Three items haven't made it to me yet: my grandmother's bureau which I use as a desk (needs fumigating due to borer beetle?!), my grandmother's antique oak blanket chest (ditto) and my pressed corsage framed after my son's wedding in June (has to be gamma rayed due to seeds?!). I've had to pay $1876 for the privilege of the fumigation/gamma! And it should be arriving later this week, fingers crossed.

We've had some storms and rain in the last month, as summer turns to autumn. My cousin Will is regularly updating me on what's coming at us from what direction! I notice that there are more biting bugs (like mosquitoes) after the rains, so I've invested in bug spray, flyswatters and after-bite cream! Temperatures are still around the top 20s to 30, so still warm enough for shorts! I've now got a duvet on the bed (very lightweight though) for the 3am chilly moments.

I've bought blockout curtains for the west side of the house - keeps the sun out, and therefore the heat, which means I don't need the aircon on as much.

The water bill came for my first 2 months.... $18! Madness. I think it's because I had no washing machine or dishwasher, though I was having 3 showers a day at the height of the humidity!

I've been playing the Lott (lottery) each week and actually won a couple of times, which is encouraging. Pokies (arcade machines) is a big social issue here - they are in pubs etc and lots of people are struggling with an addiction to them.

A national election is looming so there are lots of TV ads and debates on the news channels. There are also lots of expose TV programmes investigating wrong-doing by those in power - a regular 7pm nightly programme!


I've been avidly reading Scott Pape (the Barefoot Investor), who writes in the Courier Mail (on Sundays) about finance and all things moneywise in Australia. He gives great advice about which bank account to use, what super (pension) to get, etc - a bit like Martin Lewis in the UK. I've found it supremely useful and I've written lots of notes for when I'm in a position to do those things. Barefoot says you should have FOUR bank accounts - you put 60% in an everyday one for bills, 20% in a fire extinguisher one (for emergencies), 10% in a splurge account (for holidays) and then 10% in a grow account. I'm aiming to do this when I've got a regular income - now it's still a bit hand to mouth.

A big blocker to my organisational prowess has been the Australian Tax Office (ATO) and the lack of a Tax File Number (TFN). This is something you apply for online, print out (which for me meant a trip to the library to print until my furniture came!), then a visit to the Post Office for them to verify your identity with passport, driving licence, etc.. and then you wait 28 days..... and wait.... I did it the first time on 19 January at Nambour Post Office... waited... lost a lot of money from my February salary as no TFN number... then I rang the ATO... who couldn't find it (despite it being online and instant) and said do it again......did it again on 13 March at the Caloundra Post Office (didn't trust the first one)... waited 14 days and rang the ATO.... who couldn't find it (despite it being online and instant) and said do it again..... this time I escalated the complaint to a supervisor.... and then complained to the Post Office in Caloundra, who were lovely and confirmed it HAD gone to the ATO... I still don't have it, so next week will be the 28 days and I'll be ringing the ATO again!! People say, it will come back when you do your tax return in July.... but I'm keen to get it sorted now so I know what my salary will be/should be.

One of my favourite activities is after a hot day at school, just drive to the beach, change into my swimsuit (which is always in the boot of my car) and plonk myself into the sea to cool down. Those are the moments when I realise how different my life really is now!

Cats
They've settled much more since I last updated, and in particular are loving the furniture - both of them slept on the kitchen chairs after they were unpacked last night, rather than the bed! They still like to get up early (currently 5:15am) to check out the birds, especially the noisy miner (boy it is noisy) who lives in the front garden. They've caught another gecko which I saved from them but then it ran under the fridge - I have no idea if he ever escaped. And the worst thing they've caught this month - a beautiful blue-green dragonfly. As it's cooling down, they're eating more of their food and also losing less fur. A vet appointment is already scheduled for end of May for their annual jabs and a good check up. I've also found a new catsitter team who will be looking after them when I'm away. Little one really likes the ottoman which was delivered a few weeks ago, goes with the lovely Sadie chair which spins round!

UK
My lovely children are really well; my son and his wife will move into their new place in a few days in London. I've loved seeing their renovation (reno we call it here) photos and am really looking forward to seeing it in person in December. My daughter and her husband are now back in harness in London after their 8 week honeymoon - I think they missed their puppy hugely while they were away! I've used online Hotel Chocolat to send Easter eggs, which is so helpful - I did that last year from Leeds too!

My mum has settled in on the Isle of Man, where she now lives with my sister. I Skype her every weekend and she has quickly got the hang of that at 80! They have been doing a reno too, to create a bedroom and en suite out of a garage!

I'm using Whatsapp every day to chat to my loved ones, which is so easy - and free. I still use Twitter and Insta too, but I'm not as focused as I once was on the latest Ofsted consultation update, etc!

Finally, my Mr Wonderful is due out here next week to spend some time in the sunshine with me after a big operation. I'm hoping that he really likes the climate, the beaches and the lifestyle and doesn't go back at all!

Two months in....

So.... two months in! In some ways it feels like years, and in others, just days. So after two months, what is life like?

In terms of work, it's been very interesting. I've visited 16 local schools (some private, some faith, some state) to drop off my CV, as well as using the Catholic team's app and the state relief line. I've now done 4 days' supply (teaching everything from English to History to Snorkelling - I kid you not, thankfully it was theory!!) in two state schools and I have found it fascinating. Here are some of the differences in learning I've spotted so far:

- Students are expected to have their own pens, pencils, scissors, exercise books; school does not supply any of this.
- Students are expected to have their own electronic device (tablet, laptop mobile) in order to access the curriculum
- Much of the curriculum is electronic on MyLearning or ELearn; I have seen only a couple of textbooks in all of the rooms I've worked in
- Teachers mark work electronically and send it back to students for corrections
- Lessons are 70 mins long, with a longer morning break (40 mins) and a shorter lunch hour (30 mins)
- Playground duty is HOT!!! And you need a hat and sunglasses
- Calls from school admin start at around 6:30am, so you need to be awake!!
- Most floor surfaces are concrete which means your shoes aren't absorbing the shock, so your feet will hurt way more than normal!
- Every room has a fan or an air con or both - find the way to switch them on quickly as you walk into the room!
- You walk much slower, to conserve energy and reduce sweating!
- Early start to the day (8:30am) means an early finish (2:30pm)
-Sites are really open (no fences) and so "lockdown" procedures are vital
- Because all doors are open (to create a draught) there is no shouting, it's all quiet voices
- There are lots of Teacher Aides (like teaching assistants)
- Salaries are paid every 2 weeks ... so no great big gap between payments into your bank

One of my relief schools has offered me a 3 week contract doing English and Humanities for Year 8, so I'll be doing that for the last 3 weeks of term. Yay! And I'll get to plan and deliver lessons, assess work, use the school's reporting system - fabulous. I'm also applying for maternity covers and other short contracts, so that I get more experience of the QLD system. All good for me continuing to work in the classroom.

On my non-working days, I'm walking to the gym (new one, 24 mins' walk from home), doing a pilates or yoga class or the exercises the personal trainer lady has set me for my triceps, then walking back. I try and do this early because if I leave it to lunch time or later, it's super hot. I'm also beetling into Caloundra to the library - I've got a favourite parking spot and then a little walk. And of course visiting the beach, the walks and just revelling in the climate.

It's great having family nearby too - having dinner, going for a walk/swim, borrowing an iron - all great for me! And being able to do things for them is also great, like giving a lift somewhere. I like being useful!

So in the last month, I've been.....

... receiving birthday cards and gifts and texts, thank you everyone! ... at a retirement planning seminar held by the library - really interesting, as I knew nothing about superannuation and what to do with it, when, etc.
... to the cinema in Caloundra, which is air conditioned, yay - saw "The Mule" (terrible, don't make any more Clint please) and "Green Book" (brilliant, glad it won at Oscar time)
... taking part in the Clean Up Australia Day with the BELLS group near me
... for coffee after the clean up!
... to Pilates and Yoga at least twice a week at my new gym near me and made friends in my classes
.... researching giving blood here, as I've done 50 donations in the UK - would you believe it, that as I've lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996, I'm not allowed to give blood here as I might have mad cow disease?!!
... watching the weather to see where Cyclone Oma went - thankfully veered away from our coastline
... visiting the laundromat twice a week ($6 per time) as my washing machine is still on the ship.. I was in charge of closing the windows last week, I'm so trustworthy!
... contacting the removal people to see where my ship is!! It got caught up in the Cyclone and had to sail to Sydney not Bris. Now my belongings are being examined by the Customs crew and the Quarantine crew. I have no idea when they'll get to me!  Everything was packed up on 2 Jan.... it will be nearly 3 months when I unpack stuff!!
... using Ebay AU and Amazon AU... :)
... registering for the Lott (like the lottery) online
... ordering wine online (thank you son and daughter-in-law for birthday vouchers)
... learning how to use my own Esky (thank you cousins for birthday gift)
... face-timing the TAG group on Friday night for me (afternoon for them) to hear about progress etc
... using my Fitbit to check on steps and sleep (thank you daughter and son-in-law for birthday gift)
.. acclimatising slowly - not having the fan on all night!
... paying bills - $48 for a month's electricity, even with the aircon on.. great to have solar power here!
... made contact with former primary school schoolmates
... sent and returned my bowel cancer kit
... received my "you have to vote" letter from the Electoral Commission - it's compulsory to vote here, which I think is excellent
... getting loyalty cards for all the shops I go into like Dan Murphy's, Woolworths, IGA


So overall, I'm thinking that's a pretty successful two months. I can't wait to see what happens next!

One month in....

So it's just over a month (month and 5 days to be precise!) since I set off from Heathrow on this great adventure. And I think it was fitting that on the exact date of my departure (6th!) I did my first day's work as a supply teacher in a coastal school in QLD. 

What a great bunch of students and staff, and what a great commute - around 45 mins northwards up the coast from my little unit.I really enjoyed working, feeling useful and being part of a team.  I was also really impressed by the Dept of Education's payroll team, who rang me the very next day to say, "hey, we want to pay you, what's your account number?" - how helpful is that!  

And now I've got a folder (I know, you're already saying, that's just typical me, very very organised) with directions to the schools I'm registered with, phone numbers etc, so I can dash out of the house quickly when needed.

I'm now really settled in my unit - 3 bed, one storey house - and the cats have really calmed down significantly. I've had to buy new scratching posts and litter houses for them because they're relaxing so much they've been scratching new sofa chair and spraying cat litter all over the floor. I also bought them two new mice toys... they lasted a day before the innards of the toy were torn to pieces! Pip is still catching a cricket a day; Squeak is more selective and is aiming for flies, around two a day. No more geckoes - I have seen some at the front of the house but the cats can't get there so they're safe!

The weather has been amazingly good - still over 30deg during the day and with some heavy rain mainly at night. Weekend before last was a bit cloudy but it meant I could do a 3 hour walk along the coastal walkway paths - really lovely wooden traditional boardwalks in a lot of places. Last weekend it was way too hot so I only managed 2 hour walk. I'm doing all of the coastline over a few months - loving the sea breezes, the white sand and the smell of the banksias!

So what have I learned so far about life in Oz as a grown-up?

- Australia has the best range of "slaw".... brocslaw (broccoli), kaleslaw (kale) etc! Each week I'm buying a different one to try it out
- Turning left at a red light - I seem to remember that in the USA you can do this too! But be careful!
- Driving an automatic is actually way easier than a manual
- Entering and leaving your house via the electric garage door is acceptable practice
-Being ahead of the game on the weekly rubbish bin placement on the kerb is a global practice
-Bananas really don't keep very long at all in 30deg heat but you can't put them in the fridge
-Using the aircon is not a luxury!
-Supply teaching is the same experience in both countries; it all depends on the quality of the work set by the absent teacher
-Queensland's education payroll team are super-efficient and helpful
-Dentist services are just as expensive as the UK
-Going for an x-ray is really easy - and you need your Medicare card to make it free
-Petrol here is super-cheap - currently $1.21 per litre (about 66p) and there is an even cheaper one called 10% which has some ethanol in it, my new car takes that thankfullly
-Rush hour and gridlock are relative terms but exist - just not like the Armley Gyratory
-Using those windshield reflective covers when you leave the car is definitely a bonus if you can't park in the shade
-Whatsapp is a brilliant tool, keeping me in touch by video, phone and message - and it's free!
-Bus services are relatively cheap ($3 for a trip into Caloundra) but train services are more expensive ($37 for a single journey from Bris to Nambour)
-Driving in central Brisbane is a bit scary but no worse than Leeds
-Helpfully you can log on to the website after you went through a toll without a transponder!
-Feeding lizards is not acceptable in a cafe, they are pests like pigeons/seagulls in the UK even if they look more interesting
-Roads are much, much wider and distances are way longer/bigger than you think they are on the map
-Cashpoint machines are less obvious and there are fewer of them
-Chemist Warehouse is a brilliant invention and is saving me a fortune in supplies!
-"Married at First Sight" is a superb TV programme and makes for addictive viewing four or five nights a week!
-I'm not the only one who has moved here - most of the people I've met have moved here at some point; in fact, I'm the odd one out really to say I was born on the SC!
-SkyNews is just as fab here as it was in the UK - but I don't have to have Sky (Foxtel) to get it here
-NBN (national broadband network) is a great idea and I'm glad that Caloundra West already has it!
-Flights out of Oz are expensive, there's no quick fix or cheap way out!
-Seeing friends from England is an ace way to get a quick slice of Englishness, even if you had to drive 2 hours via a toll motorway to catch them!
-Yoga and pilates are harder to enjoy when you're super-hot!
-Hairdressers are clever at working out what colour you actually have on your hair!
-Buying a bed with a built-in reading light in the headboard was an ace idea, when you don't have any lamps because they're still on the ship

Overall then, it's been a great month and I feel I've made good progress. House, cats, car, identity stuff and work - all achieved in the first month. I now need to settle into more of a routine work-wise and begin to feel that this stretch of coastline is my home. I still get a bubble of shock/excitement when I drive over the hill to Caloundra and see the sea stretching out ahead of me!

I made it!

So after nine months of planning, financing and strategising, I made it back to the Sunshine Coast on Monday 7 Jan 2019. What an amazing feeling!


The flight over was super, great decision to fly business class for the one and only time in my life - it was symbolic of the end of one chapter and the start of another. Great quality food, superb service and first entry and exit on the boarding! If I could afford it, I’d ALWAYS fly business because I felt well-rested by the end of 20 hours in the air; I’d been able to lie flat in my little compartment and to sleep for several hours. 


My first night in Australia I stayed at the Kingsford Smith Motel, where the staff were really helpful and suggested a great place to eat that night. I spent ages watching the tv ads and listening to the accent!

Once I picked up the hire car the next day, and started the drive north up the M1, it became much more real. Arriving at my cousin Liddy’s house in Bli Bli was also a great moment- I’d last been here in 2017 when I was deciding whether I could see myself retired here.... and now, here I am, two years later, doing a few years of pre-retirement life!

I won’t bore you with day to day stuff, but since I arrived, I have:

• Secured my Medicare card (like NHS in the UK)
• Secured my QLD driving licence (wow, that was hard - having two surnames made it tricky and it DID take two visits!)
• Bought a car (Toyota Corolla, world’s safest car they tell me) and organised car insurance, as well as “Rego” (registration, like DVLA) - you have to do the Toyota "jump" when you buy it, for their PR!
• Rented a town house in Caloundra West for 12 months lease (I liked it because it has a secure cat run with steel mesh keeping them in!) - I'm moving in on Friday of this week
• Joined a gym and been going three times a week

• Had video of cats from quarantine and from pre-flight checks in Melbourne

• Collected the two fur babies from Brisbane Airport freight centre - they had a few dodgy days of vomiting etc (probably the heat?) and now they are on fine form... caught and killed a gecko on Monday night, so must be back to normal

• Registered with supply agencies along the coast, mainly for faith schools
• Registered with Queensland Education's TRACER system, for finding supply and jobs in the state system
• Found and used a great hairdresser! She managed well with the mad colours!
• Found and used a great nail technician - see pic of beachy colour nails

• Swum at Currimundi, where I learned to swim as a youngster
• Walked to Buderim Falls through the forest - went to birthday parties here in the distant past
• Begun my consumer life: got loyalty cards for Velocity (with air travel points); for Woolworths, BWS and Big W
• Organised internet for new house
• Bought bedroom suite (in the twice yearly sales - need to remember there is another one in July!!)

• Bought fridge (huge, with ice and drinks tap thing obviously)
• Bought 2 x TVs (no idea how to set them up, that will be interesting)
• Bought swivel sofa/chair (pic shows two, I bought the mocha colour one)
• Drove to Bris Airport and collected gorgeous daughter and son-in-law for their second Australian leg of their epic honeymoon

• Drove up to Bundaberg with the young people and spent evening watching loggerhead turtles hatching (about 90 of them running to the sea!) and a mummy turtle laying her 120 eggs!

• Eaten two Cherry Ripes (the world's best chocolate bar)
• Drunk lots of Australian/NZ wine
• Tried the sarsparilla (twice) which I remember from childhood
• Found and used Australian Amazon AND Ebay!
• Registered with the Australian Tax Office
• Registered with QLD Education for online CPD - we have to do 20 mandatory hours before setting foot in a classroom this year!

So, two weeks and two days after I landed, all is well - I'm loving the sunshine (not dropped below 30 deg), reconnecting with my Australian family branch of cousins and beginning to feel Australian again.  I'm so glad that the cats survived and are beginning to thrive (poor gecko) and that I'm almost prepared for working as term starts next Tuesday.

This weekend, I'm moving into my little unit and then I'll be enjoying all things Australian for Australia Day on Saturday and the subsequent bank holiday on Monday. I plan to visit the street markets on Sunday and of course, take in a beach or two.  

Thank you to all those friends and colleagues who have been texting, Whatsapping and ringing - it's been a monumental move and I've obviously had a couple of moments where I've thought "what the hell have I done". Luckily there is so much to do to get settled that I haven't been able to dwell on that - and using Skype and Whatsapp to speak to my special people has been a life-saver. You know who you are.

4 sleeps....

So now just 4 sleeps to go until I fly. Amazing how fast it's come around! It feels like "groundrush" - my best friend Chrissie explained this is the term when you are coming into land and it all goes v.fast!

Since my last blog it has been a sea of tears. Truly I'm an emotional wreck! On Sunday my little one got married and she was a truly awesomely beautiful bride. Little Sebby (puppy) was perfectly behaved throughout the ceremony and the afternoon/evening reception. What a clever puppy! She wore her bow tie with style.

It was fantastic to be there with all of the young people to celebrate such a fab couple. It was of course super-sad to say goodbye to the Scott tribe, I won't see them for a long time - no other weddings on the horizon!


And great to be there with my best mate, Chrissie, who had travelled down from Berwick for the day - we spent many hours giggling and reminiscing, as well as enjoying the big day. My sister Jane also flew in from the Isle of Man with gifts from my mum for the happy couple.

Bridesmaids and ushers were all fab and it was a very cool event - lots of stylish arty designs and photos, as you'd expect from a graphic designer!


So lovely to be a mother-in-law again - twice in six months!

 And these are my special two -- both married off now and living their lives in London. So proud of both of them. They are delightful human beings, with genuine hearts.

So, at the wedding I had to say goodbye to my sister and to Chrissie, who I won't see for a year at least. I'll have to get used to the time difference and use Whatsapp/Skype to keep in touch and cackle away as we do.

And then on New Year's Day I drove up to Pickering to see my lovely friend Vanessa and her new house - a huge and very unique house, steeped in history and with a massive garden which she will enjoy in the summer I'm sure. So sad to say goodbye to her too, and again, I'll be using Whatsapp to keep in touch.

And the final tears this week - my cats went off this morning on their drive down to London to catch an evening Qantas flight to Singapore. I've put my pjs in their crates so they can smell something of home - they have two very long noisy days now before they get to quarantine in Melbourne. I can track their journey online from 9pm tonight, so I'll be checking how they are. They've been living on raw steak (Squeak) and roast chicken (Pip) since I came back from the wedding - spoilt because I feel so guilty at putting them through this trauma! I'm so looking forward to collecting them on 14 January from Brisbane - their last flight hopefully!


The packers came early too, so the house now looks like a packing depot with boxes everywhere. They have been taking the p*** out of me for the huge number of shoes and clothes...!  I'm chief tea-lady - I'd bought Kitkats and Twix bars for them so they're happy. Already today I've been to the tip and recycle depot to take cat transport boxes and more rubbish - it's bin day but with the removal truck in the way they might not get down to this bit of the estate.

I've also paid off a big chunk of the mortgage today with the off-set account funds - feels better to see a figure now only 5 digits!  I've managed to FINALLY cancel the energy account - they wouldn't talk to me until it was 2 days before the move! And I've been in touch with the tenants about taking on the energy, and telling them I've left cat food pouches and bix as I can't take it to Oz.

I'm trying to stay as calm as possible and just do one thing at a time - I've got a couple more calls to make to Inland Revenue so will just sit in a queue! I've had lots of lovely messages by text and on LinkedIn, wishing me well. I still can't quite compute in my head that on Sunday I'm going - but I know I'll be back for long visits and that people will come and see me. This is one heck of an adventure!