We’ve been in our rented house in Kingston now for a few weeks and are settling into a routine. We get up and have breakfast and then I chauffeur J to work. This is a 15 minute drive, part of which is down a long sweeping hill which affords us an amazing view of the yachts in the harbour just outside Hobart. So beautiful when the sun is glistening on the water. That’s the main difference between the weather here and in the UK, although it’s spring and the temperatures can be cool the days are mainly clear and sunny – brill.
Anyway, I drop J off to work then drive the 15 minutes back to Kingston up the dual carriageway, or slightly longer if I take the coast road, and stop off at the beach to take Tasha for a walk. Dog walking is quite regulated here. There are only certain places that you can take dogs for a walk other than on the street and most of these you have to walk the dogs on the lead. The beach at Kingston is an amazing place for dogs. There are loads of them and they all run around like mad things playing with each other. All of them, that is, except Tasha. Never hugely social with other dogs whilst Molly was alive, Tasha is now reticent to go near any dog that isn’t a Jack Russell (she loves them – just wants to play!). Some days I have to practically drag her onto the beach. The dilemma is do I just walk her on the lead or force her onto the beach and mix with other dogs – all advice welcome……
After the beach I set about my chores for the day. These obviously include the usual of course – washing up, clothes washing etc, job applications, looking at houses and/or plots of land to buy, time at the on-line centre at the library (we will have broadband at home one day!!!) before I set off to pick up J at the end of the day. In reality I spend far too long driving about looking at potential places to live, but it is such fun……
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Monday, 27 October 2008
Two go mad in Bruny
One of the reasons we moved to Hobart was the easy access to the countryside. So our aim is take a trip every Sunday, or at least every other Sunday and enjoy all that Tassie has to offer. So last Sunday we took the car on the ferry over to Bruny Island.
Up quite early to catch the 9.30am ferry only to find a long queue of cars and commercials in front of us. Fortunately we were the penultimate vehicle allowed on, followed by a girl who had driven 2 hours to catch this particular ferry crossing. She looked particularly relieved, as the next ferry involved a wait of an hour and a half.
We stopped at the Bruny Island Cheese Company shortly after unloading to grab a coffee, and were easily persuaded into cheese tasting followed, obviously, by cheese purchasing.
Up quite early to catch the 9.30am ferry only to find a long queue of cars and commercials in front of us. Fortunately we were the penultimate vehicle allowed on, followed by a girl who had driven 2 hours to catch this particular ferry crossing. She looked particularly relieved, as the next ferry involved a wait of an hour and a half.
We stopped at the Bruny Island Cheese Company shortly after unloading to grab a coffee, and were easily persuaded into cheese tasting followed, obviously, by cheese purchasing.
Enjoyed scoffing our picnic lunch sat on the beach listening to the surf and sea-birds, and then took our time to motor around some more of the island. We vowed that we would come back and camp so that we had more time to explore, including an overnight observation of the Fairy penguins.
Friday, 24 October 2008
Long nose and noisy come home!
We were both really excited as we drove to the airport to pick up Tasha and Smoke and there they were, both in cages loaded on the back of a trolley. Smoke started meowing when he saw us and Tasha stopped shaking. She was so thin, not as thin as when we’d first got her, but she’d lost a lot of weight and had found quarantine distressing as we feared she would. At that moment I thought we’d done the wrong thing bringing her here.
On the way home we stopped at a beach to give Tasha a walk and although she didn’t run with joy she was clearly happy. Whether it was to see us or just to be free we weren’t sure. On arrival at home Tasha went straight to sleep and Smoke explored the whole house, every nook and cranny in a way that only a cat knows how.
It is now a week later and they have both settled in. Smoke is still clingy and wants to be with us wherever we are, but has at least stopped howling outside our bedroom door at night, thank god! We did let him in one night, but he spent the time stomping all over us or meowing at my head. As you can imagine the next night Smoke was firmly located on the other side of a closed bedroom door!
Tasha is her old self, as mad as a hatter, asking every morning for a walk, letting us know when she wants something and asking to sit on the sofa with us - OK, we’re softies! She is gradually gaining weight and I know we did the right thing bringing her rather than re-homing her.
As I type this the sun is streaming through the window behind me and Smoke is asleep beside me, where else but in the sun. I know that if I sit here long enough Tasha will join us, although 3 of us on the sofa can get a little busy – Tasha wiggles!
On the way home we stopped at a beach to give Tasha a walk and although she didn’t run with joy she was clearly happy. Whether it was to see us or just to be free we weren’t sure. On arrival at home Tasha went straight to sleep and Smoke explored the whole house, every nook and cranny in a way that only a cat knows how.
It is now a week later and they have both settled in. Smoke is still clingy and wants to be with us wherever we are, but has at least stopped howling outside our bedroom door at night, thank god! We did let him in one night, but he spent the time stomping all over us or meowing at my head. As you can imagine the next night Smoke was firmly located on the other side of a closed bedroom door!
Tasha is her old self, as mad as a hatter, asking every morning for a walk, letting us know when she wants something and asking to sit on the sofa with us - OK, we’re softies! She is gradually gaining weight and I know we did the right thing bringing her rather than re-homing her.
As I type this the sun is streaming through the window behind me and Smoke is asleep beside me, where else but in the sun. I know that if I sit here long enough Tasha will join us, although 3 of us on the sofa can get a little busy – Tasha wiggles!
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Mystery of the dead scorpion
Why we ask ourselves is there a dead scorpion in one of the wardrobes of our new rental house? More worrying is that when I mention it to locals that stock response is: -
‘It’s only a little one isn’t it?’ Followed by
‘They won’t kill you’
Both of these were said with a slightly bemused look on the speakers’ face! Needless to say we haven’t seen one, alive or dead, since.
‘It’s only a little one isn’t it?’ Followed by
‘They won’t kill you’
Both of these were said with a slightly bemused look on the speakers’ face! Needless to say we haven’t seen one, alive or dead, since.
Fran at the Oyster Cove Chalet
We stayed at the Oyster Cove Chalet for 2 weeks when we first arrived and Fran was our host. It’s a beautiful location. At breakfast we would look down the lawn and see the Cockatoos waiting to be fed or the so called “Turbo Chooks” running around with their babies. I don’t know what Turbo Chooks are actually called, but they’ve got really long legs and could challenge Usain Bolt at the 100m.
Fran is an amazing woman, really friendly and kind. Originally from Adelaide, she moved here 8 years ago with her partner Gary and they set up the business 5 years later. Fran has been showing me the ropes and has introduced me to the fact that it’s not what you know, but who you. The prices in shops are just a guideline if you know the right people. Shopping with Fran can be $100 cheaper than if I had shopped by myself. When we come to buy a TV, or spare bed (so you’ll have somewhere to sleep when you come and stay) Fran will come shopping with me.
Fran is an amazing woman, really friendly and kind. Originally from Adelaide, she moved here 8 years ago with her partner Gary and they set up the business 5 years later. Fran has been showing me the ropes and has introduced me to the fact that it’s not what you know, but who you. The prices in shops are just a guideline if you know the right people. Shopping with Fran can be $100 cheaper than if I had shopped by myself. When we come to buy a TV, or spare bed (so you’ll have somewhere to sleep when you come and stay) Fran will come shopping with me.
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Men at work
Just a note to say that we will be posting new content any day now - have been having issues with internet access.Note: posting title is for those that remember the rather sad record called 'Land down under' by Men at work.
Thursday, 2 October 2008
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
Intuitively we have complied with Maslow's theory and focused our immediate effort on the 'physiological' and 'safety' aspects of life, e.g. food, water, sleep, employment etc.
We already had a limited period of self-catering accomodation and hire car booked before we arrived, but we have spent a lot of time over the past week in finding and securing a house to rent (that accepts pets), and buying a secondhand car. We found that we were short of the usually expected identification, e.g. previous Oz utility bills; Oz drivers licence; etc but have managed to bluff our way through this. What also helped enormously is an offer of employment for me (J) following a third and final interview with the CEO of Etech Group www.etechgroup.com.au. I start work on Friday 3rd - gulp.
This certainly will help offset the financial haemorrhage that appears to accompany the process of emigration to, and set up in, another continent. The spreadsheet-based budget is a constantly evolving picture at this stage!
We have taken a little time to drive around the environs of Hobart and, once we have proper internet connectivity (rather than snatched time in cafes), we will post some more pictures. Here's one of the esplanade at Margate to keep you going - bit too expensive here for a house though!
We already had a limited period of self-catering accomodation and hire car booked before we arrived, but we have spent a lot of time over the past week in finding and securing a house to rent (that accepts pets), and buying a secondhand car. We found that we were short of the usually expected identification, e.g. previous Oz utility bills; Oz drivers licence; etc but have managed to bluff our way through this. What also helped enormously is an offer of employment for me (J) following a third and final interview with the CEO of Etech Group www.etechgroup.com.au. I start work on Friday 3rd - gulp.
This certainly will help offset the financial haemorrhage that appears to accompany the process of emigration to, and set up in, another continent. The spreadsheet-based budget is a constantly evolving picture at this stage!
We have taken a little time to drive around the environs of Hobart and, once we have proper internet connectivity (rather than snatched time in cafes), we will post some more pictures. Here's one of the esplanade at Margate to keep you going - bit too expensive here for a house though!
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