It’s been a very long time….
Yes, it’s been a very long time since I last posted on here. As you would know from my previous posts, we packed up our belongings in London, and moved back home to Melbourne. Needless to say that the last few months have been a little crazy!
I think we can now say that we have settled in nicely into our home by the beach here in Melbourne. I’m back working, after 3.5 months off – time spent working around the house, getting Matty settled into school, and generally enjoying my family’s company more than is possible when working full time. Now that I am working again, I am enjoying getting back into the routine of it all – commuting to and from work on my bike, and getting out before the sun comes up for quality time on the bike, not to mention some beautiful sunrises!
So, I have wound up the Triathlon caper for a while, and have decided to focus on racing my bike. So far so good – I won my first 2 races! I raced with some fast guys in my next race, and managed it quite easily, so that has given me a lot of confidence. I’ve joined the same club as my best mate Willy (Geelong Cycling Club) so am loving spending more time out on the road with him. I’m enjoying not having to juggle the three disciplines and am quite excited for the racing year ahead.
Stay tuned as I plan to update this a little more often, for our overseas friends to see what’s happening down under.
I’ll leave you with a few photos from Matty’s introduction to Aussie Rules footy – a night match at the MCG, between Collingwood and Carlton (88+ thousand people!!) and an AusKick clinic the following morning. (You will notice that, rather unfortunately, Matty has decided to follow the Pies. Years of prep-work and guidance towards the Cats amounted to nothing! Ahhh well – at least he is really excited about the Pies)
Permalink | | Posted in Cycling, Football, Sport, Triathlon | No Comments
Looking ahead
Yes, I am looking forward to getting back home to Australia for all of the right reasons (family, etc), but one of the major things I am looking forward to is getting on my bike(s) in and around Melbourne and Victoria!
Here’s some shots of what I can expect to be seeing on my rides – try not to get too jealous my UK posse!
(Credit to Cycling Tips – http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com – for the photos – actual photographer credit on each photo as well)
Permalink | Tags: australia, cycling, melbourne, victoria | Posted in Cycling | No Comments
Cram Sessions!
So, not long left for us here in London, yet still lots of things we still want to do. Finding time to fit it all in is proving difficult – it seems like most of the events in our diary are for the kids!
I am yet to go to Rome – not through lack of trying, however. We had booked a trip down there earlier in the year, but it was disrupted by the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano eruption. Kate and Matty flew to Venice early in the week, then took a train to Rome on the Thursday. The plan was for me to fly down with Sarah on the Friday after work (she was a little unwell, so thought we would keep her here to get better before travelling). Anyway, to cut a long story short, the Volcano erupted, causing mass cancellations of flights throughout Europe. Sarah and I couldn’t get from London to Rome, and Kate and Matty were stuck there!
Swift action by me, I booked them a train between Rome and Milan, then a rental car for a long drive to Paris, where we managed to score a Eurostar train back to London. We got them home, but I never made it to Rome. Until now!
Just booked some flights to Rome for all four of us! Can’t wait! I have my camera battery charged ready to go already!
We also booked a trip to Marrakech just for Kate and I for a few days. Again, VERY excited about that – have been wanting to go there for many years.
Permalink | Tags: Eyjafjallajoekull, marrakech, rome, travel, volcano | Posted in Travel | No Comments
Life without wheels
When our house was packed into a shipping container, and sent off across the seas towards Australia, all of our bikes were put in the container too. This left me without wheels!
I am going crazy having not ridden a bike in about 2 months!!
Catching the tube to/from work was a novelty when I first arrived in London, but once I started riding to/from work, the idea of travelling on an overheated, overcrowded, unreliable train kept me well away. In the event of terrible weather, I didn’t despair – I jumped onto my Vespa.
Once the Vespa was sold, I didn’t have that fallback, so am now reliant on the Tube again, and the novelty has well and truly worn off!
It’s not all bad – I’ve been able to get back into reading again – something that I only ever get to do when sitting on trains. For this, I am loving my iPad, which is keeping me sane!
Anyway – once I arrive back in Australia just prior to Christmas, I will have my bikes all there, ready and waiting for me to take them out in the sun. This absence is surely going to make it feel all the sweeter whilst I reacquaint myself with my favourite rides.
Permalink | Tags: commute, ipad, reading, tube, underground | Posted in Travel | No Comments
Where on earth is our stuff?
Currently, we are living in a very bare and empty house here in London. A few weeks ago, the contents of our home was packed into a shipping container, loaded on a ship, and sent on its merry way to Australia.
The great thing about commercial shipping is that you can track the ships around the world – armed only with the ship’s name.
We have been able to see our possessions travel around the west coast of Spain and Portugal, through the Mediterranean, down through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, and now down the east coast of Africa, dodging the Somali Pirates.
With any luck, it will arrive on the fair shores of Australia near the start of December, to be scrutinized by Australian Customs, and all things going well, be delivered to our home in Melbourne.
Bon Voyage worldly possessions!
Permalink | Tags: australia, pirates, shipping, travel | Posted in Travel | No Comments
Quarantine
In advance of our relocation back to Australia, our beloved pets made the long journey almost a week ago.
There is a 4 week quarantine period for pets entering Australia from the UK. We sent them off early, so that when we finally arrive, their quarantine stay will be completed, and they will be ready to join us at our new home – with a HUGE backyard to keep them happy!
Permalink | Tags: australia, Pets, quarantine, video | Posted in Pets | No Comments
New beginnings
Well, after almost 5 years in the land of Ol’ Blighty, it is well and truly time to head back home to Australia.
What started out as a 6-8 week trip, has turned into a life changing experience for myself, and my entire little family.
Who knows what the next chapter will bring? I plan to use this site to keep tabs on how it develops.
Permalink | Tags: australia, travel, uk | Posted in Travel | No Comments