So where are we?
Well currently we are in Coomera, Australia staying with my darling sister-in-law and her hubbie. Coomera is just south of Brisbane, a gorgeous place to spend some kick back time, with the hinterland rainforests and hikes on our doorstep.
The wildlife in Australia is amazing. All kinds of beautiful birds visit us to feed each morning, although the dawn chorus at 5am I could certainly do without!! Bare with me as I have added quite a few "birdie" pictures to the gallery - they have taken over from my "fishies" for the time being.
In September we left Ta-b secure on the hard in France, and after a quick weekend visit with family in England, we made our way to Canada. It was so wonderful to see Amy and Edwin again, and in the couple of weeks that we were in Vancouver we also managed to say hi to quite a few friends. Hopefully those we missed we will be able to see in January. We celebrated Amy and Edwin's 21st birthday in style at the Yacht club, the couple of photos shows what fun we had! Russell spent most of his spare time on the golf course and I tried to catch up with some yoga, although I also enjoyed a few games of golf too.
Then it was onto New Zealand for Russell's Dad; Eddie's 90th! It was a memorable time and both parents were on fine form.
A wonderful time was had in Timaru and Christchurch with family and friends, the New Zealanders are such warm and friendly people; I always feel very much at home and love the South Island.. Not only that but the country is truly beautiful, no wonder in a recent survey it was named the number one place that people want to visit in 2010.
We have been in Australia for over a month. Our original plan was to help sail some friends boat down from Brisbane to Sydney, but sadly they got their dates wrong and we will not be here long enjoy to crew for them. A bit of a disappointment, but it did mean we were able to join some friends up in Noosa Heads and what fun we had. There ended up being 5 couples and we had a lot of laughs together, managed some amazing hikes and even had some shopping time with "the girls". We spent ten days in total up north and visited Noosaville and Rainbow Beach, both which we really enjoyed.
On our way back to Coomera we visited The Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin's outback creation) and also spent time with friends in Brisbane and New South Wales. This area of Australia's scenery is outstanding; some of it is very similar to New Zealand, especially inland. The weather is a pleasant mid 20's with sunny days and the odd shower at night - yes we are having fun.
Hope you enjoy the photos.