Tag Archives: Australia

3 days and 50,000 steps in Adelaide

February 19, 2024 By in Family, Travel Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

DorkySon and I have just got back from Adelaide, and my tender mama heart is full.

He turns 15 next month, so hopefully we still have a year or two more of family holidays. But even so, time is starting to feel like a precious commodity, and three full days of his company was a delight.

Last summer, DorkyDad took DorkySon to Canberra for a few days – compensation for a school camp that was cancelled during COVID-19 lockdowns. This year it was my turn and, given the choice of any city in Australia, he went for the city of churches. Although not, actually, for the churches.

(Just for the record, I am well aware that I got a better deal than DorkyDad. And I’ve been reminded of that. More than once.)

I kept an eye out for reasonably priced flights – and at some point late last year I got lucky in a Happy Hour Sale – so on the final weekend of the Tasmanian school holidays, we found ourselves at Hobart Airport. Bags checked in, digital boarding passes saved on our phones, and absolutely spoiled for choice with delicious dinner options.

That last bit might be an exaggeration. DorkySon had a pasta salad from Liv Eat, I had a rice salad from Liv Eat, and we split a KitKat on the plane. It did the job.

Continue reading →

2020: Beginnings and Endings

January 10, 2020 By in Family, Tasmania Tags: , , , , , 7 Comments

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It took its time coming this year, but summer is finally, officially here.

There have been beach walks and paddles in the river, there have been windows flung open to let in the breeze, and there have been gin and tonics in the garden. What a relief. When we reached mid-December and still had our cosy jackets hanging in the hallway we began to think it might never happen.

There was the usual rush to the end of the school term – excursions, teacher gifts, final assemblies and the like. But it only took a week or two of summer holidays before things started to feel like they were calming down: DorkySon’s voice has returned to a reasonable volume, rather than the shouty level he always comes home from school with; his backpack has been emptied of detritus, ready to be repurposed as a travel bag when we head to a family wedding later this month; and all the old uniforms have been swapped for new, pushed to the back of the wardrobe and replaced for now by board shorts and rashies. Continue reading →

Winter comes to nipaluna

June 3, 2019 By in Family, Tasmania Tags: , , , , , 3 Comments

a forest path during autumn in Hobart Tasmania

We’ve just had the first weekend of winter here, and it was a lovely one. Lunch at Willie Smith’s Apple Shed on Saturday, followed by a few hours picking up leaves in the garden. It was still warm enough in the late afternoon that I sat outside with a book and a cuppa to watch as the sun went down.

Sunday was a bit less lovely – heavy rain and a chill in the air – so we didn’t venture very far. The fire was lit by lunchtime, and DorkySon snuggled down into his beanbag while DorkyDad pottered around the kitchen making a big pot of chilli.

Me and winter are not natural friends. Thirty years in Scotland provided enough cold days to last a lifetime, so it’s always very grudgingly that I pack away the sandals and summer dresses. But Tassie does know how to do a winter well. Puff jackets and Ugg boots are now in regular use, the woollen blankets are back on the bed, and even I can’t help but feel charmed by the sight of snow on kunanyi. Continue reading →

2019: A Year for Building Community

February 15, 2019 By in Family, Tasmania Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 10 Comments

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If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you’ll know that I always choose a word to guide me through the year. Previous picks include Learning, Courage, and Focus… but after a few weeks of reflection my choice for 2019 is Community.

In late January we lived that word to its absolute fullest by taking part in a citizenship ceremony and becoming official members of the Australian community.

Our ceremony took place at the Sandy Bay Regatta – in the very park where almost six years ago I decided to give this whole Tassie thing a go – and I think we were all surprised by how emotional the occasion was. It started with a beautiful Welcome to Country from Aunty Brenda Hodge (who I loved all the more when she asked for the support of new citizens in changing the date of Australia Day, leaving Senator Eric Abetz looking like he’d chewed on a fly…) We received warm hugs from a couple of Green pollies who had helped us with earlier visa applications; DorkySon’s best friend was in the audience, watching his Grandpa receive an award; and we sat in the same row as a man from Uganda who had been here ten years, and a man from Edinburgh who had been here 65. Rosellas, cockatoos and lorikeets made a joyous racket in the surrounding gum trees as 80 people, from 29 different countries, became citizens on that day.

It felt like a fitting way to end what has been a lovely summer. Continue reading →

Pest Control

February 26, 2014 By in Family, Tasmania Tags: , , 27 Comments

macro photography spiders web

I was sitting outside with DorkySon the other day – eating a super tasty lunch from the TacoTaco van – when I felt something tickly on my neck. I glanced at the window beside me and could see quite clearly from the reflection that it was a BIG spider and if I wasn’t quick it was going to disappear down the back of my shirt.

*shudder*

I walked as calmly as I could across to a nearby group of three women, also sitting eating tacos, and said through quite a tight smile ‘Please could you flick that crawling thing off my back?’

All three of them looked up at me, widened their eyes, and screamed loudly.

Not very reassuring, ladies! Continue reading →