Another day in paradise

Our family managed to sit in one place long enough without arguing to get a fairly decent photograph on the steps of the house.

We actually look quite normal instead of the usual Clampits impersonations

And here’s the new lamb ad for 2009.

Not one of the better ones, but the dialogue is just brilliant.

And this is broadcast on national televison…

We all went to the New Year Fireworks party on the harbour this year.

When the fireworks went off, I think we all sighed with relief that the year has ended.

For various reasons, I think the whole family faced their own personal challenges, none more so than Mollie.

She basically turned to us as we stood on the side of the harbour and said, that she’d had enough of all her demons and was going to use this year to put it all behind her.

Now over the last few weeks, we’ve noticed an amazing turn around in her and last night as Tee and I sat in the garden baking in the heat, Mollie came out of her bedroom and said she wanted to read us her poem.

As she read it to the warm summer night to us we struggled to not burst into tears. She managed to get through most of it!

I asked Mollie if she would mind if I put this in my diary. She said okay.

So hear is a 15 year old trying to put into words how she feels.

I can’t begin to articulate how we feel.

“It’s 2009, another year

Time to take hold and not to fear

Sure the last year was hard

Filled with hate and wrong

But I’ve learnt that life goes on

You don’t have to be held back by whats in your past

Take a breath and breathe at last

The air is clear and the lies are gone

Look at where you’ve come from

Take a look at the people who supported you

The ones who helped you pursue,

achieve your goals and fix you mistakes on the way

The ones that got you where you are today

The ones who never stopped loving you.

Now here’s another year, you’re lucky you  can start a new

Its time to prove who you really are

Lose the person you once were

because thats not the real Mollie

I know that bit

All thats left is to prove it.

We went out for dinner the other evening to a new Italian restaurant in our suburb which had just opened.

It was only it’s second night and things were slightly chaotic, but the food was terrific and cheap!

The staff were new, young and clearly inexperienced but with nice personalities and a helpful manner.

Oor Mollie, decided she could do it better. And subsequently offered.

The owner gave her a job.

So now she’s earning her own dough and loving it.

We’re so proud of her.

But then we always have been.

Usually when the heat gets this bad a good old storm follows late afternoon to clear the air.

In Sydney, they just sort of clear the air, however in Brisbane, these tropical storms can get a wee bit out of hand.

This is a clip of a recent storm that caused absolute chaos and caranage around the corner from our Brisbane house.

Thankfully our house survived structurally but the garden was washed into our pool.

So we now have a swimming pool that resembles something out of The Edinburgh Botanics hot house pools.

Have a look at a typical afternoon air cleaner.

This is not speeded up by the way!

However, going to the beach in Australia does have it’s drawbacks.

Unlike Musselburgh back sands where you stood a chance of blood poisoning just walking on the sand or a severe dose of the runs if you dared even swim in it’s water.

Over here you get eaten. and recently the risk is increasing.

We watched the helicopter teams inspecting the shark nets this morning and it did cross my mind that maybe the kids shouldn’t be swimming in shark breeding season, but hey, there were a lot of other people in the water too.

A recent article reads..

“Despite the assurances, a debate is raging over whether there are indeed more sharks in Australia’s waters — or whether there are simply more swimmers aware of the creatures’ presence.

The trouble began on Dec. 27, when 51-year-old Brian Guest vanished while snorkeling with his son off a beach in Western Australia. A piece of his wet suit was later found, and officials said he was almost certainly eaten by a shark.

On Sunday, a 13-year-old surfer in the island state of Tasmania was dragged under water by a 16-foot (5-meter) great white shark, and a 31-year-old surfer was bitten while surfing at a remote beach in New South Wales state. Both survived.

The on Monday, Steven Fogarty was snorkeling in southern New South Wales when a shark latched onto his leg. He survived after punching the creature until it let go.

Meanwhile, several beaches across the country were closed as sharks were spotted close to shore. Officials have cautioned people to swim in groups, avoid swimming at dawn and dusk when sharks are feeding and to stick to patrolled beaches.”

So, there you have it, swim in packs and you have less chance of getting eaten. 

Its a sort of British Bull Dog or Dodge- Ball game with teeth.

I don’t start my new job until 1st February so I get to swan around in shorts, vests and go to the beach every day.

Which is just as well because it has been 42 degrees for the last 2 days.

42 degrees!

Now before you start, it may sound a lot better than what the Northern Hemisphere is currently experiencing for their winter, but believe me this is just as debilitating.

If you can remember the summer of 76, where the temp apparently caused drought conditions and we all ate ham and salad cream for the whole summer? Well double it.

You can’t sleep at nights, you have no energy, the sun is absolutely ferocious, it’s like being put in a microwave and everyday you have to slather yourself in sun protection cream.

That is unless you go to Whale Beach, sit under the brolly, have a picnic and jump in the ocean every now and then.

Which is what we did today.

We got up at 8.00am, sauntered off 30 mins down the road, unpacked at this paradise and cooled off for the day.

Sure beats going to the office. And eating salad cream.

We went back to Stcokton Beach again to throw ourselves around the massive sand dunes in our 4wd.

At over 34 kms long and 2 kms wide, it is like the surface of the moon.

And just one giant playground for 4wd cars.

This is one of the biggest moving sand land masses in the Southern Hemisphere and the sand dunes can go up to 30 metres. And extremely scary to drive down! And even harder to drive up!

So off we headed on Sunday morning for a fantastic adventure.

We got stuck up to the arches, we almost rolled off the edge of a sand dune, we ate steaks on the barbie and drank champagne by the bucket and beer in moderation.

In 7 cars, we had 22 kids, 14 adults and a great day out.

Naturally I let Tee drive for most of the day, without incident. I drove the last 10 mins to get off the beach and just about rolled the car.

Strangely enough it added that certain “je ne sais quoi” to the day.

Back home, the whole family collapsed into bed by 9.30 exhausted, determined that we’re going to do more of adrenalin days in the future.

Ayres Rock here we come.

Every year we have Australia Day, which puts the British attempt at nationalistic pride to shame.

Whole families gather around the barbie to get drunk, eat meat and listen to music on Triple JJJ. (Playing all Australian hits over the last 20 years or so)

For the last few years, the Meat and Livestock Commission, with a paltry marketing budget, an extremely brave Marketing Director and a brilliant agency have managed to create an inspiring campaign that resonates with the average Aussie and gains massive PR exposure.

As the years have gone on, the more they have stood out. I love them.

This Sunday, the new campaign breaks – I can’t wait.

Just goes to show what a small budget, a great client and a creative agency can do for a piece of raw meat.

Have a look and let me know what you think?

Here’s 2006

And 2007..

Can’t wait for 2008!