I have a new man in my life. He has dark droopy eyes , long curly hair and shows lots of affection especially when I give him his dinner. His name is Tahoe and Stuart and I are having lots of fun looking after him whilst his real Mummy and Daddy are on their holidays. We are currently house- sitting for my old friends Vanda, Russ and their children Amity and Lincoln. They live in a lovely house in Loftus just outside of Sydney. Life in suburbia is a welcome change from stomping up and down mountains and moving from one motel to another. We have joined the local gym which is making me very happy. Mr Slim is almost out-running me now which makes me less happy (but secretly proud).

Friends will be friends - 1st December - 4th December

Since arriving in Australia we have spent much of the time catching up with old friends. On our first visit to the centre of Sydney we met up with Phillipe one of my MBA students who is currently on exchange at the University of New South Wales. After a walk around the Botanic Gardens to get the obligatory shots of the bridge and opera house we met Phillipe and enjoyed a fab Indian at Darling Harbour. It was great to catch up and compare and contrast his experiences at UNSW with WBS. Bon Chance Phillipe with your travels to Hong Kong and Mumbai - we looking forward to seeing you when you return to the UK.

Next was a long awaited reunion with Mel and Vanda. We are university buddies having lived together for a couple of years whilst studying at Plymouth Uni. This was the first time the three of us had been together for over 16 years but it did not take long for it to feel like old days. We agreed that we had not changed that much - obviously a little older, perhaps a little wiser and of course much more sensible than the old days - well Vanda and Mel are now that they are yummy mummies! I'm sure I will catch up one day!

Bondi Beach was to be our next destination where we met up with Hayley, Bevan and little Thomas. Hay was one of our bridesmaids and it was great to see her again looking blooming now that she is expecting her second baby. Bevan treated us to our first Aussie (sorry I mean Kiwi!) BBQ which included some gorgeous king prawns, NZ lamb and some very nice Sauvignon Blanc. Thanks guys - we hope we did not keep you up too late! We look forward to hearing news of the next little one.

The tide is high

It was time to start walking off some of the indulgences of the past couple of days. After saying our goodbyes to Hay, Bev and Tom we completed the costal walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach. Bondi was much smaller than we had expected but we really liked the vibe which reminded us of our time living in Brighton. The beach was buzzing with lots of children learning life-saving skills, whilst bigger kids took to the surf. We decided we were not quite ready to show off our surfing skills so continued on dry land managing to get to Coogee seconds before the heavens opened!

Since arriving in Sydney they have been experiencing the worst start to the summer in 50 years. Wind and rain has been following us wherever we go! This has not stopped us getting out and about. We decided to return to Sydney to complete a walk which took us around some of the harbour to Greenwich wharf. - a pleasant walk that allowed us to take further photos of the bridge and Opera House.

It has been a very special couple of days for me catching up with my old friends. It proves that time and distance does not stop true friendship.

Upside Down

This morning as I was running/jogging/walking/panting on the treadmill I was listening to Paloma Faith's song Upside Down which I think really captures the last couple of months for me!

It feels sometimes this hill's too steep for a girl like me to climb
But I must knock those thoughts right down I'll do it in my own time

I don't care, I'm half way there, On a road that leads me straight to who knows where
I tell you what, What I have found, That I'm no fool I'm just upside down
Ain't got no cares, I aint got no rules I think I like Living upside down

Watchin people scurry by rushing to and fro, Oh this world is such a crazy place it's all about the go go go

Sometimes life can taste so sweet When you slow it down
You start to see the world a little differently When you turn it upside down

Congratulations to Saba and Andy on the arrival of baby Raphael!

xx