In case you've been wondering where the blog updates have been over the past three months, we've been attempting to get back to the 'real world' in our new home. So instead of trying to review in detail what on earth we've been up to since we last checked in, we'll take you, in no particular order, through a whistlestop tour of the best bits...

1. A visit from Ben's parents.

Before emigrating themselves Down Under to Oz, mum & dad Priest jetted over for a week's break to take in whale watching, cycling around Stanley Park, taste-testing the local delicacies at Japanese restaurant Kingyo, Granville Island's famous market, and our favourite English Bay jaunt, Milestones.

2. A visit from Chatters.

It had been way too long since we'd seen a friendly face from our gang - we miss you all desperately - so a last-minute visit from Sarah was the perfect fix for our OB craving. The weather wasn't so kind so after showing her the best sights around town, we took a roadtrip into the hills and BC's local wine region, Kelowna in the Okanagan valley. The Tuscany/Provence-like climate, wine & cheese tasting, and lounging by the Okanagan lake made for a relaxing mini-break and whetted our appetite to explore more of BC's countryside in the future.

After a bit of live jazz, a few more bellinis, beer tasting at the Granville Island brewery and a trip up Grouse Mountain to meet the bears, wolves and lumberjacks and we were gutted to see her leave.

3. Flat Hunt.

After subletting from a Yorkshireman for a month, we managed to find a 21st floor apartment in the heart of downtown close to the water and boats of Coal Harbour and have managed to make it our own. It's so different to our beloved flat in Putney, but at this point on our journey it felt like the perfect place to unpack for a while. The less-glamorous side of relocating overseas is learning how the local bus system works, setting up bank accounts, buying a local mobile phone and discovering that tax here is even more taxing than in the UK!

4. Crossing the Border.

Once we'd completed our 90 days on "holiday" in Canada, it was time to take a trip to the US/CA border to collect our visas/ work permits. We chose one of the strangest, smallest peninsulas of land to cross over (google Point Roberts border crossing to see for yourself) but thankfully that meant it was a fairly relaxed and painless process. And now we've got the permit for a year, it seems rude not to stay. At least for the next little while...

5. A Summer Holiday in Whistler.

Only once you've visited this world-famous resort do you really appreciate what an amazing luxury it is to be only a two hour car journey from the mecca that is Whistler. As ski and snow lovers, we can't wait to try out the slopes this winter, but until then, this was the perfect time to do a rekkie in the summer sun. Seeing black bears in the wild (from the safety of a chair lift!), riding the incredible engineering masterpiece that is the Peak2Peak gondola, exploring the village's array of bars and restaurants and lounging by the hotel pool, we only wished our buddies could be there to ski in, ski out and apres ski with us next season... maybe, just maybe...

6. The OB Seaplane Tour.

Vancouver's a beautiful city from the ground, but even more so from high up above. The perfect leaving present was put to use on a balmy summer evening as we flew over the city, sea and mountains to get a full perspective of where we now live. Han was even jammy enough to get a seat in the cockpit and got a running commentary from the pilot.

We just hope the photos do justice to the view...

7. Becoming Adopted Vancouverites.

Go Canucks! Go Whitecaps! In a bid to feel like part of the local community we've been throwing ourselves into all things VanCity. Adopting the local ice hockey and football(!) teams, trying new sports - pilates, yoga, boxing, kickboxing, cycling - and volunteering for local organisations and events, we've wanted to understand the way of life here and meet some cool people along the way.

And now it's time to come hoooooooome. For a fortnight at least. The thought of seeing you all brings a huge smile to our faces as we write this. So, prepare those hugs, get the vino and beers chilling, pin up the bunting and we'll be seeing you again very soon...

Much love,

Ben & Han xxx