After a few months of pretty much staying put in Sydney it was good to get on the road (or in the air!) again! Arrived into Hobart, had a few issues finding somewhere to stay (who knew that it was such a popular place?) and then went for an explore. Unfortunately, from 30 degrees plus on arrival it soon turned fairly cool and rainy... so the explore turned into a trip into the pub, which was fine (typical soulless Aussie pub) but with live music (good, apart from...

First of all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Build up to Christmas was great, work was busy, but good fun and Manly got all festive with a Christmas Eve children's service in the church on the Corso complete with 3 kings on camels! Made the most of my day off in the build up to Christmas with a fab night out with Beth, a friend from law school who now lives in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, her boyfriend, James, who is from Canberra didn't make the flight on Wedn...

After a couple of days of high culture with the gallery, the ballet and the quarantine station it's been back to "normal" in Sydney! Back at work, back partying a lot in the evenings and sailing too. Was out on Shoshana, a Cav 28 from Sydney Amateurs last Saturday which was fab - great 1 design racing and a fun crew. After a quick tinny at the club it was straight to work. The bar has been really busy with Christmas parties and the like - but that also ...

I had a fabulous day yesterday starting with a matinee performance of Peter Wright's The Nutcracker at the Opera House. The ballet was originally choreographed for the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1990 and is a stunning production - the dancing was perfect, the costumes beautiful and the set design epic! It was howeever slightly surreal watching The Nutcracker and then stepping outside into near 30 degree heat! The production sold out months ago, but I happened to...

Sydney is gearing up into Christmas mode which does feel pretty strange. There is something decidedly wrong about people in bikinis next to Christmas trees and people wearing santa hats in the heat! Ashling and I put up our Christmas tree (fake) about 3 weeks ago! It does look very pretty though (I will have to take a photo). I went to my first Aussie Christmas party at Jim and Jill Hingston's (Lucy and Andy's brother and sister in-law's) on 27 November which was...