We so enjoyed our housesit in Neutral Bay that we're now actively looking for mini-breaks in attractive new spots. And being quite fussy with it... air-conditioning, small dogs only, preferably cats, a pool, a very comfy sofa and a king size bed... Why are we being so particular? Just for once, in our fabulous international housesitters of mystery lifestyle, because we can. We can be particular because we are revelling in living in our comfy and central Potts Point pad, pottering the local shops, sorting out our storage containers and making the apartment work for us.

We are using our time in Australia to get ourselves fighting fit to hit the road when it is safe to do so (ie... vaccinations in March 2021 or thereabouts). We've both had our eyes tested, gotten new glasses - in my case, my first multi-focals - probably a year or so overdue. It is great to be able to read small-print again. James had his teeth checked up in Queensland and I had my first checkup in 3 years here in Sydney. The lifestyle we lead means we are religious about staying healthy on the road - and this logically extends to teeth. My dentist is amazed at how good a condition my teeth were in given that it's been more than 3 years since my last check up. I explained that whilst there are undoubtedly excellent, native English speaking dentists in foreign countries, finding one at short notice for a checkup is never at the top of our list of things to do - and whilst we'd go if it was an emergency - it's easier all round just to not have emergencies. One of the worst horror stories we've seen in the news was a woman who burned to death in a Romanian hospital when an alcohol based disinfectant was used on her in conjunction with a cauterising surgical tool. Mind you... every week the NZ press presents at least one incidence of horrendous medical care that leads to unnecessary death, disfigurement, paralysis etc. The generally low standard seems to be directly related to the inability to sue anyone, let alone a doctor - the worst that happens is he or she must apologise to the patient... or, more usually, the family of the deceased. Big whoop there. In fact the cruddy state of NZ healthcare is one of the main reasons we came to and stayed in Australia when the excrement hit the fan in March this year. We are grateful on a daily basis to live in Australia with it's pretty-good-all-round system. So grateful we toddled off to our GP who hasn't seen us in over 3 years and we're both even healthier than last time. What does surprise him (and the GP we saw in Ireland this time last year), is the fact that we take the time and expense once a year to have a full panel of blood tests, blood pressure etc - not to mention keeping our little yellow vaccination booklets up to date with everything from Japanese Encephalitis to Tetanus, Typhoid, Yellow Fever and the good old 'flu shot twice a year for the northern and southern hemispheres. Apparently, healthy people visiting doctors is as rare as hens teeth. Hmmmm. Anyway. Making use of our time in Australia.

We pop into the city every couple of weeks for lunch and an outing and to take care of personal admin (see above). Sydney has changed so much since we were here in 2017 and we're both very taken with the pedestrianisation of George Street and the whiz-bang new tram running up and down it. The city is still quiet, relatively speaking, with a great many people still working from home, so a joy to visit. We've eaten sushi in the Botanic Garden with a view of the Opera House and harbour - and hugely economical as so many food courts and such are suffering the lack of inner city workers. We'll enjoy the pricing for as long as it lasts. We spent a couple of hours at the stunning Queen Victoria Building and were very happy to see their magical, crystal covered Christmas tree - though slightly sad since it reminds us a little of the tree under the multi-coloured glass dome at The Galeries Lafayette in Paris. Christmas 2019 - less than a year ago, yet feels like a lifetime.

It's been a busy month and we've accomplished a lot in terms of whipping the contents of our storage pod into shape. Next stop? Adventure in the North! (sounds like an Enid Blyton book really... just no dodgy uncles or sea caves to be seen).