We have tried to relax a bit more here in Queensland and save a bit of money but it has not been completely successful. We have finally managed to shop for food in a real supermarket for once but it has not saved that much all things considered. Every time I see the total ring up on the cash till I want to cry.(Two cokes and some mars bars nearly £10!)

The first night in Bisbane was spent at the NRL again - Brisbane Broncos v Cronulla Sharks. A mediocre affair with far less fireworks and less overall "to do" than in Melbourne. A shame really. They did have a live horse ridden by a lady with a flag but it did not make up for the poor game. There was a remote controlled blimp that got us fairly excited at the beginning of the game but the stadium was just so huge that I think it lost the atmosphere that the Melbourne game had. The stadium is just a stones throw from the YHA here so we only had a short walk home though the police had us walk the long way round.

There are just a couple of things that are driving me nuts about Australia - the fact that you cannot cross the road easily (it takes forever!) and the wierd licencing laws that mean you cannot buy beer in the supermarket but have to find a so called bottle shop...)

We spent day 2 just booking stuff and getting our bearings around town and gearing up for the excitement that awaited us at Wet n Wild the next day. I hope that one of the children will blog about that because it was really their day. That said, I think we all enjoyed the slides and rides with no queues in the Brisbane "winter". It was fantastic to run around and get on whatever we wanted all day in weather of 21-23 degrees, which here they think is too cold for a day at a water park!

Today we have mooched around the city markets and beachand botanical gardens and been to see a free comedy night via the city cat ferry. It is a very pleasant and liveable city.

Olivers bit

In the bleak mid winter
frosty winds made moan
earth stood hard as iron
water like a stone

Also in the bleak Australian winter I have got sunburn on my nipples and toes on my left foot; not the right foot just the left!

I quite like it here everyone is helpful and friendly and I seem to be losing my cynical streak; obviously this is a worry and concern as I too become helpful and friendly. I even helped an old lady across the road the other day, the fact she didn't want to go is irrelevant.

I have only come across one example of poor customer service. However it was the most heinous and terrible bit of service I have received ever in any part of the world AND I have been to Manchester! I was in a bar and I asked, politely, a young lady for a bottle of wine and she said no! I was speachless and horrified not to mention disgusted. How dare she, just who did this upstart young thing think she was? How dare she refuse me booze.

All was well thugh as it appears she was just an idiot who forgot where she was and what she did for a living - numpty. So all was well in the end.

I took the bottle of wine and answered a challenge from my son to play monopoly. He considers himself to be somewhat of dab hand at the old game. Unfortunately he forgets my life experience as both Housing Manager and slum lord; essential skills which I bring to game.

It all started well with Angus being cash rich but I soon created a "Corner of Death" with numerous hotels commanding such fees as £60.00 - oh yes I soon took all his money and humilated him into a bitter defeat.

Whilst some may see this as a little harsh and over the top I see is as both a valuable life lesson for my son and a huge ego boost for myself proving that I am a better person than my son and he is clearly inferior to me in every way.

Yes - life is good!

xx