A Surfer’s Guide To Living Life To The Full

Just wrote A Surfer’s Guide To Living Life To The Full. Surfing Makes Me Happy I took up surfing at 39. I’d wanted to learn to surf for years and when the opportunity presented itself on the island of Bocas del Toro in Panama, I knew it was now or never. Imagine learning to surf [...]

Best and Worst Things About Living in Australia

A quick run down on the advantages and disadvantages of living in Australia. I’d love it if you can help me out and pitch in some of your ideas by leaving a comment. The Best Things About Living in Australia Great weather Interesting birds and wildlife Good schools Friendly, funny people Safe and politically stable [...]

Winter School Holidays: Sunshine Coast, Australia

The Candy kids are now enjoying their two week Queensland winter holiday. They’ve had fun and enjoyed the opportunity to do stuff that’s usually strictly forbidden, like watch TV and play on their computer games in the mornings. Ahem, they might be doing that right now actually. But when I’ve got a bit of writing [...]

Racism in Australia

Cultural Insights on Life in Australia Before I get to the meaty part I’d like to say a quick gidday to all my lovely Aussie readers. Please don’t take these notes about my perceptions on Australian culture and racism in Australia personally. Just think of me a whinging Pom and a backwards Kiwi reporting on [...]

What Can You Give Up To Live Your Dream?

What We Can Happily Live Without Flash Cars We have an old no-name type car. Who gives a flying fart anyway? However, don’t let your kids use your car as a climbing frame like we did in Costa Rica or the roof rack will fall off one day while you’re driving along. Ooops. Fancy Clothes [...]

Wicked Winter on the Sunshine Coast, Australia

I’ve written recently that winter on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia doesn’t really get cold. Sorry, folks, I take it all back. It’s now wickedly chilly and some mornings I’m sitting here with socks, slippers, all my clothes and the pink fluffy dressing gown I couldn’t live without over the top. Hot stuff I [...]

Changing Crappiness Into Happiness

Inspirational People and the Key to Happiness I recently went to an inspirational talk by cancer survivor, young mum, triathlete and fellow Noosa resident, Sam Naudin. Over the past two years she’s had a tumultuous journey which included being diagnosed with breast cancer and subsequently undergoing a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. As if this [...]

Daylight Robbery, Little Cove, Noosa

Watch Out Watch Out! There’s a Thief About In Noosa I’ve been feeling a bit lonesome this week. I’m now six months into my new life in Australia and I think anyone who’s moved overseas will know this feeling: the newness of being in a foreign country has passed and it’s still too early to [...]

A Winters Weekend in Noosa, Queensland

It May Be Winter But It’s Not Wintry It’s almost mid-winter here in Queensland but we’re still getting out in the water and enjoying our new stand up paddle board. It’s perfect for exploring the canals and rivers of Noosa while getting a bit of exercise and the kids like playing round on it too. [...]

Shaggy Dog Story From the RSPCA, Noosa

Dogs Love Noosa Too Australia has one of the highest levels of dog ownership in the world, and one Noosa resident told me that I wouldn’t be a local myself until I got a dog. So I was naturally interested in the ‘Champ Pooch of the Day’ event that was held last Sunday by the [...]