Autumn is in the air, time to get realistic

I’ve come to the conclusion that, realistically, updating my blog will be a once a week event. This should actually make it a better read by paring it down to the essentials and also assuage the guilt I have been feeling for not adding to it on a daily basis. The thing is we really [...]

Writing career conflicts with tenancy agreement

Writing and Renting in Australia Well, yesterday was a momentous day in my writing career. After all I’ve read about writing, the one thing that seems clear is that you have to be prepared to get many, many rejections before a piece of your writing will be finally be accepted for publication. This is a [...]

New to Noosa and enjoying all it has to offer

Free activities huge draw card for family with Scottish ancestry Before moving to Noosa we lived in the south of Costa Rica where there were more monkeys than people and the only family day out would be the odd cabalgata, or horse parade. Cabalgatas are generally typified by the number of drunken cowboys riding their [...]

Moving abroad to Australia from Costa Rica and New Zealand and a foray into online grocery shopping

Surfing for Salami Sticks Last week I was also trying to sort out my grocery shopping. Basically it has been taking up too much of my time since I moved to Australia and I need to get that sorted out. Still, at least I don’t get lost on the way to the shops anymore. But [...]

Migrating to and Networking in a Foreign Country

Making friends but Not Exactly Influencing People I do confess that last week I was feeling a touch lonesome and missing my far flung amigos. So this week I’ve vowed to take a more active role in making new contacts, meeting people and maybe even making some new friends! To do this I have settled [...]

Working abroad in Australia, Costa Rica and New Zealand

Hats Off To All Career Mums I now feel the need to mention that I am currently striving to be a super mum. I get up at 5.30am six mornings a week to exercise. I have three kids who all need food, clean clothes, love, attention, reading practice and exercise. And a hubby whose needs [...]

The Financial and Emotional Cost of Moving to Australia with Kids

In which we broach that delicate, some would even say taboo, subject of money I thought I’d wait until I’d been down to the Centrelink office to write this one. Centrelink is the government department which deals with dolling out family tax benefit and childcare benefit, two wonderful little surprises that have been offered to [...]

Culture Shock for New Immigrants to Australia

So Much to do, so Little Time After some serious procrastination I am starting work only two and a half hours after getting home from dropping the kids off at school and childcare. Plenty of room for improvement there so that’s good. Last week was a busy one for us former jungle and island dwellers. [...]

How to Move Overseas or Emmigrate to Australia, Costa Rica and New Zealand

How In the Hot Spot Got Started and the Big Idea Three years ago when I set up this blog I proclaimed: “I’m setting myself a personal challenge to write, if not daily, then at least on a regular basis. As Joe Rogan (the host of Fear Factor) would say, I am here ‘to stare [...]

Moving abroad to Australia via New Zealand and Costa Rica

Moving to Australia from New Zealand the long way round Yesterday (27 Jan 2009) was one of those long-awaited happy days which was also tinged with sadness. It was then end of 18 months of carefree travel and the start of a settled suburban existence in our new homeland, Australia. It was the day when [...]