Are we really going to live in this FANTASTIC house??

Kim and Coop took us to our new house to show us around. And what a house. Built by Doug and the family it is truly amazing. Photos just don't do it justice.

Kim and Coop set off tomorrow on a 14 hour trip to Kansas to visit Kim's mum for Christmas and here they are making sure we are comfortable, showing us how everything works, giving us "cell" numbers of everyone who can help us! Whew!!

The house is just so warm, beautifully decorated with gorgeous antiques, lovely furniture and so, so comfortable, we are really lucky to have this experience.

There is this amazing stream that flows in front of the house with ducks swimming. Apparentely it never freezes over because it is fed from a hot spring. Cool eh!

What a welcome

Fantastic welcome at the airport....Kim and "Coop" Katie and her parents. Baggage all there and so off into the icicle night to Garlic Mikes italian restaurant. Yummie food!!!
How good is that?

Kim and Coop who will be visiting Oz in March and staying at our place with Kaylonn and Doug gave us a huge welcome.

Amazing in the restaurant lots of people kept coming up and saying "Welcome to USA"

Incredible

Yeehah!! Denver to Gunnison at last

Woah! Look at those mountains. Flight delayed because of blizzards in Chicargo but we had a great trip in from the flats of Denver to the mountain passes to Gunnison.

Don't you love travel

Finally............ left at 1.00 a day late- have just got to San Fran and made ourselves some brunch. Could not eat one meal on the plane as it was all burnt at the bottom, raw in the middle absolutely Disgusting. Don't fly United.

Staying at a condo right opposite the Giants stadium Just off to walk down to Fishermans wharf - early dinner and then I think we will sleep............big day tomorrow......cable car..........park..........relax and then off early the next day. Problem is that Denver airport is closed at the moment because of severe snowstorms.........Don't you love travel.

Whoo hoo San Fran. 34 years since we were last here. I had forgotten how laid back and friendly people are here and the bookshops!!! Wow Wow and wow . No more crappy Angus and Robertsons.............big, deep leather lounges to gently browse into a book listening to fab music, strong cappucinnos and its cold outside .....how good does it get!!

Walked from our condo to Fishermans (persons) walk via the enclosed market place with great organic farmers market, cheeses and a rather nice wine bar with yummy fresh breads, cheeses and meat platters .........yum.

Caleb in Paris ...........suffering the FRENCH 'pardon, je ne comprend pas' syndrome plus the huge cost of everything in Europe...............missing Germany., Switzerland and our " home stay daughter Karin" He's off back to England and then New york ...........looking forward to meeting up in Gunnison.

Mascot is not san fran!

Whew what a day..............packing, packing, cleaning, panicing..thanks Jules would never have done it without you............although leaving all our undies in the dryer wasn't a good idea!

Arrived at airport at 2.00 for our 4.15 flight.................flight delayed for 2 hours..........an hour later ...........we were told there was another hour delay. To cut a long story short, we queued, sat on a hot, hot aircraft finally a glass of water and pecan cookie and then the flight was cancelled and so we "deplaned" queued again for customs, queued again for buses....decided to get a cab.....arrived at the hotel at 9.15pm..........Dinner at 9.45 exhausted to bed no. We are due to leave at 1.00pm today.

Thanks for all your lovely emails and best wishes.

Farewell to Sydney lunch

Wow! what a great day....lots of people, food laughter. Feels sad to be leaving but am really excited about the huge change of lifestyle!!

Thanks for coming guys it was fun......loved your farewell gifts and speech James !

Just all too much for some!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess it was all that hard work getting us organised. Thanks John and Val

Nightmare visa

After 5 months, $2,264 and a two hour interview this morning we finally, finally have our visa for Colarado. With just 3 weeks to go its been a close call.

Love the fact that the DHL envelope said extremely urgent and it sat for 5 days in Ohio!!! Hope this is not a taste of what is to come!

Yeehah! we are on our way!!

My lovely car IRIS for sale

For Sale
My lovely car Iris:

Mazda 2, Feb 2007, 1 year warranty remaining. 16,000 KM. “Iris” is a great city car, easy to park (power steering) she has many extras like; air conditioning, loads of boot space, roof racks, tow bar, fabulous fuel consumption (5ltr/100kms) and is in immaculate condition. Rego until March 09.
Great price $A15,500.

Painting, Painting, WAITING

Painting, Painting, Painting. Roger takes on the corridor!Bravo!

4 weeks to go and still NO visa. Hoping to get info from USA on Monday that will let us proceed to the next set of interviews.

Talk about cutting it fine. Trying to stay positive.

Yr12 Formal and Graduation Narrabeen

What an amazing group of young people. School Captain's speech just brilliant!!! Looking good Roger!

Dancing with Djarragun

The college just erupted when the Djarragun students put on the show for us. This was such a great visit we all loved it!!!Really felt these were the leaders of the future.

Before the dance I just thought that I was watching! Whoo how hard was it !!! Great fun though....

Djarragun at ICMS

What an awesome group of people!!!

Students from Djarragun spent a week at the college and it was just great working with them.

A real highlight was the feast that they cooked for us..........a real banquet including Kangaroo cooked traditional style.

Flying across the Harbour

Wanted to do this forever...catch the ferry from Kirribilli and follow the old 18 footers as they race across the Harbour.

Fantastic Day!!!

Sydney is stunning

First weekend back in Sydney

Sculpture by the Sea........absolutely stunningly beautiful day. It just gets bigger and bigger and the sculptures more amazing.......Git going Caleb

Dubai what to say............city of contrasts............all a bit too much for me............too hot............too new............too busy...........too much overthetop construction!

Rain, Rain go away

Had such a good time.......Mum and Caleb were great fun..........The house was fab...........lots of time in the pool and spa..........explored heaps...........fish markets, forts and FLOODING!!

Flash flood nearly flooded us out.......even got to sandbagging!

Joys of modern travel

England.............caught up with Caleb and mum and its off once more to Portugal!

Bon appetit

Met some fantastic chefs as each evening we sampled traditional Italian cuisine in th most glorious settings

Anyone for cappucino!

Loved the idea of Cappuccini convent!

Room with a view

End of the trip Portevenere............Fantastic feeling to know that we had made it! Especially the treacherous track from Riomaggiore to Portevenere............Pouring rain, thick red mud, precipitous tracks, fantastic views.

How good is this at the end of the day?

Each day we walked between 10 - 15km, but don't be fooled, level ground was rare it was all up and down hills!!!

Fantastic to see the villages coming into view. Each evening a different restaurant, fabulous food and usually views not only of the ocean or harbour but also unfortunatley of the first hill to be walked the next day!

Cinque Terre Italy

Is this the track?

Wow 7 days walking - If we had only known how steep and fantastic it was! Hidden Italy tour which seemed expensive at first was a great idea. Each day after breakfast our luggage was whisked away to the next hotel.

As we walked down, down, down the last hill we would wonder..."Is is that hotel, will we eating at that restaurant. Great stuff!!

Good job we brought lunch!

England is just amazing

England is just amazing - motorways clogged with trucks from all over Europe but one quick detour to have lunch and there you are transported to another world. Lunch in an quiet churchyard open the door and there we were in Elizabethan England. Fantastic!!!