Our First Couple of Oz Days

We landed at six am or so yesterday - was it yesterday?

Eloise slept a couple of hours at the start of the flight, caving in completely in Nicole's arms just before take off. So we figured out the entertainment system, or rather Nicole did, and rather than sleep which we thought would probably be a good idea, we got cracking with the Da Vinci Code. An hour later dinner was served and Sproggy woke up. And wouldn't go back to sleep. For the next four hours.

So I was completely cream crackered when we finally landed in Brisbane just after sunrise to azure skies and the prospect of a long walk to passport control, and didn't really appreciate the significance of the moment.

I was having palpitations expecting that baggage would be lost or visas would be invalid or we would be charged duty on any of the goods we were bringing but happily none of the above came to pass.

Helen from Affinity Nursing met us at the airport just as we ordered coffee, she's a very nice lady and she walked Eloise around whilst we supped our skinny flat lattecinnos or whatever they were. Then we set off on some kind of mystery tour of Brisbane which really went a bit over my head. I do remember there were some fig trees, and a river, and we saw Nicole's hospital-to-be.

We arrived at the house ( "home") at around 8.30, though I can't be sure of that, and it's actually really great. I couldn't be more different to a British house. Riccardo and Cate - well Cate - had warned us that it might be difficult to get in through the front gate due to DIY design decisions that had apparently been taken, but it was no trouble and I can totally see the logic behind the mechanism, thankfully. There's a drive on the right-hand side which goes under an extended eave of the roof, where the car sits. Behind that is the BARBIE with a table and some chairs.

Back at the front is some kind of raised decking which goes up three levels from a little mulched native garden to the front door, which, thank goodness, opened.

Inside the house is cool and spacious. There is a little lobby which opens out onto a large front room with windows all round and a dining table and sofas with the kitchen off to one side, part of the same room, but partitioned off at chest height from a hallway which leads down to the back of the house with bedrooms, bathrooms etc off either side.

Down some steps is another lounge area with a TV in it and some french windows out to the BARBIE area again, with a utility room out back and a door to the back garden which is fairly unassuming but contains a monster shed.

So we explored a while, brought the bags in etc, and pushed E around in a plastic toy tuk tuk which she loved. Said hello to Alice from next door. Put on the kettle for a brew.

Kettle doesn't work. Hmm. OK, thought I, time to get some practice on my potential grandmaster cooking skills by boiling some water. In a pan. So switch on the cooker, find a pan... ten minutes later - perhaps you have better skills than me finding things in other people's kitchens - water is going.

I must be the only person who can set of a fire alarm boiling water.

Anyway by the time we'd had a look around etc, got used to things, Nicole and Sproggy were knacked so she decided to have a nap. I thought I would be adventurous and take a walk and get some sun cream etc. So I got changed and off I went.

Well for some reason they don't have foot paths here, which is a bit odd. So I hiked up the side of the road and looked and listened at and to all the strange things - all these short houses with big roofs, exotic birds (no, not that kind), gum trees, flowers, garden ornaments, people walking dogs...

After a while I found that they only put footpaths on non-residential streets, as I came to a main road and started up it. I decided consulting the map that I would go for Stafford City Shopping Centre.

Well it wasn't too far and was quite easy to find. I dropped into an Optus shop on the way to see what we need to arrange broadband after current connection is disconnected this week. Then I went to Wooly's.

I must have been dressed oddly or looked scared, confused, or ma-ma-mmmm-muhmuhmuh-mad or something because a couple of kids came up to me and said Hello mister do you need some help?

No thanks boys I said, they giggled and said You've got a bug on you and sure enough when I turned around there was this bloody great thing about two inches long sat on my back looking like it meant business. I employed an Optus brochure to get rid of the bleeder.

I walked home via a different route and half way back realised I probably should have kept my socks on with these trainers as my heel was seriously chafing and starting to quite hurt. By the time I got home I was limping a bit but never mind eh.

Then to bed for a couple of hours because I no longer knew which way was up.

About four o'clock we woke up and decided to take a walk up by the creek. Lots of people out and about jogging or walking with babies or walking dogs; some off-lead. When quizzed they said it was OK because heir dog was well-behaved, the writing's on the wall then I thought as some kind of ibis-crane-thingy landed nearby and the ducks quacked in the depleted creek.

We got back about five o'clock after having got a little lost, but got to know the area a little better. The sun was setting already, so much for long summer nights but then hang on it's winter here or spring at least!

Cate's mum had left us some nice vegeable lasagne so we tucked into that for supper, then bathed the babe and put her to bed.

Not long after attempting to watch the three channels of Australian TV we found on the bizarrely organised TV we went to bed too.

Then sproggy woke up - good grief - and bugger it we thought she can sleep in with us.

Thus endeth the first day.

The second day is much shorter. Sleep through the night is fitful for obvious reasons. Eloise fidgets like a widget. We have breakfast around 6.30am. This consists of toast and the beverage of our choice. Projectile vomiting from the babe ensues shortly.

Day consists of zombie-like wanderings, cuddling baby, watching TV - there was an election here yesterday so lots of politics on - and lots of sleeping. We haven't left he house. It has been quite chilly and has rained a fair bit.

Eloise feeling better now, but she'll sleep with us again tonight.

Here endeth the second day. Goodnight.