Word of the week - Tasmania

Tasmania is a 2 hour flight from Sydney. Child 3 booked the flights and car hire and his girlfriend booked the accommodation.

We arrived in Hobart at 9am, collected the hire car and by 11am we were climbing Mount Wellington. In the snow. Our son's girlfriend had never experienced snow and she was super excited at the age of 30 to build a snow man, throw snow balls and just enjoy the walk and the snow.

There was lots of reading and I swopped a book in the accommodation.

We visited MONA to see the Poo Machine.

We took a ferry to Bruny Island. The next bit of land from here is Antarctica.

The wildlife was very obliging lining up under their sign.

No idea when we'll see child 3 next. We're planning to travel out here alternative years until we are no longer capable. We're back in the UK on Tuesday, then I start a new job the following Monday. 

Word of the week - Walks (Australia) Part One.

We've walked a lot in Australia averaging around 8 miles a day.

Each walk we complete is a walk for Stephanie and a practice for the sponsored walk I'm doing on September 27th in the Chilterns for Bowel Research. I'm at 60% of my set target. I'd really appreciate it if you could share this post.

We can walk 3-4 miles just getting to and from places to start our walks.There's an excellent bus service from our accommodation and a great network of buses, trains and trams to get us around the city and to and from our sons and his girlfriends. 

We're out by 9am and don't get back till late. On top of these walks we've also been out in the evenings.

I'll update the walks as the rest of our holiday goes on in Part Two.

So far we've walked 115.9 miles.

Thursday 21st August Clovelly to Paddington. 6 miles

I caught the bus to Bondi Junction then I walked to Paddington to see my son and his girlfriend.

Friday 22nd August Clovelly to The Crypto Castle. 6.4 miles

Despite the pouring rain we managed half of our walk.

Saturday 23rd  Haymarket and Darling Harbour. 7.6 miles

Sunday 24th Centennial Park. 8.3 miles

Monday 25th Clovelly to Coogee. 10.1 miles

Tuesday 26th Bondi Beach to Clovelly. 6.4 miles

Two buses to Bondi and a walk back.

Wednesday 27th Sydney. 9.6 miles

Thursday 28th Maroubra Beach to Coogee. 9.1 miles

A bus to Maroubra and a bus back from Coogee. The hill to Clovelly is just a step too far as we discovered yesterday.

Friday 29th Spit Bridge to Manly. 11.1 miles

Three buses to Spit, a long walk. A ferry from Manly to Circular Quay and two buses home.

Saturday 30th Paddington and Clovelly Beach. 6 miles

A day walking around Paddington Markets and the town, followed by a walk to the beach and back for sunset.

Sunday 31st The Blue Mountains. 8.6 miles

A 90 minute drive away.

Monday 1st September Manley. 6.8 miles

A bus, ferry, walk, ferry and a walk to the bus home.

Tuesday 2nd Sydney Harbour Bridge. 5.4 miles

A bus and a walk over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a walk to Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden. Ferry back into the City and a bus to sons, then a walk home from the pub.

Wednesday 3rd 

Bus to Bondi Junction for some shopping and lunch, bus to Bronte Beach, walk to Clovelly. 5.9 miles

I'm promoting my fundraising as we go for Bowel Research in memory of Stephanie.

Words of the week - Flying

Hello from Australia.

Having spent 11 years living in South Africa and Dubai we're more than used to flying. Ether 12 hours direct from SA or 8 hrs to Dubai and 7 hours onto the UK. 

Child 3 moved out to Australia in 2017 and this is my 4th trip to visit him (3rd for Peter)

2019 My first trip was from Dubai and I broke the journey up with a stop over in Singapore for 2 hours. I got off the plane, stretched my legs, got a Starbucks, then boarded again with mostly the same passengers, back into the same seat onto Sydney. It was 2 x 7 hour flights. I flew back direct from Melbourne.

We used to joke that a 7 hour flight was short haul for us travelling between Dubai and the UK.

Covid stopped us visiting for 3 years, but I still made flights to and from the UK to Dubai

2022 My 2nd trip was 7 hours to Dubai. Peter came with me and we were now living in the UK. The usual stretch legs, Starbucks and then 14 hours onto Sydney. We had a couple of internal flights to travel to The Gold Coast and Sydney of 2-3 hours each. I flew home from Sydney and Peter returned 2 weeks later and spent a few nights in Dubai on his way back.

2023 Was a flight via Kuala Lumper which was 10 hours, 3 over stop over and yes, stretched legs and coffee, then 8 hours onto Sydney. We had more internal flights up to Cairns and Brisbane and flew home from Sydney via Kuala Lumpur Lumper where we stayed for 4 nights.

2025 We're back in Sydney, via 2 hours in Dubai and we've got 4 nights in Dubai on our way home. Another 7 hour and 14 hour flight. 

Emirates is our preferred airline, but often due to only being able to travel in the school holidays we've opted for other airlines as the price can differ between £1000-£2000 return for the two of us. We were silver members for many years with the airline and benefitted from using the lounge and early boarding, which we do miss being able to take advantage of.

We picked up the AirBus A380 in Dubai

There is so much more room in economy than other planes, so no need for any upgrades. We booked Premium economy with Virgin with our 11 hour flight to Vegas over Christmas and we really needed it. Emirates haven't compromised with economy. Our only issue with booking with Emirates to Dubai or Australia is making sure the code share isn't a Qantas plane, as it's a completely different flying experience.

I opted to have the gluten option on the flights. Usually I just don't eat the bread roll, crackers and cake, usually bringing my own. But I noticed this was a really heavy carb based meal flight. I actually wasn't impressed with any of my meals. They get served earlier than the rest of the cabin do, which also meant I had the tray for twice as long. I also didn't get to see what was I was going to have in advance and was served fish which I don't mind but it really doesn't reheat that well and was very rubbery.

The cakes and bread were really heavy with exceptionally long use by dates. It was also very fatty and sugary)

In theory the gluten free range looked promising

The reality not so good. I couldn't eat this.

I'll be popping some crackers, a cake and bread roll in my hand luggage for the return flight and just having a normal meal (chicken or beef).

Word of the Week - Orange Button

I'm an Orange Button wearer. 

I attended training with Worcestershire county council last month. The training is intended for you to wear the Orange Badge in work, either paid or voluntary or in your own time in the community.

The role is to be approachable and not run from the word suicide, a first point to start a conversation, to be non-judgemental, caring and an understanding listener, sign post and be somebody to ask directly about suicide.

It is not to provide counselling or therapy, long term support, a replacement for the NHS or a mental health referral service.

I've linked this post to Word of the Week with Raisiebay.com

 

Word of the Week - Bowels

Yes, BOWELS. You read that right the first time.

I'm fundraising for Bowel Research in memory of our daughter Stephanie who died on October 7th 2025.

We requested no flowers at her funeral and didn't have a charity in mind at the time.

She was taken ill in the morning. Died in the evening and her funeral was held 8 days later. There was too much to do with arranging for children to fly in from Africa and Australia and just the sheer shock of her death.

I want to mark the first anniversary of her death and I've found an organised walk I can join in with on September 27th.

So why Bowels? 

Stephanie died from an Ischemic Bowel. She wasn't able to communicate, she couldn't tell anyone she was in discomfort, in pain. She didn't reflect pain in her emotions. Often she would laugh even when injured, she might just cry for no reason at all. So by the time Stephanie reached the hospital for help, it was too late. A stoma was not an option, it was too advanced and she died on the operating table.

Our grandson, now 3 was born with Hirchsprung disease and spent several months in his first year with a stoma bag and had numerous operations. 

I've was diagnosed with diverticulitis after a colonoscopy and biopsy. I don't have any pain or even any symptoms other than chronic constipation caused by my new migraine medication.

I'd really appreciate it if you could share my Just Giving Site on your social media sites. I'm aiming for £1000 and already a third of the way there.

In Memory of Stephanie

Why a walk?

The one thing that Stephanie could do independently was to walk, we used to call her Forrest Gump when she was younger. She'd just head off in any direction she fancied. We had to guide her and she had no spacial or risk awareness and you couldn't take your eyes off her. She would grab onto a pram in the street or a trolley in the supermarket to steady herself if she had to stand still and would go off in a total different direction with us playing catch up.

As she got older, she walked less, swam less, rode a horse less, bounced on the trampoline less, moved around less.

Stephanie was 36 years old when she died.

Word of the week - Football

Peter dropped me off at St Andrew's @Knightshead Stadium last Saturday on our way home from Scotland so I could watch The Trevor Francis Memorial game, we won 1-0.

On Sunday we binged watched on Amazon 'Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues'

On Friday night I caught the train up to Birmingham in the afternoon, had something to eat, wandered round a couple of shops, treated myself in the Stadium shop and settled in my seat for the first home game of the season against Ipswich, back in the Championship.

I'm off to watch them play Sheffield United in the Carabo Cup next Wednesday.

I've accidentally bought a ticket to the Oxford game on August 23rd, when we're away.

The next home game I'll be going to is on September 20th v Swansea, a 12.30pm kick off.

Word of the Week - Camping

We spent a night in Scotland ahead of our trip to Northern Ireland to visit child 4, DIL and our two grandsons.

Can't beat the view in the morning.

Our first time crossing from Scotland at Cairnryan to Belfast.

Our supervisor hard at work.

'Am I doing a good job Granny?'

Resting up after all his hard work.

We stayed for 4 nights, a couple of other tents came and went.

It took us about an hour to pack everything away, but the drive away awning and ground sheet will need drying out when we get home and the van is going to be stripped and thoroughly cleaned.