Bye Bye Byrnes

Published 1st February 2015

Sunday 11th January 2015

The Byrnes arrived home from their Gold Coast holiday today and in amongst emptying the caravan the kids were keen to show me their Christmas presents. We spent some time playing on their new iPads before some family friends came over for dinner and drinks in the garden. It was a lovely chilled day. 

Monday 12th January 2015

I could tell the kids had had a busy holiday and weekend when Jack didn't wake up until 8:30 and I had to drag Molly out of bed at 9:30! While we were waiting for Molly to get herself sorted, I gave Jack and Gracie face paints. 

After a trip to Burpengary library for new books, we went to the 'Spider-Man' park, so named after the climbing webs and very apt for Jack's face paints. 

After lunch, Gracie and I made a papier mâché mask, getting frustrated with the crinkling tissue paper! It was so humid when we finished we needed to cool off so we jumped into the pool even though it was raining! 

Tuesday 13th January 2015

Molly was up early to go to summer camp and she left excitedly with Mandy. Jack, Gracie and I had a busy morning, posting a letter to Jamie, swimming in the pool and playing at the zip wire park (I'm reliably informed they're called a flying fox in Australia!). 

In amongst all of this, Gracie and I created a troll for a competition. The challenge was to list 15 adjectives beginning with different letters and design a troll which reflected them. It was quite difficult!

After such a busy morning we had a quiet afternoon playing Uno and trying to decipher Skip Bo. 

Wednesday 14th February 2015

I had a confusing start to the day with my alarm waking me an hour early! Scott found out during the day that Optus had had a glitch, switching temporarily to Sydney time. 

Seeing Jack post his letter yesterday inspired Gracie to write her own letter so over the next few days we carefully composed a letter to my old class at All Saints. 

As we visited the library regularly, I'd picked up a schedule of summer holiday activities and today we drove to Redcliffe Library for a Lego Adventure.  Working as a team with another little boy, they imaginatively built lego scenes depicting two children getting tied up my a pirate before their dog untied them and they forced the pirate to walk the plank. When they were completed we photographed them on iPads, added speech bubbles and created a comic strip. 

After lunch we returned to the zip wire park and cooled off in the pool. We planned to go to another park after a chill in front of the TV but rain meant we had to postpone our trip. We did, however go kangaroo spotting and managed to stop to admire one right next to the road. 

Before dinner we play more Uno and in the evening I watched the cricket, which I'd got quite into, and a West Ham replay. 

Thursday 15th January 2015

We spent a couple of hours at the zip wire park this morning, the kids taking their bikes while I took Jack's scooter. By the time we got home we were very hot and sweaty so after lunch we played in the pool for an hour. 

Jack is a keen colourer (if it wasn't a word before, it is now!) so he too created a troll for the library competition. 

When we went to the library to hand them in, we discovered that Gracie won a $20 voucher in the Summer Reacing Club! I was as excited as she was! Each time they read for three hours, kept track of in a 'passport', they had a ticket put into a draw. A winning ticket was drawn each week and while they were on holiday, Gracie's ticket was drawn. 

Friday 16th January 2015

Starting the day with a trip to North Lakes Westfield, Gracie had the chance to spend the voucher she had won in the ABC shop. Unfortunately much of their stock was aimed at young children or adults so it was difficult to find items which took her fancy. In the end she plumped for glow in the dark stars, an Angelina Ballerina DVD and a Ben and Holly comic. 

We spent the rest of the morning at Redcliffe beside the lagoon. Initially we wondered what was happening as there was no one in the water but as we approached it reopened. 

Molly had only returned from camp last night so, feeling tired, wasn't planning on swimming so had left her togs at home. As soon as we reached the lagoon she found her friends were there and she was now keen to relax in the water. Luckily I'd taken my swimmers so she borrowed my rashie vest, tucked it fashionably into her denim shorts and dived in. 

We had a lazy afternoon playing iPads and watching TV however Gracie and I made a banana cake with the mushy bananas. 

Saturday 17th January 2015

I explored in the car, taking a trip to Lake Samsonvale. It was so pretty, quiet and peaceful that I whiled away over an hour in the shade and breeze with my book. 

Next I went to Chermside where I got some new shorts and enjoyed lunch at Grill'd where they had live music. 

I had the house to myself for the evening so caught up on some FaceTime calls. 

Sunday 18th January 2015

This was a very chilled day, in a coffee shop, playing in the pool and completing Scott and Mandy's photo book. Gracie showed her sense of humour with her pants on her head!

Monday 19th January 2015

Another regular holiday day with a trip to the library for new books, a swim in the pool, Uno, iPads, tv and a trip to the park near our kangaroo spotting point. 

Tuesday 20th January 2015

I had a very quiet morning as Gracie's friend Sammy came to play, entertaining Jack at the same time and Molly spent the morning on her iPad. I spent the morning crocheting as I wasn't really needed.

In the afternoon we spent a couple of hours in the pool playing with Jack's Toupedo. I'd given it to him for his birthday and it was great to play underwater piggy in the middle. 

Once we were dry we posted Gracie's completed letter to All Saints. 

Back at home the kids had face paints done and I quite impressed myself. 

Wednesday 21st January 2015

We had a false start at the beginning of the day as the kids were ready early for the park but we had an unexpected from a family friend to fix the pool. Once he had finished, we went to the park, the kids cycling/scooting while I walked.

I sat with Sandra and Amanda, childminders who we'd met last week at the park. We collected lots of goodies from the neighbourhood watch team who'd set up a stall before heading home for lunch. 

Again we spent the afternoon in the pool and on the iPads. 

Thursday 22nd January 2015

First thing, Mandy took the younger two to get uniform and book packs while I hoovered, washed sheets and tidied round the house in preparation for Mandy's mum's arrival this evening. When they got home we had a dip in the pool before a McDonald's treat for lunch.  

In the afternoon I taught Gracie to knit. 

  

Gracie and Jack had an early night while Mandy took Molly to the airport to meet Val and Brian. While they were out I watched the cricket and wrote to a neighbour at home. When they arrived home we stayed up chatting - I was first to bed at midnight!  I slept in Molly's room to make space for the visitors. 

Friday 23rd January 2015

Luckily, after my late night, I was up a little later than usual. I took the kids for our final trip to the library to return all of their books and enter their final holiday book club tickets. It poured with rain all day so we spent hours playing happy families and Uno. 

In the evening we went for dinner at the pub to celebrate my last evening.  I was so pleased with my leaving gift - a pandora bracelet with a koala and Sydney Opera House charm - such a generous and thoughtful gift. 

Saturday 24tb January 2014

With all by bags packed up, and goodbyes said to Scott and Gracie as they headed to work, I went to North Lakes with Mandy and Val to get Jack's school shoes. 

By the time we got home it was time to head to the airport to there were more hugs and goodbyes for Jack and Molly. At the airport, I have to admit that I welled up saying goodbye to Mandy. I'd had such a wonderful time with them - I really felt like part of the family. They taught me to be more laid back, to laugh at my mistakes (they know what I'm talking about here, nudge nudge wink wink!), and most of all to enjoy life. Although I was looking forward to returning to my friends in Sydney, I really was sad to be leaving behind a beautiful family. Thank you Byrne family for a fantastic few months. 

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. - A A Milne

Back to Brisbane - a week to myself

Published on 31st January 2015

Monday 5th January 2015

I think there's something magical about flying and the ability to see our surroundings from a different perspective. I like to book a window seat for short flights so that I can see beautiful scenes like these billowing clouds... 

...as well as cityscapes from above. 

Arriving back at the Byrnes house, I was greeted to a card and school photo from Jamie which unfortunately hadn't made it before Christmas. 

Tuesday 6th January 2015

When I visited Movieworld back in July, I made the decision between theme parks based on distance and accessibility from Surfers Paradise. Now I had the time and a car at my disposal, I made a trip to Dreamworld, another cartoon based park with a large Dreamworks area. Throughout the day, I went on several rides - Escape to Madagascar, Shockwave, Cyclone, Pandeminium, Motocoaster, and The Big Drop - and had photos taken with: Alex, Gloria and King Julian from Madagascar; the Penguins from Madagascar; and Shrek and Puss in Boots. I also saw the Madagascar show in which King Julian (along with the other characters) performed his trademark 'l Like To Move It' dance. Although overall the rides were more exhilarating at Movie World, I think Dreamworld may be more memorable in terms of atmoshphere - the shops and general facades were more memorable and I preferred the characters here. 

At the edge of Dreamworld there is Tiger Island where I think 13 tigers live. Several have mesmerising white fur and one, because of its parents, is 50/50 in its colouring. In one part the ceiling in thick plastic/glass and there was a tiger sleeping peacefully!

A short walk from the centre of Dreamworld is the Australian Big Brother house and while it was interesting to look around, they sneakily lured you in with the promise of a photo in the diary room chair. When you arrive, however, they charge you a ridiculous amount of money for the privilege! I should've known!

Wednesday 7th January 2015

I finally made it over to Bribie Island but the weather was bad so I just had a drive around and spent the afternoon with my nose in a Famous Five book. Can you believe I've never read an Enid Blyton book?! They're so easy to read I was halfway through in a couple of hours!

Thursday 8th January 2015

As with the Movie World group, Dreamworld and White Water World are linked and so I'd a bought a 3 day pass which gave me access to both parks. Making the most of the ticket I made the 75 minute trip down the M1 to White Water World. 

Without kids to worry about I could please myself, spending lots of time in the wave pool. Having said that, several of the rides/shoots were for more than one person so I could've done with some conpany. I did however make it onto a couple of slides both of which freaked me out a little. 

At the bottom of the first you were given a mat with handles at the front. Then at the top of a tall staircase you launched yourself head first on your belly down the shoot. Despite the initial nerves of catapulting head first, it was great fun, especially as I discovered being a little heavier meant that at the end I launched into the air and travelled further down the bumpy slide. 

The second slide took me completely by surprise. I'd assessed it from the bottom and although I was aware it had a vertical drop, I naively assumed that you started lying down. How wrong I was! It wasn't until I'd waited in line up the stairs and was around 4th or 5th in line that I realised that the attendant at the top shut you into a capsule where you stood, legs crossed, hands behind your head and then the trap door below you opened, sending you free falling with spray from your feet covering your face. My tummy flutters now just thinking about it!

It was another fun day which ended quite early as there weren't as many slides which took my fancy as expected. 

Friday 9th January 2015

 Today brought a city day with a journey along the river from Brett's Wharf, Hamilton to the Southbank. En route we passed under the Storey Bridge which, with my day trips to the Gold Coast, I'd found was spectacular to drive across.  I spent time in the State Library of Queensland and reading in a deckchair on the Southbank. 

While I was there I came across a lizard licking ice cream from the pavement - a solid reminder that I wasn't in my home country!

Travelling back to Hamilton on the river, I was reminded of my trip out on Gilly and Carl's boat when we admired the riverside houses of Stratford.

Back at the car I drove to the Eat Street Markets which are creatively based in freight containers. It was the perfect place to spent a weekend evening in the sun, eating pizza and listening to live music. 

It's still strange at the beginning of January to need a cold shower to cool off before bed time!

Saturday 10th January 2015

As this was my last day before the family came home from their holiday, I spent most of it doing jobs. I did however try to read my book on the beach but found it was raining on the coast so had to do a u-turn and return home. It wasn't a completely wasted journey though as I went kangaroo spotting and found several in a few different places. 

The excitement of the evening was finding a cockroach, managing to trap it but not release it, then taking an age to get to sleep because it was freaking me out!

Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quiestest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey. — Pat Conroy