1000 Steps

Sunday morning and up at 6am to drive out to the beautiful Dandenong Ranges, to climb the Kakoda 1000 steps.

Apart from a bit of intermittent ski fitness, I don't think I have ever focused on a proper fitness drive before. Mind you as middle age creeps on I realise it's probably not wise to just "wing" it any more!

It's a big mountain and it's only 2 weeks away.

The steps are a memorial to the Australians who died along the Kakoda Trail in Papua New Guinea during World War II. Always amazes me what the human spirit will endure. Quite a story.

As the name suggests, there are 1000 stony and deep steps that lead to the popular One Tree Hill. It is not an easy task by any means, many really struggle and others make it look ridiculously easy, but it does feel good when you get to the top.

1.8km up and down and I did it in 35 minutes, don't know if that's good or not but I know I gave it some welly.

"hmm that didn't take long, what shall I do now?" I thought

"I know, I'll do it all again!"

I did as well. Numpty!

It was stunning scenery in the rain forest with the kookaburras, rosellas and cockatoos all squawking encouragement, the native flora and fauna kept me interested and the strong scent of eucalyptus kept my mind alert.

Back home and showered, I am now waiting for Hubster to come off the golf course and fire up the BBQ.

I feel like I have earned ever morsel today.

Hubster has bought a BBQ gadget for roasting whole chickens.

The explanatory leaflet suggests you cook it with a "tinnie" in the middle of it! The aluminium cooks from the inside and the evaporating beer adds moisture and flavour.

Roasted veggies in the bottom and job done. Delicious.

Admittedly the "tinnie" was a proper gimmick and a waste of a good beer aka Hubster.

As a final flourish to our weekend we headed down to the beach to throw sticks for the boy and see the sun go down.

"My Boys"

Just me and my boys and it doesn't matter where I am in the world, happiness is; wherever and whenever we are together.

 

Battle Scars

 

 

"These battle scars
don't look like they're fading
don't look like they'll ever go away
they ain't never gonna change
these battle scars.............."

Loving this collaboration from Guy and Lupe.

I also know that I sing these words because they are the lyrics to a great tune that I love right now.

They are however, the antithesis of how I strive to be.

Run your fingers over them from time to time, because they make you real and sensitive to the world. They give you empathy but most of all, if you don't have them on show, you will become stronger.

Just an opinion.

With the cinema just 5 minutes walk away I am enjoying being acquainted with the world of movies once more.

Margaret!

Great film.

Complex.

It's a tough gig.

I couldn't watch the opening scenes.

I won't divulge the story line but it's all about.........

A girl assuaging her guilt and relinquishing responsibility for her actions by seeking to blame another.

Creating drama to deflect and smoke screen from a life that she finds unfulfilled and frustrating.

Adolescent angst and single Mother's trying to cope.

She coerces and manipulates in order to force an outcome. That outcome is not one she expected or wanted.

It shows how we are culturally conditioned to respond in a particular way.

Our conscience and truth is always with us regardless of the story we present to the world.

But as for the battle scars, they ain't never going away, but yes they can change.....  and for the better and this certainly happens to this girl.

Eventually.

Stirling work by Anna Paquin. (you know her, won an oscar for best supporting actress in The Piano)

A haunting light and hue on the water today.














 

I want Oscar's Law

 

Today was special.

Radder's first train ride and he made his mummy very proud.

His celebrity status is now fully confirmed, lost count of how many times we were stopped and how many pictures people took of him.

But look, it was really all about this

I adore animals, all animals and I have been guilty of refusing to read stories that I find too horrifying or upsetting.

"I can't bear it, la la la, it's not real if I don't read it". That's me.

Well, shame on me. It's not the right thing to do, not if I claim to love our 4 legged friends as much as I do.

Please carry on.............don't stop now, the uncomfortable bit doesn't last long.

Imagine 1000 dogs locked up in a filthy, urine and faeced ridden shed. They have never seen the outside world, they were born in that shed and they will die in that shed. They will never know what it's like to chase a ball, go for a walk, play or enjoy a lovely belly rub.

Mothers are continually mated over and over and over again. Constantly for years, non stop. Their poor bodies never get a chance to recover before they are mated again. These pitiful creatures are stripped of any dignity, their will and their souls wither and they eventually lose their minds and go insane. They are in perpetual pain, matted and disease ridden, they receive no veterinary help or medication and no-one heeds their cries.

It's beyond heartbreaking.

Why?

Dogs on puppy farms are breeding machines used to make their owners money.

Puppy farmers will sell to anyone and by any means, on-line, through pet shops, via newspapers and car boot sales or by using a false house as a ‘shop front'.

Do NOT buy a puppy unless you can view the parents and where it was born. Otherwise and quite innocently we contribute directly in keeping the wheels of this disgusting industry in motion.

This is the ultimate betrayal of man's best friend and it is rife, not just in Australia, but all over the UK and the rest of the world too.

It doesn't have to be this way.

These farms must be shut down. There are better more responsible and more compassionate ways

We met some wonderful people, some incredible dogs and I am so glad I didn't turn away from that poster at the train station, for once I read it and was jolted into action.

Radders and I are now fully fledged recruits of Oscar's Law and I realised ignorance is not bliss, it is a life sentence of hell for the very animals I adore and that is not acceptable to me.

Awareness means there is hope, even if it doesn't work it is far better to know that I along with thousands of others at least tried.

Why not add your voice. I know you care.

Here for the UK.

Here for Australia.

Here for the USA.

Being a very good boy on the train for mummy



Stunning Great Danes!

 



Meet and Greet!

 

 

On the march!

Still on my bestest mummy!

Networking!

A comfy cushion, don't mind if I do.

 

8th in the World!

Melbourne is the 8th most expensive City in the world.

Yes, as residents, we know.

Sydney is the 7th. Thank God we live in Melbourne hey?

6 months in I am trying not to do the price comparisons with the UK but it is so hard.

Anyway after my £188 hair do yesterday, I thought I would share some of the price differentials with you all.

The average cost of a house in Brighton where we live is $1.5 million, (£975,000).

Here are just a few supermarket staples to get your head around.

Beef and Red Wine Pie - £14.33!

£9.11 for a Quiche!



An eyewatering £9.76 for a Kg of Toms

£8.32 for a jar of Coffee

£4.65 for tin foil

£4.55 for a very ordinary loaf!

£10.80 to clean your dishes

£11.56 to clean your smalls!

I have a theory.

Ever wondered why many of the Brits who come over here, never go back home?  Simple, with the cost of living, they can't flaming afford to!

Melbourne has also been voted one of the best cities in the world to live and regardless of the cost, I have to say I totally understand why.

8th September

It's our "wooden" anniversary. 5 years, all about wood.

Doesn't have the same ring to it though as ruby, silver or diamond but me and Hubster have a whole load of living, loving and the mundane of married life to go until we can fly those flags.

5 years since the "we do's" at Tongabezi in Zambia.

How could we have known that 5 years after that beautiful African wedding, we would be here in Australia.

Facing the gaping mouth of the entrance to Luna Park, with a pre-match glass of fizz, we tracked what we have done over the past 5 years.

Lived lives. We can't ask anymore of each other than that.

The 8th, yesterday was our day, but the weather was having a hissy fit. So, we held hands at the cinema, took fish and chips home and snuggled up with bubbles instead.

Today however the weather is beautiful. Time to celebrate in style.

Donovan's on the beach - oh yeah!

BBQ Squid with a salted tempura sage leaf. Each mouthful of squid with a slither of tempura sage was utterly sublime, then yabbies off the barbie! When in Rome eh?

Yes the basket on the bike was necessary people, for it carried the handbag, that held the killer heels to be changed into on arrival. (and the puncture repair kit).

No-one looks good in a cycling helmet. Victoria Pembleton I concede but she looks good in everything.

Everyone feels light and giggly with  a glass of bubbles.

Love you Hubster, it was just perfick.

I'm happy with you and you are happy with me. That's it.

 

Aspiring!

The tallest Mountain in the South Island of NZ is called Mount Aspiring first climbed as recently as 1909.

No we didn't climb the mountain.

We chose the walk through the valley floor to the Aspiring Hut giving the most magnificent views of the mountain.

All being said it was still pretty strenuous because it was a 20km round trip on very weary legs.

I forgot about the legs really, well can I be truthful and say, I parked the pain and avidly drank in some of the most beautiful views my eyes will ever see and walking on would only mean I could get drunk on more of it.

I love the names given to nature here.

Raspberry Creek, Brides Veil Stream, Shotover Saddle, Bridge to Nowhere.

It was a well formed track through the valley floor crossing sheep and cattle grazed pastoral land.

We watched a farmer herding his sheep with the help of a 4 super fit dogs, a walky-talky and a guy in a helicopter locating the widely scattered sheep across the mountains. This is the life of a modern day shepherd, so cool but such hard work none the less.

I couldn't believe how high the cattle climbed up the sheer and deathly slopes.

Just one slip and it had to be a serving of horseradish on the side!

Our concerned thoughts soon turned into reality as we passed a cow at the bottom of the face, 4 legs in the air, stiff with rigamortis. I shuddered but curiosity left me unable to take my eyes off this stricken beast, I conjured up in my mind the whole sequence that culminated in his final, undignified resting place.

Pure air, pure nature, unpolluted by the sounds of anything appertaining to modern life and majestic birds of prey swooping, hovering and calling above.

It was a blissful walk and one we enjoyed 5 uninterrupted hours of, without ever having to grunt and nod at another tourist.

On reaching the aspiring hut, my chicken Sub sandwich never tasted so good.

We both declared it to be one of those days where the threads sewn into the tapestry were made of pure gold.