Growing up J had dogs on the family farm, we had cats and a budgie, and naturally we want the boys to also experience DOG BREATH, PUKED UP FURBALLS, BIRD SHIT IN YOUR HAIR the unconditional love of a pet. Both Finn and Rory love animals and pat other people’s whenever they’re allowed. Then without fail ask when we’re…
Cheap Wine & A Three Day Blow.
Every Friday morning we love listening to Like A Version on Triple J during the school run. In case you are reading this from somewhere other than Straya, it’s an awesome radio segment where guest artists play an original song followed by a cover of another band’s song. I just love it when bands give…
Southern Ocean, Speedboats and Spew: Bruny Island, Tasmania.
Something hilarious seems to be wrong with everyone’s hearing on this trip. For example: Mum: Where are we going? Salmonella Park? Me: Salamanca Market Mum. Me: Look, there’s a Shetland pony and alpacas. Justine: They shot a Shetland pony and the alpacas?? The Sunday morning after our Cradle Mountain adventure we headed to Bruny Island, about…
Bucketed: Cradle Mountain, Tasmania.
Do you remember the last family trip you went on? (I mean, before you had your own family and the karmic wheel turned and it became your own kids bludging in the backseat whining “Are we there yet”?) I remember mine well, because it was only last October. Mum and Dad headed to Tasmania and amazingly both Justine…
Stuff That I Love & You Need To Know About: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
Did you read Jane Austen in English class? Or even just because you wanted to? I know she’s not for everyone, but me, I’ve always had a bit of an affinity for Britishness. When I first started reading I worked my way through Enid Blyton’s entire catalogue, and our only TV for years was ABC (the…
Pavanamuktasana My Brains Out.
I first tried yoga on a camping trip about 8 years ago. Yogini Emily taught tried to teach Guy Shannon and I the basics of breathing properly, that the Cat Pose is not a come-on, and that the “Cow Face Pose” has nothing to do with your actual face. The main things I took away was…
Sandcastles & Volcanoes. (Lennox Head NSW: Part 2)
Day 3. Yes I skipped a day but we’re on holidays so sue me. We’re greatly enjoying camping, the days are absolutely magical; clear blue skies, about 21C… the nights would be more fun if we were allowed to burn stuff though. Last night was colder still; 3C. I’m rugged up with marshmallow socks, trackies, thermal long sleeve, fleecy…
Winter Sun Camping Fun. (Lennox Head, NSW)
We recently went on our first camping trip in 2 and a half years; when last we busted out the tent Rory was only just walking (and still eating sand). Summer 2012 really was an ideal time for camping, being characterised by pissing rains and much flooding over most of Queensland, but we persevered and for the first 2 days…
Still in the Red 29,192.
Cast your mind back a few posts (if you’ve been hanging around that long) and you might remember one I did which was heavy on photos because I had loads of things to write about but I couldn’t decide where to start and as a result I didn’t write about any of them and used photos instead. I…
The Mountain, The Viper & The Sooky La-Las.
This post is one for you GoT fans out there. If you aren’t one, I won’t hold it against you, just sidle away quietly. That said if you are a Game of Thrones fan and are not up to date with all the TV episodes / have somehow managed to dodge all the spoilers for this…
‘Mother’ Is A Name AND A Verb.*
Mother’s Day today. My sixth! It gets a little more exciting every year; as the boys get older they understand more and more that it is Mummy’s Special Day. Today I am allowed to sleep in and be made a fuss of. I would like to be woken (at a reasonable hour) by my happy squirming boys rolling on me with yells…
On ANZAC Day.
On the 31st of May back in 1999 I joined the Army. I joined part-time, but back then both part- and full-timers (Regular Army) did the same 45 day basic training together, over in New South Wales. During the final stage of assessment in Perth one of the recruiters and another hopeful soldier named Macca…
Still Not A Journal. 