Off to Oz!!

Well the trip to Australia went extremely well. Visa in passport, friends caught up with, family visited & as a bonus, I was able to help the Man Child move in to his new abode!! Sweet!!
Loads of pictures, so sit back, have a cup of tea & enjoy.

Entrance to the hotel in Hong Kong

They are obsessed with the fairy light in HK - it was so pretty.

If you embiggen this photo you can see a guy on the floor using an angle grinder in among the crowds - OHS in action in Honkers!!! Mind you, no one was harmed, no one panicked, no one was harmed & all was well. Hmmm just adults being responsibly sensible. Go figure!

Scaffolding on an 8 storey building

Not much between the workers & the ground :/

So just a few people out for afternoon tea then?

I spent a couple of days in Hong Kong, had a great time relaxing & did a bit of market shopping. Made the classic rookie mistake of looking for a few seconds too long at a handbag, got dragged back to the stall, did a horrible bit of haggling & ended up with a lovely Cath Kidston red with white polka dots Hong Kong knock off. I love it!! Did not need a great deal so the shopping was rather restrained but did get some cute umbrellas & some very cheap t-shirts.
I did walk down Goldfish Street, fascinating street devoted to selling every pet imaginable! Some adorable puppies, kittens & even turtles. I was reliably informed that Hong Kongers are mad keen on their pets. I really loved Hong Kong & would love to return one day for a little longer & a more comprehensive visit.

These guys were really tiny! Stinking cute!

Fish in bags all ready for purchase!

Arrived in Australia 7am on New Years Eve & was completely shagged from no sleep on the plane. Did I mention the infant that screamed ALL. THE. WAY. ON. BOTH. LEGS?? Arrrghhhh!!!!
My patience ran out somewhere over Vladivostock!!! Oh well at least I had a few days to pull it together before the visa application had to be submitted & didn't I need it LOL. On night 2 I found myself slumped over on the couch & it took me 2 hours before I had the strength to drag myself to bed.

I was really stressed about the visa application & this was not helped by the snarky attitude of the woman at the High Commission office but the great news is that it was submitted, 6 very long weeks passed & then I received the excellent news that I was approved to get a working visa!! Just in time too - my money is running out fast. Now to decide what to do??

As luck would have it my trip coincided with the Man Child finally being allocated a new home. He has been waiting & living in a single room with shared facilities for 2 long years but now has a 2 bedroom town house just around the corner from our Sydney home.We shopped, painted, cleaned, spruced & generally went like maniacs to get as much done as we could before I had to leave. A big thanks to the friends who generously gave of their time & skills to help with curtain hanging, door fixing etc. We could not have done it without you & it is really appreciated.

As a bonus we got a rescue dog for the Man Child. A totally adorable Jug (Pug x Jack Russell)  called Scarlet!

See totes adorable!!

This of course required another shopping trip to spoil outfit her for her new forever home. Being the cross breed gives her more of a snout so no breathing problems like pure pugs can have. She needs to lose a few kilos but the Man Child is walking her several times a day so that should be under control soon. She really has the most lovely nature & is fitting in like she has always been part of the family.

Very happy little girl.

Isabella 1 at the ice cream shop after dinner at the favourite Italian. She looks impressed huh??

Isabella 2 - the most infectious giggle.

 Got to catch up with the 2 Isabella's - very hard to get a decent photo as they are both happy little whirlwinds! Two more loved and wanted children you could not find. Both are gorgeous!!

I was lucky to be able to stay in our home in between tenants & do a bit of tidying up in the garden. I have no idea what these fungi's are but they were removed with well gloved hand. They started out as tiny heads the size of a pencil in the most sulphorous yellow I have ever seen since, well sulphur!! Overnight they spread out to about the size of a tennis ball. Very interesting but not to be left for the new tenant.

The trip was extremely busy, extremely stressful & way too short but I am so glad to be back in the UK & back to the Prince & the fur kids. I feel like I can get on with life now & am out of the holding pattern. I am trying to establish a routine, get an income & move on. Wish me luck!
Loving it
Lush x