My first decade in this lucky country

 

We landed in Australia on the 31st of January 2013. Today I am celebrating my first decade in this lucky country. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to end up here - on the edge of the world - but I could not be happier and more grateful that a chance headhunter's email and some Public Health expertise from hubby meant that we could choose to make Australia our home. It is my home in every which way. The jury is out for hubby who may have some pull back to the UK but that is still an open negotiation. He may have to leave his bees behind and that would not make him happy. 

I know he recognises how important it is to me as tonight he is cooking @https://www.noregrettispaghetti.co/ linguine with prawns for a special celebratory dinner !

And a PS - look at what I got from my lovely boys 

Maleny Botanical Gardens

After a week at home I was itching to get out and we had promised George a trip to Maleny to see if we could spot elusive platypuses in the Obi Obi Creek. We started our day trip in the magnificent Maleny Botanical Gardens set up by Frank Shipp, a South African immigrant from Durban - he purchased the land with a view to create beautiful gardens. He landscaped ponds, lakes and waterfalls and the gardens were opened to the public in 2012. The following year he opened the Bird house which looks after many rescued birds - parrots which were once pets, injured birds, rare species. It's just a delight and especially now when the agapanthus flowers dominate the area,  giant balls of blue blossoms swaying on their strong stalks. Borders of blue - with the occasional white flowers just to break up the colour palate. 

We explored the gardens, the ponds, the waterfalls and the ancient rock formations. 

The Glasshouse mountains silhouetted in many of the photos. Volcanic plugs in the flat landscape. A Euphorbia collection near this pond made us think of the many we came across in Kenya.  

Exquisite flowers and ancient rock formations. 

I have been meaning to visit for years. Well worth it and on our way out we went to the Obi Obi Creek and George spotted Platypus ! 

The inevitability of Covid

It's been an interesting start to the new year. After a lovely NYE with George at one of our favourite seafood restaurants I got home feeling a tickle in my throat. The 1st was lovely as we walked in nature but by the evening I was feverish, coughing and feeling nauseous. Then came the strong headaches. Two days in and a rat test confirmed it was Covid. My days in isolation go from feeling sick as a dog (where does that expression come from ?) to feeling ok after much paracetamol and soluble aspirin. 

After a bad night when I thought my head might explode I decided it was best to seek advice - do I qualify for antivirals? I booked a tele- consultation with my GP practice. The GP took a thorough history and proclaimed me too young and healthy for antivirals. Well, rarely does a consultation with a negative outcome lead to such a heartening message. I felt quite buoyed by it so determined to make this virus vanish resolutely out of my body, slowly but surely. 

Hubby down too - G last man standing - he cooks dinner, makes me cups of tea - he savours the quiet days and the loveliness around him. He needs for nothing more. 

I am confident that I will get better but let no one ignore this appalling virus and the illness and death it has brought to the world.