You know those few moments when you wake up and you know something has happened the night before and you can't remember what it is? Sunday morning was like that. I lifted my groggy head off the pillow and had a quick panic attack. What was it? Did I get really drunk and smash a bottle of retsina on my head? [No that was 1986]. Did I quit my job? Nah. Ah, now I remember - we had an election and the government got kicked out.
It felt odd because John Howard and the Liberals have been the government...

mutikonka

Election day 2007 saw me rising early with something of a hangover after consuming a few Coopers Porter beers on Friday night.
I presumed it was going to be another warm and muggy November day so dressed in the usual shorts and light shirt plus sandals.

First chore was to get the 10-year old to his school cricket match. Since the wife was off at the crack of dawn to her new retail job, I had to fix breakfast for the two boys first and hang out the washing before jumping in the...

mutikonka

Long distance driving in Australia is quite different from the motorway driving as I remember it in Britain. For a start, the motorways here are called Freeways, although they're not free - you have to pay for them: $3.80 was the toll on the road out of Sydney.
I had a conference to attend in Canberra and rather than fly I thought I'd try the 270km journey by car. So bright and early Saturday morning I was paying my toll and heading off down the dual carriageway towards the capital. The first...

mutikonka

I still haven't got used to the huge distances in Australia. Some Brits seem to take it in their stride - jumping in the car and heading off to all points north. Me, I like to stay close to home and explore my own backyard here in Sydney. I can't understand why people drive for five hours up the coast when we have such wonderful beaches and coastal scenery right here on our doorstep - within Sydney Harbour even. When you've spent your childhood in the turbid waters of Bridlington Bay, well Sydney...

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The Long Weekend. No it's not a film noir, it's the Aussie version of a Bank Holiday. We just had Labour Day, a time of year when we put away the jumpers and heaters and pull out the fans and the summer clothes from the back of the wardrobe. One thing I miss about Britain is the seasons - or at least the change of seasons. In Sydney we don't have seasons, just temperatures. And this weekend we went from winter (ie wear a jacket) to summer (ie phew) temperatures.
In my continuing quest to...

mutikonka