Drumbeat

Hope any posters that live in Hobart and surrounding areas are safe and dry

2 hours ago, Toots said:

People are homeless for all sorts of reason.  Domestic abuse, poverty and mental illness being the main reasons.  I witnessed so many people with obvious mental illness roaming around Sydney and sleeping in parks close to the CBD.  At one time they would have been in a mental hospital but now there is nowhere for them.  Families don't seem to care or be able to help them.

I don't believe this guy has a mental illness (or certainly not a serious one), I suspect it's more to do with unemployment.

5 hours ago, s713 said:

I've worked in the CBD for a good few years, by the new library, and just wondered if anyone else was observing what I do on a daily basis:

1. The amount of homeless people sky-rocketing.

2. The absolute ticking time-bomb that is Perth's mental health problem. The amount of affected people is unreal, I see episodes every single day on my way back-and-to the train station. Scary business.

Yes, it's either on the increase or more visible, or both. I'm quite glad they've prohibited people from sitting and lying on the footbridge from the train station as some of them were a bit volatile, but I guess they've just moved elsewhere. The area around RPH has always been frequented by some rather dodgy people but now there are people sleeping in doorways in the middle of the day on Hay and Murray St.

There's a guy sits at the entrance of our building most days, reading a book. He looks to be late 40's, clean, tidy and sober. I often see people stopping to have a chat with him and I wonder what his story his. I'm assuming he goes to a shelter at night as he doesn't have bags of possessions with him. 

6 hours ago, Toots said:

The Huon Valley is lovely - maybe the snow just settles on the surrounding hills and not lower down.  Launceston is warmer in the summer and colder in the winter than the north west coast.  I've seen a flurry of snow in Devonport which lasted about 5 minutes.  Two other places I find a lot colder than Devonport in the winter are Sheffield and Deloraine - anywhere inland really.

We really liked the Grindelwald and Dilston areas

10 minutes ago, Skani said:

I think you are quite safe Chez Drumbeatville.  

Well I've already dissauded the Mr from retiring to the Huon Valley, my preference is for further North - Launceston way

7 hours ago, Skani said:

Woke up to snow half way down the mountain this morning.  First of the season.  

 

Now you're scaring me 

It's a pretty quiet town. Is there a particular reason you're considering Albany? It's 5 hours drive from Perth and a lot cooler, not somewhere I'd consider but if you like the fishing, camping, boating lifestyle it might be OK. I would think employment options would be pretty limited.

On a more lighthearted note it's people like this that make the NHS great:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-43343056

My husband was admitted to hospital In Paisley a few years ago and the staff were fantastic 

19 minutes ago, Toots said:

I though the heat would be good for joint stiffness??

It seems to vary between people. It might be something other than the temperature but I'm not sure what - I've definitely noticed an improvement on our last few trips which were to NZ, Europe and Tasmania.

I just need to have a small whinge - Hobart was 20C when we left yesterday, Perth was 31C when we arrived. Already my joint stiffness has returned .

12 hours ago, Skani said:

This big orange "Aurora Australis"?    I hope you really enjoyed your time here.

(PS:  not my photo..by a pro called Stu Gibson who specialises mostly in amazing surf photography)

No, it was red. We looked it up and it’s the French L’Astralobe. 

We’ve been in Hobart for our last 2 days in Tasmania, staying near the waterfront.  The Salamanca area has such a great atmosphere, we spotted a polar supply ship yesterday and today the ‘Young Endeavour’ tall ship is docked.

Back home tomorrow ?

We spent this morning in Cataract Gorge, the weather was perfect ?

On 3/1/2018 at 13:57, Toots said:

It's the most beautiful day today.  24C and a big blue sky.  Unfortunately I'm going on a bit of a road trip tomorrow with a couple of friends and the forecast for tomorrow is for a dull day and chance of rain.  

We called into Devonport this morning and it was very grey and drizzly. Happily the sun has come out and we are staying in a fabulous apartment overlooking the waterfront in Penguin. What a great little town ?

We spent this afternoon at Cradle Mountain. It was a lovely sunny day but the wind was positively icy ❄️

37 minutes ago, Skani said:

The entire village is for sale - if he wants a few more nights :

https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/property/tarraleah-tas-7140-2012707761

Yes, I saw that. I don’t think we can scrape together 11 million though 

Duplicate post

Yesterday we stayed in the restored hydro electric town of Tarraleah. We had a gorgeous room in the beautiful Art Deco Lodge, hubby thought one night wasn’t enough and he was right, the whole place is immaculate.

2 hours ago, Zack said:

 Hail srtipping trees, and smashing  the  pathetic 3mm thick windows,in the poorly build  Houses in Qld.And all over Australia. Houses in Australia need to be built for the weather here.But that would make them completely unaffordable. They are like Ovens in the summers prolific heat, much hotter now, than 35 years ago,and  like fridges and damp in the winter..

Your house might be poorly built but ours certainly isn’t. It has reverse A/C for cooling and heating and definitely isn’t damp.

Your posts are always so excessively negative I wonder if they’re really what you believe or if ‘Zack’ is simply an online character that you’ve created 

16 minutes ago, Skani said:

I sort of apologise for the rain.    On the other hand, it has been so dry down here over summer....we do really need it.  Have to admit it was delicious lying in bed this morning listening to it on the roof.  

Well it made a nice change to complaining about the heat ?

Enjoying the view of Oyster Cove now that the rain has stopped 

Hi Drumbeat, thanks for getting back to me.

I had considered this but as we are moving from Australia to the UK one way I don't seem to qualify for annual policies as it stands.

I have been recommended a few companies but some insurers so will explore those avenues and post if I have any luck.

Oh, that's a shame. Mind you, I did travel a few times with mine uninsured. It was only after we'd been burgled (thank God I was wearing it) that I finally sorted out insurance.

Have you considered annual insurance for your ring? The policy I have for mine covers it worldwide.

9 minutes ago, Antipodista said:

@Banana707 what a tough situation for you. I would say though that it is rare that the feelings of homesickness etc go away and you have to go with your gut feeling and do what is best for you. Leaving someone is hard but, as lovely as I am sure your man is, if he refuses to leave Aus for you, even for a trial, then where are his priorities? If he loves a country more than you, even with the best intentions in the world, then I think you must follow your heart and be where you need to be. I would reiterate that this isn’t a criticism of your partner but I am speaking from absolute experience. Go. If it doesn’t work out in the UK, then Australia (and maybe even your hubby) will still be there.

Best of luck. You’ll be ok whatever happens, promise ?

But isn't the reverse also true? The OP is leaving him for another country so he probably feels very low in her priorities.

1 hour ago, Toots said:

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 

You've certainly chosen a very good place to live.   

I've heard that some people think it's far too cold to bathe in the sea in Tassie.  What a joke.  We've been swimming in the sea most days for weeks now.

This does surprise me, I shall go for a paddle next month and test it out.