Travelling light....

It is over four weeks now since I decided to return to Australia for a holiday to see friends and family.  During the past month, I have made lists and more lists of things I need to get done before my trip next year. 

I was doing my Christmas shopping this week when I came across some suitcases at a greatly reduced price.  Now I don't normally buy a new case every time I go to Australia, then maybe I have.

In the early 1990s was my first trip home, and I had this grand idea of only having one suitcase between us (me and my son).  We were going for two months.  Now this suitcase was big - really too big for a young teenager to carry since it was packed with everything bar the kitchen sink. It also had to be check in as "heavy" for one piece of luggage. 

My next trip, I decided to travel lighter - I was on my own - but still I had two smaller suitcases. I was only going for three weeks.  The next time was again with the son and we managed to get all our luggage into two medium size cases - both were old but durable, so we thought, until we took them off the luggage roundabout in Sydney to find the zip of mine had broken and my clothes were coming out.  So that was put on the garbage truck and I had to buy another suitcase before I left.

For my trip eight years ago I decided to take a barrel bag and within that another light weight barrel bag to bring things home.  This did not have any wheels, and I struggled carrying these up and down steps at the railway and coach stations. 

So....this year is going to be different!  I found a bargain in town and it was definitely a must have.  A 20" suitcase on wheels.  That is 20" high and not so wide. 

A Dunlop suitcase with plenty of zip pockets.  I left the shop, walked less than 50 feet, and took it back.  I decided this one was too small!  What if I bought something in Australia how would I bring it back. I exchanged it for the 24" (they did not have 22"). 

 



Still a bargain.  I struggled home on the bus with this being careful not to touch the ground.  I packed the clothes I intended taking and it barely covered the bottom, so decided this was just going to be too big and cumbersome. 

So I returned to the Store today to exchange it for the smaller one.  A young lady who I saw yesterday - "I saw you" she shouted through the store "you were here yesterday and exchanged the smaller one for the large one" so so loud that everyone looked round......shush! I said a woman can change her mind if she wants too.  She thought it funny.....

Since I came home with the 20" case and packed it with clothes, of course there was plenty of room and the zip at the top pulled open allows the case to have 30% more space.  I am sure that will be just perfect for this trip. 

Off to town tomorrow to find some comfortable trainers for the trip......I know I know I still have three months to go......... I do have lots to do though, and time is running out. 

Baking day.....

I am trying to stop my husband visiting the cake counter in the supermarkets.  Home made cakes are far healthier, but there are weeks I just don't have the time to bake. 

Today I spent a couple hours doing just that.

Nothing fancy as the older we get we don't want iced or cream cakes, so I made over 50 small cakes.  First there was a batch of sultana cakes, then blueberrie cakes and finally I added part sugar/part ginger preserve to the mix of the final batch. 

I don't think they will last long - maybe a week or so.  Then I will have to think about baking again.

Home Sweet Home for spiders....

 

Luckily I didn't see any spiders.  They certainly weren't at "home" when I took these pictures at 9 a.m. this morning.

 

 

So very cold it was - I even left a scarf on the clothes line last night and this morning it looked like this

A very heavy frost.....now it is late afternoon it is starting to thaw - thank goodness.

Planning a trip....

This may be  the last time I make the long trip to Australia to see good friends and my family.  

I have always had the fear of flying, its not so much when I am flying but before I actually board the plane.  The last time I asked the doctor for some tablets to help calm me down, and he said to take one just after I leave home and another on the plane before take off.  I totally forgot to even take them out of my bag!!

I booked and paid the fare online and  it was worse than making that bid on Ebay just seconds before the auction ends.  I shook like a leaf.  Once that pay button was pressed there was no going back - its done!

OK OK - its four months away......but I need that time to let everybody know when I am coming, especially my friends.  Dad?  He will expect me when I arrive.  He is not going anywhere, but friends have other commitments and I really must fit in with them. 

I saw one of these in a Charity shop just last week.  I wish I bought it.  Its fun isn't it?  No not the mug!....the spread sheets.  Thats what I have been doing for the last couple weeks.

 

I am planning my trip - where I hope to be - train, bus, coach and plane times when I get there, and places I am visiting is blocked and colour coded, so I know exactly where I am and so will everyone else.  The internet is such a wonderful source of information.

 

Now this is the fun part.  I am going for four weeks - and for eight of those days I am  in Brisbane.  I have five friends to see in a radius of 2 - 4 hours drive by car and accessible by public transport.  One friend so far, has received a draft  copy of my spreadsheet (others will get a copy soon) and had confirmed  her days with me.  Well that is what I thought until I received an e.mail from her this morning to say there could be a slight hic cup that she has just found out that she might be flying to Japan during the few days I am in Brisbane - or she might not, she can't say until the New Year. 

 

As I haven't seen this friend for such a long time and I want my trip plan finalised soon,  it is re-shuffle time and Brisbane (colour coded green) has now moved to another slot, and the other colour coded towns (orange, yellow, purple and pink) have had to move again to fit in.  The colour coded towns are the base where I will be staying and I can visit other nearby places during that time.

 

I never thought that planning a trip would take so long - but once I have that sorted, then I can move on.....to......

 

Oh dear my Passports are about to expire.......