Late December 2018 was a very special time for me...

It has been quite a year.

There have been some big changes (again) and plenty of fun times.

The best part was seeing and spending time with family in October, then eight weeks later at Christmas. Now looking forward to the next time in ten more weeks.

This was the first Christmas Day with Mum and Dad since we moved from Christchurch in 2015 - and even that wasn't actually Christmas, it was a quick road-trip up and back in 2014 on Boxing Day and the day after in between shifts for Lauren. Before that it must have been another couple of years as Christmases alternated between Wellington and Renwick or Cambridge.

We had a great time catching up and exploring with them. A day in Toowoomba to see a cousin of Dad's, wandering around the shops in the craziness before Christmas, cruising the river on the free City Hopper, checking out the flora and fauna at Mt Coot-tha, Roma Street and in local parks. Walks along the riverwalk at Southbank, dinners, ice-creams to cool down in the hot sticky heat.

All too quickly it was time to say goodbye - but in just a blink of an eye it will be our turn to fly.

Settling in

So just to catch people up. Lauren found a place to call home and we have moved in.

Since most of our belongings are in a container waiting to leave New Zealand we have had a bit of a spending spree. Beds, mattresses, fridge and washing machine were the most costly - but not actually, all things considered. Something to sit on, crockery, cutlery, cooking vessels - you know the things I mean. 

We are slowly getting some of the essentials in to the pantry as well.

It has been a week now and there are the makings of a home.

We took back the rental car last Sunday as well, so there has been lots of walking about to get things done. Just as well Bendigo is a walkable place.

Turns out a few of the great coffee places we have been frequenting are just 10-15 minutes walk away. Bonus.

We have almost all of the admin things sorted - medicare, myki cards, (like Snapper, HOP, Oyster and Opal), library cards, bank accounts, electoral rolls, tax numbers so things are feeling pretty organised. Just the job front to conquer for me.

In the meantime I am still enjoying my studying using pocket wifi (thanks Vodafone) while we wait for our NBN internet connection to get sorted.

We have a bunch of DVDs to watch because TV is pretty rubbish - but at least you don't need to buy an additional set top box or sign up to pay tv just to watch the free channels. You just buy a TV (dont forget the cable) take it home, plug it all in and BINGO - TV is all sorted. Anyway, TV will have to do - and the DVD's until we have internet because I think we would use all our data up watching Netflix if we tried it now.

 Flatpack furniture - or some of it

 Book exchange on the footpath !!

 ...one day

 All of the above in Chancery Lane

Bendigo channelling Santa Monica

Progress

Well, it has been just over a week since our new life began, and as you would expect there have been a few curveballs come our way. But mostly we are on top of it all.

We've taken advantage of having a rental car to get around and view potential places to live, and to explore a bit of the local area. We've also become regulars at a couple of coffee places - just one of the downsides of living in a hotel with no kitchen facilities I guess.

Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are everywhere (dairy free too !) A-M-A-Z-I-N-G ! there have not been nearly as many hangry moments as would normally occur when travelling together. But, I think we are both looking forward to being able to make our own meals again.

Echuca

Murray River and New South Wales at Echuca

 Lake Weeroona

 Yarnbombed Bike

  Maldon

 More yarnbombing

 A friendly local

 Bendigo sunset

 Sunday walkabout Bendigo

 Flying foxes !!

 Where we are staying for now...