#52Ancestors, Fresh Start

So, Fresh Start.

This was the topic for week one this year, but here I am, tackling it now.

Isn’t every morning that you wake up the opportunity to make a fresh start ? Erase the mishaps and misgivings of the previous day and set your sights on today and tomorrow’s goals. My life seems to be full of fresh starts recently. New cities, new suburbs, new countries, new states, new houses, new jobs.

I would really LOVE my next fresh start to be in a permanent role, but temping offers the opportunity for frequent fresh starts. Finding my ways to new parts of the city, learning and mastering new processes and systems, forging and building relationships with team members and colleagues.

I guess there are plenty of others in my tree who have made at least one fresh start at some point of their lives. The obvious ones would be those who took a chance on emigration, a new life with new opportunities in a country at the other end of the planet.

Getting back to blogging regularly is going to be my fresh start goal of 2020. I’ve had enough of moving and changing in every other aspect – I just want some good ol’ humdrum normality now.

…however, if I happened to win Lotto…what a fresh start THAT would be !

Wondering where I went

Well it has been about four weeks since I last posted about moving. So I guess some of you might be wondering where I went.

I’ll tell you.

Brisbane.

Definitely not somewhere that I ever thought I would live again, having left some thirty or so years ago. When I came back to Australia to study last year, I had a hunch that Bendigo might not be a long term home, but I kinda thought perhaps Melbourne, Canberra or Sydney might have been possibilities – even Newcastle at one time.

But, in my job searching research I began to think about Brizzy again. Lots of former colleagues now call Queensland home so it can’t be all bad, right ? I came up in July to have a bit of a look around, look at rentals, meet some recruiters, catch up with friends. It definitely seemed to be offering 100% more than Bendigo.

Not just workwise; it is nearer the coast, there is always something going on, there is a river or two and they even have way more water flowing in them than Bendigo Creek had in the whole time we were there.

Life got in the way a bit and my return was delayed.

But I’m here now, still job searching but with so many more possibilities. I like the new neighbourhood and I’m enjoying finding my way around again.

Public transport is amazing. You can get to anywhere easily but I think a car will be near the top of the list once there is an income. It’s been a while. Most of the boxes are unpacked too, although there isn’t quite as much storage as I had hoped.

There are jacarandas everywhere and other flowering trees and shrubs to learn the names of. There are even Kookaburras in the park – never even saw or heard one around Bendigo in all that time.

The most surprising and refreshing thing has been the rain. In the last two weeks there has been at least 200% more precipitation than there was in an entire year in Central Victoria.

So far, it feels so much more like a place I want to be.

I’m looking forward to joining groups, meeting people and reconnecting with friends. I have completed my Diploma, results for my final assignment are due this week. It has been a tough 12 months, but I’m still looking on the bright side.

But my primary focus right now is still getting work. Watch this space.

This Year in Sunsets

In month order - JFMAMJJASOND - you know it

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MAY 2018 BRING A WORLD OF POSITIVITY AND PEACE

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

Hello from the other side

 - of the Tasman, that is !

The last few weeks have been a blur of boxes and sorting and selling and packing. I'm glad that part is over.

After farewelling workmates and saying goodbye to the stress of packing and cleaning we headed south for a couple of days in Wellington. Time to catch up with friends and family there as well before that early morning flight.

On the way we stopped in Taupo and caught the sunset - and got up early in the freezing morning to catch the sunrise too. 

In Wellington we were reminded of the weather we had left behind. Idyllic one day, horrendous the next; but that is what makes it great at the same time. Not enough time to see everyone though. Maybe on the next trip.

We were up bright and early 3.30am ! and off to the airport for a relatively smooth trip arriving in Melbourne at 8.00am. We needed to visit the bank where we had opened our accounts, so we caught the bus into the city and found a great place to get some breakfast (no food on the plane for our fare option).

It had been awhile since my last visit to Melbourne - maybe 12 years ? surely not that long. But it all still felt so familiar. We enjoyed wandering around in the sun before catching the bus back and picking up the rental car. 

Bendigo (new home town) is just 90 minutes from Melbourne and has regular bus and train services, so I KNOW we will be back that way to catch a show or two, or to just wander the streets.

Life takes you on a surprise journey sometimes

When you least expect it something falls into place and life gets taken on a wild ride. That is what happened to me last week. I’ve been umming and aahing. To move or not to move. Or more like; to move but when to move.

I’ll tell you when – 4 weeks from NOW ! Get your skates on ! There is no time to be shell shocked there is masses to do !

I have been contemplating some online study with an institution across the ditch. Online you say, sounds fairly simple, you can do that from anywhere. Apparently not. You must be resident on the Island to the West of where I am now.

So while I was contemplating that, and where to settle, someone else changed tack and decided to look at roles which were specifically recruiting from these fair shores. No worries about gaining local certification prior to applying which had been stymying earlier applications. Hey presto – snapped up in an instant. Like a fresh worm on the hook.

It began like a pebble rolling down the hill gathering speed and size, but in truth it grew into a boulder pretty instantly and it has just been 7 days. The wheels are in motion, I just have to keep up.

All those plans to sort boxes and downsize that have been disregarded and casually postponed have come crashing home to roost. The race is on now. Maybe I will finally find some of the things which have been lost since the 2014 move. Hope so. Although, do I really need them ?

Anyways, that is why I have been fairly quiet recently on all fronts - I'm quietly panicking and getting organised and time is short.

I'm enrolled in my first paper as well - let the fun begin !!

Farewell Auckland, hello Bendigo.

Change

I'm being a bit rubbish about keeping up to date with all the happenings lately.

So, here goes:

1. Christchurch is no longer my home - it was great while it lasted, but circumstances made it hard to want to try and stay. Jobs with a predetermined end date, rents which were out of my reach if it was just going to be me.

2. I think Marlborough/Nelson/Tasman could be my home one day - so much amazing scenery.

3. Auckland is my home now. Just as expensive as Christchurch for not as great quality, so we are still housemates for as long as it takes to get on our feet separately.

4. There are new places to explore.

5. My life is still in boxes...

So anyway, today we went on a bit of an explore because we have to go driving to get used to the traffic, and check that the Navman can cope with it even when we can't.

So first we went to Parnell for Pizza. At Sals. We'd tried it once before on the Shore, but this was closer, and we just wanted one slice. 

'Cos that is all you need believe me.

Then we went for a walk up through the shops. It still has that village feel which is nice, so close to the craziness that is the CBD. We happened upon these guys painting a mural. SO clever.

 then we had us some gelato

and went on a l-o-n-g drive to find the lighthouse at Manukau Heads. 

It would have been prettier on a nicer day, but it was on the list of free things to do in Auckland - so we have done it now. It was free (well a donation to go in to the lighthouse) but there isn't anything else much to do once you get all the way there...and then there is the cost of petrol. Hmmm.