Kiribati

17th June 2012

Up at 4.30am, taxi 5pm, to catch a flight at 7am. Jasper (dog) not happy when he sees suitcases. "they're leaving me again". Good flight to Sydney, no dramas.Nice breakfast/snack on plane (qantas), greek yoghurt, juice and muesli bar. Bought a camera (Nikon coolpix) at the airport duty free for $349, now I just need to learn how to use it.

Flight from Sydney was delayed an hour (of course, nothing new there). The excuse was 'for cleaning' then changed their minds to mechanical problems (really making me feel safe). I said to Ron (hubby), "I don't need to know that".

The plane was a jumbo 747400 with an upstairs and downstairs. It was an Air Pacific flight. It was full to the brim. A lot of people under the sole care of a couple of pilots. Boy that is a lot of responsibility. They did a good job.I lived to tell the tale.

Left Sydney at 2.30pm. Had to wait on the tarmac for ages. Finally we were into the air and on our way to Fiji. We knew we would arrive in the night and leave in the dark so wasn't too excited about going to Fiji. Maybe we will get to see it another time.

I did a lot of preparation for work on the plane. It made the time go quickly. Also had a bit of a nap, but without my neck pillow (which I lost on my last trip) my head kept bobbing around.

We had a snack of chicken stir fry wrap, cold pasta and casava chips, coffee and soft drink. I think I had that last time I flew Air Pacific. Both Ron and I were still hungry but we couldn't do anything about it.

Met a nice guy sitting next to me. He and a colleague were going to Fiji for work. They are reps for a small wine importer in Australia based in Woollongong. Great job travelling around buying wine. He loved the job but enjoyed going home to his partner and 6 kids!!!!! Wow!!!!

Landed in Fiji, in the dark as expected. Ate dinner at 10pm and in bed by 11pm. Stayed at the Novotel, not too bad, about a 4 star. It was nice and close to the Airport, about 10 minutes drive. They have a shuttle bus that picks you up which is good. Very nice friendly staff. Slept well if only for 3 and half hours. Had to get up at 2.30am (yuk)to be at the airport by 3am for a 5am flight to Kiribati.

18th June 2012

Soooo tired!!!! Caught a taxi from the hotel (no cost). Met up with a couple of work colleagues and travelled to the airport with them. One of them was asked to put his toiletries into a plastic zip bag. He didn't have one so I lent him mine. I learnt last time even my lipstick had to go in a clear ziplock bag. He also had to take off his belt and shoes. They weighed and measured my cabin bag as it has to be a certain size and weight. They let me go when they realised it was the correct size.

Got through customs with about an hour to wait for the plane so we had a muffin and coffee. Ron bought some duty free wine for me to drink over there. Last time I was there I had trouble finding white wine to drink. Our colleagues were lucky to be able to wait in the Business class lounge because they are frequent flyers. One day????

The plane was on time and we were on our way to Tarawa Bonriki airport Kiribati. Air Pacific plane again. Flight takes approx 3 hours. We were served breakfast of yoghurt, fruit and coffee. Still hungry. God knows what my body thinks the time is. Arrived in Kiribati about 8am. We were picked up by Linda Uan (Volunteers manager). I met her last time. Her husband is a film maker and also looks after International film makers and journos etc. Linda also looks after the disability school as her daughter has Autism.

We stopped to get petrol along the way and they only put in about Aus$10-15 at a time. As the road is only about 50 kms long and you can only travel at 40 - 60kmh you don't use up too much petrol.

The currency is the Aussie Dollar which seems odd.

Stopped at Utererei motel to drop our colleagues off and visited the 3 pet tortoises and watched them being fed. At least they are pets and not food.

Onwards to Mary's motel. Only one road so can't get lost. It is about 9am when we arrive. The room is very basic, reminds me of the shacks we stayed in when I was a kid in the 60's. Not happy because the shower is cold, no hot water. Last time my room had hot water, not this time. Lucky the weather is very hot. Water also goes off at about 9pm then back on in the morning. Got caught out once, all lathered up and water goes off. Down to a trickle. Agh!!!

Ventured over to the restaurant at about 11am because we were hungry. We both had bacon and eggs on toast. They always give you 3 pieces of toast???? Cost was $6 each. Also had a coca cola. Nice.

Met an Irish Kiwi and a Welsh Kiwi. They work for MET (meteorology?) Really nice guys.

Antoine (Director of Kiribati Institute of Technology) picked us up at 1.15pm for a 1.30 start at KIT.

Finished so We packed up, Ron had arrived so Antoine took us to his house for a drink. He had gathered some coconuts because he wanted to make a cocktail. He added vodka and something else with crushed ice and coconut milk. Very nice but very potent so I only drank half.

Ron met Tiara and we sat on the decking as he showed and explained his trip to Marakwai where Tiaras family live. It really looked nice. Then at 6pm we said we have been awake since 2.30am and need to get back to the motel and have some tea and in to bed.

We went searching for Eric when we returned only to find he had been sent packing due to the motel being full. They do that, over book and then kick someone out. He ended up above the Japanese restaurant in a small room. He was cool about it though. Said the food was better there.

Our first real meal at Mary's was Teriyaki chicken and rice and steak and rice.

At dinner we met 3 more Kiwis who are working for a consultant at the Ministry of Labor. One was delivering a Diploma of Finance, another HR skills and the third something to do with the marine/navy??? Not sure.

About 9pm we were off to have a cold shower and bed. Must admit it was refreshing. Set alarm for 6.30am as I was being picked up at 7.30am. Ron bought weetbix and milk for breakfast because the restaurant doesn't open until 7am.

Nice comfy bed so should sleep well.

19th June Tuesday 2012

Woke up to the sound of pouring rain outside. Dogs barked all night and one howled as though it had been hurt and sure enough on my way to work there was a dead dog who had been hit by a car. The dogs are roaming free everywhere and are a real pest. They are not desexed so there are fights amongst them all the time. They are not aggressive to us though which is unusual. It seems they have learnt to live side by side with humans. Many of the locals have them as their pets but they are still free roaming. Evidently there was a Vet in Kiribati who wanted to desex the males and treat the dogs for parasites etc but she wasn't allowed for some reason.

The rain was very heavy, real tropical rain storms. My ride to work was late so that made us both late, but no one seems to care. Kiribati time after all.

It was great catching up with my students again and they all seemed happy to see me again and to meet Ron.

Was already to start work but as I said it is Kiribati time and I had to wait until they were ready.

Thank goodness for usb's as I was able to spend time saving work to leave with the staff when I left. Their intenet is unreliable so everything needs to be on usb or saved to their computers. But there can be a problem with virus's also.

At lunch time I went shopping for snacks. You have to rely on what has come in from other countries, so one week it can be all from Australia or another New Zealand etc etc. I bought 2 minute noodles for lunch as there wasn't much else to get. No pies, pasties, rolls or sandwhiches. Even though one of the days I did get a roll. I could see it had egg, so I bought it only to find it also had strawberry jam. Cold egg and jam. Nah not good. Roll was nice and fresh though. I did get some mixed nuts which was good.

At 4pm I was able to get a lift back to the motel with an Australian/Philipino consultant called Toni. She teaches English.

Arrived back at the motel only to find no Ron. I tried not to worry and decided to wait before panicking. I got the motel worker to open my door so I didn't have to wait outside in the rain. Ron arrived just after 5pm. He had decided to go adventuring when the rain had stopped and caught the local transport to the other side of the island and back. He did say it started to rain again and he got caught in it. The transport consists of small minivans and most are missing their windscreens, due mainly to falling coconuts, breadfruit and other things falling from trees. As there are no 'windscreen businesses', they tape up the windows with heavy duty plastic. If it is raining, someone has to wipe the windscreen with a tee shirt or rag.

For dinner that night we had the local fish, I think it is called Morokoi (emperor). I am not a seafood eater but it was delicious. Very white and meaty. I had mine crumbed and we had chips with it.

Early to bed again at 9pm. There is no TV or radio, so we read for awhile or watch a movie on the computer. As we get up at 6am we are usually too tired to do much.

20/6/12 Wednesday

Nicer day with the sun shining. Off to work by 7.30am for a full day of teaching. I was really impressed with the students memories. I tested them on topics they learnt in February and they were all up to date with their knowledge.

We had a special lunch to welcome me and farewell a fellow colleague from Australia.

There was a lot of singing and then a lovely feast. We were given a garland of flowers for our heads. They included Ron as well even though he was a visitor not a teacher. Everyone was so happy and welcoming.

Finished teaching and arrived back at the motel to catch up with a colleague who was leaving the next day. He had been kicked out of the motel earlier because they mixed up his booking.

Had a quick drink then he had to go to a farewell dinner. We weren't alone for long when James the meterologist came back from a game of soccer with the locals. He said some of them are quite good and most play in bare feet. That is a common occurence here. Most of my students who are the KIT teachers go barefeet except at the school. You see kids walking around on the hot tar road in bare feet and they don't seem to notice. Their feet must be so hard.

James invited us to have dinner and drinks with their group. There were the two meteorologists, 2 female pediatricains, 2 pediatric nurses, James and his mate John and Mal a cop from NZ. we had a great night and several stories were shared amongst everyone. We all have our own unique experiences in Kiribati. Didn't get to bed til 11pm and of course the water was off so had to get up earlier to fit in a shower. Cold shower that is.

Another noisey night, people, dogs etc.

21/6/12 thursday

Funny how we are waking up just before the alarm goes off. I must be scared I will sleep in or something.

Toni picked me up in a hire car. All dented and dirty but still costs $50 a day. Arrived at work early enough to get some internet before class. As we said it always seems to go right on the day.

Did some work in the afternoon then on my return to the motel, Ron and I decided to take a walk around the town.

Checked out the view over the sea from the Moromon church nearby then realised the prison was next door. Not many real criminals and this was the womens section. Just a cyclone fence with a bit of barb wire on top. That looked like the only difference between the local houses and the prison.

Also saw the one of the Presidents residents which was very nice, lovely gardens and very friendly police guards. They even let us take their photos and also the house. I don't think they have a lot of trouble from foreigners as it is not a place for regular tourists, mainly people working here.

Went back for an early tea and to watch some videos Ron had bought.

22/6/12 Friday

Off to work today in blue top as it is the Australian High Commissioner's visit and everyone is wearing their special blue top. They have a red one also but I am not sure when they wear that one. I didn't want to stand out so I dressed in the same color. The High Commissioner was coming to open the new classrooms and toilet block. He was due at 9 am but he put a spanner in the works by arriving 10 minutes early. I-Kiribati people expect you to arrive late not early so weren't ready for him. Luckily the Director was able to take him and his wife into his office for a chat and to cool down in the air conditioning whilst the school got itself ready and in place for their welcome.

All went well. Students sang a welcoming song and then they placed flower garlands on the guests heads. There were speeches made by the two Directors, High Commissioner and the Student Council President. All in English as all classes at the Institute are in English. Students must have a certain level of English to be able to attend. They attend advanced classes also.

Lunch time a few of us and Ron (he was the official photographer) went to Aboys restaurant, one of the better ones. Whilst we were there a cart with tuna on it was wheeled past into the kitchen. Wow they were very big and so fresh. No wonder the tuna steaks here are so nice. Even I like them.

One of the ladies from the college who came to lunch was born in Kiribati but married an Australian so comes back every year for a few months to see her mother and sister. She is an ex teacher and her husband is also a teacher. She has a temporary position as Business Development officer at KIT. She also wants to start up a small tour business. She has a lot of knowlege regarding the Battel of Tarrawa and the relics left after the war to rot on the beaches.

That night when we went over to the motels restaurant for dinner another couple we met arrived to join us. They are volunteering for 12 months and have their two children with them. Lachlan is in IT and his wife Amber is in marketing.

Unfortunately for them they have not been well and had just returned from Brisbane after coming down with Dengue fever (Amber and the kids) and Lachlan had shingles. On their return their daughter had suspected Typhoid and their son had a rash appear on his arms. Not the place to take kids as they have found out. They live near the High Commissioner in a small house.

We were also joined by the Kiwis. It is so nice here that you are never alone, there is always someone to talk to. Off to bed at 10.30pm.

Travel for work (Photos courtesy of Eric Williams)

I have been slack with my entries in the past due to work and other commitments. Last year my daughter and her husband had to evacuate from Japan because they lived 100 or so K’s from the nuclear plant that exploded. There was evidence of radiation in their water and soil. As she was 7 months pregnant and also had a 2 year old boy it was a no brainer that they should return to Australia. Her husband who is Japanese was torn between looking after his wife and children and his Mother who was in the hospital dying from cancer. It was decided that he would stay and my daughter would come home. His mother died before the need to leave so it all worked out in the end. They are happily living in Northern NSW where they have an opportunity to advance their work. He is a professional surfing/fashion photographer and she is a freelance journalist specialising in surfing. It has been a huge relief for me to have them safe here in Australia, and it is easier to travel to see my two grandsons. I was able to be there for the birth of her second son and help with the care of her eldest boy who is now nearly 3. I am planning on visiting once a year so that I get to see them. Once they are settled they too will visit us in Adelaide regularly.

This post is about my opportunity to travel to Kiribati (Island in the Pacific) for work. What an amazing experience. I travelled with a colleague who was also working there.



“Kiribati is for travellers - those who have a passion for exploring and discovering, people who like an adventure off the tourist trail to places where few have been before, and people who want to understand a country - not just see it. Kiribati will challenge your view of how life should be and show you a less complicated way of living where family and community come first.” www.kiribatitourism.gov.ki
Mauri – the word for hello and welcome

Where is it?
Kiribati (pronounced Kiribas) is an independent republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, located in the central Pacific Ocean, about 4,000 km (about 2,500 mi) southwest of Hawaii. It is part of the division of the Pacific islands that is known as Micronesia. Kiribati consists of 33 coral islands divided among three island groups: the Gilbert Islands, the Phoenix Islands, and the Line Islands.

All of the islands are atolls (ring-shaped islands with central lagoons) except for the island of Banaba in the Gilbert Islands which is a raised limestone Island. Of the 33 islands of Kiribati, 21 are inhabited. Most of the population is concentrated in the Gilbert Islands and only one of the islands in Phoenix Group (Kanton Island) is inhabited and three of the Line Islands are permanently inhabited. The capital of Kiribati is Tarawa, an atoll in the Gilbert Islands. Bairiki, an islet of Tarawa, serves as an administrative center.

The majority of the atolls are barely more than six metres above sea level and surrounded by barrier reefs creating picturesque lagoons for fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming and other water sports. Professional scuba diving guides are available on Christmas Island, Fanning Island and Tarawa.

Surfing is also popular on Kiritimati (Christmas) Island, Fanning (Tabuaeran) Island and Gilbert Islands.
Kiribati became the first nation to see in the Third Millennium during the year 2000.

Kiribati is 12 hours ahead of GMT - 2 hours ahead of Tokyo and 22 hours ahead of Honolulu, on the other side of the international dateline.



Population
Approx. 100,000

People
The main language is I-Kiribati - however English has been taught over many years and is widely understood, in particular the older generation. English is taught in schools.

The happiest and friendliest people I have met in a very long time. They know how to relax and not get too stressed.
The essence of community is common – people form community through sharing of objects, environments and spaces, and this is a lot in Kiribati. With many people in a small place, people share the natural resources that they live off. The I-Kiribati people often live in close quarters with their extended family, and living and working in harmony with neighbours and family is of high importance. Much of the traditions and beliefs of the people have remained the same.

At the centre of community life is the Maneaba – a rectangular structure used as a meeting place for the village community. This is where traditional meetings are held.
Celebration is something the Kiribati people certainly love. Any visitors to Kiribati in the Christian events of Easter or Christmas will see many celebrations, and as much traditional dancing and singing as one could ever wish for.
Traditional daily life in Kiribati revolves around living off the resources of the island – this might be taking the sailing canoe out to catch fish for the daily meal, cutting toddy to drink, harvesting coconuts or breadfruit, or weaving craft from the leave of the coconut tree. The island and surrounding sea provide everything, from food, shelter, clothing, furniture, or medicine.
Climate
Temperature varies between 25° and 33°C and they have 4135 hours of sunshine annually. The wet season extends from December to May and rainfall variation is high in most of the islands. A gentle breeze from the easterly quarter is predominant, and a sea breeze cools everyone down all year round.
They don’t seem to be affected by tsunamis or typhoons.

Money
Australian Dollar is used and there are a couple of ATM's which work very well.
Shopping
There are no supermarkets but I did find a large store called Moels Trading Store. They stock tim tams, weetbix, vegemite and of course all the other stuff. One thing that is hard to get is fresh fruit and vegetables as they have to get it in from Fiji.
Phone cards are sold here too but there are several other places, like the security office in the business area. Take your phone and buy a card and you can then ring home even though it is expensive. No texting available.

We found a couple of bakeries and the buns were delicious. Also ice cream, but beware evidently you can get sick from the ice cream. We bought ours from a large trading store that looked new.
Chatterbox cafe is the only place we found good souvenirs, make sure you have cash though as they don't take cards. They make great coffee there too and you can check in here for your flight instead of the airport.

My experience (February 2012)
Firstly we had to travel to Fiji and stay overnight before flying to Tarawa Kiribati. What did I expect to see on arrival? Having travelled extensively since the 70's to countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Africa, Burma, South America (just to name a few), I was surprised that it was as primitive as those countries back in the 70's. We flew in on an Asia Pacific plane, and on landing we could see that houses lined the strip and locals were on the edge of the tarmac waving. It is a novelty for the locals as there are two arrivals a week.





Who doesn't like to watch planes landing and especially when you can get so close to them?
The airport was a tin shed with handwritten signs. Luggage was carried off the plane and put on a bench and you had to find your own.

You are able to hire a car to get around. It is easy driving as there is only one road and you won't get lost. The widest part of the island is approx. 500metres so you would end up in the sea either side if you took a wrong turn. The maximum speed on the road is 60kph. You need to keep to it as there are a lot of speed humps and no warning of them. As the road is shaded by trees it is hard to see the humps until you are on them. There is also a toll to pay when crossing the main causeway. It will cost you 40cents one way. That poor man sits in his little hut collecting the toll 24 hours a day. No air-conditioning for him.

We were picked up from the airport and driven to our motel.
First impression of the island as we drove to our motel was it is not the most beautiful I have seen but it has a beauty of its own. As the locals describe it, “It is an island for travellers not tourists" and that is so true. If you are looking for modernity, then this is not the place to visit. If you are looking at experiencing the island life and its people then this is where you come.
"Mary's Motel" is run by George. Mary died in 2003 so George took over and his sisters and brothers help him. It is very clean but also very basic. The room did have an air conditioner and hot shower. They also had Wi-Fi internet access that wasn't very reliable. There is a restaurant which has a large choice of food which is very good. If you are into seafood (I am not) then lobster and very delicious fish is what you should try. The menu is a mixture of Asian and western food. They even had pancakes which were very nice. Prices were very good too and the serves were large. Drinks consisted of soft drink, water, beer and wine (not easy to get wine, white in particular, I found a Hardy’s though)

Why was I here? I am a lecturer at TAFESA and Kiribati and TAFE have an agreement with us training. I teach Certificate IV Training and Assessment. KIT (Kiribati Institute of Technology) needed their lecturing staff to gain their training qualifications. I spent 5 days training and will return to do 7 days training in June. The students’ quality of work was outstanding and they have had a lot of Professional Development to support them. At the Institute they deliver IT, Business Admin, Automotive, Construction, electro technology, TESOL, Accounting and others. Most are at a Cert. I - II level, but they are working on higher levels for the future. There are other TAFE lecturers there supporting the staff.
The reason they are doing all of this training is because of climate change. The ice is melting and as the highest point on the island is no more than 6 metres above sea level then they may only have 50 years or so left. They want to get the young ones qualified so that they can gain work if they need to leave. Many who have gained skills live and work abroad, sending money back to their families.
This is an exciting time for KIT as they work to becoming the best Training organisation in the Pacific. I think they may get there too.

We managed to get some sightseeing in on Sunday. We followed the road as far as it went and found the most beautiful island, which is a resort. Unfortunately we couldn't get to it because you have to get a boat across. Evidently there a many islands like this and you can only access them by boat. I met a volunteer who was going to one of these islands to teach boat building for 6 months. How exciting. They do have generators for power but everything is pretty basic.
My highlight was getting the opportunity to drive on the tarmac and also direct planes (not really). How many of you can say you have done that?????

One thing that is evident in Kiribati is they are religious. As we found out on our Sunday trip. There is pretty much every denomination there. Sunday service is very musical and we were able to hear some of the singing which was lovely. They all get dressed up in white and look so nice. Don't know how they get their stuff so white though. We saw schools and churches of the Mormons, 7th Day Adventist, Uniting, Catholic just to name a few.

Adelaide my city

I have lived here from birth and have never toured my own city. Well that is about to change.
Several friends and myself have decided that we will start visiting the popular and not so popular sites around Adelaide and also include areas around South Australia.
Population in South Australia is just under 2 million, so you can see we don't have a large population, so there is plenty of room for everyone.

The weather consists of warm dry summers (none of that humidity stuff) and cool winters (no snow), with an average annual rainfall of 585mm. We get most of the rain from May to August. Summer can be very hot and in fact we have just had our hottest New Years day for 100 years, where it got to 41C.

We have some beautiful beaches to compensate for that though. The photo is of Brighton Beach yesterday and the temp was 37C. My husband and I took his mother to Brighton for her birthday. We had lunch at the Espy and then wandered onto the jetty to people watch. The water was so clear and inviting, I did wish I had brought my bathers. Our beaches are beautiful but not crowded and we have a lot of safe beaches to swim in that are close to the city.

A bit about Brighton Beach

You can get to Brighton easily by train or bus if you do not have a car. Many visitors and locals catch the tram to Glenelg and then walk to Brighton for lunch and then back to Glenelg. The distance between beaches is approx. 4kms I think.
Brighton has a small shopping strip which makes it look more like a small seaside village than a suburb. There are some very trendy shops and lots of sidewalk cafes and yes they are dog friendly. They also supply water containers for your pooch.
There are some really good restaurants also but my favorite spot is the Esplanade Hotel(Espy) where you can get a really good view of the ocean.

Brighton also has a jetty and you often see the young people jumping off it(not allowed but!!who follows rules these days).

I am very attached to Brighton because when I was a kid I learnt to swim there. Mum took the 5 of us children by train to Brighton for swimming lessons every summer. She couldn't swim and wanted to make sure we all could.

Brighton is a nice alternative to go to if you want a quieter beach and shopping area.


Esplanade Hotel (Espy)


Brighton Beach Jan 2nd 2012

The next blog will be about somewhere in Adelaide and its suburbs.

Byron Bay and area

Macadamia Castle is a good place to take the grand kids. The macadamia nut is found in this area. You can treat yourself to complimentary tasting from a variety of flavours. You can also buy some gifts in their extensive gift shop.
There are baby animals such as rabbits, sheep, chickens, calves, ducks, kangaroos and emus. Your children or grandchildren, can feed the kangaroos and emus and also hold baby rabbits. Reptiles and native birds are also on show.
If you want to make it a full day there is mini - golf, playgrounds (two age levels), face painting, flying fox, picnic area and an adventure tree house.
They also have a train that takes the kids around the park for $2.

The castle cafe is an award winning cafe and make great pancakes. I suggest you share unless you are a big eater. I had to leave half of my mango and macadamia ice cream pancakes.

Markets Took a trip to Bangalow market on the 25th September. It was really good but very crowded as it was the first week of the school holidays. All sorts of good quality goods for sale not like Nimbin which was terrible and not good quality. But you do have to go to Nimbin just to look at it and say you have been. We went to a good cafe there in the main street. You could eat inside or outside and they had a sandpit/play area for kids. They also had native lizard art made out of bottle tops attached on trees which looked effective.
Went to Byron Bay market today 2nd October. It seemed bigger than the Bangalow market and there was entertainment. I noticed a lot of the same stalls too. Very good quality stuff and I enjoyed wandering around having a look.
Eating out My favorite place to eat at is the RSL (Byron Bay Services Club). Not far from Woollies on the main road towards Suffolk Park. The meals are amazing in size and very reasonable. They also have raffles and some good prizes are won. There is a kids room for over 3's, so you can take the whole family. They have pokies of course for those who like to have a bit of a flutter. Another good value place to eat is the Suffolk Park Hotel. They have a playground within the hotel and tables close by so you can watch the kids. Menu is quite reasonable too.
Travelling with pets Coming from Adelaide, I have never had to worry about my dog getting ticks. I have added this section because my daughter has two dogs which she relocated from japan. It cost her about $7000 for both of them. Very expensive when you don't have a lot of money. But under the circumstances it wasn't an option not to bring them. (Long story)Two nights ago we were woken up by a frantic son in law (my daughter was in hospital after the birth of her baby)saying that one of the dogs was unwell. My nephew went out to the farm to check and due to not being able to speak Japanese and my son in laws English is limited they thought of taking her to the vet in the morning. My daughter rang me at Midnight to say she was worse and could I contact the vet of which I did. We made it in time, any longer and she wouldn't have made it. Bloody paralysis tick nearly got her. She had to stay at the Vet for two nights and I have had her with me for two days as she has to be kept quiet. Even though she seems ok, it weakens their heart and she could suffer from heart failure. The poor thing has no idea what is going on and the other dog is fretting. So please if you take a pet on holiday keep looking for ticks especially if you are like me and come from a place that doesnt have them. The vet said the dogs who are new to the area are more susceptible. They build up some immunity as the years go on. You can treat them with tick spray from the pet shop. Cats also get them. The syptoms were a cough, vomitting, legs giving out so unable to walk. It paralyses their throat and their organs, so if untreated they suffocate.

Short trips/ Byron Bay

I haven't written anything for awhile but this will change. This blog will follow my short trip to Byron Bay, to be with my daughter and son in law for the birth of my second grandson. This is a special time for us all as they have had to evacuate from Japan. My son in law is Japanese and my daughter is South Australian. Their first son was born in Japan and I was lucky enough to be there for the birth which was an amazing experience. My grandson is now 2 and his brother is due within days, and will be born in Mullumbimby birthing clinic, which is a short distance from Byron Bay. She is hoping for a water birth and would like me to share the experience with her and her husband. So different from when I gave birth, but I am looking forward to the experience.

I arrived here on the 17th September and will leave on the 14th October. I flew from Adelaide to the Gold Coast, then it is a 40min ride on the freeway to Byron Bay.

I am staying in Suffolk Park which is a few k's from Byron, in my 2 nieces house. My daughter is staying at a friends farm and there is not enough room for anyone else but it is close by and and I see them everyday.

My nieces are the Director and Manager of Surfing Byron Bay and run lessons for schools, tourists, adults and anyone who wants to learn to surf. The director has owned and run the school for at least 10 years. She has two children and because her mum, my sister, died over a year ago I have become a surrogate nana which is ok by me.

Surfing is in our family as my father made surfboards in Adelaide and our family of 5 kids had no choice. My brother went on to be a surfboard manufacturer and my sister started the womens surfing. I don't get in the water and surf but I enjoy watching it. My daughter and her husband are both surfers, she is a freelance journalist specialising in surfing and he is a surfing photographer and travels the world following the best surfers and getting great shots. It is only natural that my 2 year old grandson should take up the sport. He can be seen at the Byron Bay beaches on the weekend surfing on his dads back. He has been a hit with some of the tourists. He has been on a board as early as 9 months old. It is a good healthy sport and he sleeps well after a day of surfing. Imagine how good he will be when he is older. It is also a favorite all age groups especially those who have always wanted to have a go and thought they were too old. In fact I met someone whose 80 year old mum learnt to surf and loves it.

Byron Bay is an interesting place because of its mixture of residents. On one hand there are the very very rich and then there are the hippy type residents. Of course then there are the tourists who come to see the beautiful beaches and lifestyle. No need to dress up here, it is so nice being in shorts, casual tops and thongs and just putting a brush through your hair and leaving off the makeup. But if that is what you want you can go to the upmarket restaurants and hotels and dress up too. Everywhere there is natural, organic, sustainable, recycling language whether it is on brochures, in shop windows, newspapers etc, it is the focus of the area.

Byron has some of the best beaches, where you can kayak, surf, snorkel, whale watch, dolphin watch and lots more. A short drive or bike ride away is the lush countryside where you will pass macadamia and coffee farms. Also there is the Open Cathedral at Bex Hill. My niece got married there many years ago and it has the most beautiful view. It is 10 years since I was there for the wedding and it is still beautiful. There is a small wooden church to shelter in if it rains.