2001-05 (MAY, 2001)

Sydney, Australia

Well, the major event this month was that we moved to Sydney, Australia to live. We were taken to Heathrow airport by Louise, Mark and Linda and were met there by Lynda and Bobby. After an emotional farewell we hopped onto our plane and flew away from London for the last time in a very long while. Our 20 hour flight involved only a very short stop down in KL and we were in Sydney early the next evening.

We were a little disappointed to arrive into a rain storm, having just left a lovely late spring in London, but were glad to be off the plane and on the other side of Australian Customs and Immigration. We caught a cab to our new flat in Birchgrove (taken sight-unseen from London). The flat turned out to be very small, but adequate for our needs and in a fabulous location. Our proximity to the Sydney harbour was one very delightful feature - less than 150 metres away from our front door.

Birchgrove (and the adjacent Balmain) is very pretty and packed full of restaurants, bars and one of everything else you need to get by. We spent the rest of the week buying the bits and pieces we needed in order to survive until the bulk of our belongings arrived (some four weeks hence) and familiarising ourselves with our new surroundings.

Andrea began work at PwC Australia the following Monday (not much of a break!) and I began the long process of finding a job - a process that required waiting at home by the phone rather than being outside enjoying the last of a Sydney Autumn.