Technically I have always been a grandma on a bike but now I feel every year of my age. I am riding around on a powerful motorbike at 70kms at most and bracing myself for a sudden stop and a quick flight over the handle bars.

I know something is wrong with the bike as it sounds “funny”. It is kind of chugging along like an old steam train and when I stop the engine seems almost hot enough to produce steam. Yesterday the chain came unstuck and the bike skidded to a halt. Luckily I wasn...

I am sitting outside in the sun on the balcony of a lovely house in Brisbane watching the birds. At my side are three lovely dogs.

I am doing what I love …. writing …. and thinking …. and learning about the Internet. Can life get any better? This week I am house sitting for a family who live in a beautiful house in a suburb of Brisbane called Jamboree Heights. It is a house like many others in the suburb, but what makes it really special, is the bird life. The family have encouraged t...

Today one of my sons turned 24 so I bought him a pair of wind up teeth

I put them into a happy birthday box that I bought at a discount store for $1.50 and added some chocolate and card with a heart felt message of love and best wishes. It cost just over $10.

I expect he would have preferred money.

but I don’t have any.

It reminded me of a time years ago when he was just a baby. My ex and I were living apart for a bit, and I went to stay in a house my mother owned with the thre...

It is lucky they don’t have a dress code at McDonalds. I went there today after my geo-hunting. I was wet with damp stringy hair, muddy shoes, cobwebs and almost certainly the odd spider or two on my person. I have been grubbing around in the forest again hunting for treasure. Sadly I wasn’t very successful but it is always an adventure exploring new places. I have found some marvellous new parks and streams, even if there is no water in some of the streams. I didn’t find many of the ca...

Today I had an adventure before breakfast. It was like a Bernstein Bear movie I remember.

Up the hill and through the long grass

Between the interesting and delightful obstacles people have left here

Over the rubbish and around the tricky corner.

There is a new tunnel under Brisbane City. It is called the Clem7 and it runs for 4.8km under the city and river. They say you can avoid 24 sets of traffic lights in the city by using the tunnel.

I was heading into the city and I didn’t want to use the tunnel. I didn’t want to breathe the enclosed air. I didn’t want that claustrophobic feeling I get when I realise there are tons of earth on top of me… and … I didn’t want to pay the toll.

I tried to avoid it. Really I did. I w...

I found it interesting this trip that all along the route there were community advisory signs that said things like “Take a Break” or  “Revive and Survive” but as I crossed the border into Queensland I noticed a much more morbid side to the transport department signs. They carried messages like “Rest or R.I.P.” and “Every K over is a killer” or the cheery “Tired drivers die”. I was already feeling bombarded with the tragic possibilities of not getting enough rest when I ca...

I stayed the night at Narrabri. It is well known for the Australian Observatory and the Cotton Museum but I will remember it for the accommodation. I stayed here last time and I liked my room and had a good stay. I particularly liked the fresh air coming in through the ceiling. This time my fresh air vent was just a great foil lined hole. The bed was a double bunk with an ugly and useless sink jutting into the lower bunk.

The less than friendly lady that booked me in told there were no si...

There were over 200 people in my bedroom when I woke up. There were only about 20 when I went to sleep. I guess that is what can happen when you sleep in the middle of an airport terminal.

The flights to Napier, New Zealand didn’t quite connect so Phil and I arrived at Auckland Airport about 1am. As the next flight wasn’t until after 5am we went upstairs and found a nice quiet space with a small group of bench seats. There were already half a dozen people laying across the seats when Phi...