A few days before other parts of Brisbane went under water, the creek behind our house was swollen by the same heavy rain. The brick on the grass shows the high point of the water.
Here are some photos of Steves 50th party. The barrel of home-brewed bitter went down well - we only had a couple of pints left, so thanks everyone for helping us get rid of that!
Ruby invited a few friends over for Australia Day. Everyone else cleared off to Steve & Kerry's, out of the way.
Steve started a three-month contract with the Queensland Government, looking after a complaints system at the Department of Communities. Whilst it was a shame to be leaving the previous job, working for the government held out the possibility of permanent employment eventually, and anyway the previous contract hadn't been extended...
We spent a week at Mt Cooroy, near Eumundi. So far it has rained most of the time... These photos are taken from the top of Mt Tinbeerwah, five minutes up the road from the house we stayed in.
One day when it didn't rain too much we went to Noosa, and while Olivia had a swim in the surf (and Deirdre had to jump in to stop her getting dragged off by the current!) Steve and Steve went for a walk into the National Park and took some photos.
We also went to Peregian Beach (parking at Noosa is almost impossible!). Steve and Steve went to a birdwatching hide near the house - it was nice, but not as posh as at Minsmere (note the lack of seating). Back at the house we saw a big Green Tree Frog. Then on the last morning we woke to find kangaroos in the garden. Finally, here's a picture of Olivia on a climbing frame at Montville, where we stopped on the way home.
Olivia continues to play football for Toowong FC. This season she actually scored a few goals.
Steve took Olivia to a historical open day at Fort Lytton. One of the attractions was the opportunity to dress up in chain mail. As you can see Olivia had a go...
Also this month, Ruby passed her driving test at the first attempt, which was lucky, as now she will be able to drive in England when she gets there.
Deirdre's aunt who lives in Cootamundra, New South Wales, turned 70 this month so the three of us who weren't in England flew down to Sydney and drove the rest of the way in a borrowed car (thanks Jeff!). It is not commonly known that Cootamundra is where Sir Don Bradman was born (most people think he was born in Bowral, but he moved there when he was two and a half).
I think the bird is a Red-rumped Parrot
We drove back to Sydney via Canberra, taking in the War Memorial, Lake Burley Griffin and Parliament House. The photo shows Olivia in the House of Representatives, the equivalent of the House of Commons in the UK.
Steve's job with the government became permanent! The original three-momth contract was extended for a further two months in April, then for another month in June then again in July. It's good to have some stability at last! Meanwhile Deirdre's bosses gave her an ultimatum - go full-time or go. She decided, as they had been acting unreasonably for a while, she would rather go!
Olivia turned eleven and had a few friends over for a party. On her actual birthday we took her and a friend to Alma Park Zoo. We took Ruby there when she was two.