Blogeuse is back

Hello all! I've returned from Melbourne and David has, with some alacrity, passed the blog back. Thanks my love. You did great. Did someone say "flash in the pan"?  How unkind. I would never say that.  Let me tell you all about my adventures in Melbourne. I Had The Best Time. My children were really nice to me, I hope they never grow out of it.

I had been saving a copy of my fave magazine "Mindfood" http://www.mindfood.com/, to read on the 3 hour flight Cairns to Melbourne. But I scored a window on my left and a serious talker on my right, so it remained unread. This is what I saw from the window, and what I heard from the talker was her entire life story, but I won't go into that. This is Victorian farmlands, looking very lush.  It was gloriously cool in Melbourne.

Excuse for abandoning my wifely duties was to go to the 31st ANZ Family Therapy Conference, for which I had been given a free ticket on the strength of the ACT branch (now defunct) donating its funds to the new National Association of Family Therapy. What a privilege. It was a good conference, always is. Moving, useful, relevant. It was held in Melbourne's spanking new Convention and Exhibition Centre. The new building is a dazzling bit of architecture, and huge. http://www.mcec.com.au/

This angled portico runs the length of the building beside theYarra, and frames a glimpse of Flinders St station
at its city end. Classy. So was the catering.  Like I said, good conference, good venue.  And, it was an easy morning walk from our apartment in Southbank, along the promenade, past the cafes and bars...

and the chalk art...

moving along in a sea of suits and bicycles as Melbourne's city workers head for the high rises, trying not to be what the locals call a "meanderthal'. This means, you have to walk straight and fast.  Very fast. Very straight.

I love our apartment in Southbank. This is the street level front foyer, with its artworks. It is in a heritage listed building that used to be an old bondstore.

It adjoins the Bondstore cafe, much frequented by the Price Waterhouse pinstripes from across the road.

But despite the location, you wake up to birdsong.  This is why, the internal courtyard is a lovely garden.

It's less than 5 minutes walk to Flinders St station.

Why am I doing this promo? Dunno. I guess I just love Melbourne. Plus I was born in Victoria.

Daughter Lian and son Wim now live in Melbourne, and I think Mae will move there as well, next year.  Wim and partner Akinyi live in Brunswick.

Lian is into blogging, too. http://frocksandfroufrou.com/ Wim is into music http://www.myspace.com/balajomanouche

I'm back in Cairns as I write this and David has just flashed past in his birthday suit.

Ever been out in the backyard and danced in the tropical rain at night? It's mad!