First of all, we bought a broom. Living in Australia 101. Who would have thought that the average Australian and Canadian indoor broom styles would be different? We figured since we have fallen for cricket, love TimTams, have had a fairly smooth transition with driving and even attempted Vegemite, that a little thing like sweeping would be fine. Hmmmm.
We've been lucky and met a few young families that are very much at the same point in life as us, which is great. Of note are two families (of five) that are starting a school in the Melbourne area in 2016. Yeah, no big deal. Don't like your school selection, start your own! It obviously isn't quite that easy, they are working their tails off to get the school set up and investing a lot financially - it is certainly a labour of love. Overall, Australia has a pretty interesting culture around education from what we can comprehend. Very different than North America (more on that in a future post when I get a better idea of it... I don't want to jump to conclusions too early).
After leaving their house in the South East of Melbourne we decided to continue down the Mornington Peninsula and take the ferry across the mouth (also known as "the rip") to just south of Geelong. What a great little trip that was. The shoreline of the bay south of Melbourne as you reach the Mornington is packed with cute little towns, beautiful old buildings, lots of summer activity and bathing boxes. Bathing boxes you say? What are these?
Another very cool fact (I avoided saying fun fact) about the Mornington Peninsula is that in 1967, while taking a swim in a place he visited and swam at regularily, Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt vanished. They never found his body and presumed he drowned. This type of death is unprecedented in the Western world. Image PM Stephen Harper going out for a jog and never being seen again?! How sad and unbelievable an end.
We keep thanking the Fitzgeralds (in absentia) for this wonderful opportunity they've given us and hoping they are enjoying their time in Canada as much as we are enjoying ours here.