Wineglass Bay, Tasmania.

Tasmania

We’re going to Tasmania! My partner Theo has a client who owns a holiday home there. They’ve kindly offered to let us stay there for a few days. Tasmania is an Australian island and state about 150 miles south of the continent. Tasmania is promoted as the “natural state”. About 37% of Tasmania is reserves, … Read more

Spirituality, paganism. Little statue of a goddess with a flower.

What is Paganism?

I make no secret of the fact that I practice an uncommon form of spirituality. I’m Pagan. What’s that? I’m so glad you asked. Here’s an introduction to Paganism. Paganism is more easily described in terms of observable behaviours than beliefs. Broadly speaking, it refers to a collection of spiritual behaviours that include animism, pantheism, … Read more

12 dangerous Australian animals out to kill me

Here’s a handy dandy list of 12 dangerous Australian animals out to kill us all. Redback spider: Belonging to the widow family of spiders, no redback spider-related deaths have been reported since the introduction of the antivenom in 1984. I guess that’s encouraging, but its bite is said to cause severe pain. On the bright … Read more

Victoria coastline. Day trips from Melbourne.

Day trips from Melbourne

A great thing about Melbourne is that you can get away from it quickly. You can get in your car, drive in any direction, and, in about an hour, you could be in the mountains or at the beach. Here are some great day trips from Melbourne I look forward to doing. The Dandenong Ranges … Read more

AFL or Aussie rules rules

I’m not really a sports fan. Sure, I’ve caught a Super Bowl or two and I even went to a Florida Marlins baseball game once, but I’ve never gotten excited over sports. But then I met the AFL. I understand and admire the ethos of sportsmanship such as fair play, grace in victory or defeat, and … Read more

Taking pets to Australia

This is my cat and I’m going to miss her so much while I’m away. I’d love to take her with me, but taking pets to Australia is no easy task. Australia has strict import conditions to minimise the risk of exotic diseases being introduced. My cat meets most of the requirements for entry such … Read more