Michelle's chickpeas: Sunshine Coast

On our third morning in Brisbane Tristans’ cousin, Krista, met us at our guest house and drove us up to our holiday let in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast. She lives in between Brisbane and Caloundra. The drive took just over and hour and half, it took about half an hour just to get out of the city and onto the highway.

After arriving in the apartment we took it in turns to go for a wander to get ourselves accustomed to where we were in relation to the town and beaches etc without the boys in tow, just in case we got lost. During this time Tris called an advert about a car, arranged a viewing and liked it.

So by that evening we had a car, it just needed it’s timing belt changing then we are good to roll!

The next day we did more boring stuff (much to the boys disgust!) and this time it did take ages, but after we headed to the plaza. In towns over here, you tend to have one street of a few shops and then a big mall (called plazas) on the edge of the town with all the main shops in. So we headed off there for an ice cream, coffee a trip in K mart to spend some of Rowans birthday money, he bought a ninja toy and a skateboard to share with Reuben until his arrives on the ship. Then we had boring food shopping to do.

But now with our cupboards stocked, the car booked into the garage for the work to be done, knowing where everything is we were starting to feel a little bit like we were settling down. Time for some fun!

As it was the weekend and a very warm 29 degrees we headed to the beach, which was full of families. From our apartment you follow the road down the hill for a minute and you arrive at the esplanade, a boardwalk that goes from Bulcock Beach right around the headland to Kings Beach. We had been to Kings beach on our first day and saw loads of jellyfish, harmless ones and one bluebottle (a poisionus one), which put the boys off for a while. So we headed to Bulcock beach and had a great morning in the little waves. Reuben was straight in there, rolling in the waves and throwing sand on his own head. Rowan took a while to decide to go in but when he did, he loved it too.

We went back to the apartment for the middle of the day as it got a bit too hot, then headed over to Kings beach in the late afternoon for a play in the park and to enjoy the cool evening air.

The sun sets here in Queensland at about 6pm every night and currently the sunrises at 5.10am.

The next morning Tris woke up and sneaked out at 5.30am to watch the sunrise thinking that he would be on his own on the beach, but to his amazement there were loads of people out, fishing, jogging, doing yoga and other exercises. And he had missed the sunrise!

We went to Bulcock beach for another morning of fun, playing in the sea and the sand.

Tris had an informal interview with a tree guy who has offered him work on a as needed basis. Which is great, but we were all kinda hoping he would have a bit longer off.

On Monday our car had to go to the garage, so we all headed off for the day up the coast for the day, packing some snags for a bbq for lunch.

Tris bought work boots and we went to Cotton Tree park for a play, bbq and for Tris to meet up with another possible employer. His kids were on a pupil free day from school so we all met up in the park. This employer has offered Tris 45 hours per week on condition of a trial and Tris was much more impressed with this guys company.

After the park we took the car to the garage and got a lift back to Caloundra.

Whilst at the park we met a lady called Meegan, who moved here herself from New Zealand. She has set up a program called family connect, where they organise a picnic once a month for new families to meet others and find out what is going on and stuff. Greta idea and she will let us know when the next one is.

People are very friendly here, it seems that most people have moved here from somewhere else, I am yet to meet someone who has always lived here.

Today, it is Tuesday. Tris is currently at his first day of work with the first job offer. He left at 6.30am! The weather has been really hot over the weekend, it was forecast 31 degrees and the firemen were on bush fire alert all weekend. Last night however the wind has moved and a storm blew in and today it is blowing a hooly. So it should be an interesting day for him.

Me and the boys have been getting to know the town. We went to the library, met some people, found out about a storytime later in the week and picked up some leaflets.

One leaflet was how to prepare for the storm season. It is cyclone and flood season soon, but this leaflet also covers Tsnuamis. Rowan, loving extreme weather as he does spent ages reading the leaflet, then we headed out to the beach as Reuben really wanted to go for a swim in the sea. The wind was blowing, the waves were pounding and the sky went black and then Rowan went into major panic mode worrying that a tsunami was about to come and we would be washed away, so we turned back.

So now I am sat (this was written without internet and uploaded the following day) on our balcony listening to the waves crash with a cup of tea, whist the boys watch after school kids tv. Snack time me thinks and then maybe a game of uno whilst we wait for Tris to get home form his first day.