Spooky but Fun Halloween Stories

Happy All Hallows Eve!

As I write this post, Halloween is only a few days away. When I grew up Halloween was an unknown entity in the suburbs of Sydney. We gradually became aware of the concept as my boys went through their childhood, but now as my grandchildren grow, Halloween is everywhere. It’s in every shop you enter, and houses are beginning to decorate their front yards.

One of my favourite Halloween memories is from many years ago when I was still teaching. One of the parents of my Kindergarten class invited all the class, including me, their teacher, over for a Halloween party. When I arrived all dressed up as a spooky witch, black wig and all, no one recognised me. I almost didn’t get invited in! Here’s a photo of me all those years ago.

Here I am having loads of spooky fun with my Kindies twenty years ago. Would you have recognised me if I cam knocking at your door like this?

Kids love spooky stories, and this is the time of year to read them. As an author, I have had several opportunities over the years to write and have published spooky short stories in several anthologies. I thought this year, it was time to revisit some of these stories.

One of my favourite spooky short stories I wrote for an anthology or a collection of stories from a group of authors, is found in the book titled Spooktacular Stories, Thrilling Tales for Brave Kids. Here is a little video I made of me reading the first half of the story. You can tell I was nervous in front of the camera, or was something spooky lurking in my room?

The Dead Centre of Town

This story originated from an experience hubby and I had while we were in Scotland in 2010. It was our 25th wedding anniversary and also only a couple of days before Halloween and to celebrate he suggested a night tour of the Greyfriars graveyard. Great idea! I have never been so scared in my life. The tour guide was excellent, his story had us all convinced that there was a spirit after us. I’m so glad we were able to laugh about it later, at least it gave me a great idea for a spooky story. when it was time to write a story for the anthology in 2019, I realised the memories and been ruminating around in my mind forming a story for years.

This is me at the Brisbane Children’s Hospital where we shared our spooky stories with sick kids. It is a special memory that will last in my heart forever.

This was the next day at the official book launch in a Brisbane book shop.

The Thumping was another story I wrote for an anthology. It’s been years since I read it myself, so I thought I might share it here for you now. This one came from the sounds under our house at night when we first moved in. Was it a dog, a ghost or something even scarier? Have a read and find out what made the spooky noises deep in the dark.

I wrote a bit more in depth about these in my October newsletter, so I hope you have had a chance to read it.

The Thumping.

Aaron pulled the covers tight over his head. If he closed his eyes and didn’t move, maybe he could ignore the thumping and his little brother’s chatter. Maybe he could go back to sleep.

‘Did you hear that?’ He heard Will’s voice tremble.

Aaron peaked over the top of the doona just as Will sat bolt upright in bed.

‘No,’ grumbled Aaron as he pulled the covers over his head again. ‘Go back to sleep.’

Thump.

‘There it is again,’ whispered Will.

Aaron knew Will could barely see a thing, it was so black, not even a hint of moonlight shone through the bedroom curtain.

Thump. Thump.

‘You must be able to hear that. What is it?’ Will scrambled out of his bed and climbed in beside Aaron. He pushed and squirmed and did his best to snuggle in.

‘Get off!’ Aaron kicked Will and tugged the blankets tight around himself. A tug of war followed until Aaron relented. Then his pillow was pulled from under his head and the war began again. ‘Enough.’ Aaron shoved Will a bit too hard.

Will grabbed at Aaron’s pyjamas but he still thumped to the floor just as another thump came from below. Will scrambled to his feet and jumped straight back in beside Aaron. ‘I’m staying right here until you find out exactly what that noise is.’

Aaron yawned and stretched. He really didn’t want to be awake, but Will wasn’t about to let him sleep. He sat up and listened. The thumping was getting louder. He could hear scratching under the floor now, too.

‘What on Earth is that?’ Aaron rubbed his eyes trying to adjust them to the darkness.

Thump. Thump.

There it was again. ‘Sounds like it’s coming from underneath us.’ Aaron strained to listen.

‘I’ve heard of monsters in the cupboard,’ said Will. ‘But not under the floor.’

‘Don’t be silly. It’s not a monster.’ Aaron shook his head. He had to admit, Will did have his attention now. ‘I wonder what could be making that noise?’ They could hear more scratching too.

‘Sounds like the monster is digging,’ Will continued. ‘Maybe there is someone down there burying something.’

‘That’s it,’ Aaron nodded and tried to pull the covers back up to try to go back to sleep. ‘Probably just a dog. It’s got under the house to bury a bone.’

‘Dogs don’t make a thumping sound like that.’ Will shook his head and cuddled into Aaron.

‘Perhaps we should go and investigate.’ Aaron pushed the covers away. ‘Besides, I’ve got no chance of sleeping with you in bed beside me.’

‘I’m not going under the house at night.’ Will pulled the covers straight back up and tugged them tight over his head. ‘You can go. I’ll wait here.’

‘Sorry, Buddy. If I have to go, so do you.’ Aaron yanked the covers off Will and threw him his dressing gown and slippers. ‘Let’s go.’ He grabbed his torch off his side table and opened the bedroom door.

Will moaned and grumbled as he slipped on his gown.

Thump, Thump.

Will jumped. He grabbed Aaron by the shoulder and crept up the hall so close that Aaron could feel his breath on the back of his neck. Together they crept out the laundry door, along the back deck and down the stairs. It was a still night. Barely a breeze blew through the gum trees. A couple of kangaroos munched on the grass in the paddock, but there was no other movement. Aaron couldn’t see any lights on in any of the nearby houses, not even the ones across the valley. The neighbourhood seemed to be asleep.

The door that lead under the house was ajar, it creaked as he opened it further. It seemed louder than usual in the silence. Will’s breathing became heavier on the back of Aaron’s neck. Aaron shone the torch around as he stepped inside.

‘Wait.’ Will stopped and pointed. ‘Look at that.’

On a row of bricks that Dad had left just outside the door, sat a pile of poo. But this was no ordinary poo. This was square shaped poo.

‘See,’ Will took a deep gulp. ‘Told you. Only a monster would do poo shaped in cubes.’ He shook his head and stepped back. ‘I’m not going in there. It’s a warning to stay out.’

‘That’s just silly. Monsters don’t leave poo. Come on,’ Aaron grabbed Will’s hand and tugged him. He shone the torch around as far as he could. A pile of left-over timber from building the house, the ride-on lawn mower, their bicycles, all sat where they were left. So far, nothing seemed out of place. They crept a little further in. The steel ladder lay where Dad had left it. His tool box appeared to be unopened. Then they heard it. The thumping had started again, and it was getting louder.

Will’s fingers dug into Aaron’s shoulders. He took a deep breath and held it. With every step towards the back corner of the house the thumping grew louder. Aaron shone the torch ahead of them.  A dark, round shape appeared in front of them. They both reached to hold their nose.

‘Phew,’ said Will. ‘He stinks.’

Aaron almost choked with the stench as a cloud of dust was kicked into their faces. He waved his free hand to clear the air.

‘Back off.’ Aaron whispered and pushed Will back a little before he crouched. He shone the torch at the fat figure that was busy thumping, scratching and digging. ‘There’s your monster Will.’ He pointed. ‘Looks like we have a wombat making his home under ours.’

The boys sat huddled together and watched the wombat. When they could no longer stay awake, they crept back upstairs, content. The thumping resolved, Aaron sighed as he climbed into bed. Will had returned to his own bed and all was good.

This photo was taken at the book launch for ‘Things That Go Bump in the Night.’

If all that hasn’t put you in the Halloween mood, here’s a little poem I wrote for the anthology ‘It’s a Kind of Magic, Stories and Spells by Second Rate Sorcerers.’

A Special Brew

Eye of Newt, oh, what is that?

Hair of dog, I’ll use my cat.

Flesh of frog, mosquito wings,

Where do I find, all these things?

Dragon’s breath, a drop of blood.

Mix it up in a pool of mud.

Dewdrop from a spider’s web,

Look them up on the interweb.

Stir it all into the pot.

Turn up heat to make it hot.

Boil, boil, now watch it bubble,

Fingers crossed, there’ll be no trouble.

Up it goes in a cloud of smoke.

Hold my breath, try not to choke.

Guess I got something wrong,

It really has begun to pong!

Toss it out and start again.

Read the spell right to the end.

Follow each line to the letter,

Or this brew won’t be much better.

A shaving from a unicorn’s horn.

A sprinkling of husk from an ear of corn.

Add a handful of fairy dust,

And the remains of a pizza crust.

Don’t forget a pinch of salt.

Or an old rusty bolt.

Now it all begins to fizz.

Is it done as it is?

Try again, one last time.

Read aloud this silly rhyme.

If you want a real love potion,

First you need to feel emotion.

Love truly comes from the heart.

It’s so easy to make a start.

You don’t need a special brew.

But I think that you already knew.

All it takes is cuddles and hugs.

Not creepy crawly scary bugs.

Kind words and gentle caring,

Warm kisses and lots of sharing

Last, but by no means least, here are ten jokes to tickle your kids funny bones on Halloween.

Shared with thanks from We Are Teachers.

Will you be celebrating Halloween this year? If, so, what is your tradition?

Do you have a favourite memory from Halloweens past, please share in the comments below.

Was the Duck of Doom a Demon?

Have you heard of the Demon Duck of Doom before?

If you have read Fossil Frenzy, the Adamson Adventures 3, then there is no doubt you already know about this fascinating creature. I have recently been researching more about this bird in an attempt to get a clearer understanding of it before I begin writing book 4. Yes, the Demon Duck of Doom will return, but you’ll find no spoilers here. You’ll have to wait until the next book is released.

In the meantime, here for kids information and as a teaching resource, is what I have discovered.

It was a giant flightless bird, an Australian megafauna, an avian dinosaur.

Also known as the Thunderbird, the Bullockornis Planei and most recently Dromornis Planei. Found in the area around Bullock Creek in northern Queensland, it was originally believed to be a separate species. After continued research it was concluded that Bullockornis did in fact belong to the Dromornithid family.

The Demon Duck of Doom was a fearsome looking bird that weighed over 225 kilos, over 5 times the size of an emu. It had two massive thick legs and two tiny wings. However, its most terrifying feature was the horse sized head with an enormous beak. This dinosaur stood about 304 cm tall. That’s almost twice the height of an average adult person.

Bullockornis Planei

Did you know that this dinosaur is closely related to birds of today?

This creature has caused much controversy among palaeontologists. These are people who study animals and plants from our past by digging up their remains that have become fossils, or imprints in the earth that have turned to rock. With it looking more like an emu, an ostrich or even a cassowary, it is easy to believe this flightless bird was an ancestor of these birds. Classified by researchers into the Dromornithid family, it is believed to be more closely aligned with ducks or geese. Some scientists have even included it in family trees that link the Demon Duck of Doom to chickens. Imagine the size of those eggs in a chicken coup. You could have scrambled eggs for a week on just one egg.

Emu

Cassowary

Goose

Duck

Was the Demon Duck of Doom a foul foe or is it a case of being a misunderstood fowl?

Could it have been…..a carnivore?

There are several theories on this subject too. With its ginormous and scarily sharp beak, the Dromornis Planei was originally presumed to be a carnivore. Those long legs would have meant it would have been able to run fast and chase its prey. Coupled with the huge snappy beak, it should have been able to easily prey upon smaller dinosaurs and rip them apart for dinner.

Was it more likely ……a herbivore?

However, upon closer inspection of the beak, scientists noted that it did not have a sharp pointed tip like other meat-eating flying predators. Birds like hawks and eagles have this feature to bite and tear into their prey. Without this pointed tip on the beak, scientists then concluded that perhaps the Demon Duck of Doom was a herbivore after all. The reason for the massive beak was more likely to be used to crush tough plants and fruit husks or break thick stalks. The avian dinosaur possibly ate plants like the Cassowaries and other birds today that feed on ancient giant plants such as Hope’s cycad with its seeds like a banksia and the Australian fan palm with its huge fronds and red fruit. These plants first appeared during the age of dinosaurs and are still found in the wet tropics of Far North Queensland today. The beast was undoubtedly tall enough to reach high branches on any plants.

Birds of prey like eagles have a sharp pointed beak.

Dromornis Planei lacked the sharp point on the tip of the beak.

Was it …….an omnivore?

The third and finally theory was that maybe the Demon Duck of Doom was neither carnivore nor herbivore, but instead a combination of the two, making it an omnivore. A scavenger feeding off the leftovers from megaraptorans like Australovenator and enjoying a nice side-salad of cycads and ferns. If you have ever had pet chickens, you would know they eat leftover meat, grains, and vegetables. Just maybe the theory that the Demon Duck of Doom is an avian ancestor of your chooks is correct.

Hope’s Cycad still found in the Daintree Rainforest of Far North Queensland.

Seed pod from the Hope’s Cycad.

Will we ever know?

Palaeontologists are constantly searching for more clues as to the truth behind the Demon Duck of Doom. Was he wrongly named? Was he a fearful predator or a friendly and innocent plant eater? To fully understand and know for sure, scientists need to find and examine the fossilised dinosaur poop, also known as coprolites, of a one of these amazing avian dinosaurs. Only then, will they discover the true digestive habits of the Demon Duck of Doom.

What are your thoughts? Do you believe the Duck of Doom was a Demon rampaging around the outback chasing smaller birds and animals for a meal? Or has it been a case of mistaken identity and the flightless bird was a friendly fowl?

Our contented chooks. We have ten girls, not all shown in this photo.

If you’ve read Fossil Frenzy, you know my thoughts, I’d love to know yours.

How Will You Choose To Be Published?

There are many pathways to take you along your journey to publication. Let’s be honest, we all dream of that fabulous contract with one of the big major publishers. A contract that will see our book being sold in books stores to millions of people worldwide. In reality, overnight success is a long and bumpy road full of ups and downs, rejections and successes, big and small. It’s how we choose to enjoy that journey that counts.

Most of us, (including me) will tell you we are in this for our readers. If I help one child enjoy reading a story, then I have succeeded. That’s why I don’t chase the big publishers, even though that would be nice, what is more important, is finding ways to get my stories published so that my words are out there for readers to find.

Building literacy and a love of reading so that children become life-long readers and learners is the most important issue to me. That, and telling a good story that they want to read over and over again.

I have been a children’s author for eight years now. In that time, I have self-published four books, had two traditionally published, one published for a non-for-profit organisation and had seven short stories published in five anthologies.

My collection of published books. Cyclone Kayla, A Lighthouse in Time, Secrets Hidden Below, Alien Shenanigans, Gingerbread Aliens, Frazzled Freya, Emma the Eager Emu.

Short stories published in Anthologies. The Dead Centre of Town in Spooktacular Stories, The Thumping in Things That Go Bump, Save it for a Rainy Day in Enchanted, A Whale of a Christmas Time and Asters Aussie Christmas in Creative Kids Tales 1, and A Renovator’s Delight in Satan’s Holiday. Note: Drop Bears Hate Vegemite is in the Ebook Deep Within the Forest.

So where do you start?

Start with writing a blog. Did you know that by writing a blog you are published? Your words are out in the public domain for all to read. You can write anything you like, maybe start with a short story or two, a poem or simply random thoughts of the day. It’s entirely up to.

Don’t feel confident sharing your work with everyone? Find a critique group. There are many online, just google critique groups in your genre. I made my start with wriitng.com then moved on to more specific children’s book critique groups. I moved around a bit until I found a good fit.

Once you build your confidence, start submitting to competitions and anthologies. I won entry into my first ebook anthology in 2015, and I’m still winning entries into print edition anthologies in 2020. These are a great way to get your name out to readers with only a minimal competition entry fee. Plus I love a fun book launch when all the authors get together to celebrate. Last year I went to four book launches in one month.

This year, I entered my story, Peek-a-Boo Echidna in the Share Your Story anthology competition, ‘Tell Em Their Dreaming- Bedtime Ballads and Tall Tales From The Australian Bush. It was one of those stories I had been trying to write as a picture book for years. It had many versions, none of which worked. When this theme was announced and I now had 1500 words to write a short story instead of a 500 word PB, the story came to life. My little echidna has found a home and a publisher. It will be published in the anthology this October. I love this theme, ‘tell em ‘es dreamin’ is such an iconic part of our Aussie language after the absolutely wonderful mid 90’s movie ‘The Castle’ was produced, the saying became commonly heard throughout our house as it is many others I’m sure.

One of the things I love about the Share Your Story anthologies is that proceeds always go to a worthy charity or cause. Last years Spooktacular story collection donated books to sick kids in hospitals all around Australia. This year, the Bush Ballads will donate sales to raising funds for the NSW Rural Fire Service. After the horrendous Summer we had and the devastating bush fires, which came very close to us losing our home, I am forever grateful to the NSW RFS and so pleased to help support them with this collection of tall tales from the Australian bush.

Being connected to the wonderful people at Share Your Story also lead me to the amazing organisation, Library For All. Early last year they put out a call for proposals to write stories for their natural disaster series. The stories would be made into graphic novels for low literacy learners in Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific islands. With this in mind I put in a proposal and was accepted to write a story on cyclones for them. I found writing to someone else’s brief much more difficult than I expected. In 1500 words I was asked to write a fiction story that included facts about cyclones and how to prepare to survive a cyclone. The language had to be simple for low literacy and contain plenty of onomatopoeia. My story came in at 1700 words. I submitted hoping for the best. The reply came back to cut 500 words! It was now to be reduced to 1200! To my determination and surprise, I did it, and the story was better for it too. I am very proud to say Cyclone Kayla has now been published and is available for free via the app store at Library For All.

Cyclone Kayla, a graphic novel written for Library For All.

Inside ‘Cyclone Kayla,’ a graphic novel written for Library For All.

Inside ‘Cyclone Kayla,’ a graphic novel written for Library For All.

You won’t make any money being published via any of these options. It’s all about branding, getting your name out there and building an audience. Then you can consider whether you want to self-publish your stories or start submitting to publishers. Either way, at least you have a profile, and a collection of work.

The choice to self-publish or traditional publish is another story. Too long for one blog post. Whichever you choose, know there are plenty of groups that will help and support you. As a member of the Story Creators Community we are here if you have any questions.

How do you want to publish?

Why do you want to publish?

What do you want to publish?

How Do You Find Your Summertime Bliss?

In this months post you will find 5 things I have currently been involved in or done this Spring. It’s been another busy writerly month full of inspiration and wonder. However as the Summer months approach I look forward to some quieter time to myself, to write and spend time with family and look forward to the breezy, lazy Summer days to come. Below are things I am currently loving, reading. watching, that are making me happy or I have seen through my camera lens as I make the most of this beautiful season.

Please join me as I reflect on the past month, then visit the other #Gr8Blogs at the end of this post for even more inspiration and smiles.

Loving

October has been another month of celebrations and book launches. As we prepare for Halloween, I was lucky to have stories included in not one, but two anthologies released in time to spread a little spooky fun to kids around Australia.

I loved flying up to Brisbane to attend the launch of the Share Your Story Spooktacular Anthology - Thrilling Tales for Brave Kids. This is one very special book and it fills my heart with joy to know that for every copy of the book sold, another copy is gifted to sick kids in hospitals around Australia. I loved attending the launch at the Queensland Children’s Hospital and the Mad Hatters Book shop. I have brought home special memories from both events.

The book is available from Amazon AU and US.

Spooktacular Stories - Amazon Australia

Spooktacular Stories - Amazon United States

The spooky fun continued in Sydney with the launch of Creative Kids Tales Story Collection 2. I loved three things about this event.

1. Meeting other incredible authors that have stories in the collection, including the wonderful author/illustrator who manages our critique group.

2. Meeting a little girl who was so excited to meet a witchy author and have her book signed by that particular witch.

3. Seeing the delight on my nephew’s face as he listened to my story being read to him after the event.

After Halloween there was one more launch to go. Two author friends and I launched the CKT Story Collection in our home town of Canberra. While I loved dressing up as a witch for all these previous events, it was time to brighten things up a little. So instead of dressing for the Things That go Bump theme, I decided to dress for the Enchanted theme instead. I loved being a PInk Book Fairy for a change and seeing the smiles on kids faces when I spoke to them or simply smiled as I walked passed.

Reading

Obviously with the launch of these two anthologies, I have been busy reading all the amazing stories from so many wonderful Aussie authors.

Sppoktacular Stories -Thrilling Tales for Brave Kids has a collection of 39 stories and poems that are not too scary but will thrill and delight kids who love a touch of spookiness. There was fierce competition to win a place in this collection, and I am proud to have one of my stories included among these awesome contributions by so many talented Aussie authors.

Creative Kids Tales Story Collection 2 - Things that Go Bump/Enchanted, is a little different. A collection of 74 short stories and poems under two themes. This book is designed to read with two front covers. Choose to read all the stories in Things That Go Bump then flip it over and read all the Enchanted stories. This is a clever idea and works well to keep the young reader intrigued and entertained. I have contributed a story to both themes, and am again delighted to be included among so many talented emerging Aussie Authors.

Watching

During my evenings when the day is done, I can no longer concentrate to write, I settle down to binge watch a bit of Netflix. Currently my ‘go to’ is Heartland. This series set on a horse Stud ranch in Canada is full of beautiful scenery, majestic horses and some wonderful story lines. With twelve seasons in total to watch, I’ll be visiting Heartland for sometime to come yet, I’m only in season 4.

I’m also watching my water tank level drop. Winter and Spring have not brought much rain. Not only do we need rain here, but all over Australia. The drought is effecting even the most unexpected places Hubby and I were in far north Queensland earlier this month. We were shocked to see even the tropical north is not as green as it should be. Barren Falls, certainly were barren. When we showed friends and family the trickle of water that spilled over the top, they were all surprised.

Making Me Happy

The best part of attending events like book launches is is seeing the delight on kids faces. Putting smiles on faces of sick kids and their parents at the Children’s Hospital made me happiest of all. It made the trip to Brisbane so worthwhile. People often ask why I write for children? It’s those simple smiles when they read my stories that says it all. That’s all I need. I don’t need awards or peer praise, I am happy if I have made a child happy and they want to read. Due to privacy reasons, there are no photos of the kids or their parents at the hospital.

Seeing in my Lens

Springtime in Canberra is Tulip time and among all the business and fun of book launches, I found time for a walk among the tulips too. Most years we walk around Floriade in the heart of Canberra. Floriade is a magnificent display of tulips on show around the foreshore of Lake Burley-Griffin. This year, we decided it was time to visit Tulip Top Gardens on the outskirts of Canberra for a change. As you can see through my camera lens they did not disappoint.

I always find time to walk, whether it’s around our beautiful bush property or through the city on my way to the National Library of Australia on a Wednesday to meet my writers group. Spring is in full bloom as a stroll through the Rose Gardens at Old Parliament House.

As you can see, it’s been another crazy month preparing for book launches and Halloween. I’ve not had a great deal of time to think about the upcoming Summer months ahead or begin any Christmas plans. I am looking forward to slowing down and concentrating on finishing writing book 3 in my Adamson Adventures. I am having a lot of fun writing Fossil Frenzy, there is plenty of fun and adventure ahead.

Thanks for stopping by! How are you CURRENTLY jumping into winter/ summer? Making big plans? Ticking off books on your to-read list? Please share in the comment section.

Books By Rose

Carmela Dutra https://carmeladutra.com/blog/f/finding-your-winter-bliss-blog-hop?fbclid=IwAR3e62zDk1QrdkpxHx5cHEHtac37_0_VXvTeOXq274TreLPTwYOrgBJf15Y

Rebecca Lyndsey

The Importance of Self Care

Let’s face it, life can get pretty hectic. Kids, grandkids, work, even husbands can be demanding of our time. Some days I have a ‘to do’ list a mile long long. It’s no wonder there isn’t much time left to take care of ourselves. However, self-care is fundamental to our well-being, physically, mentally and spiritually. That’s why when #MichelleWorthington of #ShareYourStory suggested #SelfCareSeptember, I was on board straight away. My calendar for September seemed reasonably clear after a full August with my book launch of ‘A Lighthouse in Time’ and all the events associated with that. So I was looking forward to a quieter September. Time to relax, unwind, breathe. It is too easy to be on the go and run ourselves into the ground. By the end of August, I was mentally and physically exhausted and I had finally succumbed to a winter cold. I’m not complaining, I enjoyed every minute of the month and I would do it all again, but I need to learn to pace myself.

The first of the new month arrived faster than expected, I logged onto Facebook and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Michelle’s first self care task was easy, Read! Take time out during your day to read. No problem. As an author, I always do that. Day 2, Nap, perfect, any excuse for a Nanna nap in the middle of the day. Day 3, Visit a friend. I did that too, even though it was included in a visit to Shellharbour City Library for an author talk. This was going great so far. Then it all started to unravel. I missed day 4, managed day 5, Meditate, well, I justified that one with my daily walk listening to all the sounds in the bush. I enjoy my walks with Snowy and sometimes when my grandson comes along , even better. It is time to slow down, breathe the fresh country air, relax and listen to the birds high in the gum trees and watch out for kangaroos and echidnas.

After that, forget it, I meant well, but just didn’t seem to get around to it. I glimpsed Michelle’s posts each day, liked them, even laughed at some of them, but did I take heed, no, life was too busy as usual. I try to walk our dog everyday or simply stop and watch the kangaroos grazing in our yard. I consider myself lucky to live in this beautiful country region.

That’s the problem, we always have good intentions, we always say we will look after ourselves, then we find excuses. I’m too busy, the kids need me, I just need to finish this bit of housework, the bills need to be paid, I have to shop, someone is waiting on this email reply, I promised to write this review, the list goes on. I have come to realise, I have to learn to say ‘no’, I can’t do everything and that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with having some self care time.

As most of you know, hubby is working overseas in PNG for a couple of years. We do our best to make this work with home visits as often as possible. During September he realised at the last minute that he had a long weekend and asked me to book him a flight home. Naturally, the flights out of Port Moresby to Brisbane were all full. I told him I could book him on a flight to Cairns then on a connecting flight home to Canberra, but instead he suggested I meet him in Cairns. This turned out to be the best result for his self care possible. After 4 days in tropical far north Queensland, walking trails through the rainforests, he returned to PNG looking more relaxed than I had seen him in a long time. It did both his mental and physical health the world of good.

So, I am going to make a promise to myself, and I urge you to too. Find and do at least one thing each day for yourself. Whether it’s reading a book for half an hour, taking a nap, binge watching your favourite show on Netflix, taking the dog for a walk, doing a gym or yoga class, cooking something special, or simply relaxing and watching the sunset, just remember to breathe and take a few moments in the day for you. It’s really that simple, you will be happy and healthy and everyone around you will be too.

What do you do each day to take care of yourself? Share it in the comments below.

I'm Not Much of a Goal Setter, but Here I Go!

Happy New Year to all my readers. Welcome to a bright new year here at Sandy’s Story Chair. I hope you enjoy the stories I have for you again this year.

First up is a blog hop with a wonderful group of bloggers who I have been lucky to call virtual friends in recent years. We are starting the year with our blog posts of ‘What I hope to accomplish in 2019 even if I don’t win the lottery.’

The start of a new year is like a blank slate, and we don’t know what will be written upon it. Even if we don’t hold that winning lottery ticket, there are loads of things we can engrave upon it.

My writerly pals and I are sharing our hopes - on the writing road and in our family life - for 2019 in our #Gr8Blog hop: “What I Want to Accomplish in 2019 Even if I Don’t Win the Lottery.”

Please have a read, and then visit the other #Gr8Blogs linked at the end of this post for more smiles and inspiration.

I’ll admit I’m not much of a planner. a bit like my writing, I tend to go with the flow and see where the road takes me. It is somewhat difficult to make plans at the moment with Mr B working overseas in PNG. He tends to have meetings all over the place and his plans are changed at a moments notice. I try to fit my plans around him to be available to catch up where we can, whether that’s in Port Moresby, here at home in Canberra or any other city in Australia. Makes things difficult at times, I have to be ready to fly somewhere at short notice, but that’s life for now and have laptop will travel. At least I can write wherever I go.

So what are my goals other than trying to see hubby as much as possible?

1. Finish editing ‘A Lighthouse in Time.’ Book 2 of the Adamson Adventures and send it to my publisher asap. The manuscript assessment came back between Christmas and New Year. It was so helpful, I can’t wait to get stuck into my revisions. With all the wonderful family visitors this time of year, I haven’t had the time to sit down and take it all in.

2. I have begun plotting Book 3. The next Adamson Adventure is going to be a lot of fun. I hope to start writing it soon too. The decision on title has to be made, I’m torn between two, perhaps you can help me choose. Which title do you think a child would find more enticing?

   a) Fossil Frenzy

   b) Panic on the Plateau

3. I am looking forward to seeing two of my short stories published in this years Creative Kids Tales Anthology. I had set myself the goal of writing 3 stories for this, but the 3rd won’t be ready in time. See, I told you I am not good at goal setting. I have to be realistic and face the fact I don’t have time to finish it before the Feb 1 deadline. The first story is titled ‘Save it For a Rainy Day.’ It fits the enchanted theme. A small child finds an enchanted star and hides it away for a rainy day until she needs it to do something special for her family. The second story fits the ‘Things that go Bump in the Night’ theme. Two brothers can’t sleep for all ‘The Thumping’ that is going on under the house. They seek to find the answer to all the noise and discover a wonderful surprise.

4. That 3rd story, I have set myself the goal of making it into a picture book instead. I would like to see it published one day. Maybe not this year, but one year. Daisy Dewdrop is a little rain fairy that can’t manage to bring rain to the drought stricken farm alone. She goes off in search of a few essential friends to help.

5. My PB ‘Penelope the Playful Platypus’ is finished and ready to be revealed to the world. My goal for her is to have her published this year. Whether my publisher takes her on or whether I Indie publish, she will be published. Penelope has a fantastic imagination and longs to play with other creatures in her habitat, but sometimes making friends isn’t easy and she must learn to accept not to be too quick to judge.

6. I intend to travel to Bali this year with the hopes of doing a book tour with ‘Secrets Hidden Below.’ It has been well received by a book store chain there who does author readings and signings in their Seminyak store. I would like to see if I can add to that a few more places as well, including the International school in Sanur.

7. I intend to continue to improve my self confidence in this writerly life by attending more conferences. I have already committed to attending the second Creative Kids Tales Festival in Sydney in early April and will also commit to attending the bigger CBCA (Children’s Book Council of Australia) conference being held here in Canberra in June.

8. Meanwhile I will continue to attend as many SCBWI ACT and CBCA ACT branch functions as possible. Late last year I was approached to be a guest speaker this year for the Romancing the Stars CBCA evening later this year here in Canberra. I might even stretch myself out of my comfort zone and do it.

9. As for marketing, I hope to do more school visits, more market stalls. and find more places to sell my books.

10. As we say in ‘Scribbles,’ the online writing course by the amazing Jen Storer, I aim to keep doing ‘the verk!’ One day I might even finish all the course work. Is that even possible?

So I guess my word to set my goals for this year is ‘Focus.’ I need to stop procrastination and distractions and focus on all this amazing and exciting work ahead of me.

Few! For someone who doesn’t like to set goals, there’s a lot going on here. I can’t believe how easily that all flowed out of me once I thought about it. Looks like a busy year ahead. Think perhaps I better add learning some time management strategies to that list.

What do you want to tick off your bucket list this year? Please share in the comment section.

For more inspiration, visit my #Gr8blogs pals below. (Ooooo, and we’ll let you know if one of us actually wins the lottery :) :)

If you blog and want to join us on this hop, just add the family-friendly link to your blog post in the comment section. We’ll visit and give you some blog love-:D

Thanks for stopping by!

Cat Michaels http://bit.ly/2smasqg_CatMichaels

Jacqui Letran https://rovingvegans.com/spread-a-trail-of-peace-world-tour/

Julie Gorges http://babyboomerbliss.net/baby-boomer-looks-forward-to-2019-with-exciting-book-announcement/

Shana Gorian https://authorshanagorian.com/2019/01/10/what-i-want-to-accomplish-in-2019-even-if-i-dont-win-the-lottery-blog-hop/

Rosie Russell - https://booksbyrose.com/index.php/2019/01/10/https-booksbyrose-com-index-php-kidlit-blog-by-rosie/

Carmela Dutra http://carmeladutra.com/blog-post/1354/

Rebecca Lyndsey https://rebeccalyndsey.blogspot.com/2019/01/happy-2019.html

Jim Milson → https://wp.me/p3RsfU-2kw

Corrina Holyoake bit.ly/2RlzhS2

A Bookish Month, Engaging Book Launches & School Visits.

August has been a busy month with lots happening for authors of children's books. With Book Week in the middle of the month, we have all been busy launching books and attending school functions. This years theme was 'Find Your Treasure.' So hang on to your pirate hat me matey,, lads and lassies, this is going to be one amazing adventure into the world of children's books. You may even want to make a cup of tea, this was a long month.

Children's Book Council of Australia

It all started back in July, 25th July to be precise. The ACT branch of CBCA held their Romancing The Stars meeting here in Canberra. Craig Cormick encouraged us with his stories about writing books in a series, those that are successful and those that are not quite so successful. Jacqueline de Rose-Ahem discussed ways to broaden your books reach internationally. Kerry Malone took us along on her journey to self-publication. Jack Heath brought us to tears with laughter as he looked back on his teenage years searching for books he wanted to read which became his reason for writing. Pauline Deeves discussed the abundance of research necessary when writing for the NLA (National Library of Australia and Maura Pierlot delved into her interest in dramatic play writing.. It was an inspirational evening, we all came away filled with information and motivation to continue our writing journey.

May Gibbs Exhibition

Still in July, but at the end, 30th July, I attended the opening of the 100 year anniversary exhibition of the works of May Gibbs at Queanbeyan Library. There hasn't been a generation in Australia in the last 100 years that hasn't grown up reading about May Gibbs much loved and iconic characters Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and the rest of the Gumnut Babies. To my international readers, if you have never heard of these adorable stories I highly recommend you find yourself a copy and learn about these beautifully illustrated Australian bush characters.  May Gibbs was a magnificent and much loved author and illustrator. Author Tania McCartney had the fantastic opportunity to open the exhibition. She has spent years researching the life of May Gibbs to be able to have the honour of writing a children's picture book somewhat loosely based on her life story.

Wyrd Book launch

Cate Whittle held her book launch for her new chapter book, Wyrd, to a great crowd at Harry Hartog, Woden on August 11. The audience was enthralled to listen to Cate read an enchanting chapter full of magical wishes. Followed by delicious cupcakes, colouring-in for the little ones and plenty of books to be signed. I couldn't wait to take my signed copy home and start reading. Cate didn't disappoint. The story was wonderful. Imagine the horror of two girls who can't stand each other suddenly discovering their parents are planning to marry. Add to that mistakenly becoming a reluctant witch and you have the potential for disaster. Cate Whittle handles the story with both gentle humour and sensitivity.

SCBWI ACT Meeting

Only a couple of days later, on the 15th August SCBW! ACT held their next development meeting,  Putting Yourself in the Picture was an amazing evening of shared learning experiences. Award winning author/illustrator Caroline Magerl had us in stitches with her light-hearted journey through the publication world from before technology right up to present day with the launch of her latest beautiful picture book Maya and Cat. Emma Allen, Hannah Sommerville and Susan Hall spoke about the benefits of collaboration, while Maura Pierlot discussed the advantages of going away on a writer's retreat. We all came away from the evening enriched and inspired once again. I also came home with an armful of gorgeous irresistible picture books.

CBCA Book of the Year Awards

These were held at the National Library of Australia on 17th August and mark the beginning of Children's Book Week. I didn't have the time to attend this year, maybe next year I will make it. Congratulations to all of this years winners. Check out the list of recipients on the CBCA website.

Secrets Hidden Below Book Launch

Saturday 18th August was my turn for the official book launch at Paerchain Bookstore in Manuka of Secrets Hidden Below. Thank you so much to everyone who braved the cold wet wintry afternoon to come out and join me. My dear friend and colleague Lynne Audsley kindly agreed to launch my book for me. A small part of her wonderful speech said,

'As a child I loved reading the Famous Five books. Books that took me to a world where children had amazing adventures involving smugglers and hidden treasure. Secrets Hidden Below is that for modern children. They can experience the thrill of reading a book they can't put down. In fact it would be a good contender for dragging children from 8 years, away from their electronic devices  as they get caught up in the mystery of Secrets Hidden Below.'

After Lynne's amazing speech that I appreciated very much and felt rather humbled by, I spoke about the inspiration behind the story before reading a chapter that had everyone hooked. We then went on a treasure hunt around Bali before to the delight of the kids I revealed the hidden treasure inside the treasure box. Yummy Volcano cupcakes were enjoyed by all as the signing of books began.

Official School Launch

Monday 20th August took me to Curtin Primary school to launch Secrets Hidden Below with the year 5/6 Indonesian LOTE students. We were fortunate to have Pak Baskora from the Indonesian Embassy join us for the morning. A huge thank you to Ibu Karen Kennedy for organising the event. The kids really enjoyed the presentation and were enthusiastic to read more of the book. We held a writing competition beforehand whereby I selected the best story to win a free copy of the book. The students were asked to write a story using several Indonesian words. The winning entry was titled The Berapi Harimau, (Volcano/Fire Tiger). I selected this one as I felt it read like a Balinese legend. I could see that Madison has the potential to be a great writer as she grows and learns.

Telopea Park School Visit

There was no rest, this was Book Week after all. Tuesday meant another fabulous school with more kids eager to see me, learn from me and read my new book. This time I visited year 3 students at Telopea Park School. On arrival I was surprised to find an awesome display the kids had made from their work about my earlier books. They were so excited as they entered the library, the chatter bubbled with hello's, waves and whispers. By the end of the session I was swamped with requests for my autograph. It was a beautiful moment to be able to share time with these gorgeous kids. The competition here, I asked them to come up with a title for an adventure story. The winner I selected was 'The Caves Beneath The White Cliff of Dover.' I could imagine all sorts of intriguing situations arising from that title.

Forrest Primary School Visit

Thursday 23rd August I found myself back at Forrest Primary. I have very fond memories of my teaching years at this school, but today I was not teaching, nor presenting my book. This time I was supporting fellow author Skye Davidson and illustrator Agnes Rokiczky as they launched their gorgeous and mischievous picture book Archibald the Naughtiest Elf in the World Goes to the Zoo. It was a lovely afternoon, the Kinders and year Ones had a lot of fun.

Of course there have been many children's authors launching books and presenting at schools this month. I couldn't get to all the launches, as much as I wanted to. I apologise to those I missed. I was there in spirit and hope to catch up with your amazing books soon.

My hectic schedule did not stop there. I flew to Perth for my eldest son's 30 birthday at the end of Book Week. Still can't believe he is that old! Where do the years go? Then flew to Port Moresby to attend the PNG Independence Day Ball with hubby, That takes us into September and there is still so much more to come. More school visits, more book signings. These are exciting times.

If you missed the book launch of Secrets Hidden Below at Paperchain but would like a signed copy, you have a second chance. I will be signing books Saturday 15th September from 11:00 am at Harry Hartog Bookshop in Woden. Hope to see you there. For those who are not in Canberra, books can be purchased through Elephant Tree Publishing.

I will also be returning to Forrest Primary this Friday, 7th September to do a writing workshop with students from years 5/6. 

How about you? How was your August? Did you dress up for Book Week? Let me know in the comments below, add a photo too. I'd love to see those bookish costumes. 

#Gr8t Blogs Winter Road Trip

Check the tyre pressure. Plug in your GPS. Dust off your road maps. We’re off on a family-friendly road trip across Australia, North America and Great Britain in this #Gr8tblogs Winter Road Trip 2018.

My writerly friends and I are sharing insiders touring tips for your wintertime fun. I’m excited to guide you around my part of the world, Canberra, Australia. Then you can pop about the globe for more inspiring road trip ideas from other great bloggers, who are linked at the bottom of this page. 

5 Things I love about Canberra.

1.       Canberra, unlike other Australian Capital cities, actually has four seasons. Our temperature this time of year ranges from -6 Celsius to 12 C. So, if you come here June through August, be prepared to rug up. Even though our Summer can rise as high as 40 C, you can never quite put away your winter woollies, as you never know when a cold front will blow through. It has even snowed in October, our Spring! I love that with the change of seasons comes the change of colour in the trees. The streets are lined with deciduous and evergreen trees making a beautiful display all year round. I love that kids can shuffle through fallen leaves of amber in Autumn and blow wispy petals of white in Spring. In Autumn we have the Hot Air Balloon Festival that rise high above the lake early on chilly mornings, and Enlighten that illuminates the buildings around the Parliamentary circle in the evenings. Both are ideal for those walks around the lake, while in Spring we have Floriade. A festival of tulips that blossom in arranged splendour to the delight of children and parents alike. Not so much happens in the depths of winter. Canberrans tend to either hibernate her head to the snow. Living in the hills just south of Canberra sometimes we are lucky to have a snowfall ourselves. It is one of my favourite times of the year.

The photo of Enlighten on Parliament House and the Balloon Festival are courtesy of the Crown Plaza Hotel Canberra  

A Royalla Winter Wonderland, rare but beautiful when it does happen.

2.       If you are a nature lover like me, there are plenty of walking and bike riding tracks in and around the city. You can do the bridge to bridge walk around Lake Burley-Griffin or settle for a shorter walk on the foreshore. If you are lucky you might even hear the bells of the Carillon on Aspen Island, chime. Weddings are often held on Aspen Island, including one of my sons and his wife. We watched in awe as she walked across the bridge while the bells rang out across the lake.

The National Carillon on Aspen Island in the middle of Lake Burley-Griffin, playing a little something you may recognise. 

A wonderful place for a winter walk on a sunny day.

The Carrillon is lit up this week for #Donatelife week

1.       Nature reserves on the outskirts of the city provide ample opportunity for hiking and discovering native flora and fauna. Tidbinbilla and Namadgi National Parks are ideal spots for picnics, day walks and even a bit of sight-seeing historical sites like the remains of the old space tracking station at the end of Apollo Road. Honeysuckle Creek Tracking station played a major role in many of NASA’s space missions including the 1969 landing on the moon. If your kids are interested in space they will love the drive out to explore this place. There is a beautiful picnic area, walking tracks and plenty of kangaroos to see as an added attraction. After that you can also take them on a tour of Tidbinbilla Space Tracking Station where they still hold all the memorabilia from the space race days.

Remains of Honeysuckle Creek Space Tracking Station in Namadgi National Park.

Orroral Space Tracking Station also in Namadgi National Park, both perfect for a picnic, walk and kangaroo spotting.

4.       I love science and here in the middle of Canberra we have Questacon, the greatest hands-on science museum for kids I have ever seen. There is much to see and do in here. Plenty of experiments for the kids to take part in, ask questions, learn and explore. In fact, Canberra has so many places to immerse yourself in learning, there are too many choices. My favourites after Questacon, would have to be the National Gallery of Australia which features outstanding touring exhibitions such as the Cartier Exhibition, Turner, Monet, and many other brilliant Impressionists, just to name a few, and the National War memorial. Be prepared to spend hours wondering around the war memorial, it covers every possible conflict Australia has been involved in.

Questacon The National Science and Technology Centre, on the shores of Lake Burley-Griffin.

Floriade, held every September, (Spring) in Commonwealth Park on the foreshores of Lake Burley-Griifin.

5.       One of Canberra’s best attributes to me, is its location. We are only a couple of hours drive south to the Snowy Mountains, east to coastal beaches and north to Sydney. This means ample opportunity for country drives on long winding roads discovering old country towns, with quirky gift shops, creative art & craft shops, antique shops and amazing little cafes. One of our favourite little restaurants is only an hour drive east of Canberra towards the coast in the old majestic country town of Braidwood. TorPeas is quaint and quirky, all gluten free and so welcoming it is like eating in someone’s home. On reaching the coast, my favourite beach to take visitors from overseas is one that is possibly the best kept secret. Pebbly Beach is part of Murramarang National Park just a 20 minute drive north up the Princes Highway from Bateman’s Bay. It is a quiet little beach, very clean, plenty of soft white sand, waves gently roll in, I’ve never seen the waves big enough to surf there, so it is safe for kids to swim, but the best draw card of all, is the kangaroos you will find grazing on the grass. They are so used to people they will let you pat them. To pat a kangaroo in the wild is not common, most will hop away, they are usually wary of humans, these fellows appear quite tame. The kangaroos on our property will not let us anywhere near them. Naturally, I would still caution anyone, to move slowly not to frighten them and do not feed them.

TorPeas Restaurant in Braidwood.

Me patting a kangaroo at Pebbly Beach, South Coast NSW

Thanks for your company. Hope you enjoyed your tour around Canberra and the surrounding region. What are favourite road trip must sees in your corner of the world? Please share in the comments section below. We would love to virtual visit you too! If you blog and want to hop with us add a live hyperlink to your family-friendly road trip in the comment section We'll swing by and give you some blog love!

As I am the only blogger in the Southern hemisphere, the other road trips are all Summer road trips. Click over to the next fun and inspirational road trip destination of your choice at any #Gr8tblogs below.

Other Blogs

Carmela Dutra - California

Julie Gorges - California

K. Lamb - California

Rebecca Lindsey - West Virginia

Cat Michaels - North Carolina

Rosie Russell  - Kansas City, Missouri

Rhonda Paglia - Pennsylvania

Impressions of Papua New Guinea ... so far.

It took a lot longer than expected, but I'm finally here. Below are four of my impressions of living in Port Moresby as an expat as I see it at the beginning of this journey. Some things may change in the next three years, some things may not. Life goes on wherever we are and we make the most of what we are given.

1. No Hurry.

The first thing I have learnt about this nation is that nothing ever happens in a hurry. I think living in the tropics makes people more relaxed. With the constant heat there is no need to exert yourself. There is no sense of urgency to complete a task. I remember observing my maid in Thailand. Before then I had never seen anyone sweep a floor with such carefree abandon as she did. Khun Nong made sweeping a floor look so relaxing. The Papua New Guineans make it look just as easy, they do not put in the effort that we do. Time here is viewed in a similar manner to the Indonesians. It's all about 'rubber' time, flexible, easily bent and of little concern. It's a bit like learning to 'hurry up and wait.' You tend to do a lot of waiting here. It took us a lot longer for work visas to be approved than we anticipated. In fact, to sum up the life style here, the Spanish have a saying 'manyana' meaning tomorrow or some unspecified time in the future. Here in PNG the meaning of manyana is similar, but does not convey the same sense of urgency. Even the cars are driven around the city at a snail pace as if there is no where in particular anyone has to go. Consequently traffic jams are amazing, cars manage to find their way into gaps that no westerner would attempt, but when driven at a crawl, it is no problem. This photo was taken back home in Canberra at the PNG High Commission on one of our visits to complete our visa applications.

2. Safety.

I touched on this in my original post when we first visited PNG before signing the contract. The gap between the 'haves and have nots' is huge. Consequently crime is rife and staying safe requires vigilance. When driving through the traffic we have been told to always be aware of an escape route. Leave a gap where possible to allow to do a u-turn and drive away as fast as you can if a rascal comes racing towards the car. Keep the car doors locked at all times and always be aware of your surroundings. Never drive anywhere at night and certainly don't think about driving out of the city without a driver who is a PNG National. As for walking anywhere, that proves near impossible too. I have two choices, a) the treadmill in the gym in the apartment complex or b) the path around the inside of the gated community we are living in. As I am used to my walks around the valley I live in back home, I prefer to walk outside, therefore so far I have chosen option b. I have been told it is not wise to leave the gated community on my own at any time. I have lived in a guarded compound before, we did it for two years in Thailand. The only difference was that I felt safe to leave that one, catch a baht bus and head down to Beach Road in Pattaya to go shopping. That's not at all possible here. Life is going to be that much more restricted. However, I'm sure once I meet a few other expat wives, life will become more involved in the community. In the photo below you can see the car park to our apartment complex. There are two sets of security gates to drive through before you are in.

3. The People.

Even though there is an element that will choose to do harm for the chance to take a wallet, mobile phone or jewellery, the majority of people I have met have been nothing but friendly and courteous. Whether it's the guards at the gates, cleaners, gardeners or restaurant staff, they all say hello, and are keen to stop for a chat. We had a wonderful conversation with our waitress just last night at the Royal Papua New Guinea Yacht Club. Christine was a lovely quietly spoken young girl with pearls of wisdom beyond her age. When I commented that I probably shouldn't have had dessert as I couldn't really fit it in. Christine smiled and replied, 'dinner is for the stomach, dessert is for the heart.' I thought that was a beautiful comment. Although Pidgin English is their native language, they are all taught to speak English in school. It is with education that this nation will grow.

4. Tourism.

Would I recommend Port Moresby as a place to come visit? Probably not. It is pretty much a developing country on Australia's doorstep, desperately trying to elevate itself from poverty, but I fear that is still a long way off.  We did have a day out of the city on Sunday. A driver took us into the mountains to the Virartas National Park. The drive through the mountains was stunning. The road meandered through thick lush green tropical forest. The majority of the vegetation resembled the rainforests of far north Queensland. Our driver informed us that the road was built by the ANZACs during the war. He said WW1 , but I'm sure he meant WW2. If we had continued for another 35 minutes along the road, we would have reached the beginning of the Kokoda Track. One day I would like to walk part of the track, but it will be with security, or an expat tour, not just a driver. On our return down the mountain we visited the ANZAC War Memorial which was quite an emotional experience. Graves  of fallen soldiers from Australian and New Zealand Armed Forces were in lines too numerous to count. Many tombstones bared the name and age of young men too young to die, it broke my heart. Many still, were unnamed. Lost souls buried in another country for fighting for our freedom. There were PNG soldiers buried there too. We have much to thank them for. If you have loved ones buried here or who fought here and managed to survive the horror of Kokoda, then perhaps a journey here is worthwhile.  Port Moresby is only a 3.5 hour flight from Brisbane and if you appreciate war history, then this is a place worth considering.

Have you ever lived in a gated community? How did you find life there?

Would you want to visit Papua New Guinea?

Do you have any questions you would like answered? I will do my best to find out.

An Expat's Life..... Again!

Here we go again, one last hoorah before retirement. Hubby and I are about to embark on one final adventure in a career that has taken us throughout South-East Asia and all around Australia. Last week we flew overseas to a neighbouring country to see where our next and final posting is most likely to be for the next three years. The new company wanted us both to have a look around the area before making the final decision to sign the contract. We have seen some incredible places during our working lifetime, yet nothing before had quite prepared me for this.  I can certainly say that being married to Mr B, for 32 years has never been boring. Life has taken us on a wonderful journey of adventure and cultural learning.

His first Expat job took him away to Indonesia for the duration of my third pregnancy. He departed when we had two point three children, yes I was just at the end of my first trimester with Alex, when he was asked to head to Jakarta and the Sumatran jungle. We made the joint decision that it was better for the boys and I to stay in Australia at that time. Our other two boys were only 2  and 5 years old.  Mr B finally managed to returned to us just days before Alex was born.

A year later, the Expat bug had nibbled his feet again and I found myself with seven weeks to pack up our house before hubby returned to help me move the family to Pattaya, Thailand for two years. That was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. The boys experienced growing up immersed in a fascinating culture while attending school in a multicultural melting pot of diversity. I was fortunate to pick up work teaching at the same International School which broadened my skills and knowledge to a level of experience I could never have discovered back home. We made many wonderful life-long friends along the way and made precious memories that will forever be in my heart and soul.

Since then, work has taken Mr B in and out of Indonesia. We both learnt to speak Bahasa Indonesia, He, while immersed in the culture, myself, during two years of intensive night classes which helped qualify me to then teach Indonesian language. after also completing my Grad Cert in ESL/LOTE. In the years since our travels through South-East Asia and study of this unique culture that is on our doorstep, I have written a chapter book set in Bali full of adventure, history, culture and language. After many revisions, I hope to finally publish it this year.

We've also had the opportunity to work all over Australia including Perth, Karratha and most recently two fabulous years in Darwin. Living in the Top End of Australia was akin to being an Expat. The tropical climate made it feel like Thailand again. The transient population of workers that flew in and flew out, or had short term contracts combined with the influx of tourists during the dry season all added to the vibrant and welcoming nature of the destination. We embraced the life-style, the people and the cultural diversity once again.

As I write this, I find myself at the beginning of the latest chapter of our expat journey. This should be our final chapter before settling down on our beautiful little country property just outside Canberra. Where am I? As I look out of my hotel window I see a beautiful blue bay surrounded by lush green mountains. Immediately below me in the foreground I can see and hear the busy work of construction as a city prepares four lane highways, lays down pipework, and re-seals existing roads. Cranes and trucks beep as they reverse busily erecting apartments and business centres. It is a city of massive growth and excitement. The new convention centre is well on the way to completion in time for the APEC summit in November. There is a buzz in the air as people go about their day to day business in a constantly developing nation. Yet, at any time of day, the nationals are happy to stop, say hello and have a chat.

It is a tropical climate once again, they are nearing the end of their wet season. by April there will be minimal rain then it will be dry until the rains start to arrive again in October.

The only downside I can see so far is the fact that I am used to walking at least 5 Km every day. This will not be possible here. With my fair hair and white skin I tend to stand out in a crowd somewhat, making it not advisable to walk the streets alone during the day or night. There is an element of danger that an Expat must be aware of at all times. While the people we have met so far have been so friendly, there are those on the streets that will take advantage. After all, this is a developing country, wages are minimal, poverty is everywhere. The gap between those that have a lot and those that have very little is quite obvious. Everywhere we have been taken, shopping centres, restaurants, apartment complexes, business buildings and hotel, have all been heavily guarded by armed security and gates. Hopefully as the country develops this will diminish as economic growth brings prosperity to the region.

Have I given you any clue as to where I am? Do you think you know?

We fly home tomorrow, then it's a waiting game. We wait for work visas, medical reports and Mr B has to be accredited as a member of the IEPNG, all before we will be permitted to return. All being well, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea will become our new home for the next three years. While Mr B will spend most of the time here, I plan to fly in/out, sharing my time here and home in Canberra. This Nanna can't miss out on the first three years of my new little grandson's life.

It should be an interesting few years, full of cultural learning and diversity once again, all of which we embrace with open hearts and minds.

Have you ever experienced life as an Expat? If so, let me know where and your thoughts on the experience in the comment section below.

If not, if you could work in another country, which one would you choose and why?