Top Ten Plus Points

Reasons we like it here

1. Petrol is 45p a litre
2. Strangers ask you if you need help
3. Staff in the local supermarket know your name
4. Direct number to Anne in the local branch of our Bank
5. Free parking at the station
6. Weekly commute to Brisbane costs less than 1 days parking and return train from Colchester to London
7. Going for a swim in the pool in the morning to wake up
8. Staff pack your bags at the supermarket
9. It's normal to have a beer fridge
10. Spontaneous BBQ's

There are other things such as low utility bills. We collect and use our rainwater so no water rates, have a wood burner to warm the house in the winter so we only pay for gas for cooking and electricity.

On 'A Current Affair' two nights ago (which is a weekday programme at 6.30pm covering all sorts of public affairs) Mapleton was voted the best 'tree change' place to live in Queensland. People talk about Tree Change and Sea Change which means moving out of the city to live by the coast or countryside. Of course we are delighted to have picked a place which has such a good reputation but it's also a place which some of the locals want to keep as their secret!

I have put some photos of the house on the page and having had the last week sorting out the house, will hopefully manage to do a few more summer fun things with the kids as they still have two weeks holidays left. Australia Zoo is beckoning as are a few more days at the beach and discovering the area a little more.

Alex has a car now, so I have now been relieved of my duties as a taxi driver every morning and evening.

Off to bed now as it's 11pm. We had a spontaneous BBQ last night to christen the new barbie (bought from a charity shop!) and beer fridge (bought from someone moving to Tasmania) which turned into quite a late evening for us all, so bed is calling!