Unpacking, done. Settling in, getting there…

When you relocate to a new country and move into a new home, right up there on the to-do list is unpacking your belongings into your new home. For me, things happened in a slightly different order. I never thought I would start a new job here before unpacking my belongings, that’s for sure. Three months after moving to Oz and I have just about finished most of my unpacking, my new job has been keeping my very busy. It took a good month after arriving in Perth for our shipping boxes to arrive from the UK and when they did I was so happy. To be reunited with all of my clothes, shoes, bags, my huge box of make-up and lotions and potions, books and even just little things like photo frames and scrap books after three months apart was a joyous occasion. Unwrapping items individually from their bubble wrap or tissue paper felt like Christmas had come early especially when I’d also forgotten that I’d bought things back in London that I knew I wouldn’t find out here. Micky was equally excited to receive his new Jamie Oliver kitchen knives. With the exception of a broken bottle of nail varnish, everything was delivered early and undamaged. We were very happy with the service provided by Freedom Shipping. It’s good to say that all 19 boxes (except two) have been emptied.

As for our home, we’re living in a suburb called Ascot in the Ascot Waters area just a stone’s throw from the Ascot Race Course. Our apartment (or “unit” as the Aussies choose to call them here), sits beside a little Marina and faces the Swan River. It’s one of the newer suburbs to the east of central Perth with gorgeous newly built houses surrounding us. It’s a peaceful area with lots of species of birds circling the estate. We’re in a two bedroomed open-plan apartment with two bathrooms - I could get really used to having his and hers separate bathrooms! Very different to our last two small flats in London.

The flat is still a work in progress but we have been so fortunate to take it over from Micky’s sister who generously left most of her furniture for us before relocating to Canberra in April. The timing was perfect for all of us. We’ve only made a couple of trips to Ikea for some essential furniture; new chest of drawers, book case... I am settling into my new home and we are exploring our new neighbourhood. It’s taken a couple of months for me to feel settled but I am getting there… Putting our stamp on the place and finding “homes” for my belongings at home has helped. Now I need to get back to the bigger task and adventure of settling into Aussie life. 

Ascot Waters marina

First family wedding in Perth

Went to my first West Aussie wedding last weekend. A cousin of Mickys got married in a big church ceremony in Fremantle in front of a hundred or so guests. The ceremony was probably the most religious I’ve witnessed but very lovely from the bride and groom saying their vows from memory, to the readings (including one from on Micky’s mum), to the funny Irish priests’ humour throughout the ceremony and the cute little flower girls in tutus who walked down the aisle by the grooms' six year old son. I had a tear in my eye during the vows which is funny as I hardly know the couple - I have only met the groom a few times. The bride Anna wore a gorgeous vintage-looking tiered lace dress, a style I haven't seen before and she looked elegant and relaxed. The bridesmaids wore a light pink satin strapless floor length dresses.

The weather was quite typical for the time of year, around 20 degrees but a little cloudy and some rain later in the afternoon, it is officially winter in Australia now. After the service, strawberry cream and sponge cake was served outside the church on the lawn which was a lovely and different idea to serve cake at this time I thought.

The wedding reception was held at the Cottesloe Beach Hotel facing the Indian Ocean right on the seafront, a prime location for a wedding. After drinks on arrival in the cocktail lounge, dinner was served in the next door dining room with three long rows of tables seating and feeding around 120 guests with a seafood starter, salmon or pork main and a sticky toffee pudding dessert - all very good. There were lots of speeches, five or six if I remember correctly presented in between courses. I have attended two Australian weddings now and at both the brides have made speeches. Apparently it's common for Aussie brides to do a speech. The brides’ speech was incredibly heartfelt and not scripted even if it was long. The Aussies know how to party just like us and there was lots of dancing and drinking with some break-dancing later on from younger cousins which commanded the attention from everyone, even grandparents were throwing shapes! I seem to notice a pattern in the number of Micky’s relatives asking “you two must be next...?” which is met with an awkward ummm silence or I did actually enquire to one cousin that there are 100 cousins in the family, surely there must be another cousin in the family due to get married next? Moving on swiftly, the day was a lot of fun and the bride and groom looked chuffed to bits.