Lots of Travelling -- long awaited update

So I know it is has been a long time since I updated the blog.  Lots of travelling has been done, and I am currently in the US looking forward to Brock and Amber's wedding on the weekend.  I thought I should get an update done before all of that.

I finished up my job in Hobart.  I did love living there, and I am sure I will be back.  But before I left, I managed to get to a few things before summer finished.  A few of the girls from work and I went to Festivale, which is the food and wine festival in the north of the state.  We had a great time. 

Karyn with our favourite wine

Bec's daughter Maya decorating her own cupcake in the kiddies section

Tim Rogers plays on the Saturday night

I also wanted to do a little bit more driving around the island, so I headed down to see the peninsula area that had some pretty bad fires in early January.  I would love to see them now, but at the time, it was pretty sad still.  Dunalley was the worst hit probably.  I also went to Marion Bay where they have the Falls Festival every year which is further down the Peninsula.  The fires only missed this festival by a couple of days.  Very lucky indeed.

Burnt Out Trees

Marion Bay

A photo of one of my favourite properties in Hobart.  Someone has made the old Savings Bank into their home.

I had a lovely dinner out at the New Sydney pub (great food in Hobart actually for a pub meal) with the girls before I left and then headed off for some big time travelling.

 Karyn, Rachel, me, Pam and Bec at the Pub

 

I was in Melbourne for Australia Day to see a few people and to go to the Elvis Costello concert.  It wasn't as warm as I would have hoped, but it was really great to have caught up with people.

Elvis Costello

Eureka Tower: Tallest Building in Melbourne - Near my old apartment

The Shot Tower at Melbourne Central

Imogen - Stew and Lucy's cute daughter

Kaelen getting ready for Easter

Bianca and Jeremy's newest (and Kaelen's brother) Isaac

Here I am holding him

Me and Daz

Ruba and I out to breakfast at the Abbotsford Convent

I took a very brief trip up to Sydney for 2 nights for the Laneway Festival.  Fantastic Lineup -- Of Monsters and Men, Alt-J, Japandroids, Alpine, Bat For Lashes, Flume, Yeasayer, Chet Faker....and more.  I went with Sonya and we managed to catch up with a few for dinner the night before.  It rained a fair bit at the festival, but we still loved it.  It look place at an old asylum which is now an arts school.  Pretty impressive grounds.

One of the buildings lit up

 Sonya and Will before dinner

 Me, Sonya, Steph and Soph on our way to breakky on Sunday (no I haven't cut off all my hair, just tied it up)

I then flew out of Melbourne to Dubai to speak at the Dynamic Events Conference.  This made me a bit nervous, but overall I think it went quite well.  It was fun to see a lot of people in Dubai.  Harmos came along, and we spent a few extra days hanging out in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.  

My Hotel

My conference session

Mick Ahrens, Harmos and I having post-conference drinks

Burj Khalifa at night from the pool deck at the post-conference drinks

Burj Khalifa in the day time

Dubai Aquarium -- It's in a mall of course

The Jellyfish

Returning to Ferrari World - we had a massive seating bank and stage in this very spot

We went to visit Mick at the Yas Island Marina Circuit F1 Track

Driver's Training School

Harmos gets a camel kiss on the desert trip

Our trip to the airport -- in the Rolls Royce!

Pretty much upon landing in Melbourne, I went to see Neil Young with Edwina.  It was pouring with rain pretty much the entire gig.  But he was awesome.  We also saw a fantastic opening band called Husky from Melbourne.  Loved them.

Ed and I in the rain

 

 Keeps Me Searching For A Heart of Gold

 The crowd and the grey skies

Then I did some repacking and then went up to Sydney.  I decided to take the train for a bit of fun.  It is long, but I do enjoy it.  Hoping to get those bullet trains happening at some point in my lifetime.  It would be great. 

Selfie on the train in my sleeping car just leaving Melbourne

Got up to Sydney and spent a lot of time catching up with people.  I was there for Oliver Bangma's first birthday which was fun.

Oliver, Alycia and the bathtub cake (he had just woken up!)

Hanging out with James Mackonis

I also got to spend a bit of time with Megan, Jon and Henry Tidd.  They live on the north side of the bridge.  Lovely views from just down the road from their place.

The waterfront from McMahons Point

Henry and his dinner

It was nearly Henry's 3rd birthday before I left, so we went to see a kids show at the Opera House together.  We took the ferry there, saw a big band where we learned all about saxophones and trumpets, had lunch and ice cream and took the ferry home.  We had a great time.  

Henry eating the ice cream

Henry on the ferry with the Opera House in the background

I also managed to start doing a bit of jogging.  Nothing too fancy, but exercise nonetheless.  I even managed to do from Bondi to Coogee which was pretty good. 

The pools at Bondi

Lovely bridge photo

At Manly Beach -- my favourite

 Sunset from Anne-Marie's balcony

I also took a bit of time out to visit Andy and Julie in Mullumbimby, just outside of Byron Bay.  I took the train up there as well which was fairly relaxing.  Nice countryside. 

Along the train ride

Julie and Andy's lovely deck

Sunset view from the deck

I headed down to Nimbin, which was once the site of the Aussie version of Woodstock for the Mardi Grass Festival.  The town is pretty much stuck in a timewarp, and it was quite a funny experience. 

Mardi Grass Parade

Nimbin Museum

Local scenery

Byron Bay Beach

So after that trip, I headed back to Sydney, repacked again and got on the plane for San Francisco.  This time I flew Air New Zealand and went through Auckland.  Pretty nice trip.  

 My Seat

I have been hanging out with Brock and Amber, just getting ready for the wedding on Saturday.  It will be great to see everyone.  Hopefully we have nice weather.  After the wedding, I am heading up to Seattle for a bit and then not too sure where I will head next.  A little bit more time to relax before the next gig, so will be enjoying summer in the US for a bit I reckon.  More updates soon I am sure.

Lots of love,

Sxo