I’m spending a few days in the Latrobe Valley, where I grew up, with my parents. It’s the first time I’ve been here for nearly three years.

After 18 months in an arid area I’m struck by how green Victoria is. I had also forgotten what mud looked like before today.

On the negative side, my hayfever has been triggered again.

I went for a drive around Traralgon with Dad today. I lived there from 1968 to 1986, aged 1-19, and think of it as home. The population has increased from 10,000 to about 30,000 in that time.

I went to high school at St Paul’s College and there were vacant grounds across Grey Street where we used to play football. That’s a housing estate today.

It was good to see the houses we used to live in. Traralgon is an attractive, modern city.