I had some quality time yesterday with my two-year-old daughter Margaret. Juliet and I don’t get to spend much individual time with either of the twins, for obvious reasons. The exception was caused by Juliet travelling to Yarra Glen to pick up Kathleen and Dude from my father, who was meeting her part of the [...]
A dilemma of parenthood
Christmas week is a time when families come together and bridge the generation gap. Grandparents get to watch video games and DVDs. Kids get to hear a singalong. Something I’ve noticed this year is that Dude has come of age with his cricket. He’s no longer the awkward little kid who could hardly hit a [...]
Christmas mayhem
Tis the season to be jolly and all that, but Christmas morning for parents is madness. We managed a seven o’clock sleep-in this year, only because the big kids were under orders to wait until the toddlers woke up. James was the last to rise. We then opened presents, which in proportion to the time [...]
10 things we’ll miss about Porepunkah

Cooling down with a dip in the river on a hot day. The village atmosphere. Short walk to the school, pub and shops. The school, which was great for our kids and the people were terrific. Scenic views of Mount Buffalo and Mount Porepunkah. The walk up Winters Hill. Bike riding on the rail trail [...]
A walk in the Warbys
I enjoyed a walk in the Warbys today. The Warby Range is a state park to the west of Wangaratta. It rises about 250 metres above the surrounding terrain and comprises granite outcrops and native vegetation. Bushrangers used to prowl there in the 19th century. Today it remains a rare part of the North East [...]
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