The Holiday is over! (kinda)

Yup, I'm finally back at work. Started on Thursday and after just 2 days, I feel like I need a holiday! ;-) Altho I can't complain cos where I live it feels like I'm permanently on holiday.


So I got the job at HBOS (Halifax / Bank Of Scotland) Treasury Services as a business analyst. Pretty similar gig to what I was doing in London but completely different area so a lot to learn which will be good for me (the last thing I think I actually learnt was how to say "fever" in Spanish). It's a temp to perm role and they ticked all the right boxes in what I was looking for - senior role, different area, not a huge bank, low working hours, lots to learn. Was a bit frustrating in the end as I had 2 other really good offers but they were gonna be roles with heaps of overtime which I want to try avoid - free time is so valuable in a place like sydney! So I was real close to taking one of the others when they finally got headcount approval to employ me. Glad I stuck the long wait out! But it's 2 days down and seems like a great company and working with some good people.

The commute here is very different to anything I've had before - catch a ferry which is hard to comprehend if you live in London or SA. So here's a picture of it below (you can click on any of the pictures to make em bigger!).

















I work in the tall building that's about third from the right. It's a quick cycle along the beach from my place and then I cut across the corso to where the ferry leaves from. Hard to explain and hard for you to imagine I'm sure so here's a little piccy I doctored of Manly from the air.

















My place is just off the bottom of the picture on the beach road. The Bower is part of a marine reserve with awesome diving (went for a snorkel there today - super clean but a cold) and perfect surf when the swell hits it right. Check the photos at the end of a big right taken from above. Rode that day and it was pretty hectic. Really big but an easy paddle cos you can start from the protected beach around the corner. The surfs not as consistent as Durban but there's soooo much variety and it also gets a lot bigger!

Went fishing with my brother on the Hawkesbury river the other day. I was nailing the shad man! No word of a lie - pocket siiiize, tails hangin out! Then a sea eagle saw all the action and came to hang out close by. So we decided to try get some photos and threw some fish for it to pick up. Unfortunately, they kept sinking before the eagle could get to them so we had to stuff one full of twigs (there's always a secret to every photo!). Anyway - got some decent shots but bummed the real money shot was slightly out of focus!

News from home was a bit scary this week cos my dad and stepmom had their house broken into while they were home. Luckily they heard the thieves downstairs and tried to make a bit of noise to scare them off. Nuh uh - one of them immediately heads upstairs to their bedroom! Luckily they have a trellidor (security gate) on their bedroom door which was locked and they then slammed their bedroom shut and locked it when they saw one of them come up the stairs! The thieving bustuds decided to make off after a bit more shopping downstairs so luckily they got off quite lightly (unfortunately the same gang got hold of someone else a few houses down about an hour later and stole his car and some other stuff after beating him up badly). We need to get the Boondock Saints into Joburg!!


46 Days to the world cup! Kamaaaan the Bokke!

New Spot

So I finally got to move into the new place and it really is epic!! Was a bit of a mission moving and unpacking but my brother and his wife helped out so the majority of it gone done really quickly. The housemates are all pretty cool and sociable so it shouldn't be too hard making friends here.

The waves have been going mad today and yesterday. Tomorrow is going to be even better. There's about 1km of beachbreaks to choose from and then on the right hand headland is an awesome reefbreak called Winkipop/The Bower. When it lines up it's epic. Very similar to Vetchi's reef and just as dangerous. Shaggy got a few stitches on his foot there a few weeks ago. Anyway, check the photos (taken from the balcony). Oh ja - the cockatoos are the local wild birds here. Pretty weird after only ever seeing them in cages. And the flat I'm in is the one on the first floor and the blue car is yours truly's.

Still no final word on the job yet. Waiting for approval of the roles from London at this stage. So I am on holiday for a little bit longer - lukka!! Unfortunately I had to go to some follow up interviews and a backup one so gave the snowboarding a miss (not a problem when the surfs cooking).

Oh ja - they're changing the visa rules here from Sept to make it easier so I will qualify again on the points system. You now need to have only worked 12 of the last 24 months! hmmmm - maybe time for some more travels! ;o)

G'Day

Shoowee - that Facebook sure is addictive. Been catching up with most people there so neglected my good old blog yet again. But while things are still interesting with the BIG move, I'll try keep it updated more regularly. But for those not in the know, I've been back in Sydney for two weeks and slowly but surely settling down.

Things are going a little better than expected so far. Sorted out an awesome place ON the beach at Manly. It's really massive, has a huge wrap around balcony at the front and my room has another balcony off the back. Massive lounge, kitchen etc and a professional Foozball table (bring it on)! Unfortunately it's just a 3 month lease while one of the housemates finishes a contract overseas but gives me time to make sure I like the area (bit far from the city but well worth it me thinks). So will be taking the ferry to work rather than the sh1tty underground - giddyup!

Also got an awesome car today. Holden (same as Opel/Vauxhall) Astra. All the little bits and pieces but the design and colour is epic and got a million cool little features. Pick it up on Tuesday so will post some photies when I have it. Looks like the below but in a v cool metallic blue.

The job hunt is going pretty well too. I finally updated my cv on Wed afternoon and within minutes all three agencies I sent it to wanted to interview me first thing the next morning. So went to those and they were literally bun-fighting to get my cv to their clients first. Had 3 client interviews since then and got 2 more tomorrow so far. Unfortunately they seem like fairly complicated roles with lots of overtime and I really feel like taking it a bit easier with work life but the money is awesome, bonuses ridiculous and even pretty senior positions too. So the carrot dangles.... Will have to see how the others interviews go.

For those who hadn't heard, I misread the fine print on my skilled immigration (points system) application. Because I'm a professional (hard to believe for some of you - I know), I have to prove that I have had full time employment for 12 of the last 18 months! And 7 months travels kinda means I no longer qualify! Sucks deluxe but not the end of the world. I'll just need to be sponsored for a year and then I can apply again on my skills. Good news is that it seems only too easy to get sponsored. Once you here and they interview you, they say it's a simple formality and no worry at all. So anyone else wondering about sponsorship, it seems very straightforward.

Been some really good waves lately! Went to watch the Shark Island compo which was pretty nuts. Dying to surf there but one of the heaviest waves in the world so will have to wait for my shoulder to get a bit stronger first. Manly has pretty decent surf (with the crazy crowd factor you'd expect), but there's about 20 awesome spots within 10kms so it's all good.

Hoping to make the Springbok vs Wallies game this Sat but the Arrens (Warren and Lauren) are off to go snowboarding nearby so might just join them for a long weekend in the snow. Missed the last season cos of my shoulder so looking fwd to getting back on the slopes.

That's it for now - will update again in a week or so when I've moved into the new spot and I'm rollin in the new wheels!