A quick 3 week trip to the Antipodes for Stephen May 12 - 31 that includes a week of consulting work. Work & social balancing for Paulie in Brisbane who also hosts Airbnb folks all month. Nick spends the month with family helping them & himself out. Olivia seesm to fit in multiple outings whilst clocking up the hours at the Mater Hospital. Gigs for James who is now a social strategy, researcher, and charity dude at Lush.
5Stephen sets the house up for rental before heading to Brisbane incase it's booked
6All set
7.
8May 7 - Paulie jumps on a CityCat after a walk at the Uni.
9A bubbles by the river and home again
10Friend Mary (left) received her Order of Australia from the Governor. Denise flew up from Melbourne and Mary's sister came across from NZ
11In the wee hours Paulie hopes to see an astronomical event. Nope. But it's nice view as the sun rises.
12May 9 - Stephen makes Keno and James' pad home whilst working in Old Blighty
13Nick, based with the Grandparents in Brisbane, checks in with Stephen
1410th - Chef Stephen creates another vegan delight for the Oxford lads
15It's all in the prep
16That day in Australia Nick heads to stay with Uncle John and Bea whilst attending a course
17Nick enjoys the rural setting of Northern New South Wales
18And returns to do chores for Grandma and Grandpa on the weekend
19And helps brother Julian with his ecology work
20James shops for coats for his July wedding.
21May 12 - The girls wish Stephen (heading for the airport) bon voyage whilst out for dinner
22But Stephen discovers his direct flight to Perth is cancelled. Much of the day is spent in the airport lounge
23May 13 - He eventually arrives a day later in Brisbane via Singapore
24And it's to lunch the next day with the St Lucia Athertons
25Catching up with old friends. But Kookie is nowhere to be seen
26And catching up with those elsewhere
2718th May - Olivia heads to the Noosa Food & Wine festival with Megan
28.
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30May 19 - Time out at the Bardon market.
31and then home for a cuddle with Olivia back from Noosa
3220th - Stephen heads to Sydney Uni to deliver a talk (Polling with Purpose). He stays the night on campus at lovely St Paul's College
33.
34Stephen loves the mix of architecture in Australia's oldest Uni... Old
35... and new
36Ready for action
37May 21st - Stephen heads to Melbourne and stays with pals Owen and Denise. Their South Melbourne pad is a few steps from nice places to eat
38It's also literally 200 metres to the tram. Then a train to Hawthore for a Swinburne Uni of Tech session.
39And dinner at home.
40South Melbourne, like many other innner city suburbs has a great vibe
41.
4223rd May - off the plane and fire up the BBQ for Chris & Louise Atherton
43Home chores. It will likely be anouther 8 months before Stephen is at the Brisbane home.
44With Olivia off to the Big Pineapple music festival, Rosie asked to spend time at her old house.
45Not so sure about sleeping here....
46... here works for Rosie at least.
47Olivia and pals get into the groove
48.
49May 26 - a lot of thought in selecting rosés for a clan Dunlop lunch
50Preparing outside
51Tidying up
52.
53Time for a quick pre-drink
54Jan and Jim arrive and the lads catch up
55Jan brings some delicious dishes
56Sisters in crime
57And it's lunch time
58.
59.
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61May 26 - James has a big week in London. The man behind the gala event has a few words to say
62And an award to give Nelson - a great sustainable project in Zimbabwe
63Stephen's continues with some chores ... but... he ended up cracking the cistern by overtightening a bolt. Nothing silicon can't sort
64Stephen a nd Paulie wait at Olivia's pad fror her to return from work.
65May 29 - a surprise lunch at the St Lucia Athertons.
66Patty and Tony seem out of sych with the pose
67May 30 - Off tomorrow, Stephen rushes to finish another few chores
68Thursday, the day before leaving, Stephen goes under the scalpel after a biopsy on Monday suggested a wider excision margin clearance. An interesting plane journey coming up :-)
69Olivia joins Paulie and Stephen for he last supper (for a while)
70Time to brave up and head back to France
71.
72Not that they are counting, but it's 35 days until Paulie and Stephen are reunited when Paulie flies into Heathrow
73Meanwhile in Oxford, James and Keno attend a formal at New College. A nice view from the tower
74Stephen arrives at Heathrow June 1st & has 6 hours spare before the flight to Toulouse so he zips up to Oxford to see Nurse James who changes the dressing.