Suburban nightmare

I've found another place I could never live - the suburbs between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. It's my favourite bit of travelling: gaining insight into the way other people live. For this family we're staying with, this is their suburban dream. Sprawls of identical 'blocks' with perfect white air-conditioned houses with perfect white interiors, with the odd school at appropriate intervals and at the centre of it all, The Mall. The characterless, air-conditioned bubble of shops, cafes and restaurants. And all this in the perfect climate.

You'd have to drag me kicking and screaming into living here!

Starstruck

For someone medium-used to being around relatively big-name celebs on an occasional basis, I never expected to find myself starstruck in Sydney, and least of all by a building. I'm completely in awe of that oh-so-famous Sydney Opera House.

The fantastic backstage tour (thank you mum and dad) got me into the fascinating guts of it, I've walked round it in all sorts of light and now as we wander 'home' after a wonderful concert audience experience, I'm gushing. I can't get enough of it and just want to be able to keep coming back.

Grumpy old men

I've clearly been spoiled by the generally friendly service at backpackers and hotels in New Zealand. It was a relief to discover here in Sydney that interesting characters at reception are not extinct. The receptionist at our central city 'backpackers hotel' is SO grumpy he can barely bring himself to even take our money off us.

What's in a ring?

It's very exciting to be engaged and I absolutely love my beautiful ring. And there's the rub. I'm still very much getting used to having it on and I adore the sparkliness. But I've watched enough newly engaged girls make a big deal of flashing around their new rock and hate the habit, that I've become completely self-conscious about my own left hand. I don't want to be that girl, so I find myself consciously hiding my left hand. I wonder when I'll grow out of that...