Hi all and it’s great to be back in North West Queensland after a trip overseas.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The main reason for the trip was a big family reunion in Waterford, Ireland and my brother brought his family from Sydney and I brought my two daughters from Brisbane. Given that my Waterford-based sister also married an Aussie, there was a very strong Australian connection to the affair – except for the weather.
I had to invest in a new coat as there is very little need for such a garment here in Mount Isa but it got a lot of wear in Waterford and Dublin.
Temperatures varied from a max of 12 one day (which seemed positively balmy) to a couple of days where the mercury barely raised above zero.
There was no white Christmas but there was some ground frost and plenty of rain, which I see our area could also have done with in recent weeks.
But the weather really didn’t matter, it was all about spending Christmas with the family and we had a wonderful time together and I hope you all did too.
The biggest disappointment was that we saw none of the Aussies smashing England in the cricket.
In Christmases past in Ireland, the TV would always go on around midnight to catch the start of the MCG Boxing Day test but alas the English rights for the broadcasting went to one of the minor pay TV players and my brother-in-law did not subscribe. We tend to take free-to-air TV for granted in Australia but this was a reminder that not everyone has the same easy access to big events.
I’m not a huge fan of Channel Nine but the cricket is an institution that deserves to remain on free-to-air and I hope the government here continues to support anti-siphoning legislation.
Beyond failing to watch the cricket, being in Ireland was about taking long walks and runs in sometimes very challenging (and usually very dark) conditions.
Like the TV, we sometimes take our great weather for granted in Australia and Ireland was a reminder that for others, sunshine can be a scarce and valuable commodity.
The holiday was a great experience and I loved every minute of it, but, hey, it’s nice to be home again – Derek Barry