This year has certainly thrown everyone huge curve balls. We 3 sisters were supposed to have travelled to Europe this year. Prague, Budapest, Cesky Kromlov….sigh then a cruise on the Baltic.

Here in Australia travel was banned, we couldn’t even go to another state. In Victoria we had one of the longest lockdowns. Virtually from late March to June, then 3 weeks of a bit of freedom to another lockdown which only started easing in November.

I moved at the end of March to a house which I should never have moved into. Right from the start we had problems. Waking up to a waterfall inside the bedroom window and wardrobe. Heavy rain is lovely but not inside the house. So it began with repairs being done but the leaks continued.

Finally the window was fixed, only to show that along with that rain it brought in black mold. Both myself and my housemate suffer with chronic asthma and I have a rare lung disease.

The carpet needed to be removed! Black mold was slowly creeping up the walls. Then a plumber who came to fix the leak under the kitchen sink, climbed into the roof space. Mind you this was the first time out of 4 plumbers who came to fix the leaks had actually got into the roof space! He showed us pictures of the black mold it was in the insulation. Double insulation at that. Of course the mold was spreading on the ceiling. We lost quite a few articles of clothing, towels, blankets due to this mold.

It was when my lung specialist advised to get out of the house we finally approached our rental agent and landlord. Yes we had to serve them with papers to do this. We were offered 1. we could move out while they did the repairs (we already knew the repairs would be a bandaid, as the landlord had got two quotes to fix the roof of the wardrobe. Not remove the insulation with the mold) or 2. Move out completely and no fees to get out of our lease. We took the second option.

So as soon as we could travel further than 5, then 25 kms from home we started looking at homes. We had lived in Wodonga a few years ago. Its a lovely place right on the border of Victoria and New South Wales. The Mighty Murray River separates the two towns, Wodonga and Albury. We both really loved living there so that is where we started looking. Mind you 60 + other people were also looking at moving home.

Then the border opened up between NSW and Victoria so we began searching in Albury. We finally were accepted for a rental. A beautiful home maybe 7 years old. 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, double garage. We are at the base of beautiful bushland with Kangaroo’s, Kookaburra’s. Have you heard the Kookaburra’s laugh?

The house is opposite a parkland with a small lake.

The last few months I have neglected the blog due to packing up the house, then every week driving up and staying with my housemates mum in Shepparton then driving back and forth to Albury/Wodonga.

Now we are unpacking and getting re-acquainted with the area. I will do more posts on this lovely area as we begin to explore.

Unfortunately at the moment travel to Victoria is limited as the government there has decreed that we need border passes to visit due to the “outbreak of the virus in the Northern Beaches of Sydney”. Our area so far is classified as green good to go but Victoria still requires us a pass.

I know this is all long winded but I wanted to explain why the blog has been neglected of late.

Hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas and lets hope the New Year is a better one.

Thank you to all our readers, followers around the globe.