Lunch sponsored by Jetstar

Retirement rules can be challenging. Garry and I are still getting used to booking activities without scheduling them around weekends, public holidays and commercial obligations. In other words, we can book an activity any day of the week, at any time that suits us, or that secures the best deal. Yesterday I did just that.

A few weeks ago, while visiting my brothers in New Zealand, I decided to join my brother Matt for a birthday lunch while he and Shelley were holidaying on the Gold Coast. I booked flights there and back for $112.00 via Jetstar. You read that correctly: $56.00 each way. I subsidised this price a little by cashing in the frequent flyer points I’d clocked up flying to New Zealand. I was also travelling with nothing more than carry-on luggage.

My flight landed on the Gold Coast shortly after 9:00am. By 10:00am I was pulling up outside the entrance to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Matt, Shelley and I then spent the morning checking out some of Australia’s iconic native animals. Avid followers of this blog may recall that I visited this attraction in November 2024 as part of a business networking event.

At the time, I got to hold a koala. The park has since stopped this practice. These days, visitors can only book a photo standing next to a koala on a tree branch. Yesterday we decided to forgo the photo opportunity. However, we weren’t disappointed. The koalas were out in full force, especially in the nursery section. The baby koalas delighted us with their antics.

We did enjoy one close encounter. In the Kangaroo zone, we were invited to stroke a few of the friendly marsupials. Matt was delighted. We also spotted a very young joey nervously popping its head out of its mother’s pouch. Super cute!

Once we’d had our fill of marsupials, snakes and birdlife, it was a short five-minute walk to the coast. The Swell festival was in full swing. This is the Gold Coast’s equivalent of Sydney’s Sculpture by the Sea event. We spent an hour exploring the artwork installed along the coastal boardwalk. We then retired to the Currumbin Beach Vikings Surf Life Saving Club for a leisurely lunch overlooking the beach, with the iconic Surfers Paradise skyline in the distance.

We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying Happy Hour at the Burleigh Pavilion. Queue more white sand beaches and pounding surf as we sat by the window drinking cocktails. We finished my day trip with wine and nibbles at Matt and Shelley's holiday accommodation, just across the road from the Pavilion. I then took an Uber back to the airport and was back home shortly after 10:30pm.

It was awesome fun hanging out with my little bro and his wife. I'm glad I took the opportunity to celebrate his Double Five birthday. That’s $112 well spent if you ask me. I could get used to retirement.

An Austrian wedding

Next month my brother Hamish and sister-in-law Karin celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. I cannot believe it’s been three decades. How the time has flown by. To get to the wedding, I booked myself a three-week round-the-world ticket. This was the first RTW ticket I ever bought. I recall sitting in the travel agent’s office, astounded by the concept as he suggested it as a great way to maximise the experience.

I ultimately booked an itinerary that had me fly to South Africa, where I spent a week exploring Joburg, Pretoria and Victoria Falls, before going on safari in Zimbabwe. I then flew to Frankfurt on 15 October and caught a train to Austria for the wedding, held the following day. Two days later I took Mum and Dad on a four-day tour through Prague and Berlin, before returning to Frankfurt by train. My parents stayed on in Berlin for a couple more days.

From Germany it was onward to Los Angeles for a 48-hour stopover, before making my way to Hawaii. Here I was joined by a good friend, Richard Knight, who was something of a party animal. It would be fair to say we spent the next three nights bar-hopping and partying with newfound friends collected along the way. If I’m honest, I saw very little of this popular island state beyond the beach and hotel. I finally completed my round-the-world circuit with an overnight flight home to Sydney.

A few days before flying out of Sydney, my hairdresser had convinced me to go for a bottled blonde look. As a result, I turned up in Germany with a tightly cropped flat-top haircut that was bleached pure blonde. I was going for the cool Billy Idol look. However, a week in the relentless African sun did a number on my stylish hairdo.  I ultimately rocked up with hair that had morphed into a subtle orange hue.  Let's just say it was the talk of the town when I arrived.   

As an aside, I never bleached my hair again until a hairdresser convinced me years later that they could bleach it without it discolouring.  I took him at his word and gave it another go in 2000. This was the hairstyle I rocked up with on my first visit to Hong Kong (and Macau), where I also happened to meet up with Text 100's Global CEO, who was in town at the time. I later heard that my uber-boss was a little flummoxed by his Australian Managing Director's appearance. However, true to my hairdresser's word, my hair colour remained resolutely blonde until it grew out.

Hamish’s wedding was a cross-cultural affair, blending both traditional Church of England and European Catholic traditions. The guest list also included friends and family from around the world. My Uncle Rex flew in from New Zealand, along with my cousin Tim and his partner Robyn, plus my parents, my brother Matt and his partner Shelley. Karin’s relatives from the UK also flew in to join the festivities.

The wedding celebrations began the night before the ceremony with a large gathering at the Londoner pub in central Kitzbuhel. The evening became a kind of proxy bucks and hens’ night for the soon-to-be-wed couple. This venue also held special significance. It was here, on Christmas Eve in 1990, that Hamish and Karin first met.

Let’s just say it was a rather raucous evening. Furthermore, I would never confirm or deny that my Uncle Rex made an impromptu visit to worship the porcelain god shortly after returning to our accommodation.  Needless to say, a few of us were a little rusty at breakfast the following morning.

Many of the guests, including the New Zealand family members and me, were accommodated in the neighbour’s house next door to Karin’s parents’ home. The neighbours were on vacation and had kindly made their home available to Hermann and Helen’s international guests. The venue was inevitably dubbed “New Zealand House”.

The wedding ceremony took place at the local Rathaus. That’s not a vermin-infested venue. Rather, the name is German for Town Hall. The happy couple looked splendid. Matt was Hamish’s best man, while Karin’s brother and I acted as witnesses on the marriage certificate. When asking me to witness the certificate, Hamish aptly described the request as, “I’d like you to witness our marriage, assuming you’re comfortable signing documents written in German that you cannot read. It’s something I do all the time”.

The reception afterwards was held at a restaurant in Reith bei Kitzbühel, a ten-minute drive from the Rathaus, before guests returned to Hermann and Helen’s iconic traditionally gabled mountainside home. Guests mingled on the lawn of their expansive backyard. Plenty of photos were taken as the gathering was somewhat of a family reunion on both sides. At one stage, a group of locals turned up and delivered a wonderful Bavarian Oompah band experience, complete with lederhosen costumes and traditional instruments.

It was a magical day. The weather played its part; although it was Autumn in the Austrian Alps, conditions were mainly cool and overcast. The crowd was filled with joy for the happy couple. Everyone was left with many wonderful memories. It’s hard to believe this all happened three decades ago. Congratulations, Hamish and Karin.

The day after the wedding, Hamish took the family on a tour of the town. Kitzbuhel is definitely one of those "chocolate box" picture-perfect locations, nestled in the Austrian Alps. It's a popular winter playground for the wealthier citizens of Bavaria and Austria. As a result, it's well maintained and full of boutique stores and venues. The Autumn colours were also in full bloom, making for a wonderfully scenic wander.

As is my habit, I went to great lengths to secure the ultimate Instagram-worthy image. Apparently, this included lying on a grave in the local cemetery. As you can see, my mother simply had to capture the moment.

One final confession. I never packed a suit for the wedding. I thought about it at the time but decided this was a mountain wedding and my brother was never big on formalities. I naively assumed the dress code was smart casual. Although, if truth be told, I also wondered whether I could safely transport a suit across the globe, especially while on safari at a bush camp in Southern Africa. In hindsight, I wish I'd packed it anyway - just in case.

Family time kiwi style

I’m currently sitting in the Qantas lounge at Auckland Airport. I’m waiting to board my flight home to Sydney after spending five days with my brothers and their families in New Zealand. It’s been a relaxing weekend filled with plenty of laughs. I also took time out on Friday to spend an afternoon with my brother Hamish. I was keen to learn what I could about his recent transition to retirement. He retired after selling his business in early 2024.

I flew into Tauranga last Thursday. My flight from Sydney was delayed almost an hour, which made for a rather tight connection in Auckland. As a result, I had to haul my luggage from the international terminal for a quick and sweaty bag drop at the domestic terminal. However, thanks to my codeshare ticket, I was able to cool off in the Air New Zealand Regional Lounge before boarding my connecting flight to the Bay of Plenty.

Friday night was spent at the Sailing Club overlooking the Mount and Pilots Bay. Here we caught up with Matt and Shelley’s fabulous group of friends, enjoyed a pub meal and watched the Friday night football game on TV. Their group of friends is another reminder that I need to build the same kind of loyal clique for my retirement years. My friendship networks have become very fragmented over time, and often driven by external factors such as work.

Saturday night we enjoyed family drinks and nibbles at Matt’s before venturing out for an extended family dinner at a local Thai restaurant. The family also surprised me with a cake celebrating my retirement. Sunday afternoon the McGregor boys joined up with Ross, one of Matt’s friends, for nine holes of golf at Summer Hill. This is a rather hilly but scenic course overlooking Papamoa and the Bay of Plenty. Matt scored best. I scored worst. However, in my defence, it was my first game in more than 18 months, possibly longer. Nicole then dropped by to show off her brand new motorbike when we returned home. 

I’m proud to say I’ve managed to squeeze in daily walks along the beach, and back via the scenic boardwalk just minutes from Matt and Shelley’s house. It was wonderful to get outside, feel the breeze and enjoy the therapeutic novelty of an ocean view. My phone app says I’ve managed to average almost 7700 steps over the last seven days. I’ve decided that my retirement is going to involve a lot of regular walking (and if I can get motivated, some light resistance weights two or three times a week).

Hamish was full of handy and sage advice about the hard-won lessons he’s learned about retirement. He’s got me thinking carefully about proactive steps I can take to avoid some of the challenges he’s faced, as well as take advantage of his recommendations for a fulfilling retirement. He’s certainly given me plenty to think about.

While I’ve been away, Garry has taken it upon himself to rearrange the downstairs bedrooms in our apartment. He’s moving the home office into the less glamorous room that extends underneath the main staircase. This frees up the more spacious and light-filled room (with its own balcony) for use as a second bedroom. I must admit that it’s something I’ve wanted to do for some time, so I’m delighted Garry has come to the same conclusion. I guess you could say our transition to retirement is underway as we start shaping our home environment to suit our future.

Wedding on the lake

Yesterday we celebrated the wedding of Zoe, Garry’s niece, and Ben Rowlinson. The happy couple tied the knot on the shores of Wallis Lake, about 14km south of Forster. The ceremony was held at the Green Cathedral, an outdoor amphitheatre set among native trees and palms overlooking the lake. At the same time, the reception was hosted nearby at Palms Pavilion, a dedicated events venue.

The location was chosen in part because Nicole and Jason, Zoe’s parents, own a holiday house at Bluey’s Beach, a coastal resort town a few kilometres south of the lake. The house is part of a holiday resort complex set among native trees, directly opposite the beach. Garry and I rented a house at the resort for three nights, as did many of the wedding guests.

The wedding was a joyful occasion. Ben and Zoe were blessed with relatively warm and sunny weather. The bush setting also sheltered us from any lake breeze. Earlier in the day, the weather forecast had predicted a light sprinkle as the ceremony was ending. However, in the end, we experienced the briefest of misty raindrops while waiting for the newlyweds to finish their photo session, more than an hour after the ceremony itself. We also witnessed a truly spectacular sunset over the lake as the reception got underway.

Guests were bused to and from the event. As a result, Garry and I were able to kick back and enjoy ourselves. The speeches were all hilarious, and my mother-in-law Rhonda’s memory was invoked more than once. I’m not too proud to admit that I cried as the bride walked down the aisle, and again when Rhonda’s name was mentioned at the reception. I must be softening in my old age. I don't recall crying at a wedding before.

The day was filled with personal touches, reflecting the generous and caring nature of both newlyweds. Perhaps the most memorable of these was a photo montage at the reception. Zoe had sourced and framed images of family members and their partners on their wedding day, or their earliest photo as a couple, along with a message reminding guests that she and Ben were following in the footsteps of those who’d gone before. Much to my surprise, she included a photo of Garry and me. Garry quietly reminded that Zoe was three when we met, so she's only ever known us as a couple.

The newlyweds also wrote a personal note to each guest on the back of every table place card. With more than 80 guests in attendance, that's an extraordinary handwriting feat. Zoe referenced our hospitality as one of her strongest memories on both of our cards. I'm not surprised. We've hosted countless Christmas lunches and family milestone events at our apartment over the years. It's rather eye-opening to discover the impression you're making on others.

Everyone had a wonderful evening dining, dancing and laughing. I also learned that you're supposed to sing Eagle Rock with your trousers around your ankles these days. When did that become a thing? It’s crazy to think that I first met Zoe almost 23 years ago. She was a toddler sleeping in her cot. Now that tiny little girl owns a house and has a husband. Likewise, we first met Ben as a short, skinny kid when he joined the family for Christmas lunch at our house in 2018. That’s him with Zoe and Adam above.

Garry and I wish the happy couple a life together filled with love, laughter and joy.