Now Voyager: Brother's 80th birthday and flight to Wellington

Sun dawns bright and warm on this day of departure. The airport trip is done successfully and we await the arrival of the returned birthday man from the US after he has checked into his monastery at Waverly. Old family friend Annie is also coming and will provide some light relief from family seriousness - a welcome diversion.

Sun on veranda...

Yellow pansies and blooming orchids, a gift from Sue

many years ago...my memories of Sue are not in this house but in a bayside cottage on Lake Macquarie where we spent five fruitful and enjoyable years of sharing the ECK love and creating a life together for as short for her as it was.

Sue's translation on August 3 marked a seminal moment in my life and it all began from there. A move to Newcastle, a resumption of my University degree where I won a scholarship with Honours and a trip to France, and on return from France I took over the caring of my my aging Mum for eight years until we decided it was time for her to be cared for in a Sydney hostel, where she reigned supreme for two years before holding to her contract and translating two days after her ninety-seventh birthday, allowing me to travel to my beloved Melbourne. There I spent two interesting years catching up with my old life but realising that my former sort of life was over. Hobart then beckoned and lasted for three very busy years while I tried, albeit with much difficulty, to bring back the ECK flow to that recalcitrant isle.

The translation of my beloved cat Mr. Ralph then gave me the opportunity to emigrate to New Zealand, a decison which I had previously made on my visit there in 2006. My reconnaissance trip to Wellington in 2013 was marked by a marvellous ECK seminar which began the first of what will be many fruitful years in this wonderful and windy city. I didn't realise how much I appreciated it until this recent trip over here and back to Hobart. How lucky I am to have discovered this jewel, this vibrant, exciting and most friendly town, where I have already made some very good friends. Tonight I am returning to that city and will resume my life with much enthusiasm and a great deal of love for all my friends.

Who knows what the next year will bring as the auguries are excellent for the Geminis.

Well the big bro arrived on time

Raising glasses with Annie

The luncheon went well as I knew it would in spite of the grim forebodings of bro No.2. The beef stew was adequate and we, or they, sipped on champagne and quaffed a nice bottle of red brought by the priest bro. who appreciates a glass. He also brought a very large bottle of Chivas Regal for bro No.2 who ungraciously said it was only $45 at the local supermarket! It was in this moon the lunch was begun, but with the spice of Annie's addition it all turned out OK with a gift DVD of the 1935s, the year of big bro's birth, being an entertaining adjunct to the afternoon. And then the pièce de résistance was his AFL team, the Swans, playing my team The Saints, in Melbourne on tellie. Peter had endureda whole three months sans Aussie Rules and he needed a fix like rhis. I joined them for the first half hour but seeing the Swans were going to win I unreluctantly took my leave before four o'clock and was joined by Annie who felt it was time for her to rejoin her Harrison at home. Two good bus rides and a quick entrée through Security found me alive and well and waiting nice and early for my Air New Zealand flight home to Wellington.

I have been waiting for this moment for quite a while and it all goes well. A spray of Givenchy Gentleman is all I take from the predatory duty free stores filling to bursting point this awful Sydney airport and I smell good, have all my luggage, or nearly all, as I had to leave some at bro's as I hadno space in carry-on luggage. Anyway i'll be be back for a few days in December on my way home from my much anticipated visit to Melbourne.

The day was as I thought it would be, halfarsed but well intentioned, but what can you expect from a family which really has nothing in common with each other but common blood strains? And that is for sure, we don't have anything in common, and it became supremely evident on this short encounter today.

Waiting at Sydney International Airport