An Australian Christmas and New Year

Back to work after a Christmas/New Year break which is rather longer in Australia than at home. That’s because it’s summer here and with the schools on holiday most Australians take a long break. Many won’t be back until much later in January. In British terms it’s Christmas and August combined.

We had our final Aussie Christmas at home in Canberra. The weather was great, but it never feels quite Christmas in the sunshine. Though my 18 year old daughter did point out that, because of my job, she’s had more hot Christmases than cold ones in her life. Canberra felt largely deserted, as everyone heads for the beach. Lots of civil servants here have holiday homes on the south coast of NSW about two hours drive away.

Then New Year in Sydney as usual. The Australian glitterati diaspora all seem to return from Hollywood, London and elsewhere, and a smattering of UK and American celebs appear here to soak up the atmosphere. Many Brits come through for holidays at this time of year, so we’re usually meeting up with visiting friends. The fireworks over the magnificent harbour were as spectacular as ever from the rooftop of a friend’s office building.  I felt a lump in my throat reflecting that this will be the last time we’ll see them – for now, at least.

We made our way back to Canberra via the Blue Mountains, whose looming presence seemed an impenetrable barrier to the early settlers for the first sixty years or so. The views from Katoomba were breathtaking. Then onto Bathurst, birthplace of post-War PM Ben Chiffley, and Cowra to visit the site of the suicidal break out by Japanese POWs in 1944, which left 231 Japanese and 4 Australian soldiers dead. There is now a peaceful cemetery and beautiful Japanese garden nearby.

The High Commission team is now busy preparing for the visit by the Foreign and Defence Secretaries for the annual AUKMIN meeting, just four weeks away.