Phillip Island

As Tegan went to TAFE this week she got to have the weekend off - so we went on holiday to Phillip Island!

It was really nice to get away together for the weekend.



We went Sea Kayaking on Saturday - it was quite rough out in the open seas and I had the miss-fortune of being sea-sick. Not the most pleasant of experiences, but the scenery was spectacular and we got to see a seal up on the rocks ( a "loose seal" for those Arrested Development fans out there).

Saturday afternoon we went and saw the Penguins which was really nice - but you can't take pictures there so I have none! It was really funny watching the penguins get bowled over when a wave came through and knocked them all over :-)

Sunday we had a lazy breakfast and then went for a few nice walks:

The Nobbies - blowhole in foreground


Us - some might say blowhole in foreground on the left

We found these really cool caves in the rocks on the beach further along the island:

Tegan looking at the freezing water we had to walk through to get there


Relaxing in the cave


Getting back out from the cave



The Pinnacles at Cape Woolamai


Cape Woolamai

All in all 100% successful trip

(- but sir, we lost Mr.Rimmer
- All in all 100% successful trip)

Collingwood College Spring Fair

I got to go to my Nieces Spring Fair last weekend which was really nice.

One of the nice things about living in Melbourne now is that I get to go to all these little but important things with this side of my family.


J and Ailsa on the pony


Meg on the Pony




Tegan and Matthew

Chris Johnson Retires

Last night saw the end of an era. Chris Johnson, the last Fitzroy player in the AFL, retired.

Chris retired having achieved an enourmous amount in his career:

3 Premierships with Brisbane Lions 2001, 2002, 2003
Fitzroy Leading Goal Kicker 1995
All-Australian 2002 , 2004
International Rules rep 2002, 2003 (vice-captain), 2005 (co-captain)
Co-captain Brisbane Lions 2007
Member of the Indigenous Team of the Century

(Card signed by members so the Indigenous Team of the Century)

I saw Chris start his career as a forward for Fitzroy, back when Fitzroy rarely won a game. I remeber going to watch him play at Whitten Oval with my brother James. He was one of the main reasons I kept going to see them play, his big marks were always awesome.

When Fitzroy 'merged' with Brisbane I was glad he got picked up and when I moved to Brisbane the next year my support for him continued. He took a while to find his feet at Brisbane, but eventually Lethal made the decision to move him to the backline where he flourished.

I remeber watching his big run from the backline in the 2001 Grand Final and the agony of watching his shot for goal clip the post.

I was always rather on edge watching him play because you knew at any moment he could do something amazing or something really stupid!

I was lucky enough to bump into Chris at U2's Popmart tour in Brisbane in 1998.

(Derrick Kickett, Chris Johnson, My Dad and Darryl White at the announcement of the Indigenous Team of the Century)

I have always strongly supported Chris and looked up to him, his dad and my dad used to play footy together and I have always considered him a 'lation.

It was a sad day to see him leave the ground for the last time, but he left behind many great memories for me.

I wish him all the best for his future.

New Work Rotation

So in August I started a new rotation as part of my grad programme.

Now I am working in the Indigenous Employment Unit. The Unit manages the Indigneous Employment Programmes offered by the Department.

It is a really interesting area to work in and is also very rewarding.

The work involves going out and promoting the programmes to different businessess as well as managing the contracts once the projects are in place.

In the contract management side I am actually getting to use some of the skills I learnt in my Architecture degree!!!