Doors of WordPress V82

Hello everyone and happy Thursday to you all. Today in Australia is ANZAC Day (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), a day to remember those who served their country as part of the armed forces and a day to think of those who lost their lives to war.

Although we didn’t do anything today to commemorate i.e. attend the usual Dawn services, it was still a good opportunity to reflect and think of those who lost their lives (dying for their country to give the future generations a better life) and those who made it home.

My only door this week is from an old pub situated at the heart of Sydney, known as The Glenmore Hotel. This is a heritage listed pub (known as a hotel as all pubs used to be hotels up until the 1980s, as this was the only way they could have a liquor license) built in 1921, just a stone throws away from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.

This pub is full of character and charm and you can feel the history as soon as you walk through the door. It made me think of the ANZACS and that maybe they would have had drinks in this pub.

The Glenmore Hotel – I must remember to take some images from inside the building as it’s really special.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Australian Hotel ready for ANZAC Day celebrations

View of the Sydney Opera House from the Glenmore Hotel rooftop bar.

Have a great weekend everyone and I look forward to checking out some of your doors.

Wayne

Doors of WordPress V81

Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. This week I only have the one door to show you, however, it’s a good’un, in my humble opinion.

We were visiting friends over the Easter weekend in one of our favourite spots, the Southern Highlands and I found this door in a very quaint little village called Berrima.

I also love the flowers in front of the door and they add a lot of value to the image. They are known as Japanese Thimbleflowers, very beautiful but don’t be fooled, as all parts of the flower are poisonous and can be fatal if ingested!

Ps. I love how I can add my door post to another challenge here on WordPress, Cee’s flower of the day (FOTD) challenge 🤗.

Have an enjoyable end to your week everyone.

Wayne

Doors of WordPress V80

Hello everyone and happy Thursday. I have had a couple of weeks off from blogging which has been so lovely but now I am ready to share my second edition of doors with an emphasis on cars. I really, really LOVE doors but I also can appreciate a really good looking car and as they have doors (often more than one!) I thought it would be fun to feature some more of my favourite cars over the past year.

As always, please let me know if you have a favourite image this week. I am displaying 10 images taken by moi, probably because it’s my 80th edition of Doors of WordPress so I figure it should be marked in some way.

I hope you have all been well and I look forward to seeing all your door entries this week for those participating in Dan’s Thursday Doors. Sadly, I am not a car expert so I can’t even name many of the cars, hence the reason they are simply numbered. Personally, when I look at cars, I look more at the shape, colour and its overall appearance / character.

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I have many favourites from this collection for all the reasons mentioned above but my absolute favourite has to be number 8. The colour is stunning and the model is fantastic. I think of its history, the nostalgia, the history and James Bond haha. I can just imagine driving this around the Amalfi Coast, with no traffic of course!

I hope you all have a lovely Easter holiday period and you are able to spend some quality time relaxing or visiting family.

Take care,

Wayne

Doors of WordPress V79

Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. As I am running low on new doors I thought I would show a few of my favourite cars (I figured they have doors too right?!). These are classic cars that were pictured in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, just before we left for Australia.

There are a lot of wealthy people living in Hillsborough, therefore, classic cars is a big thing there. They are a real pride and joy for some folk and they really love to show them off in the village.

Let me know if you have a favourite this week. I apologise that I know nothing about cars and can’t even tell you what type of cars they are. However, I absolutely love seeing these classic cars and can really appreciate the time and effort it takes to keep these on the roads.

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I love all of these cars but I especially love number two. It’s the unusual and cheerful colour that really appeals to me and there’s something very “James Bond” like about its appearance. I could imagine driving this in the English countryside or the other extreme, driving along Route 66!

Hope you’re all having a great week.

Wayne

Doors of WordPress V78

Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another wonderful week of doors. Last weekend we were visiting family south west of Sydney in a quaint little town called Camden. It’s a one horse town built on a flood plain with an abundance of character and history. We just took a quick stroll up and down the main street but I was happy to spot a few doors along the way. Let me know if you have a favourite.

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Camden

Wayne

Doors of WordPress V77

Happy Thursday everyone! The day is almost over here in Sydney and I will be heading to bed very soon but I wanted to share my one door with you this week.

My one and only door but it’s a good one (in my humble opinion). Sadly, there aren’t too many great doors around me so I will have to travel further afield when I have some time off.

I did manage to spot this door in Cronulla this week, a nearby coastal suburb that is great to visit for beach walks and a swim. We have been here twice this week already for walks after I have finished work.

It’s a really beautiful area and only a 9 minute drive from our place. I love the blue door seen in the right hand side and the curtains on the left are cool that they make the window look like a door.

I look forward to seeing all your amazing doors also for those participating. Enjoy the rest of your week everyone.

Wayne

Doors of WordPress V76

Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of wonderful doors. This week I have just two doors to show you from a day trip we took to the coastal town of Thirroul, 45km south from where we’re living in the state of NSW.

Thirroul is a coastal town with beautiful beaches and I feel that you can really tell from these doors and surroundings that these houses belong to wealthy people living at the coast. What do you think of these doors?

They are both very unique and captivated me for different reasons. The architectural design of the doors and buildings is exquisite for both homes and I love how the greenery really makes the doors pop!

Have a great day everyone,

Wayne

Wordless Wednesday – Ssssshh

Wayne 🙊

Doors of WordPress V75

Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another wonderful week of dreamy doors! This week I thought I would show case some of my favourite red doors from my expansive collection as I know many of you are partial to a red door.

As always, let me know if you have a favourite.

1 – Belfast

2 – Hillsborough

3 – Newtownabbey

4 – Edinburgh

5 – Cambridge

My absolute favourite has to be number four from Edinburgh. I absolutely love a grand door and this was HUGE. I love the design, colour and it brings back great memories of our nephew’s wedding in this building, the Mansfield Traquair Centre (previously a Catholic Church). Fantastic!

I hope you’re all having a great week.

Wayne

Doors of WordPress V74

Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of wonderful doors. I’m glad I have my doors post this week as Bloganuary has officially finished and I need something to blog about today. It almost feels like saying goodbye to an old friend, “see you next year!”.

I am showcasing a few doors from Sydney this week as I haven’t seen too many interesting doors from where I am now living…yet. Give it time Wayne! I always want things to happen straight away, let it go hahaha. Anyways, let me know if you have a favourite this week.

1 – Bondi Junction

2 – Centennial Park

3 – Haymarket

4 – World Square

5 – Woollahra

I love door number two but my favourite has to be number four World Square. What a fascinating door in the middle of a mall in Sydney’s CBD. It reminds me of something from Kill Bill the movie, when Uma Thurman is completing her training to become the world’s most deadly assassin. Have you ever seen this movie?

Have a great day everyone.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 31 (2024)

What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it?

I honestly have no idea about this prompt. I don’t think I’m really scared of anything to do. I think if I was that scared, I just wouldn’t be doing it.

I am nervous about going back to my teaching role tomorrow but I know it will be fine once I get the first day over with. Thinking of the students, the money and job satisfaction will get me through the nerves this evening and knowing that everything will be ok once the day is over. There will be light at the end of the tunnel, the world will not end (yet).

Well done to everyone for making it to the end of Bloganuary. We have done it, one blog post every day for one whole month! I have to say, the prompts have been pretty good compared to the last couple of years (there were a few dodgy ones before) so thank you to whoever created them. I hope it inspires me to keep blogging often in the coming weeks / months.

Have a great day everyone and enjoy the last day of January.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 30 (2024)

What do you complain about the most?

The price of everything! The cost of living has risen so much over the past couple of years with wages not rising to match. This is very much evident in Northern Ireland post Brexit, obviously there are other factors at play, Covid, wars happening around the world etc but it’s sad to see people struggling to buy the basics or worried about heating their homes.

I do find I complain about this less in Australia but it’s still happening here too. The weather can be a big thing to complain about as it has been very humid here of late, however, I don’t like to complain about it as I left Northern Ireland because of it being too cold!

I complain about the injustice in the world, the sadness from the wars raging on and the suffering of innocent people. I also complain about how the environment is suffering and global warming. We can make little changes to make a difference but it’s the people in power who ultimately have to take action.

I think that’s it really. I’m sure I complain about other things too, we have a tendency to do that if you’re from Northern Ireland 🤣. We love a good moan!

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 29 (2024)

What are your favorite sports to watch and play?

This is easy for me as I don’t play any sports, nor do I watch them.

Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy watching big matches on tv with friends in a social gathering, like football and rugby. I also enjoy watching the Olympics and tennis but I wouldn’t be following sports daily, it’s just not my cup of tea.

I used to play sports when I was younger but haven’t really found anything that I enjoy enough to play regularly as I have grown older. I love the gym, walking, running, hiking etc but I’m just not really into sports. Maybe it’s the competitiveness that I don’t like or the fact that I wasn’t great at sports when I was a kid at school. Who knows but it doesn’t really bother me. As long as I’m active, healthy and happy, that’s good enough for me.

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all have a great week and for those participating in Bloganuary, I hope you enjoy the last few days.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 28 (2024)

What would you do if you won the lottery?

I don’t even play the lottery at the moment so my chances of winning are nil / nada / zero / zilch.

However, if I were to play and happened to win I would, first of all, quit my job…or at least take a long time off.

I would help my family with their mortgages and / or divide some money out to them (although I am well aware that money causes a lot of problems with others, why did they get so much, I only received this amount etc etc).

I would go on a long vacation, maybe a world cruise, although that could be too long. Maybe just a couple of weeks somewhere interesting or a relaxing holiday to the Maldives. I would love to travel around Australia for a few months, that would be a dream come true.

I would buy a house or two. Perhaps one in Australia and one in Northern Ireland so that I can travel back and forth and follow the spring / summer seasons.

I would love to do some charity work, not necessarily donating money to charity but I could give my time and volunteer, hopefully make a difference to the world somehow. It would be lovely to be in a position to help others, no strings attached.

What are your thoughts on winning the lottery?

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 27 (2024)

What books do you want to read?

My brother in law gave me this book to read on our flight over to Australia, however, we were exhausted and too tired to read. I am looking forward to reading this on my train journeys to and from work. I remember reading George Orwell’s Animal Farm in school and being mesmerised by the language and context. It was so relevant and accurate of the times both past and present. I hope this book will be just as fascinating. Have any of you read this book or any book from George Orwell?

I am heading to work today so I will make a start en route…

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 26 (2024)

Write about a few of your favorite family traditions.

I don’t think we really have any family traditions except for Christmas Eve when we have raclette.

Raclette

This is a Swiss style of cooking on a small grill in the centre of the table. Under the grill you can place your little dish of food and cover with cheese (we normally have some veggies or shrimp) and on top you have a hot plate where you can grill your meats and potatoes. we have this a couple of times a year but always on Christmas Eve. Does anyone else do this?

Wayne

Doors of WordPress V73

Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors.

I’m not sure if any one will know this but today is in fact National Irish Coffee Day…and I love Irish coffees!!! When I am home in Northern Ireland, I will always try and have at least one. In 2019 I asked my Dad to show me how to make them. I think he was proud to teach me and they tasted delicious.

I swear I’m happier than I look 😅

In honour of it being this day, I thought I would showcase some of my recent and favourite public house doors from Northern Ireland. As always, let me know if you have a favourite.

The Waterfall Bar, Carnlough

The Plough, Hillsborough

The Parson’s Nose, Hillsborough (we lived on the same street!)

The Stillhouse, Moira

Have you ever tried an Irish coffee??? I could have one right now, however, it’s only 7am here!

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 25 (2024)

What do you enjoy doing most in your leisure time?

I was a little underwhelmed reading this prompt to be honest, only because I feel we had a very similar question two days ago about what we do for fun. Personally, fun and leisure time are interchangeable 🤷🏼‍♂️.

Anyway, in my leisure time I like to walk and see new places, especially with my partner. I finally have a day off tomorrow and we will take a walk to the E.G. Waterhouse National Camellia Gardens that I mentioned yesterday. I have been here before but my partner hasn’t so I’m exited to show him around. There’s lots of nature and water views and I find this extremely good for the mind and soul.

Also we will be joining a gym tomorrow!!! This is another thing I love to do in my leisure time. I haven’t had the time to train at a gym in about 3 weeks and it’s really upsetting my normal routine. I really miss that feeling of being alive after the gym and my weight gain has went completely in reverse. I’m hoping 2024 will be my comeback year and I will be stronger and fitter than ever.

Have a great day everyone.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 24 (2024)

Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.

As most of you will know, we have just recently moved house. We are currently living in an area called the Sutherland Shire, about half an hours drive from Sydney by car. We have always considered living here before but never had the courage to take that leap and leave the eastern suburbs. The housing crisis in Sydney has actually propelled us to live further afield now and so we have chosen to come here, where you can get more value for your money.

An attraction close to here is the E.G. Waterhouse National Camellia Gardens and we are looking forward to visiting here this weekend. We haven’t got around to it yet as we have only been here for two days, however, I did visit here back in 2021 with the hope of one day returning. You can see my previous blog post on this attraction here. It’s a wonderful place with gardens, wildlife and beautiful scenery. I will be intrigued to see if it has changed much. Thankfully, it’s only a 20 minute walk from where we are living and I look forward to keeping you updated with this.

Happy hump day to you all.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 23 (2024)

List Five Six things you do for fun.

Sorry I tried to narrow it to five but best I could do were six things I do for fun!

1 – Walking 🚶🏼‍♂️

2 – Gym 🏋🏼‍♀️

3 – Coffee dates ☕️

4 – Drinks with friends / family 🍸

5 – Road trips / travel 🧳

6 – Socials including blogging. 📱

These things all provide me with fun / amusement / pleasure / entertainment. The list goes on and on, it’s the little things in life for me.

What do you do for fun?

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 22 (2024)

If you could make your pet understand one thing, what would it be?

To pee and poo outside! Today is our last day of dog sitting and I think it has genuinely put us off having our own dog.

Now in the dog’s defence, he is pretty blind and has a neurological disorder. Maybe he hasn’t been shown to do his business outdoors, it doesn’t really matter the reason but it’s not pretty when he urinates or defecates in the house.

We have started to keep him outdoors more and walk him straight away after he has eaten. This has helped massively and we can’t blame the dog at all, it is what it is. However, if we could make him understand the importance of peeing and pooing outdoors, that would be lovely!

Happy Monday everyone! Today is officially our moving day. Yippee!!

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 21 (2024)

Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.

I love this question. This is something I used to think about a lot as I feel I have a very random name that doesn’t really match my personality. If you look up the definition of Wayne, it means “wagon maker” in Old English. That has to be the complete opposite of me. I would not have a clue how to make a wagon! I’m not even very practical with my hands at all.

I feel that I was given the name Wayne as it was a very popular name in my town when I was born in the early eighties. I grew up in a small town and there were five kids (including me) there with the name Wayne!

I moved to Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland in my late teens and I never met another Wayne for years! Actually, people found it strange to meet someone with my name.

When I moved to Australia, it seemed to be a popular name again there and I believe it’s a very popular name in America too. I used to try to think of what celebrities were called Wayne to see who I could have possibly been named after but the only person I could think of was John Wayne. Quite often, if older people don’t comprehend my name, I will say my name is Wayne, like John Wayne and they often have a laugh about it and reply – “is your horse parked out the back!?” – it’s a running joke.

I will also get referred to as Wayne’s World (party on) also as this was a huge movie when I was growing up. I like to think yes, it is my world haha.

I found this in Leura, NSW, Australia and feel that it managed to sum me up quite well (apart from the wagon maker). I do love adventure and trying new things.

I do quite like my name now as it is quite unusual and I don’t often meet people with my name, for instance, I have no friends called Wayne so it’s very easy for people. The only issue is that I have to change the way my name is pronounced as every country seems to say it differently. If I could insert a voice clip here I would, to be able to show you what I mean. Quite often people will think my name is Win due to my Northern Irish accent.

It’s also an easy name for friends / family and work colleagues to create nicknames from and I quite like that. For example, I have been known as Wayney, Wayners and Waynebow throughout the last twenty five years or so.

I wonder if there are any Wayne’s out there reading my blog or do you know someone called Wayne?

Have a great Sunday everyone,

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 20 (2024)

What’s your dream job?

I’m not sure if a dream job exists but if there does, please let me know!

I would love a job that would let you have a lie in and also finish early. So if I could work maybe 11 – 2pm with an hour lunch break haha, that would be amazing.

I actually wouldn’t mind what I do, perhaps I could be available to give out money to people, like a competition winner announcer. So you are able to make people happy, help them, tell them the good news and feel good for doing it, all while not being tired or stressed yourself. That would be a lovely job. Do you know if this job exists anywhere?

I’m writing this at 5.30 am on my way to work. Although, I’m grateful to have a job that I actually enjoy and still have the ability to work, so I can’t complain too much.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 19 (2024)

What makes a good leader?

I have seen many good and bad leaders in my time so I feel I can definitely comment on this. If you have a boss / manager at work or a teacher at school / college, it doesn’t automatically make them a good leader. I learned that along the way. The qualities that I feel a good leader should have are :

– Leading by example, if you do a good job and help others, your followers will strive to do the same. Don’t ask someone to do something that you yourself would not be prepared to do. Delegate appropriately. If you’re a good leader, people will want to help you.

– Be kind but be firm. You don’t need to rule with an iron fist, however, you can’t be a walkover either. You need to stand up for what is right and look after your followers / employees / students.

– Be approachable. This is very important to build a good rapport and communication. You want everyone to feel at ease and know they can come to you with any issue / problem. It creates a good atmosphere and builds strong relationships.

– Be open and honest. Be authentic. You don’t have to put yourself on a pedestal, we are all human beings. No one is better than anyone else.

That’s my list for now. I really strive to have these qualities when I’m nursing / teaching. I always say to my students, “treat people how you would like to be treated and if someone is not kind to you, think how you will never be that person”. I will have a lot of respect for a good leader. I don’t expect them to be perfect, nobody is but if they have these qualities, we’re onto a winner.

Enjoy your Friday everyone.

Wayne

Doors of WordPress V72

Firstly, thank you to In primo piano for the great Thursday Door logo for this year (that I intend to use for the first time) and Dan for hosting this weekly challenge for another year!

Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. I have had a break from doors since Christmas, really to allow me some time to collect a few more doors and I was happy to see everyone was taking a break over the holiday period. Actually, I didn’t even manage to find many new doors, I guess I have been pretty busy with moving continents again.

However, I did manage to find five new doors in Randwick, the suburb I am currently staying at in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, not far from where I used to live. This is our last week here as we move into our new place next week. Hopefully I can find some interesting doors there. Please let me know if you have a favourite this week.

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My favourite has to be number 5 this week as I love the glass panels, the pillars on either side and the brick work of the house. What about you?

Take care,

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 18 (2024)

If you could un-invent something, what would it be?

PLASTIC! I know it has its many uses and has been a great commodity for humans but it is destroying the planet. When I see and hear of animals being trapped in plastic or eating it, it just breaks your heart. The amount of water and environmental pollution from plastics is horrendous. It doesn’t break down so it’s taking up space in landfill and now it’s causing microplastics that we can also be consuming from animals / water etc.

Let’s go back to simpler times. Anyone remember when milk would be delivered in glass bottles from the milkman? Does that still exist I wonder? I’m glad we are making some changes like reusing carrier bags and making use of reusable bottles / bags etc. I just hope it’s not too late.

Wayne

Wordless Wednesday – Brew

Yes please! ☕️

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 17 (2024)

Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?

Wow! I feel very fortunate that I could share SO many examples of feeling loved by my friends, family and even work colleagues.

However, I will share today that I feel loved every single day by my amazing husband. We just celebrated 17 years together a couple of days ago and we still tell each other everyday that we love each other.

A simple example could be this morning, when my husband cooked my dinner for me this morning so I would have a meal to eat later in work. I feel loved for that kind gesture, that he didn’t have to do but he wanted to, to make my day that little bit easier. I feel very fortunate indeed.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 16 (2024)

Where can you reduce clutter in your life?

To be honest I don’t really have much clutter at the moment. As I’m still living out of a suitcase and I don’t own many things at the moment. That is one good thing about moving countries, you de-clutter a lot and it’s actually very refreshing to free yourself from all the material things you gather up. It feels good for the soul.

I don’t really like clutter and I find it makes me less productive and sluggish. If I clear away the clutter, I instantly feel better and more productive. It’s like that saying “clean home, clean mind” or something to that effect.

The one thing I could maybe de-clutter is my email inbox. I really hate when it becomes cluttered with unnecessary emails, for example, rental listings that I am still receiving. I like to turn off notifications, unsubscribe to emails and delete anything not needed. I will also move emails to the junk folder. I do this on a regular basis and could do another clear out today. It’s the same with unwanted texts from companies such as gyms trying to get you to sign up. They can be full on, not taking no for an answer. I like to delete these messages and block the sender so I can have some peace from these companies and have a nice, ‘clean’ inbox.

Where can you reduce clutter?

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 15 (2024)

What is your favorite animal?

It has to be a dog! It’s probably the animal I know and trust the best. I can’t say I love every breed of dog out there but any dogs we have ever had as pets, have been truly amazing.

Why do I love dogs? (generally speaking)

– They are friendly and unassuming.

– They are non judgemental.

– They are kind hearted, warm and friendly.

– They are loyal and obedient.

– They are caring. We grew up with a Labrador at home and anytime you had been reprimanded by your parents or were sad for any reason, he would always know and try to console you with a nudge of his nose or a paw on your shoulder.

– They are cute!

– They are super intelligent. I love how they can detect if you are unwell, they can guide you if you cannot see, they can work, be it a police dog, therapy dog or simply chasing away pesky seagulls (as can be seen at the Opera Bar in Sydney).

– They love to walk (not the dog we are currently dog sitting, much to my dismay) which in turn is good for us.

– They release happy chemicals in our bodies just by being with us, such as endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, making us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

– They like to clean our dinner plates 😜 (pre dishwasher of course).

– They love receiving affection and also love to give affection, be it licking your ears or legs!

Ok so my list could actually go on and on but you get the idea. They provide a lot of good things for us humans. Whether I want one right now, is another matter but I do love dogs. There are of course exceptions to my list, just like humans, dogs are not all the same.

Do you have a favourite animal?

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 14 (2024)

In what ways do you communicate online?

Communicate online? So that rules out talking on the telephone, in person, sending text messages etc.

I have just woken up and having my morning coffee, thinking about how I communicate online. Here are my thoughts:

– email

– social media apps such as Facebook & Instagram

– WhatsApp (I think that’s online). I use this for sending messages to friends and family over the internet as it is free. It’s very handy for living in a different country.

– Oh and I almost forgot about here on my blog! This is a very enjoyable method of communicating.

I think that’s my lot. I don’t play games with others online and I don’t participate in chat rooms any more, actually do they still exist?

What about you? How do you communicate online?

Have a great Sunday everyone. I’m looking forward to recharging today.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 13 (2024)

Think back on your most memorable road trip.

The first road trip that springs to mind was when we took a road trip to The Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Our good friends took us there on an unforgettable day trip around Christmas time 2018z

For me, this was the trip I had always associated with Melbourne, Victoria and had always wanted to witness firsthand. I had seen many pictures over the years and to be honest, it didn’t disappoint in real life. The Great Ocean Road was formed to commemorate the sailors and soldiers of the 1st world war.

The drive along this road is spectacular with beautiful ocean views and many places where you can stop and take photos. We happened to drive on a cloudy day and the views were still spectacular. The main aim of the drive for us was to see the 12 apostles at the Port Campbell National Park.

When you reach the apostles you will be mesmerised. However, I must say there were so so many tourists and even more flies!!!! You had to be super careful not to breathe them in.

There are a few different locations to view the apostles so make sure you check them all out. There is a map printed at the visitors centre to help you. Words can’t even describe how amazing this landscape was to see, so be sure to visit soon, as the apostles are subject to some severe weather erosion. There are actually only eight remaining but there are some other rock formations visible. As they are made of limestone, they will be subject to constant changes.

I think this trip stood out for me as it had been on my bucket list for some time and we were able to experience this with good friends during the Christmas season.

Have you ever been here? What was your most memorable road trip?

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 12 (2024)

What snack would you eat right now?

A banana! Which I will be eating in about 15 minutes. It’s 0540 here in Sydney and I’m on my way to work via the light rail (tram). I always have a banana before I start work, it really keeps me going for a couple of hours before I have breakfast. Without it, I’m a mess. I don’t think I could eat anything else right now. How about you?

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 11 (2024)

Come up with a crazy business idea.

What about this for a crazy idea. A store where you can buy furniture online, they deliver it to your house and assemble it for you. That would be absolutely amazing for me right now.

In good news, we have found a beautiful apartment to rent just out of the city. I have to call this morning to pay the deposit and secure the deal.

Next steps will be to buy the furniture and other bits and pieces. I really enjoy buying new furniture etc. but I really hate having to build them. The big items are the worst like a bed and sofa. If the retail store could have their staff assemble them for me, I would be absolutely delighted!

I wonder does this already exist somewhere? I am yet to hear about it.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 10 (2024)

Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?

I used to love playing with little cartoon figures / figurines and using my imagination to create a world for them. I played with and collected many of these over the years (mostly Disney characters) and it was a great way to play on your own and become lost in a fantasy world. I would make homes for them in my coat and pretend they were living in a den. It sounds funny now but I could have done this for hours. My sister would sometimes play too but her imagination just didn’t quite fit mine most of the time!

Recently my niece and nephew have really enjoyed playing with these type of figures also and so I gave my collection from my youth for them to enjoy over the next few years. My nephew was especially delighted and I hope it brings him the same joy they brought me.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 9 (2024)

What is your mission?

Wow this topic is so HUGE! You could write for hours about ‘your mission’…but I won’t. I wouldn’t want to bore you all.

My mission for now is to find a house to call home for the next six months at least. Today my mission is simply to get through a 12 hour shift that I’m about to start here. I have already dropped my electric toothbrush on my uniform, toothpaste everywhere and stained my uniform for the day ahead, oh dear!

Long term, my mission is to be healthy and happy in life. My mission is to be a good friend / husband / son / brother / uncle / nurse and be a kind person to people I meet on a daily basis. Life is tough, we should be kind to each other. Also life is short so we need to make the most of our time on earth (cliché I know but so true).

That’s it, short, sweet and to the point.

Have a great day everyone. See you this evening, or morning, depending where you are in the world.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 8 (2024)

What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

I think it’s only good to live a long life if you have a good quality of life. For example, I’m happy to live a long life if I have all my faculties. I would like to be “compos mentis” but also physically well enough to do things like going for a walk, doing the daily chores. I would hate to be a burden on someone or dependent on someone to help me.

I have met so many older people in my career as a nurse that have simply had enough and would prefer to pass away due to living a poor quality life, either physically, mentally, financially, being dependent or being in pain. It’s excruciatingly sad, especially when you see people praying to God to “take them home” as they are in so much pain and no longer wish to be on earth.

Therefore, I think a good quality life is important, not how long it is. What do you think?

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 7 (2024)

What could you do differently?

Worry less! I have a tendency to over worry. I am currently doing this with regard to finding somewhere to live. However, I recently met a couple of friends for coffee and they advised about checking out airbnb. I had never thought of this. Upon having a look on the app, I found many places to stay that are the same price as paying rent. I couldn’t believe it. Absolutely amazing and it really takes the pressure of now with having to find somewhere soon. We can simply book a nice room / house for as long as we want and it will be fully furnished. Such a relief. All that worrying for nothing. I never learn 😅.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 6 (2024)

If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?

“Be a decent human being!” – that’s what it would say. Just be kind to others and if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 5 (2024)

Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?

Hmm this is a tricky question. I would say that I spend time thinking of both equally. I don’t like thinking too hard into the future and I don’t like to wish my life away. However, sometimes it’s good to look ahead and try to plan your future somewhat. I would say I probably worry more about the future than dwelling on the past.

I do like to think of the past, either to look back in fondness or as a way of reflection. The past isn’t always easy to look back on with certain things so I try not to dwell on it too much, instead I try to concern myself more about the present.

I want to be in the present, appreciate what’s around me, my family and friends etc. and try to enjoy myself. I need to learn not to stress so much about every day life as things normally will work out in the end ☺️.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 4 (2024)

What is the greatest gift someone could give you?

Their time. I know how precious it can be and how little of it we have these days.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 3 (2024)

What colleges have you attended?

I think in America, colleges mean universities. Back in Northern Ireland a college is an academic school that you can attend from 11 years old until you’re 18, or in my case, from 15 – 18 years. However, I will write about the university that I attended as I think that is what this prompt is referring to.

I attended Queen’s University Belfast, not once but twice. I feel extremely blessed to have studied here (especially on 2 occasions) as it is the most prestigious university in the country, has a great reputation in the UK and is ranked within the top 200 universities in the world.

It is a very historic building with fantastic architecture and you can’t help but feel like you’re studying at Hogwarts. It is situated in a beautiful part of Belfast with lots of bars, restaurants and a botanical garden nearby.

I lived in Belfast whilst studying, pretty close to the university (as many students do) and was fortunate enough to be able to work in the students’ union. You really have a sense of belonging to part of the university here and it provided me with the best opportunity for making the most amazing life long friends.

I studied a geography degree firstly as I had no idea what I wanted to study and this seemed like the perfect fit. Although enjoyable, it was extremely difficult to find a job relevant to my degree. After a few years of working in minimum wage jobs, I decided to return to university to study nursing. I was thrilled to return to Queens’s and thoroughly enjoyed my nursing degree. The teaching and clinical skills learned here were fantastic and I have nothing but good things to say. If you study nursing you do not have to pay any fees and they pay you a small subsidy to help with your everyday living costs (as you have 9 placements to carry out as well as studying). The course was full on with a lot of assignments, clinical hours, studying to do etc., however, when you enjoy the course, that is half the battle.

If you are ever in Belfast, this has to be on your list of places to visit!

Graduation 2006

Graduation 2015

Queen’s University Belfast

Have you attended any colleges / universities? I appreciate they aren’t for everyone and there are so many amazing careers that can be achieved without needing to attend university. The other thing is that they can be extremely pricey. I was looking at studying in Australia before and the fees were extortionate. Even in America, I don’t know how people can afford university. There are extremely expensive to attend. Maybe some of you can enlighten me, I would be intrigued to know your thoughts.

Wayne

Bloganuary Day ✌🏽 2024

Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?

I’m not sure what this means at my age, I guess it could be anything that provides enjoyment in your life. When I think of play, my immediate reaction would be to think of the games I play on my phone. I play these games not to pass the time but more to relax and take my mind of other things. I have been playing the same couple of games for years now (at least 10 years). They started off as a distraction from studying but now they are something I enjoy to do if I have some free time. I may only play these for 15 minutes a day or it could be more if I am procrastinating.

I’m not ashamed to say I play Pet Rescue (this started off as a game on Facebook many years ago) and Pokemon (which I know is often associated with younger people). I find them entertaining, somewhat stimulating and a good distraction from any responsibilities I have.

Am I the only one who plays these? Do you have a favourite game on your phone? Candy crush? Tetris perhaps? Or does anyone remember Snake on the old Nokia phones??

Wayne

Bloganuary Day 1 2024

What are your biggest challenges?

Happy New Year everyone. We have just woken up on the first day of 2024 whilst the rest of the world will be counting down now until midnight (it’s 2340 in Ireland). I hope you all enjoy the celebrations and if not, at least have a good nights sleep.

This will be my third year participating in Bloganuary, a writing challenge where you are prompted to blog every day of January. I usually look forward to these prompts, even just to write something simple, it gives me the encouragement and motivation to keep blogging. I could definitely use this of late as my mojo has been waning. Will anyone else be partaking in this daily writing challenge?

My biggest challenges at the moment are;

1 – to keep up with this blogging challenge. I hope the prompts will be interesting (there can be some dodgy ones).

2 – as most of you will know, we have just returned to Australia. Therefore my biggest challenge is to find a new home to rent. This is difficult due to housing shortages and high rental prices.

3 – to return to my jobs and make a positive impact.

4 – find a new gym that I will love and can afford.

That’s it for now. Not too bad really, as long as I find somewhere to live, everything else will fall into place. What are some of your current challenges?

All the best,

Wayne

12 months and 12 photos (2023)

I love showcasing just one photo per month to look back on the year we just had. It’s good to reflect, see how far we have come and look back with fondness on the memories we have made.

JANUARY – this was one of the many reasons I wanted to be home in Northern Ireland, to celebrate with my Dad on his 60th birthday ☺️

FEBRUARY – this was the first time I became covid positive. Not bad considering covid had been around for nearly 3 years by then. Luckily I only had a sniffle for a day.

MARCH – we moved to our favourite little village, Hillsborough. An amazing place to live and we must have visited the forest park here at least once a day. Very therapeutic.

APRIL – a beautiful wedding of my friend right in the centre of Ireland. We stayed in Athlone, a beautiful Irish town with lots of charm.

MAY – we had a visit from our friend all the way from Texas. We were delighted to show him around Hillsborough and glad to say he really enjoyed seeing the sights (including the local pub).

JUNE – we took a visit to Cambridgeshire to visit my sister and her kids. She booked an experience for us to try punting on the river which we absolutely loved.

JULY – we tried to do lots of day trips while being home. Here we were at Mussenden Temple, one of our favourite spots to visit along the north coast of Ireland.

AUGUST – we headed to Dijon, France to celebrate my 40th birthday and had a truly magical time. A beautiful place to visit with fantastic food and wines.

SEPTEMBER – as always in this country, we received a couple of days of summer in September as the kids go back to school. We had to get out and about to make use of the limited sunshine, as it never lasts too long in Northern Ireland.

OCTOBER – Another trip over to England to visit my sister. This was the best thing about being home, that you can spend a lot of time with your family and loved ones. This photo was from a stately home in Buckden that we visited.

November – Our final visit to England to spend time with my niece and nephew. We took the kids to Wimpole Estate for the annual Christmas lights event. Lots of memories made ☺️

DECEMBER – After a lot of thought, we made the hard decision to return to Australia. We had a bumpy ride at home so we thought we would return to Oz for a while and see where the wind takes us. I hope to share more from our lives here in Sydney and hopefully we will have the opportunity to travel more around the country.

I would just like to say thank you for all your encouragement throughout the year and I am very grateful for the connections we have all built in the blogging world. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas if you celebrate and a Happy New Year.

Take care,

Wayne

Back Down Under

Hello everyone! I want to share with you a massive change in my life of late.

We have decided to return to Australia after having been home in Northern Ireland for the past 16 months. By no means was it an easy decision but our time at home just isn’t meant to be right now.

Who knows what the future will bring but for now we are excited to be back in Australia and look forward to the next chapter in our lives.

Life is short and you have to live it to the fullest, no regrets. I look forward to sharing more of my life / travels in Australia with a few doors thrown in along the way.

We are dog sitting at present until we find our own property and will be spending Christmas low key with the dog and the sunshine. There will be no snow here for Christmas!!

Meet Milo, our little 4 legged friend who will be spending Christmas with us.

I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy spending time with loved ones and making beautiful memories.

All the best,

Wayne ✌🏽

Doors of WordPress V71 – Christmas special 🎅🏽

Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to a festive week of seasonal doors. I’m glad this week Dan’s Thursday door club is suggesting we show our favourite and / or festive doors. I have a few doors that I have collected over the past couple of weeks that I think really show some festive spirit in the lead up to Christmas. As always, please let me know if you have a favourite and I look forward to seeing all your doors also.

1 – Hillsborough

2 – St Stephen’s Green

3 – Dublin

4 – Dublin

5 – Dublin

6 – Hillsborough

7 – The Joxer, Hillsborough

8 – Belfast City Centre

9 – Twigs & Twine, Hillsborough

Personally, I have saved the best until last. This shop is the local florist in Hillsborough and has the most amazing creations made from twigs and twine (funnily enough). They also have some fantastic pieces of art on sale and manage to create spectacular window displays depending on the occasion. I think they have succeeded with their Christmas decorations and it looks even more stunning at night time.

I hope you are all keeping well and enjoying the lead up to the festive season.

Wayne ✌🏽

Doors of WordPress V70

Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of doors. This week I simply have one door to show you all but it’s a fantastic one so I’m happy for it to shine on its own.

Discovered in Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland when I was in the town last week for lunch.

I have been a little quieter on my blog of late for two reasons…1. Being extremely busy with life and 2. I am in the process of clearing my media library to free some space. I’m replacing my older photos on posts with smaller photos and it is working really well, however, is it quite time consuming (and can be frustrating too).

I look forward to seeing all your wonderful doors this week.

Take care and have a great weekend.

Wayne ✌🏽

Wordless Wednesday – Westicles

Wayne ✌🏽

Doors of WordPress V69

Happy Thursday everyone! This week I have only two doors to show you. Really, I chose the doors mainly for their wreaths, I’m not even sure I would have photographed them otherwise, who knows. They are beautiful autumnal wreaths and they are my only two doors left that resemble autumn. It’s quite fitting to show them now as we enter November and the lead up to Christmas.

Does it still feel like autumn for you or are you ready to embrace winter?

I actually really do love the black door with its lights on either side. Do you have a preference?

Wayne ✌🏽

Wordless Wednesday – Frightening 😱

Wayne ✌🏽

Doors of WordPress V68 🕸️

Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to a spooky week of doors. Seeing as Halloween is just around the corner, I thought it appropriate to show case some spooky doors that I have encountered recently or those that received the Halloween memo. Feel free to let me know if you have a favourite this week or if you find any door particularly spoooooky.

1 – Huntington

2 – St Mary’s Church, Brampton

3 – Buckden

4 – Hillsborough Parish

5 – Laganvale Farm

Ok so number five may not be particularly scary unless of course there is someone hiding in that coffin! I found number two to be pretty spooky, especially with the faces above the door, not to mention the angels floating above (not sure why they scare me a little). What are your thoughts? Have a great Halloween for those that celebrate. I won’t be doing anything special, however, I may need to grab some supplies for the kids in case they come knocking on the door with their trick or treating!

Wayne ✌🏽

Doors of WordPress V67

Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of wonderful doors. Here in Northern Ireland it is absolutely lashing with rain as we experience the wrath of storm Babet. It is dark, wet and gloomy here, therefore, I am showing you some of my remaining doors from Dijon, France so I can look back fondly to warmer times. As always, please do let me know if you have a favourite.

1

2

3

4

5

6 & 7

Number five is my favourite this week due to its unique colour and I absolutely love the grills where the windows once were. I’m not sure why I even like them so much and I don’t know why they are there, I suppose maybe for security or ventilation. It also looks extremely rustic and quaint, my favourite qualities of a door!

Enjoy the rest of your week everyone,

Wayne ✌🏽

Wordless Wednesday – Holly

Wayne ✌🏽

Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours.

What makes a good neighbour?

This is very relevant to me now as we are currently waiting on new neighbours to move into the apartment below us. Having rented for most of my adult life and moving homes a lot, I have encountered great neighbours and maybe not so great. Luckily, I have never had a horrific neighbour…yet. A good neighbour for me doesn’t have to do much but there are two essential qualities that I would want.

1 – Respect those around you and be aware that your actions may affect others. This could relate to noise pollution, keeping the communal areas tidy etc. Noisy neighbours has been the worst thing for me, especially if people are partying late. We have experienced some crazy kids / parents in our time and even heard people’s sexual activities (not fun to listen to in the middle of the night!).

2 – Friendly but not overwhelming. I enjoy knowing our neighbours and making conversations but it’s great when neighbours have boundaries and don’t feel the need to pounce on you every time you open the front door. This could also be down to respecting each others boundaries.

Has anyone ever had a bad neighbour? What qualities would you like in a neighbour?

Wayne ✌🏽