Australia Day 2011 - 29th

Our 2^nd Australia Day function abroad, the 2^nd time we have celebrated late when no public holiday was made available on the 26^th, the 2^nd year running that the temperature did not reach above 2 degrees!

She may sound English but today she looked like a true blue Aussie kid

Having braved an actual BBQ for last year’s function, this year we accepted the inevitable (and unenviable) British weather and planned an indoor event. The main challenge this year was making room for about 18 adults (neighbours and work colleagues) and as many children (the majority of these being blonde girls aged 8 years and under – poor Zac!)

With the High Comm generously sponsoring the event we left the catering to Waitrose (but please don’t tell Vania we got the bubbly from Tesco). We also splashed out and ordered some real Aussie goodies from the SANZA shop in London – including such delicacies as Crown Lager, Sakatas, BBQ and Savoury Shapes and Tim Tams (these unfortunately did not make it to the actual event).

It would not have been Australia Day without a pav (or two) which I whipped up during the week. I was also kept busy supplying Zac and Abbey’s classes with Lamingtons and ANZAC biscuits on Australia Day itself. The kids handed out clip on koalas and Australian pencils, which went down a treat. They were the most popular Aussie’s in school!

Our Australia Day event was a roaring success. Designed to thank the descendants of our forefathers for populating our fine country, we fed and watered them well whilst the kids almost got hypothermia scooting and jumping on the trampoline. Perhaps fittingly we actually managed to have a representative from each of the 4 home nations and also one from the Republic of Ireland. The majority of our guests though were the stock standard English – if you can call a Geordie standard!

Eat, Drink and be Merry

The attack of the blondes!

Our token Geordie

It truly was a cultural event and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Quite obviously the Robbs are social animals in the northern hemisphere – or perhaps an oddity worth a closer look.

Can't quite understand how we are different from the English?