Sydney Christmas 2010

December in Sydney can be lovely, or it can rain alot. We had our work christmas party on a boat on Sydney harbour.

A few hours on a boat on a grey and cloudly Friday afternoon, turned into hours of laughter, swimming off the boat and much entertainment in Darling Point park with a view of the harbour bridge in the background. I love the people we work with. The ability to have fun is a most important attribute in a team member.

The next day was David's sisters 40th birthday party and the cousins got to spend some time in hanging out together. They love it so! Photo credit on left goes to Sam Rock. Natasha the youngest cousin is missing form the shot.

The other important task of the weekend was to build the christmas tree. We do this each year using different things. This year we built the structure using books (see right).

The next weekend was the real thing and the girls got a rare chance to see their other cousins, daughters of my brother Michael and his wife Jill. My parents held their first christmas at the new house in Gymea in Sydney's south. My father David played Santa Claus, as he already has the beard in place.

Present giving came before lunch, with Alannah and Trinity both recieving a magic kits, so expect some performances using cards and top hats soon.

Other gifts included a Harry Potter lego set, Trinity's current obsession, and India particularly liked her pink mask gift, which has been worn quite frequently since.

Auckland, Singapore Nov 2010

This was a trip I did on my own, with no girls to chase me out of meetings. The girls stayed home with Nanna and Granddad, much to everyones delight, with visits to swimming pools and church fetes in Sydney.

Auckland was lovely, with two days spent in a function center in a place called Eden Gardens. I met the key people in our New Zealand business, who at one point carried me. The next day was a conference for some of our trained coaches where I gave my first keynote for a long time (not sure I have ever done one, as normally David's forte).

We had the annual awards, with some 'cracker' prizes. Two of our coaches and trainers, Tia and Jhanna with their 'trophies'.

The weather was beautiful, the people lovely, and the gardens peaceful and serene. There were chickens running around the gardens, following around potential new friends. Just what I needed after only a week in Sydney, back from New York.

I then flew to Singapore to meet up with David and our team in Asia to do some strategic planning for the growth of the business next year. We also met our Indian partners, who we are starting a joint vengture with next year. Then David and I returned home to see our girls, for some good clean family fun.