Organising

I'm actually doing very little organizing at the moment, I think I should step up and do something. We've decided we're leaving next Monday. The plan is that we're having an Australian wedding party on Saturday, clean up Sunday, then leave Monday. We would have left it a bit longer but my mum is over for the Aussie wedding and she and her partner are coming along with us for our first night on the road (they'll be in a car though!) and their time schedule is quite tight as they fly out of Sydney on Friday.


It's a bit of a family joke that my mum is coming on our first night of honeymoon with us. Poor Jeremy, the day he decided to try and propose was Christmas Eve last year. Last winter in Northern Ireland was the coldest I can remember, it was about -5C outside and frozen snow on the ground. Jeremy kept trying to get me to go places with him, to try and get me on my own so he could ask the question, "Do you want to come for a drive with me to the wine shop Bridget?" he'd ask. "No,  not really, it's cold." I'd reply. My mum would then say "Oh I will!" So off Jeremy went for a drive with my mum to the wine shop.
Later, "Would you like to go for a walk with me Bridget?" "No, it's freezing and I've got the fire lit here." My mum - "Oh I will!" Jeremy despairing, left the house and rang my brother, who was in on the plan, for suggestions. He came back and asked, "William needs me to go and pick something up from The Bay Tree (my mum and brother's restaurant) do you want to come?" My mum jumps in and says, "Oh I need something from the Bay Tree, I'll come!" immediately with a look of frustration Jeremy phones William, William straight away phones my mum, "Look mum, this is something Jeremy and Bridget really need to do alone!" My mum suspiciously immediately retracts her desire to go to the Bay Tree and I realise, knowingly, I just have to go along with whatever Jeremy needs me to do. Sure enough he knelt in the snow and I got a ring.


I am pleased my mum and her partner are coming for the first day driving, it takes the pressure off the big scary start. We're going to stay the first night at Wye River, a gorgeous beach town where we've been many times with Jeremy's family and where a few years back I took my mum and she loves it. Then the next day we will say goodbye to my mum and Jeremy and I will head on to Warnambool and she will head back to Ireland.


I haven't really thought much about what I'm bringing with me. Jeremy has been researching motorbike tour sites. I'm going to have to put a bit more effort into this. I know I need a good sketchbook and some spare 2B pencil leads, I want to bring a skirt or two since my bum isn't used to being so confined in tight jeans, a spare pair of shoes/sandals to wear instead of bike boots. I'm thinking 5 pairs of undies which I can just wash as we go, about three singlet tops, a longer sleeved thing, a jumper, a jacket, a couple of light scarves (I think it'll get cold at night and in the mornings) 3 or 4 pairs of socks, I think I'll bring a nightie so I don't sleep in a singlet thus leaving the singlet not fit for day wear (although maybe it wouldn't bother me) oh I can't think about the rest now, my cousin has just sent me a brilliant video of our Irish wedding and I want to show Jeremy, so off I go....


if anyone has any hints and tips about what to bring I'd love to hear!

Big Grin

Yes we went for our first ride on Norman yesterday and then again today. Jeremy said we'd better get straight into it, not make a big deal, just drive round to Tim's (our best man at our wedding) for a cup of tea. So I sheepishly put on my outfit and came outside. I felt so embarrassed, motorbike gear is just not the style I normally wear (as I may have mentioned before) and I was aware eyes were on me for my reaction.


I slid onto the back of the bike, photographs were taken by Jeremy's parents, who we're staying with at the moment, and off we zoomed down the road. I felt the smile start immediately, I couldn't help it. I giddily grinned from ear to ear (a difficult thing to do when your face is all squished together in a bike helmet) the entire 20 mins journey!


I was surprised by how much I could see, I presumed wearing the helmet would blinker you to some extent, but I suppose really visibility is important when riding a motorbike so I now realise obviously helmets would be made with that in mind! I trusted Jeremy totally, thankfully forgetting that after 2 years not being on a bike he might feel a bit uneasy about it, also his first time with someone on the back. When we got home again he said that he thought we were getting the hang of it by the last wee bit, and after today's ride he was feeling a lot more confident. Apparently we only went 80kph, but it felt pretty fast to me, he said we can go 130 on the freeway up near Alice Springs. I told him no we can't.