Sunday, May 8

We were up early yesterday as we had been invited to watch Gavin's kids playing with their various sporting teams.  We started with Austin at U6 soccer.  What a hoot!  They play 4 a side on a tiny pitch so that everyone gets a chance to kick the ball.  Of course, the kids are just starting to get the idea and, when they start to show some skill, they are graded up to another level.  The whole idea is participation rather than racking up a huge score.  

We then moved on to Netball  with Austin's three sisters. The courts were built in the 70's in a bushy area and they are still surrounded by trees. In the past 40 years, houses have encroached closer and closer and the residents constantly whinge about the huge amount of traffic each weekend. There are 25 courts in the complex and 5 or 6 games were played on each so the number of kids and their extended families certainly added up. It's the highlight of the weekend for many and the barbecue and coffee van were doing a roaring trade.

In the evening, we all gathered at Gavin and Bridget's for a family dinner - 8 adults and 6 kids.  Quite different to our rather quiet life in Tasmania.  We finished the Sydney break with Mothers' Day breakfast with Anne and Alan in a nice restaurant in North Turramurra. Now we're on the Virgin flight back to Launceston where we'll spend the next few days recovering from our holiday.