The whole gang – even Jello made the family team photo

We are probably destined never to spend a Christmas in Thailand which is a real shame because it is such a festive season and the Thais know how to do festive better than anyone, even if it isn’t officially part of their religion.  But our destination for the festive season was Sydney, a much anticipated break to reunite with our family and friends, put on a few kilos and enjoy a small sampling of the great Aussie summer.

Christmas decorations Thai style

And we really deserved a break too.  Over the last few weekends we had been camping up in Kanchanaburi, relaxing on the island of Koh Kood and white water rafting down the Pai River in Northern Thailand.  This is exhausting stuff and what we needed most is to parachute back into the happy chaos of family life in Sydney.

And good fun it was too.  The first order of the day was to buy a Christmas tree, not one of those fake plastic ones that you dust off from the attic, this has to be a real one, green and smelling of pine, almost reaching the ceiling, precariously placed in the stand.  Then we decorate it, a family affair, until all its branches bend over from the weight of countless lights and ornaments.  With luck the Christmas carols are not remembered.

The Christmas cookies are a work of art

Julie with her two little boys

And finally it is Christmas day itself, the seemingly endless stream of presents to each other, gifts from overseas, many surprises, great fun.  This was the Christmas of the iPad which Julie and I gave each other (one expected, one not) and subsequently played dueling iPads the rest of the week under the tutorial guidance of our inhouse expert Will.

The family quintet with our masterpiece Christmas tree

But amongst the gifts, wine and extra courses of unnecessary food there was foremost family.  Julie and I reveled in spending time with Will and Zach in our family home plus the regular visits from Anna and Carl.  I have often said that Christmas is about two things – family and tradition – and we rolled in both these features for our two weeks in Sydney.

 But Christmas also means the Property so after we saw off Will and Gemma for their three week holiday to Japan (lucky buggers) we all scooted off to the Wolgan Valley and put up our tents for three days.  We celebrated Julie’s and Anna’s birthdays, counted the stars at night and marveled at the full dams and tall green grass of our property.  We were lucky to have a car load of teenage cousins join us for one night also which was great fun.  The Property is a sacred healing place.

The whole gang enjoying cocktail hour

The spraying team taking a breather in the shade

But this time of year is also blackberry killing season so Julie and I once again loaded our poisoning equipment into the mighty Pajero and spent two days spraying those dreaded blackberries.  It is always strangely satisfying and maddeningly frustrating to kill so many of these rampant weeds and know we still have so many still to go.

Spraying those damn blackberries – but at least the view is good

Back in Sydney and for Julie and I a great New Year’s Eve celebration with dinner and watching the fireworks at a dear friend’s home, followed by a long morning paddle in our two-person kayak on the George’s River to celebrate the New Year.  There is something magic about a paddle together on the beautiful waterways of Sydney, absolutely great stuff.

The Pajero straddling the overflow from our biggest dam

But unfortunately all too quickly it was time for me to hop on a plane back to Bangkok while Julie got to stay an extra week.  There’s no avoiding the reality that all good things come to end.

On the flight back to Thailand I reflected on what a great two weeks it was seeing the family and friends, swimming in our own pool, mowing the lawn, walking down to the shop to buy the paper instead of downloading it, watching the cricket on TV and having long conversations with our kids.  Oh yes, and playing on our new Ipads.    We’re lucky to have the opportunity to live and work in Bangkok for however long that will last but what makes it all possible is the strong foundations back at home, our real home, Sydney.  The best of both worlds.

Part of our glorious view at The Property