soapy©

Where do I start?
It has been another fantastic year for us.
You can read about the first 3 years here, but I warn you, its very long and boring lol

With so many things happening this year im going to find it hard to remember them all.

I think we started our fourth year out with a meet in the pipeline.

April saw the biggest pac pines night with around 80 people turning up. The pub wasn’t too happy that they hadn’t been warned about such a huge crowd. That was the last one we had there.
Most of the other weekends were filled kayaking and BBQing with friends
Im sure the next meet was in July at broadbeach. It was massive. We got to meet a lot of new people and some old faces turned up to say hi. I think it was that day that we realised most places wouldn’t be big enough for the next meet.


August was the month of the Port Douglas adventure, were I got to meet two of my old buddies on this forum. It turned out to be one of the best days I have ever had in Oz!
After a long drive like that, both Pauline and I needed a rest from our hectic social life and kept things a bit more simple. September kinda passed us by, for the life of me I cant think what we did in September, but im sure someone will remind me lol.

October was the Yamba adventure. You can read all about it here
By this time we had a new venue for the meets. After a chat with one of my good mates “only me” he had pointed out that the Southport soccer club might be a good venue for the meets. The night was a total success and you can read about it here.
A couple of weeks later we travelled up to brissie for a meet that fluffy had organised. We wanted to catch up with a lot of people who travelled down to the last gold coast meet. Maybe get a chance to chat to them lol. It turned out to be a great day, but I was glad we left early before the crazy gang got pished and headed for a curry lol

Pauline decided it was time to buy a house. Something i had been putting off for as long as possible. So November started off as the house hunting month.

For some stupid reason I had decided to organise a golf day for expats. I was really struggling with this and the hassle of trying to find a house, when my mate Jim stepped in and did all the hard work. You can read all about the golf day here.
By the first week in December we had found the perfect house. The bad news was……… we had to be in by the 22nd of December!
Added to this we had my daughter’s boyfriend arriving from Sydney for 3 weeks, Christmas, my Niece from Scotland arriving for 3 weeks on the 27th, and a New Year party. It was going to get a bit mental at the soapy house!

Again our friends came to our aid. We would have buckled under if it hadn’t been for the usual suspects, the flowerofscotlands, the bridos, the only me’s, and our mate cammy.

By Christmas we had moved into the new house and left the clean up of the rental till after Christmas. It was a lovely Christmas, all the family together this year and we spent it with fantastic pals. A few days later my niece arrived and was practically met at the airport with a pair of marigolds to help clean up the rental lol

From the day she arrived the rain poured down. With the New Year party looming everything was a bit hectic. Pauline decided we needed a gazebo or something for the party. We woke around 6am on New Years Eve, by 8am we were at bunnings buying a Marquette for cover from the rain. The wind was mental that day, so it all had to be taped together. It took about 5 of us till about 6pm to get it all finished. It had been pissing down the whole day and we were all shattered, soaked through, and felt like calling the whole thing off. The garden was a huge puddle that had turned into mud with us lot trodding through it. Jim had arrived with sheets of ply to put on the ground and was still walking about my roof in the rain, fixing a trarp. It was about 8pm before we got all the lights, flags, tables, and chairs in. the piper was arriving in 15 mins and the guests just after. It was a mad rush for showers and getting dressed.
By the time people arrived we were ready for bed lol
But as usual the night was fantastic. To top it al of my daughter’s boyfriend got down on one knee and asked to marry her! All the women were in tears as usual lol

After the party it was time to really unpack. We still had loads of boxes in the shed full of things we couldn’t find.

Late that month we became Scossies. We had a fantastic day spent with our friends.

Most of Feb was spent trying to organise the football match against Brissie. If you haven’t read about it you must be from another planet lol. Here it is anyway. I also went out on a fishing charter, where I became king of fish lmao.
Bordy and mary dropped by from melly and we got pished....again lol

March was the month of the football match, BBQs, hoosewarmin’s, and nights out with friends.
Its only been another year, but I don’t know how we managed to fit it all in.

When I see threads like what is better uk or oz, well I can only answer for us….but im sure after you see the four years we have had, you could answer it for me.
Hope you all enjoyed our year?

soapy and Pauline

Stitch

FFS time flies when yir having fun.....6 weeks till we've done the two year mark

All the best for the next four!

Cheers

Ginny

soapy©

you must be a fast reader

im looking forward to you 2 year update pal

moneypenny20

Blimey, you're boring























Fab post mate. Life is definitely what you make it and you've made your pretty damn good.

soapy©

thanks pen, but i think ive aged 20 years in the last 4 lmao

moneypenny20

So your face has now caught up with your hairstyle

pommybird

Although Oz never worked out for us I just love reading these sorts of posts where people are so happy and have made such a success of migration.

I think it takes a very special type of person and a lot of hard work to make life in another country such a positive experience - emigration can be really tough so well done to you and your family - hope you enjoy the next 4 short years

soapy©

lmao

soapy©

thank you for that. its not easy as i have said loads of time. the harder you work the easier it becomes
good luck to you and yours

DestinationSydney

Soapy & Pauline, sitting here is sunny Glasgow with 7 weeks to go till we head out to the GC. We always love reading yr posts must be the glasgow humour! Cant wait to go to one of your meets. All the best fae the nxt 4 years x

mattmc

Hey Soaps
Great post mate. Here's to your next 12 months mate...which will include Brisbane retaining the Golf Cup in June.

Matt

Timber Floor Au

I concur.

Top Post mate, Hail King Soapy.

Thats an instruction not a statement

Ste

Bix

Mate, I'm still pissed from Port Douglas.

That is also one of the best days I've had in Aus and will never be forgotten. Although I still can't remember how I got 2 grazed elbows


The backing track Bordy picked for Youtube summed the Soapies up very nicely "Always look on the bright side of life" and long may it last

Here's to year 5

Fiona&malc

heres to the next four !!!!

cheers

mark 'n' joe

Yet another great update Soapy. Cant wait to get to one of your meets and put some faces to names.

All the best

Joexxx