So I'm now at home after my last day at work, and last after-work beers with workmates. I am sad to leave Defra. I've been there for 5 months and the time really has flown! I've had such a good time despite some challenges - of course I am always going to have some issues when working with intelligent, head-strong people.

The plans from now:

• Enjoying London touristy things such as Westminster Abbey, Natural History Museum, the London Eye. I'll also be moving out of the Camberwell flat on Friday or Saturday to Lei and Johnno's place. Saturday, going to catch up with Patrina as she's back in London for a day (after being in Florence learning Italian for a month <-- jealous!) before flying back to Bris.
• Then Sunday: off to Bath to visit family (great-aunt and my dad's cousin) with Margaret (my other great-aunt).
• Then maybe I'll get some more travel in around Europe, but flights are crazily expensive right now, being the height of summer season.
• Saturday 11th/Sunday 12th: last chance for catch up with London mates.
• Monday 13th: PACK! and fly to Bangkok Monday night.
• Tuesday/Wednesday: in Bangkok
• Thursday 16th: fly to Brisbane (via Sydney) and arrive in Brisbane on the morning of the 17th.
• THEN: I have a whole month for chilling and catching up with you Brisbanites! And then it's a move to Canberra for a job with Land and Water!! I start there on the 17th of September.

So there you go. Some exciting changes. Gosh, I'm going to miss London and the people I've met. And Johnno and Lei will be here till January and then they travel through Africa - I am going miss them immensely!

About the job, for those of you that haven't heard about it. Basically I saw an ad in NRMjobs with Land and Water in a knowledge management team working on projects with NRM groups. Anyway, it looked like a good job so I applied to see how I'd fare in the Aussie market after my stint OS. I got a phone interview and then was (amazingly) offered the job! They sound like lovely people, with all sorts of backgrounds. So Canberra - another adventure! With a population of around 300,000 people it's a far-cry from London! But Lei tells me if you like sport in Canberra, then it's great fun. And Canberra is about 3 and a half hours from Sydney. So, Ben, you should expect a visit now and then!! And beach volleyball at Manly, here I come!!!