Greetings from Adelaide.

What a hectic week we've had. I've existed in a kind of dream state for most of it; a surreal, mind-altering existence punctuated by the occasional flicker of reality.

We left the UK last Friday, flying through the night to Singapore and the on to Sydney. The family goodbyes were traumatic but tolerable, but then four hours into the thirteen hour flight I suddenly started crying and couldn't stop. It was a sweet release from the stress that has built up throughout all the preparations for moving to Australia. Once on the plane the feelings of finality were overwhelming - it's hard to describe the sensations but I felt as if an immensely powerful door had whammed shut behind me and that I were now a tiny, flickering candle flame struggling to shed light at the entrance to an enormous black cavern. We arrived in Sydney on Sunday morning and checked in to our room on the 31st floor of the Sydney Harbour Marriott hotel, overlooking the opera house and the harbour bridge and the marathon runners below. Absolutely knackered. Us and them both.

Our plans changed slightly during August. The Abbott engineer in Adelaide was promoted to work in New Zealand which created an opening and gave us the option of living in Adelaide or Sydney. We chose Adelaide on account of its size, climate and lower cost of living. After a couple of days meeting the staff in the Sydney offices we flew to Adelaide on Tuesday afternoon. I have to say that our first impressions of the city have been rather cool.