The most influential decision of my life came some 36 years ago.

I had just arrived back from my first holiday in Europe and had decided to move from Sydney (too big for me) to Adelaide.  I had met a woman there when travelling about Australia with my friends and felt that having an existing relationship in my prospective new home would give me an advantage.  In retrospect there was just one problem – she was horrible.  She really had no interest in me and was an awful influence.  Fortunately for me fate stepped in.  After standing in the same place for 2 days trying to hitch from Melbourne (I’d only made it about 60 km), something snapped inside and made me cross the road to head back towards the airport.  I’d suddenly realised that Tasmania was a better destination for me (I’d made some decent friends there during a 2 month sojourn several years earlier).  Within 10 minutes someone heading for Essendon airport had stopped to pick me up and I was in Hobart by that evening.  The rest – as they say – is history.

Tasmania opened up a whole new chapter in my life and shaped me into the person I am today.  I eventually got a good job in the Public Service, met a woman who was a positive influence on me, got married, had children, and – eventually – retired to a pretty wonderful life.  My mind boggles at what might have been if I had continued on to Adelaide!

Today my passions and hobbies are pretty much all consuming.  Playing and listening to all types of music (I’m self taught) forms a backdrop to other activities such as photography, travel, hiking, wine (especially French and Italian), writing and medieval art (architecture in particular).  I’m currently searching for that spark that will urge me on to my next novel, but it has been several years in gestation so I’m not sure if she will ever rear her head again.  I’m hoping this website will be the inspirational vehicle through which she may just wriggle on through, tap me on the shoulder and whisper “remember me?”.