Finally settled in Wollongong, more or less, and as luck would have it the weather has been humid, gloomy and very un-summerlike compared to Perth. Surprisingly to me, even though the place is practically a suburb of Sydney, all business is done extremely s-l-o-w-l-y, and the paperwork required to achieve something is in direct geometric relationship with the time it takes to achieve it. The wonderful, almost circus-like ineptness of the property agents here deserves a special mention. On the other hand, and in the spirit of fairness, it must be mentioned that it has already taken three different gas companies (AGL, Energy Australia, Origin) more than ten days to decide which one of them owns the gas connection at the place we are staying, and there is still no eureka moment on the horizon. Of course all three consider it beneath them to keep us mere paying customers informed of their deliberations, and I haven’t called a fourth simply out of fear its presence will prolong the process according to some no doubt equally confused formula. Don’t even get me started on what it takes (and how much it costs) to register a car which was perfectly roadworthy, comprehensively insured, and fine for Perth. Alas, enough. Rant over. After all New South Wales is a bankrupt state and deserves our condolences and tender understanding. The long break is over, let a thousand musings bloom.