Chocolate...taken to a whole new level!

An ingenious idea - one I'd never come across before. A novel and more than noteworthy experience...September = 31 days of Chocolate in the hotel restaurant: Bistro Allure in Brisbane's CBD. Chocolate displays and an entire buffet of chocolate desserts and dishes - 'indulgence' doesn't even begin to describe it! You can go for lunch or dinner and feast your heart out (literally). Words of advice - drink water throughout, maybe even get some bread for any craving for something savoury, pace yourself, cut slices/pieces smaller so that you can try more and remember there's a really good ice cream freezer there too!

SE QLD...

On Sunday, we went on a drive to see if we could find some of the treasures of South East Queensland (SE QLD). Going out of the Brisbane's back door - there is a variety of river, rainforest and mountain to greet you.
We went first to a market in Fernvale, with stalls selling anything from strawberries to puppies to used carpentry tools! From Fernvale, we went for a stroll around Lake Wivenhoe and then up to the small town of Esk for some lunch. We found a lovely cafe in a colonial house called the Lars Anderson House (a Danish Sawmiller who lived in Esk in the late 1800's) It is a heritage listed building with an atmospheric verandah cafe, a Victorian style gift shop and a mini- exhibition about the first pioneering days and the development of the townships and industries of the Brisbane Valley region. Note. they served possibly the best pecan pie ever...
After a rather indulgent lunch, we went bushwalking in Ravensbourne National Park, well-known for its eucalypt forest and birdwatching. Definitely a good idea after the pecan pie...

September starts with a bang!

The beginning of September is marked by in Brisbane by Riverfire - which starts the week-long Riverfestival. The Riverfire is essentially a fireworks show which this year, attracted 600,000 people out to the river...with 3000 tonnes of fireworks awaiting! It is one of the most popular events in Queensland. The start and finale of the show was marked by the amazing sight of an RAAF F-1111 'dump and burn.' The atmosphere was vibrant, with groups of friends and families having set up their bbqs/picnics and outdoor furniture etc. all along the length of the river. Quite typical of the aussie culture...nice...

South to Sydney!

Definitely a cool city. It reminded me a bit of being in London, but had a cosmopolitan/european feel to it too.

The Opera House and Harbour Bridge - you get that funny feeling when sights that you have seen your whole life on tv, in print media, on postcards, are suddenly right in front of you. The buzz of people and tourists and cameras also adds to the feeling that you are somewhere special. The Opera House is quite spectacular - and not white! It is made up of cream and beige tiles from Sweden which are self cleaning...a nice and very useful touch I think! Inside is quite earthy - with everything made up and left as raw materials - concrete and wood. It took over 15 years to build, was designed by the Danish architect Jorn Utzon, and due to political rifts, he left while it was still in construction in 1966 and has never returned. Seeing an opera in this building is definitely on my things-to-do-list.

Also just a note on Bondi Beach, smaller than I expected, good for surfing, it's the nearest beach to the city, so popular in good weather. It's nice, but definitely not the most impressive beach I have seen so far...probably worth travelling a bit further out if you want to spend a few days relaxing at the beach.

Australia Immigration - New Processing Centre

The Australian government have now opened a new processing centre to handle applications for residence visas through the General Skilled Migration programme.

The new centre has been opened in Brisbane. The Brisbane Skilled Processing Centre (BSPC) will not be fully operational for a few more months but it is hoped that it will help reduce the current backlog of applications at the Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre (ASPC).

Australia has announced an increase in the number of migrants it wishes to accept under their General Skilled Migration programme. The opening of this new centre will go some way to assisting this target to be reached.

Furthermore, new visa fees for all visa categories have now been announced by the Australian government.

View more on this info at:
http://www.commonwealthimmigration.com/australia.htm

More info on IAAust proposed changes

More info - the post below does not demonstrate the consultation and consideration that the Institute will be taking in implementing this change. There are numerous practical implementation issues that need to be addressed, including whether a new or amended Professionalism Course will need to be taken by those wishing to use the proposed “actuary” designation changes. Issues of how current and previous Associate-level actuaries are involved in the transition is also being investigated. Lookout for announcements from the Institute.

The term: "Actuary"

The use of the term "Actuary" is set to broaden.

The Institute of Actuaries Australia will allow actuaries with associate level qualification to use the title of ‘actuary.’

This represents and reflects the widening scope of the work of an Actuary in Australia.

This change will take effect within 3 years.

"For 30 years there was no international ‘actuary’ standard for actuaries and nearly all who were qualified as fellows and allowed to use the title worked in the fields of life insurance and superannuation. The international standards of education and professional training have since evolved..."

source:moneymanagement.com.au

Indiana July

Koalas and kangaroos! The joy of seeing stereotypical aussie icons is awesome! I went to Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin) which has open areas for kangaroos to hop about and they are literally there in front of you to feed/pat etc. You can get a picture taken with you holding a koala - they incredibly soft! The Zoo is big on crocs too - they have daily shows which are very informative and myth-dispelling.

In true Indiana Jones style - I feel like I have personally discovered another world. Snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef. One of the 7 wonders of the world and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is the biggest in the world. Truly amazing. You can snorkel and/or dive. Colours, plants, fish, coral and a shark! "The Little Mermaid" song "Under the Sea" has a whole new meaning. The experience was spectacular!

If you are going out to the Reef, I would recommend going up to the Daintree rainforest as well. It is believed to be one of the oldest rainforests - with a history stretching back to 135 million years - mindblowing. I definitely gained an appreciation for the ecosystem and found out that trees are really smart! (Most trips for both the reef and the rainforest leave from Cairns or Port Douglas.)









We now have a new recruit and training is going well - nobody who knows me would ever say that I have a problem talking, but it can be quite exhausting!
So I went to New Zealand for a client meeting - and realised that it isn't 'the half an hour flight away' that I thought...it is definitely taking time to absorb the fact that Australasia is pretty huge! I was only there for a short while, but I saw some stunning views of mountains and it seems to hold a key to a world of outdoor activity!

In Aus, I have been to Surfers Paradise - it's cool, but commercialised, as most well known places are. Drove up north to Noosa - which, even in the rain, looked beautiful, and then went down to Byron Bay which was postcard perfect! It was fairly cloudy that day too and it was amusing to watch about a dozen surfers waiting about 10 minutes for a decent wave!

Having my first brissie barbie tomorrow - it's amazing that they have these built-in barbies in parks and outdoor areas - so people can bring their hampers and roast away!

Whirlwind of May

The last month has been a whirlwind!
Sorted lots of admin out, had lunch and dinner with friends and family everyday for the 2 weeks before I flew!
The flight was no way near as bad as I had expected - I had 3 seats to myself - bonus!
First impressions of Brisbane - sunny!!! Hilly; cafes all over the place, city-like, but less hustle/bustle-like than London...
Started work the day after I arrived, which was a good way for me to not sleep during the day and get over jetlag. We have an amazing view of the river from the office which is quite mesmerising!
For the first week or 2, I took the ferry into work: a refreshing change from the time spent on the Tube!
Spent the first 2 weeks looking for an apartment, and found one in New Farm, which is a fairly trendy area 10 minutes drive from the city centre. Lots of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars - so I am in the heart of it.
I've been to 2 great markets (I love markets)- one which was a fair way out in Rocklea: after a short train journey, I had to wait for a bus that only comes once and hour! So even though I have moaned about transport in London, I do appreciate it's frequency! The other was in the West End - much closer!
There is a lovely area on the other side of the river called South Bank - which has it's own mini-beach: with sand and everything! Nice markets there too - and lots of places to sit/eat/barbecue etc. Just lovely!
However, it has unfortunately been raining for the last 4 days - and when it rains, it RAINS! Everyone has been telling me how uncharacteristic it is of Brisbane - because it is normally only wet in the summer...maybe I brought it with me...?
We have a long weekend coming up - to celebrate the Queen's birthday - so I'm hoping that it stays clear for that, so I can adventure a bit further out with my compass and high spirit...ok, with a map and a Lonely Planet!

Back from SA

I cannot believe a week has passed since I got back! SA is an amazing place and at my every gasp of surprise, my South African colleague responded - 'welcome to Africa!'
The only real way to travel is by car; but you have to be ready for serious traffic jams - especially during load shedding i.e. power cut when means the traffic lights are out!
The food is great - I ate very well - they always provide big portions!
Went to Soweto where I saw things ranging from squat camps to a newly built mall selling Kurt Geiger! Disparity...!
Went to Sandton city shopping centre on Sunday - it is HUGE - probably could have spent the whole week there! Moving away from the city, the mountainous areas are just stunning and serene.
The careers fair at the University of Pretoria was also a great success - lots of companies attending, lots of inquisitive students and the grounds of the uni were an idyllic setting.
So all in all, fantastic trip and can't wait to go again next year!
Photos will be up shortly...

Now just over a week to go before a flight and a half to brissie land!
Lots of arrangements still to make, flat viewings to arrange and friends/family to eat with!

Off today!

Flying tonight! Very excited. 22 degrees! Seeing some candidates tomorrow and then planning to go to Soweto and Sandton Shopping Centre on the weekend!

i'll keep you posted...

In the beginning...

When I first joined GAAPS and was surrounded by the words: 'global,' 'worldwide' and 'international;' - I don't think I realised the extent that it would apply to me too! It is true that the world is so fluid - people move houses, jobs, countries all the time (yes, I am aware that I sound like I have only just woken up to the 21st century) , but it seems strange as I am now starting my own GAAPER adventure.

I am going to South Africa in 2 weeks for our actuarial careers fair at Pretoria University in Jo'burg and then 3 weeks later, am off to our Aussie office in Brisbane!

Jo'burg looks and sounds incredible from all sources, and am v excited about seeing Soweto/Nelson Mandela museum etc. I have also been told that Sandton City Shopping Centre (a prominent feature of the Sandton skyline) might become my favourite place on earth, especially with the exchange rate at the moment!

Umm...should think about getting a couple of suitcases...