Australia Day Picnic in Safa Park

Australia Day produced a perfect winters day here in Dubai and our gathering of mainly Australian expat friends took the opportunity to meet up for a picnic and an afternoon of games in the park. The highlight was a game of cricket which everyone enjoyed. Tory was a complete natural, smacking the ball all over the park as shown by the picture to the left. In the background is the Burj Dubai (the world's tallest builing). Click on the link below to see some more photos. Cheers, D&T.

http://picasaweb.google.com/victoria.j.waller/AustraliaDayPicnic2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCNj-9OLZhImp1wE&feat=directlink

Ski Leb Feb

After hearing much about the great skiing in Lebanon and as we want to see more of the Middle East than just the UAE and Oman, in February we snuck a way for a romantic long weekend of skiing in Myzaar just 45 minutes out of Beirut. The snow was plentiful, the sun was shining and the pistes were pretty clear of skiers which made for a very enjoyable few days on the mountain. As a former French colony the Lebanese are very stylish and in some ways more European than Arabic (at least those that are Christian). The apres ski at the Intercontinental Hotel was a real scene to behold which we named 'Shisha on Snow'. Some photos and video are linked below....Cheers D&T.

http://picasaweb.google.com/victoria.j.waller/Lebanon?authkey=Gv1sRgCJvJ8c-Dmb-HiAE&feat=directlink

Gold Coast Christmas, Brisbane Boxing Day Babies & Singaporean NYE

We had a lovely stay with the Waller family at the Gold Coast over Christmas and were very grateful to the Macmillans for letting us stay in their beautiful beachfront home. Everyday was a relaxing procession of good food and drink starting with lunch at midday and resuming with pre-dinner drinks at 6pm. It was great to have Rich and Stu fly up from Sydney for 24 hours over Christmas Day. Click on the link below to view some photos.....

http://picasaweb.google.com/victoria.j.waller/ChristmasAtMainBeachMacMillanSDecember2008?authkey=Gv1sRgCIXapI35g8u6ZA&feat=directlink

Our niece Alice, was born on during the early hours of Boxing Day, so we raced back to Brisbane to meet her and to continue the flow of bubbles...

http://picasaweb.google.com/victoria.j.waller/AliceAnneYuilleBornBoxingDay2008?authkey=Gv1sRgCIaWo9qZ1uyP8wE&feat=directlink

After the a great stay at the beach and the excitement of a new born in the family, we headed up to Montville to spend some time with the Neale family....

http://picasaweb.google.com/victoria.j.waller/TheShuteMontvilleDecember2008?authkey=Gv1sRgCPyS2J7hvNzdcg&feat=directlink

We ended our Christmas holidays with a stop-over in Singapore for New Year staying with the Burkes, getting to sample a different kind of expat lifestyle and falling in love with Singapore's signature dish 'Chilli Crab'....

http://picasaweb.google.com/victoria.j.waller/SingaporeNY20082009?authkey=Gv1sRgCKuS98TV-KeSlgE&feat=directlink

All in all the best trip home to Australia that we have made yet.... Cheers, D&T.

December in Dubai

With the early signs of the global economic dowturn starting to have an impact on Dubai, particularly with a drop in tourist numbers and a decision by many residents to take an extended Christmas leave, Dubai was unusually quiet for late November and December. Nevertheless when the good weather arrives you need to make the most of it. We found ourselves busy with a number of social functions in December including attending the Rugby 7's and then a Christmas party for Tory's work which she event managed. Add to that camping in Oman for the Eid long weekend, meanderings through Bastakiya and before making our respective departures to Australia for Christmas attending 'Dubai Christmas' lunch hosted by our friends Justin & Natalie. Displayed below are a series of images from the month of December.

Opening of the Atlantis Palm Jumeriah - 20 November 2008

The long awaited opening of the Atlantis Palm Jumeriah, a luxury hotel situated on the outer rim of the Palm was a highlight for Dubai residents in November 2008. The owners of the hotel flew in A list celebrities from the US to attend what may have been the most expensive private party ever staged. Below is an image captured from high, clearly showing the outline of the Palm.

The balcony of our apartment was a superb vantage point for the fireworks display which signalled the end of the opening ceremony. It is reported that $30m US was spent on the fireworks alone. I small section of what may prove to be Dubai most ostentatious event is provided below for your viewing pleasure....

The following night Tory and some girlfriends attended the Kylie Minogue concert to cap off an exciting weekend in Dubai.

Cheers,
D&T

Chamonix and Mont Blanc

After a few relaxing days in Northern Italy, we travelled through the Mont Blanc tunnel into France and the Chamonix Valley. Highlights included a cable car ride up to the Aiguille du Midi, a picnic overlooking Mont Blanc and a BBQ at Geoff & Sophies place at Vallorcine. D's old school mate and Chamonix Valley resident Geoff arranged a dream chalet for us to inhabit for the weekend and T immediately took control of the kitchen and began cooking up a storm. It was lovely to reunite with wedding guests Bob, Bailey, AJ, Charlie, Geoff and to spend some time with Geoff's wife Sophie. Old school mate Alex was in town which made for a nostalgic few days. Chamonix is as amazing in summer as it is in winter. It was a nice way to end a very enjoyable holiday in Europe.

Cheers,
D&T.


You lookin' at us...........old Vikings.


Tory smiling/grimacing on the launch pad for ascending Mont Blanc.

Mountaineers preparing to depart from the Aiguille du Midi.

The Aosta Valley

After a great wedding weekend in the UK, we enjoyed a few days in the Aosta Valley in Northern Italy, which borders France and is the smallest but one of the prettiest regions in Italy. We enjoyed a night in Entreves near the Italian ski resort of Courmayeur and then spent two nights in Cogne. This part of the world is all about breathtaking scenery, great food and wine and long walks up and down hills. Enjoy!
D&T


Sunrise on Monte Bianco, view from Entreves.

Hammock overlooking Gran Paradiso, Cogne

A mountain man and his donkey on a trail above Cogne

Alpine Botanical Garden

Caffe Roma in Aosta

London, Oxford and Coleshill - August 2008

Greetings,
We have just returned to Dubai after a brief but very enjoyable holiday in the UK and Europe. We started our trip in London and while Doug attended meetings Tory took the opportunity to lunch with her London based friend Bridget. That evening we caught up with old mates from Business School in Oxford, Joe, Jessica and Tom. The next day we left London for Oxford where Doug met with his team of MBA student consultants. Afterwards we reunited with old friends Andrew and Alex. After lunch, an obligatory pint at the Bear and a quick walking tour of Oxford colleges, the four of us proceeded towards Birmingham. The main reason for the trip was to attend the wedding of our friends Matthew and Liz in the village of Coleshill, just outside of Birmingham. It was a great opportunity for Doug to catch up with many of his oldest and closest friends from school. The wedding weekend included an evening in the Dog Inn, a day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, a game of touch footy and of course a few late nights at the bar of the Grimstock Hotel where most of the guests stayed. However, the best part of the trip was the wedding. The speeches, entertainment and food were first class and of course, the bride and groom were one of the happiest looking bridal couples we have seen. Photos below from L to R include: Top row: (1) Tory and Alex at the Dog Inn, (2) Simon, Doug and Richard at the Dog Inn, (3) a section of 'ancient' ties from the Bear, Oxford. Bottom row: (4) Tory in Shakespeare country (5) D&T outside of a vacant shop we stumbled across in Stratford-upon-Avon (6) Doug, Alex and Andrew at the entrance to St Peter's College, Oxford (7) Doug reclining in Hyde Park, London.
Cheers,
D&T.

June to August 2008

Greetings,
We have had a busy but enjoyable summer in Dubai and have largely avoided the heat by focusing our efforts on work and hitting the gym. Tory has made a big impact at the Olive Group where she enjoys a good relationship with her colleagues and has been quick to suggest ways to improve work practises. Doug has been busy working with MBA students from Oxford University on a project related to Twenty20 cricket and experienced his first business trip to India in late July. New arrivals to Dubai from Australia and the UK have expanded our social network considerably in recent times and we have enjoyed the opportunity to host a few dinner parties for our friends. Doug's old work mate from McCullough Robertson Ben Cunningham, his wife Cathy and their son Richie were welcome house guests for a weekend in July and braved the heat to see the sights. Doug returned to Brisbane and Sydney for a brief trip in early July and enjoyed catching up with family and friends, returning to Dubai on the morning of Tory's birthday. Below are a few sample photos from this period.
Cheers,
D&T.
Sea views from Taj Lands End, Mumbai.
Cathy with her 'Bedouin' baby, Richie in Dubai.

Champagne for Tory on her Birthday, Dubai.

'Funky Fan' at Rich & Stu's Sydney home.

Becca and Nathan with Frida at Depot, Brisbane.

Tory arranged baby shower at Ritz Carlton, Dubai

Mrs B, Mum and Mrs P at lunch at Masterton. MBA mate Chris (right) at the Rooftop Bar, Dubai.

Ras Al Khaimah Hike

It has been a socialiable few weeks for us here in Dubai, pictures are from a hike through a wadi with Bluey and his Irish friends Fintan and Nika, behind the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. We attended our second brunch of 2008 last weekend at the Shangra la Hotel for Bluey's Birthday last weekend and enjoyed an unexpectedly late evening which ended with catching a stray rabbit from a hotel petting zoo. We were taken to dinner by Tory's new boss and his wife on Wednesday night, they are a very friendly American couple from Ohio. We caught up for dinner with ex-OURFC mate Dan and his fiance Jan last night at Frankie's, a restaurant chain part owned by jockey Frankie Dettori and we hosting two of Tory's former work bosses and their families to our apartment for afternoon tea and a swim in the pool tomorrow. Before that gets under way I plan to tune in for the annual grudge match when the Reds play the Waratahs in the Super 14. Work has been very hectic for us both lately and there does not seem to be any respite on the horizon. Tory is keeping very busy with pilates and I have joined a gym for the summer, so we will be aiming to eat well. Not always easy when you have a full social calendar! Hope everyone is well, much love. D&T.

Bab Al Shams

Tory and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary last weekend by spending a relaxing night at Bab Al Shams, Desert Resort and Spa. We had a great time and below are a few of the shots from our stay.

Cheers,
D&T.

January to March 2008

Greetings, and apologies for the belated update. Below are a few pics from our past few months in Dubai (in reverse chronological order as you scroll down). The pictures tell the story but it has been a busy Q1 2008 for me, the work highlight of which was a week long trip to London at the end of Jan-start of Feb that also enabled me to catch up with some mates in London and attend a New Year Dinner at the Oxford and Cambridge Club at Pall Mall. The bad news is that Tory's employer was forced to close its business in Dubai due to adverse global finanical conditions. The good news is that she was able to head back to Brisbane for just over a week in March to attend a wedding, christening and her sister, Becca's birthday party. Also, her CV was well received by the Dubai job market and after numerous work offers, she has found work in the same building as me! We are both busy and well and psyching each other up for the hot summer months about to hit us. Thankfully, Tory has upped the anti on the home decorating front of late and our apartment is looking very comfortable. We wish you all the best from Dubai and as always extend a warm invitation to visit.

Cheers,
D&T

Our camp at Dibba before the desert storm!
Roadside market on the way to Dibba.
Becca, Sally and Tory - Sally's wedding Brisbane
Nephew James at the crease
Nephew Digger in full stride
Tory with nieces Josephine and Eugenie
Tory with a cowgirl (Eugenie)
Tory with old mates Kate and Lucy
Tory's old school mate Amy came to stay in Dubai
Australia Day Lunch (Duncan, Tulsa, D & Bluey)
Australia Day Lunch at Yalumba
Was I really wearing that or was it just Bluey's imagination?
Sue and D watching NYE fireworks near JBR.
A visionary place, see it before it gets built!