Reasons to be Cheerful in the Southern Hemisphere

Well, not the entire Southern Hemisphere, perhaps... but this little corner of it. This is where the "fluke" bit comes in. If I'd arrived in Perth twenty years ago I might have felt differently, but given the stage things are at now it could hardly be more perfect. It's a smallish city with an enviable mediterranean climate, a fabulous river, plenty of beaches, parks and nearby wine areas. True, it is a minimum 2 hour flight away from the next major place on the map, but you get used to that. I like flying anyway, and fortunately so does the H. And to be able to do stuff like mooch down to the beach on a winter's Sunday morning to meet friends and enjoy a cooked breakfast in the sunshine before a leisurely paddle in the Indian Ocean is pretty blissful. But my absolute favourite is the river - a ten minute walk or a 2 minute cycle away. The H and I often meander down there to do the loop trail that takes you right past the bottom of the CBD. We watch the pelicans, the parrots and the dolphins, check out the ducks and the black swans, rest up and have ice cream or cappuccino at the boathouse or stop at the playgrounds for beginners' slide lessons. Then we stagger home full of fresh air and feeling sanctimonious about the exercise we have taken. What other city in the world is a nicer place to hang out with a baby? I really can't think of anywhere I would rather be. Thank you, ye gods of fate, for bringing me to Australia.