2025 is going to be a fantastic year.

I’ve finished work (after 23 years at TAFE NSW my last official day is Monday 6th of January), and I’m keen and ready for the ‘next stage’. I’m also sad and grieving the loss of that part of my life, but I am working through that and balancing it out with all the positives.

One of the many positives is having more time to write this blog. I may expand it a little beyond just travel writing and include some other food-related things. I haven’t decided exactly, but your input, dear readers, would be very much appreciated!

I’ll also have time to spend doing more of a few of the things that I am passionate about, including taking up the voluntary role as Coordinator for the Wagga Chapter of OzHarvest. I’ve been involved as a (very) part-time volunteer for a couple of years. If you don’t know anything about this fabulous charity, I encourage you to find out more, but in summary, “OzHarvest is now Australia’s leading food rescue organisation with a driving purpose to ‘Nourish our Country’. Our mission is to stop food waste, feed people in need and protect our planet by championing the value of food and driving change at all levels of society.” As you can see, its mission and ethos align well with my own priorities.

The Wagga Chapter (what a great word – I reckon it sounds like a bikie gang 😉 ) was started by John Foord more than 10 years ago. The volunteer team in Wagga mostly undertakes food rescue activities such as picking up unwanted, but edible, food from supermarkets and distributing it to local charities. The overall organisation also undertakes other things like education about food wastage; social impact projects from free supermarkets and a restaurant that feeds people in need; and creating revenue generating products. For now, I’ll stick to making sure Wagga continues to effectively rescue food, but I’m also looking forward to exploring other ways to contribute, especially around education. Look out for some themes in the segment I have on ABC Riverina about reducing food wastage.

John has recently turned 80 and was looking to step back from the coordinator role. Turns out it was good timing for me to step forward!

It will be no surprise to many that more time will mean more travel for Dave and me. Not that we haven’t squeezed a lot of travel in over the past few years! 2025 will include a trip to South America with Will and Emma for four weeks in March/April, plus a few other shorter trips. We have left most of the second half of the year free to concentrate on what will be the biggest event of the year for our family in November… our daughter Victoria’s wedding! Justin is already a loved member of our family, and a wedding to celebrate their love and commitment to each other is all set to be truly magical. I can’t wait!

Health issues have been pretty much a constant source of frustration for me over the past few years. I will not go into all the details here, but needless to say that having more time and less stress will definitely have an impact on my wellbeing. I’ve already picked up my act in walking more, and the new year brings new exercise goals with it. The healthier I am the more I can enjoy life – and I plan to do that!

Before I wrap up this post, I had better share a food picture or two.

Christmas lunch was its usual deliciousness accompanied by lots of fun and fabulous company. I added Grilled Jumbo Prawns to the menu this year, which I sourced directly from the Gulf of Carpentaria in Northern Australia from Skull Island Tiger Prawns . After butterflying and gutting them (thanks Charlotte), I brushed them with some Pepe Saya Smoked Butter, chopped garlic and chilli. They were then grilled over high heat on the BBQ, shell down, and then piled high and drizzled with a sauce I had made with crispy capers, chopped parsley, lemon and nut-brown butter. They were so good! At $150 for a 3kg box (including delivery) they weren’t cheap, but 2kg easily fed a dozen or more as an entree and my sister now has a sneaky 1kg spare in her freezer!

Well, that’s it for now. I’m heading back to Sydney tomorrow for a few days cricket watching so I’d better pack and get organised. Watching more Test Cricket is definitely another positive to not working!

Bring on a wonderful 2025! Hoping it’s that way for all of you also. xxx