Sydney: We're going to be Randwick residents

We've made our first big decision on where to stay, and our first big payment after the tickets themselves. We've put a deposit down on a one-bed apartment in Randwick, a southern suburb about 20 minutes bus ride from the city centre.

We're on the edge of the Centennial Parklands where I really want to learn how to rollerblade with the kids. They already can, of course, and Letizia will probably take to it very easily.

We're also 10 minute bus ride from Coogee Beach which, as I'm told by many Aussie friends, is much nicer and family-oriented than nearby Bondi.

It's great to have this detail sorted out now. We can start to plan what we're actually going to do, and what kind of lifestyle and living pattern we can expect in Sydney. We've also decided to extend the stay to almost 5 weeks, and we've agreed our first (of hopefully many) rendez-vous with friends along the way (Giangi and Carla will join us for the last week in Sydney, and our road trip to and from Melbourne).

We've also made another decision with regard to Australia. We've gone over budget a little on the tickets to allow us an extra flight: to Cairns. After we return to Sydney from Melbourne, we'll bid arrivaderci to our Sardinian friends and get on a flight to Cairns. From that point we'll allow ourselves a week or so to get down to Brisbane where we'll torment Simon and Leah for 4 weeks.

It's finally starting to feel real.