2025-9: A bit of a catch-up.

I’ve been AWOL for about a month, so to bring you up to date here’s a recap of a few things that I missed blogging about.

ROBBIT BOOK LAUNCH:

Katrin and I had a terrific time launching Robbit the Job Hopping Frog at Scrumptious Reads Bookshop at Red Hill Brisbane. A big thanks to bookshop owner Julie and to everyone who came and helped make the day a great success.

ROMANCING THE STARS:

A wonderful time was also had at Romancing the Stars. Thanks to Book Links Qld for organising the event and to Brisbane Boys College for providing the lovely venue.

MELBOURNE STAY:

We’ve just returned from around 4 weeks in Melbourne staying with our daughter, son-in-law and two grandkids and helping out with the school holidays. As well as Prep and Day Care pick-ups and drop-offs, a lot of time was spent drawing, doing puzzles, reading stories, playing games, building with lego, listening to increasingly surreal Kock-Knock jokes, watching far too many episodes of Spidey and Friends etc etc.

SAN REMO & PHILLIP ISLAND:

While we were in Melbourne we also got to celebrate our grandson’s and our daughter’s birthdays. Part of the celebration was a couple of days together at beautiful San Remo and a night watching the fairy penguins come ashore at Phillip Island. As a bonus we also spotted a few bandicoots, some wallabies, some Cape Barren Geese and a possum.

Unfortunately you’re not allowed to take photos of the penguins on the night, but here’s a shot showing where we were sitting and what it looks like as the penguins come ashore and trundle by in waves. A wonderful thing to see up close.

SCHOOL VISIT:

Also while I was in Melbourne I had to opportunity to speak to the enthusiastic Preps and Year Ones at a local primary school about Rodney and Robbit. It was a really enjoyable session made even more special by having daughter Meg there as assistant presenter.

And for extra pressure there was a granddaughter in the audience who I’m pleased to say didn’t want to disown me after the presentation was done – something I was worried was a real possibility if things didn’t go well! Thank goodness she was still happy to say, ‘That’s my Pop!’ at the end. PHEW!

NEW EDITIONS OF ISHMAEL 2 & 3:

When I returned to Brisbane I was thrilled to find these two parcels from Scholastic Australia. I’ll write more about this in the next blog – coming very soon!