On October 2nd, 2011 at exactly 12pm (and weighing a hefty 4.62kg), Megan and I welcomed Bryce into this crazy world. Instantly, we were in love. Born at Norwest Private Hospital in Sydney, we spent a few days recuperating before coming home and settling in to a house that really feels like a home now. Jake, our Labrador, is adjusting well to this new family member, trying to bring him a toy every time he starts to cry. Thoughtful, but not the most sanitary of settling techniques.

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I’ve never had an issue with wildlife – spiders and even snakes never really phased me. Until now. The wildlife here in Australia is completely different than anywhere else I’ve ever lived. While it’s all so diverse, much of it can kill  you – quickly.

Australia, in all its beauty, is a pretty harsh continent. From the Outback, to the tropics up North, this continent isn’t for the faint of hearted. Australia has more species of venomous snakes than any country on earth. In fact, all the snakes found in Tasmania are poisonous (granted, there are only 3). The “champion” of all poisonous snakes in Australia,is the Taipan which is considered 50 times more venomous than the cobra. In fact, Australia has six of the top ten most venomous snakes in the world.

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From the outside, it’s sparkling gem, situated on the warm South Pacific Ocean. But for those that are trying to get by in this popular tourist destination, the future of this city seems to have lost it’s sparkle.

In an article from Friday’s Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, Sydney is being painted as a dreary place – a city that is fractured and losing it’s sheen.

Sydney has changed. It is a sadder, meaner and angrier place to live. Sydney is a city under siege; from higher house prices, to mortgages, electricity prices, toll roads, congestion … you name it.

For those of us that live here, the ideas of how to change Sydney for the better are varied. But overall, the setiment is the same. The cost of living, a greedy government, and public transportation consistently rank at the top of residents demands. The general population feels the government needs to step in and actually fix the problems, rather than band-aid them until the wound is exposed again in a few years time. Have they finally done that with the Northwest growth sector?

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