It was the 1960s, and air travel had just been opened up to the masses. Dad and his best friend bought round the world tickets, and set off from their homeland of Australia to travel the world. They travelled through New Zealand, Fiji, California and Washington, before they ended up in Vancouver, where the adventure was stalled. Both met women, and fell in love.
Judging by the photos and stories, dad was quite the dashing gentleman. Mom was from a small interior BC town, who was living and working, somewhat tentatively, in Vancouver. She would have been quite taken with this fun-loving Aussie. Dad and mom fell in love, were married, and lived for three years in Vancouver. Then dad's mother in Australia, died suddenly, and they travelled back to Australia for the funeral. Dad had a deep pang of homesickness, and so they returned to Vancouver, packed up everything and shipped it to Australia... leaving nothing behind so no one would have the impression they were returning.
They lived for nine years in Australia, had two children, and started up a caravan business. Back in Canada, mom's mom fell ill with her heart... scarring from Scarlett fever as a child. She needed to have open heart surgery. Dad sold up everything... house on the canal in Surfer's Paradise, caravan business, and moved his wife and 2.5 children back to Canada. Mom was 7 months pregnant with my youngest brother when she moved.
We settled into life in Canada, in Surrey, BC. Our grandma went on to have two open heart surgeries, and lived for 29 years after we moved back to Canada. She passed away in October 2003 at 89 years. Three days after her funeral, dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.
Judging by the photos and stories, dad was quite the dashing gentleman. Mom was from a small interior BC town, who was living and working, somewhat tentatively, in Vancouver. She would have been quite taken with this fun-loving Aussie. Dad and mom fell in love, were married, and lived for three years in Vancouver. Then dad's mother in Australia, died suddenly, and they travelled back to Australia for the funeral. Dad had a deep pang of homesickness, and so they returned to Vancouver, packed up everything and shipped it to Australia... leaving nothing behind so no one would have the impression they were returning.
They lived for nine years in Australia, had two children, and started up a caravan business. Back in Canada, mom's mom fell ill with her heart... scarring from Scarlett fever as a child. She needed to have open heart surgery. Dad sold up everything... house on the canal in Surfer's Paradise, caravan business, and moved his wife and 2.5 children back to Canada. Mom was 7 months pregnant with my youngest brother when she moved.
We settled into life in Canada, in Surrey, BC. Our grandma went on to have two open heart surgeries, and lived for 29 years after we moved back to Canada. She passed away in October 2003 at 89 years. Three days after her funeral, dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.
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