Just back from eight days Downunder in Australia’s great Summer.

Five days in Melbourne with Damien and his crack team of Inspirational Players at AIA Vitality – with uplifting sessions with key ExCo leaders (Susan, Chris and Pina), three hours with the dynamic marketing team and a brilliant afternoon with AIA’s Ambassadors – Olympians, Brownlow medallists, World Champion Surfers, Ironmen and Ultra-Marathon Champions – all dedicated to helping Vitality champion Australians as living the happiest, healthiest and longest lives.  (Thank you Amanda for putting this very complex four-day agenda together, despite the many ‘external’ influences you had to deal with.)

Capped off with a fun-filled morning session with The Natural (John Cachia) and his Thriving Wealth team of Avengers – Bull, The Striker, The Navigator, LionHeart and Sunshine – covering OODA, The Four Agreements and Storysharing.  A morning resulting – in John’s words – in meaningful momentum.

And from Melbourne to one of my five favourite cities in the world.  Sydney.

I lived there – in Rose Bay and Paddington – in the early ‘90’s and loved every minute of it.  The people, the optimism, the sport, the art, the creativity, the food, and the climate.

Let the sunshine in.

My driver / guide / counsellor from those days – Tony Best (Besto) – is still looking out and after me – 35 years on!! – and still cracking me up every day!

It was Dad ‘n Daughter time with Bex deciding we’d have four days on the beach at Manly.

The Santa Monica of Australia (with even its very own Tommy Bahama on the Corso).

We stayed on the beach at the completely refurbished Accor-owned Manly Pacific.  A great beach vibe with its own Bistro, superb Italian restaurant – we ate there every night – a Peloton in my room, a roof-top pool and located right on the beach.  And only 15 minutes away from Auntie Enyd’s son Ian, wife Janice and son Charlie.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

Living Life to the Max!