Seasons Greeting from
Michael & Yvonne Bauche
“If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots instead of feet.”
– Rachel Wolchin
Greetings from Bonogin!
Where the heck is Bonogin, you are probably asking. Bonogin Australia, pronounced boh – knah gen (as near as I can tell), is in the Queensland Hinterlands about a 30-minute drive inland from the Gold Coast and about an hour South of Brisbane. There are probably about 5000 people living in the general area.
We are currently house sitting on just under an acre in a rural setting at the edge of the rainforest or the bush as they call it here.
We are looking after 2 wonderful dogs. Billy (4) who is a goofy yet lovable, sometimes white labradoodle and Sally (11) a gentle giant Great Dane, Staffordshire Terrier cross (with a big bark and an equally loud snore). We also have 15 laying hens to tend to.
The area around us is lush, ancient and dense with life. The air smells green, earthy and at times quite spicy like cinnamon. At other times it smells like wet dog and chicken coop.
The plant life here is rampant with towering canopy trees, home to Cockatoos, King Parrots, Butcher Birds, Rainbow Lorikeets, and Kookaburras. At night the fruit bats appear by the hundreds, along with a multitude of toads hopping around and the possums also come out for a wander around.
It is usually very quiet in Bonogin -until the flocks of sulphur crested cockatoos let all hell break loose (especially when a possum or a stoat is nest raiding). When the Cockatoos screech, they sound exactly like Pterodactyls (or what we think one would sound like anyways), they are not exactly melodious. There are also the strident squawks of fledgling Butcher birds wanting to be fed, their parents however can be extremely musical. The King Parrots are very brave and will eat out of our hands and the laughing Kookaburras are a bloody riot!
Here is a recording of some Laughing Kookaburras in our back yard – click here for laughs.
We have also seen Wallabies bouncing about and apparently Koalas and Platypus are in the area too, but we have not been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of them yet.
There are spiders, snakes and a multitude of creepy crawlers here (it is Australia after all!) but they mostly keep to their own – except the Carpet Python who decided to hang out in the chicken coop for a while. It was only a wee one – only a meter in length! It was safely removed and we still have all our chickens.
The weather can be gloriously hot and sunny or it can be hot and very steamy. For a few days before Christmas, we had some of the stickiest weather we have experienced anywhere on the planet. Good thing we have a pool to cool off in.
2025 – The Quick and Dirty Summary
After our last two hectic travel years in 2023 and 2024, we did manage to slow down our pace of travel in 2025 as planned, but we still covered a fair bit of ground.
Here is a quick summary of the countries we visited during 2025. [click the links to open up the photo galleries]
Malta – both islands Malta & Gozo
New Zealand North Island and The South Island
Australia
2025 The Year in Review
Starting off in Rome Italy
We started 2025 in Rome on New Years morning having cappuccinos and cornettos while admiring the Bernini fountains in Piazza Navona. We were in Rome doing a house sit in the Villa Borghese neighborhood, and stayed in an antique filled, three-bedroom apartment in very typical apartment block complete with its own Portiere (doorkeeper) to keep an eye on things. Then it was back to Trevignano Romano on Lake Bracciano, an hour North of Rome to complete our sit which was split between the two locations.
During our time in Italy (besides exploring and walking the dog) we experimented with the classic Roman pasta dishes, Cacio e Pepe, Pasta alla Gricia, Carbonara and Amatriciana. Michael had fun playing with the different combinations of Pecorino Romano, Black Pepper, Guanciale and sometimes tomato and hot chilli peppers – not to mention fabulous fresh pastas.
Malta
On the 10th of January we flew from Rome to Valetta Malta.
Malta is an absolutely fascinating country where the golden stone cities rise from the turquoise, and sometimes churned up Mediterranean Sea. The country has an absolutely amazing history and very warm welcoming people. This somewhat rare combination makes the place feel both ancient and alive at the same time.
After exploring Valletta, we completed two housesits in Mellieħa and San Ġwann on the Island of Malta and then did a third sit in San Lawrenz on the sister Island of Gozo.
Between housesitting assignments, we explored the two islands. Not only does Malta have a interesting recent modern history (post 1500’s), but it also has some of the oldest freestanding structures on Earth dating back to 3500 BC.
For more insights into Malta Michael wrote a piece called “Memorable Malta a Place that Makes You go Hmm” about this fascinating country.
We also have some photo galleries of Malta & Gozo to share as well.
Cyprus
On March 3rd we flew back to Rome before flying to Pathos Cyprus the next day. This was the second time we have been to Cyprus- the first was back in May 2018.
This time around we had a week in Pathos to chill out and explore before doing three back-to-back to back house sits. The first was in Guirliu, and the second in Pomos.
We also did a repeat sit for a wonderful couple in Tala. We did this sit the last time we were in Cyprus almost seven years previously. Two of the three dogs and three of the four cats were still with us. Brandy is now about fourteen, and Peeps age is unknown as she was adopted. It is fun coming back to a place after this amount of time; some things had changed; others remained the same. The biggest change was seeing how much the pups had aged, but they were still going strong.
We were in Cyprus during Orthodox Easter and got to witness the fireworks (and some roast lamb of course!) By the end of our time in Cyprus, we were ready for a vacation (kidding – well sort of).
2025 Fast Facts
Flights taken —> 11
Photos taken —> 8020
Number of different beds slept in —> 51
Countries visited —> 8
UNESCO World Heritage Sites visited – 11
Housesits —> 12 in total (Italy -1, Malta -3, Cyprus -3, Ireland -1, Canada – 2, New Zealand -1, Australia -1)
Weeks spent housesitting —> 27 (189 days)
We also looked after 15 dogs and 5 cats, as well as 15 laying hens.
Back to Italy
We really enjoy Italy so decided to spend some more time there and after finding very cheap flights from Cyprus to Naples, it was a no brainer. On April 22 we flew to Naples, Italy where we spent a night, before taking the train to Sorento the next day.
We stayed near Napoli Centrale which was buzzing. Naples has a reputation for being a bit scuzzy and it did not disappoint; it is not a place that really attempts to charm you. Naples is rather chaotic, loud, and quite rough around the edges—but it is unmistakably Italian.
We had some very good wood oven pizza for dinner, and because no pineapple was involved no Neapolitans died as a result, we are glad to report.
In the early morning before catching the train to Sorento, we walked around and explored the grand but somewhat worn buildings. Naples is one of the few places we have been in Europe where there was open drug use (almost made me feel like I was back home in Vancouver).
What was interesting was the images of Diego Armando Maradona the Argentine footballer who played for Napoli, the Naples professional club, from 1984 to 1991. Because Maradona helped Napoli win the league championship for the first time ever, he became a religious icon for the Neapolitans. Murals of Maradona are painted on many of the Naples old buildings. There are also images of the bad boy Italian painter – Caravaggio who spent some of the last years of his life in Naples as a fugitive – so the story goes.
From our base in Sorento we did some days trips including a tour of Pompeii and a boat trip to the Amalfi Coast and then went back to Sorento by bus along twisty, windy, sphincter clenching roads. We also spent some time on Ischia Island which was a friend’s recommendation and it was fabulous, very low key and perfect for us.
Sicily
We had been talking about visiting Sicily for a while. Now was the time, even if Mt Etna was busy spilling her guts. We took the overnight ferry from Naples arriving in Palermo at dawn.
While there we explored Palermo as well as the Greek ruins in Agrigento, and chilled out in Castellammare del Golfo for awhile.
We had been told before we went, that Sicily is not really Italy, well it is, but it does have a very different vibe. And no it wasn’t a Mafioso vibe either, we never felt that at all – unlike Tirana, Albania.
Change of Plans
In the house-sitting business you learn to be flexible, because sometimes things go sideways. We were originally going to sit for good friends outside of London. However, plans and circumstances changed so we headed to Ireland instead, since we already had flights home booked out of Dublin.
We found a last-minute sit in Wexford close to Enniscorthy where we house sat last July. This year’s Irish sit was in a lovely village with three amazing dogs and a cat who shall we say was very independent and had a big personality. Our hosts were warm, charming, and generous making this a wonderful sit.
After completing our sit, we stayed in Kilkenny for a few days playing tourist, before driving back to Dublin.
Dublin to Vancouver
At the end of May we headed back to Canada, as we wanted to be in Kamloops for Michael’s nephews high school graduation, so that is what we did.
While home we split our time between Vancouver and Kamloops with a couple of house sits one in North Vancouver for couple we have sat for a few times now. We also did a new sit in Hope. For decades Hope was always a place we either drove past on the way to somewhere else, or stopped for gas or some gut bomb fast food. It was fun staying here for a month and getting to know the place.
We also had a chance to head over to Vancouver Island to visit with friends up Island.
Time to Hit the Road Again
By the end of August, it was time for us to hit the trail once again. We had agreed to do a sit near the coast, outside of Auckland New Zealand for a few months. Instead of a 14-hour direct flight from Vancouver, we opted to break up the journey and have a stop in Fiji for five days – why not?
Auckland New Zealand
Our sit in Auckland was all about looking after Charlie – a very sweet designer mutt. His owners think he is a Shih Tzu, Maltese Terrier, Bichon cross with a bit of Poodle thrown in for good measure – so basically a long legged, toy dog with lots of character and lots of smarts! Charlie lives in a wonderful home with an amazing kitchen – we even had a steam oven to play with, which was great for making beef brisket and steamed potatoes!
After the sit our hosts graciously offered us the use of their car for a week. We took the opportunity to explore a bit of the North Island.
Our first port of call was Lake Taupo, where we first met in February of 1995. Yvonne has just done a blog post about us Walking Down Memory Lane in New Zealand you can find it here.
We also visited a Kiwi hatchery near Rotorua, the Hobbiton movie set near Matamata, the Champaign Pool, and the Sanctuary Mountain native wild life reserve.
South Island of New Zealand
On the 20th of November we flew to Christchurch rented a ‘relocation’ car for cheap, nine days for $1.99 a day.
Here is a bit of a travel hack for you. Most tourists start their adventures in Auckland and end up in Christchurch. This means the car and camper van rental companies have stranded vehicles on the South Island. There are websites that offer great deals for folks to do the trip in the opposite direction. We just had to pay for the ferry from Picton to Wellington (in addition to the $18 rental fee).
On the South Island we stayed in yet another unconventional accommodation………..a converted Grain Silo, in Little River on the Banks Peninsula and revisited Le Bons Bay where we stayed 30 years ago. We also drove over Arthurs Pass to the West Coast, and stayed in Rapahoe Beach near Greymouth. Then it was up the West Coast, visiting Pancake Rocks, Cape Foul Wind, then back down to have dinner at The Former Black Ball Hilton. It was really good compared to the last meal we had there (you will have to read the blog post to find out why).
Then it was on to Picton via Nelson Lakes (Lake Rotoiti) and caught the ferry to Wellington. Luckily, we had good weather and a smooth crossing – the Cook Straits has a reputation for being quite rough. Spent that night in Wellington near Cuba Street – interesting characters excellent pizza!
Then drove up the West cost of the North Island and revisited Paekakariki, spending a night in New Plymouth.
Overall, we spent almost three months in New Zealand, Michael has written a piece about his Impressions of New Zealand – quirks and all.
Australia
We finished up the year in Australia. At the end of November, we flew from Auckland to Brisbane where we were met by Michael’s Uncle Roger. We had a really good visit with Roger & Mary and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them a little better. We also spent a few nights with some A Team friends in Maroochydore and did more meet ups in Scarborough on the “Sunny Coast” and Robina on the Goldie Coast.
We have really enjoyed our sit here in Bonogin in the Hinterlands, especially being right in the middle of what often feels like a giant aviary.
Our Latest Writing Project
While we were in Ireland we had the opportunity to meet with our Publisher near Waterford to discuss ideas for a second book on House sitting.
The visit resulted in a new commission! We wrote our first book on house and pet sitting for International Living in 2015 while we were in Bequia, and it is still going strong. It covers all the basics of housesitting and is a complete A-to-Z guide covering all of the nuts and bolts of international housesitting.
The new book is about how to create a global travel lifestyle centered around housesitting. We cover the inner game (the emotional and phycological aspects of full-time travel), how to prepare for and live a nomadic lifestyle. We go into the specifics i.e. financial, logistics, and also cover advanced housesitting skills such as pet first aid, dog leadership, looking after tropical and off grid properties, pool maintenance and crisis management such as dealing with natural disasters while on assignment.
And yes, we have experience with all of the above. When the publisher had first run the idea by us of doing an ‘Advanced Guide’ we didn’t think we had enough material to share. Boy, where we wrong, this second guide is as big or maybe even bigger than the first one. Just goes to show that we have learnt an awful lot over the last almost 14 years.
Our Housesitting assignment in Auckland gave us the perfect opportunity to hammer out the first draft – all 100,000 words of it.
Friends and Family
As we were home for Mike’s nephews’ graduation, we were able to catch up with all of the family in Kamloops and help celebrate his milestone year. We enjoyed catching up with everyone and had lots of fun swapping recipes and cooking up a storm. Plus, we took a drive down memory lane one day with Mikes sister to revisit where they used to live in Pritchard, work and go to school in Chase.
We also caught up with our friends in Vancouver and were able to help Jane do some clearing out. So our timing was perfect, we even got to share our birthdays with family and friends too, which is most unusual.
Meetups with our fellow A Teamer’s this year included:
- Martin & Louise on Vancouver Island
- Leanne & Tony in Vernon BC, Vancouver BC, and on the Gold Coast of Australia
- Jay and John in Auckland (we house sat for them for 2 months)
- Sue and Dave in Australia
- Gail and Bruno in Australia
- Mary and Ken in Australia
2026 Theme – The year of Roots & Routes
Yvonne and I have a tradition of setting a theme for each new year.
2022 was “The Year of Resilience”
2023 was “The Year of Ikigai”
2024 was “The year of the Bucket List”
2025 was “The Year of Shoshin”
We are proclaiming 2026 to be “The Year of Roots & Routes”
Roots are about where we come from, our family, friends, country, and also our memories.
Routes are about our travels and who we become on the journey.
Being back home for the summer was a really good reminder of how important it is to come home and to reconnect. Spending time with family is not just about special occasions and celebrations but also trading stories, recipes and spending quiet time together in either the kitchen or in the garden.
Sometimes we are lucky enough to travel with family, which is exactly what we are going to do next month.
2026 is a year of Roots & Routes— Remembering where we come from, and choosing paths to keep us connected.
Coming up in 2026
We wrap up our sit here in Bonogin a few days. Our next sit is in the burbs of Brisbane looking after an old timer “Queenslander” home.
At the end of January, we fly to Bali where we are catching up with some of Michael’s cousins. The plan is to travel east together visiting Lombok, Flores and Komodo Island to see some of the big lizards.
Yvonne and I are planning on spending a few months in Malaysia and Thailand before heading towards the UK to reconnect with Yvonne’s family in the spring.
Summer will be in Canada where we are planning on celebrating our 30-year Anniversary.
Beyond that?
We will keep you posted. In the meantime……………………
We hope you had a calm and peaceful Christmas, creating wonderful memories with family and friends.
We wish you a healthy, prosperous and exceedingly happy 2026!
PS If you are in need of sitters this year, even if we are not available we do have our amazing A Team to call upon.
