The Brisbane Benetts (D33)

Yep, the Brisbane Benetts. Well I've already told you about Dave Benett, who took me to see Sydney FC. His dad is my cousin Julian, son of Raymond my uncle. His wife is called Heather, from Scotland but now definitely Aussie. Their other son is Trent. He recently married a most beautiful woman from Samoa. I like to think she is Samoan royalty. I'm meeting them tonight.

Julian and Heather visited Mauritius with Viviane recently, and we watched the video he took. It was fascinatingly brilliant. I want to go back and stay a bit longer. They went to hospital (?Victoria Hospital) where Raymond worked as a surgeon. They met the current doctor in charge who recognised the name and showed them round. I'll get him name shortly. The interesting thing was that he mainly remembered my father form being taught by him all those years ago. Julian says he was highly respectful, even reverential towards my father. He taught them great truths, he says. Isn't that brilliant to be remembered as a teacher all those years later. He must have been doing something right. Respect old man.

Julian has also found out that our granpere's original name of Moutialoo originates from North eastern India, so I was wrong about the Tamils, but anyway it takes us a bit further in that direction. The generation before my granpere were Indian workers who were brought over for 5 rupees a year. Slavery had been a abolished and so they had to be paid. I'm not sure if I got this bit right.

Brisbane looks like a perfectly lovely city, on a river. Yes I had to ask, and it is the river Brisbane. It looks new from driving through it from the airport. They live in a suburb called 'The Gap' which is extremely picturesque, and they have a lovely house. It seems to be a sort of valley with views of the trees in most directions. We went on a short walk and down to a creek. I going to enjoy my all too brief stay here