On Saturday, after getting my learner rider's licence on Thursday, we bought my new scooter!! It is much fun - it is a Yamaha Vino 125.

Instead of spending the best part of an hour on the bus to and from work, I can now do the same journey in twenty minutes. Once Adam starts school, and Emily will hopefully get into the new nursery that is opening next door to Adam's school, then I can leave work at 5.30 and pick them both up by 6.

In NSW, you cant just jump on a scooter and ride away, they treat scooters the same as motorbikes, which meant that I had to go to two 3-hour pre-learner lessons where a very nice man taught me how to ride - for the first two hours we didn't even get on the bikes/scooters - I had my scooter lesson with four guys learning to ride proper bikes - none of those nasty gears for me! After the lessons (one guy had to leave the class on the first day as he was dangerous - he had to go to remedial class!) I then had to do a driver knowledge test  - 45 multiple choice questions on general road safety as well as some bike-specific topics. The test was not difficult but of the 30 road safety questions asked, you are only allowed to get one wrong otherwise you fail - seriously, the questions were not difficult 'when you are drunk, should you drive?' - okay, I might have made that one up!!

I now have my L-plates and have to keep them for at least three months, then I need to do a Motorcycle Operators Safety Test - a practical - before my Ls run out (they last for 12 months). I will then have my Ps for a year - only after all that will I have a full licence and be allowed to go over 80 kph. Even after all that, I will NOT be doing what some scooter riders do in Sydney - drive round in shorts and t-shirts - I will have my "bike" jacket on at all times!!!!