This is it... #ThankYou #Australia.
Its been the most amazing journey, time to board...
#homewardbound
The next chapter begins....

Please keep in touch ❤️

Thank you ❤️

Chilling...
De-compressing after 6 years as British High Commissioner to Australia...

#Diplomatic life sees colleagues come & go.
Inevitably your own time comes to say farewell.
Jan Adams, Secretary at #Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, kindly hosted lunch for me.
We reflected on the transformation of our 🇬🇧 🇦🇺 bilateral relationship to one of #strategic partnership.

@mingylong.bsky.social - thank you for joining us.

With huge thanks to The Governor General of #Australia, HE The Hon Sam Mostyn, & Mr Simeon Beckett for hosting a farewell dinner for me with a few friends & colleagues. It was a very special evening.

Delighted to host the #Afghan Women's #Cricket Team to dinner, the final one of my tenure at the 🇬🇧Residence, Westminster House.
Stories of courage & hope.
Thanks Catherine Ordway, Natasha Stott-Despoja, many of my fellow ♀️ Heads of Missions & of the 🇬🇧 High Commission, Canberra, for attending.

6/6 - My visit concluded with a dinner very kindly hosted by Her Excellency Jeanette Young, the Queensland Governor.

5/6 - On such visits I also like to catch up with 🇬🇧 businesses & to see what they are doing.
Great to see Brew Dog's growth since I attended their opening 5 years ago & to meet the team from Gleeds Global & Grimshaw Architects, the design team behind Brisbane's Neville Bonner bridge.

4/6 - Our liaison work with #Australia's #Lawenforcement bodies is 2nd to none, at Federal & State level, to tackle international crime. It was good to call on #Queensland Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski to discuss this.

3/6 - With a high volume of #British tourists each year, I took time to visit Surf Life Saving #Queensland to say #ThankYou for their help when needed by Brits on holiday & to promote their #BeachPassport which provides advice on how to have a safe day at the beach.
#Sun #Sea #Sand & #Safe

2/6 - On the #GoldCoast, it was good to catch up with Deputy Mayor Donna Gates.
We discussed the city's burgeoning #Film 🎥 🎬 & #TV 📺 production industry, UK interests given our 🇦🇺🇬🇧 co-production MOU. #Healthcare too as a growing sector & the opportunities there.

1/6 - Last week I visited #Brisbane & the #GoldCoast.
I had excellent meetings with #Queensland Premier David Crisafulli & Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment & Skills Ros Bates.
The 2032 #Olympics, 🇦🇺🇬🇧 FTA, S&T collaboration & #EnergyTransition amongst topics discussed.

#Britain 🇬🇧 is stepping into the spotlight, & the co-star could be.. YOU.

Our action-packed cities.

Our romantic rural escapes.

Our thrilling experiences.

Step into the real-life places of your favourite films, TV shows, heroes & villains.

#LightsCameraAdventure

🎭🎬🎥📺

Sticking with #seafood on #Christmas Day - #lobster grilled with a #garlic #chilli butter topped with a mix of grated Red Leicester & Cheddar, served with a #mango, chilli, #avocado & #coriander #salsa.
Not your typical Christmas dinner but when the sky is blue, the sun is high & its touching 30°...

#Christmas Eve supper... rustled up a simple linguine with Morton Bay bugs & banana prawns.
#Seafood

#HappyChristmas

My thoughts are with Vanuatu after the earthquake & ongoing aftershocks.
My condolences to those who've lost loved ones.
Wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
Our 1st 🇬🇧 consignment of hygiene & shelter kits arrived thru our partnership with 🇦🇺.
We'll contribute to life-saving aid through #UNCERF.

I am back in #London for work.
Amongst my various meetings was one at No.10.
Here's a festive pic outside that famous door.
No.10 has featured in countless films & TV shows, not least #LoveActually - given the current Xmas theme - with #HughGrant playing a #British Prime Minister who falls in love.

#Moon rise over our #Bunya pine.

The Bunya is an ancient #pine.

The nuts of its giant pine cones are an #indigenous food, harvested for millennia.

I have a brilliant chef who helps me to use food as a tool of #diplomacy.
This was yesterday's lunch for #CPTPP member country colleagues.
• Pan-fried John Dory on a #tomato & #colcannon stack with #caviar ravioli.
• A strawberry #pavlova.

I hosted lunch today for #CPTPP member countries to celebrate the #UK's accession.

It was 😋

3/3 - On morning 3, I ventured out to one of my favourite places in #LittleIndia - Victory Restaurant - where I had #RotiCanai with #curry #fish gravy & an #IceKopi.
Delightful flaky layers of roti soaking up the curry, whats not to like.
I guess these preferences reflect my childhood in #Malaysia 😎

2/3 - On day 2, #seafood mee goreng - fried noodles.
There were prawns, sliced fishcake & squid in the mix with choy sum greens. I do love #noodles. You'll spot a good dollop of #sambal 🌶 paste on the side.

1/3 - I managed to enjoy a few culinary treats in #Singapore.
I always go for the #Asian buffet #breakfast options.
For my first breakfast, I opted for the #PrawnMee - a delightful prawn broth, a hint of spice, yellow egg noodles, beansprouts, boiled egg, fishcake &, of course, a couple of prawns

Another must do for me in #Singapore is a visit to #Brewerkz - one of the first brew houses in the city state - for a pint 🍺 or 🍻of #craftbeer.
Suitably refreshing after all that walking in the tropical heat & humidity.
A couple of hours unwinding & watching life go by on #ClarkeQuay.
Cheers!

When in #Singapore you simply have to have a #SingaporeSling at the Long Bar, #Raffles.

Incredible couple of days in Singapore celebrating #kindness in #leadership with our #AsiaPacific #Kindness Rules listees on Tuesday & amazing #Women of the Future #SoutheastAsia finalists & winners at last night's awards gala dinner.
#inspiration & tears, stories of hope, faith in possibilties.