OUR BIG FAT OUTBACK wedding

Karen married her dream man in the Aussie desert

- EVA LEWICKI

Karen Maximiw, 49, somewhere in Oz!

Enjoying a drink with some mates at my local, a skinny guy with a mullet strolled up to me.

'How are you going?' he asked.

I was 22 and single, and Anthony was 26 with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

Falling quickly for his true-blue sense of humour and laid-back manner, we began seeing each other.

A month later, we were in bed when his ex rocked up at his house.

'I just want to talk to you,' she told him. To my surprise, he jumped into her car and they zoomed off.

'Guess I won't be seeing him again,' I sighed.

A mum of three, I later married, had a fourth child, and got divorced.

Then on November 11, 2013-15 years after Anthony vanished with his ex-he messaged me on Facebook.

What's cracking? he wrote.

What the hell does he want? I thought.

So I asked him.

Just wanted to catch up, he replied.

Curious to see what he'd been up to, I agreed to meet for a drink. He'd put a bit of flesh on his bones but looked just as handsome, and still had the mullet. He'd also had a couple of kids but, like me, was now single.

I'm amazed we're both still alive,' I laughed, recalling our partying ways.

'Me too,' he grinned.

Just three days later, I fell for my ex all over again. With my youngest son, I made the 545-kilometre move from Echuca, Vic, to Gippsland to be with him.

We got on like a house on fire and life was good.