Is everyone feeling Christmassy?!?

We have been experiencing Australia in the rain this week! Torrential rain, thunder and lightening, we are not happy but speak to any aussie about it and they are grinning from ear to ear and saying how much they need the rain, so i suppose we have to be pleased for them! The temperature still only goes as low as 20oc but since we have got used to it being much hotter, that actually feels cold!

This week we both finished work - yipee! So its back to being unemployed bums travelling the world for the next six months - great! We are so pleased to have finished work but it was a necessary requirement to top up our depleted funds and a good chance to meet some people and experience the aussie culture that we would not have if we had just travelled on through!

Tuesday was my last day at work, so in the evening I met Andrew in the city and we went for a wander around the Botanical Gardens which were beautiful and also had a look at the Shrine of Rememberance, which is massive with great views of the city. We just don't have the space in the UK for a shrine that big! We met up with Andrew C and Hugh and after a few drinks in our favourite irish bar, we went to see the Melbourne Christmas Advent Calendar show, which is a visual lights show in Federation Square. A huge Advent Calendar is displayed on the side of one of the high rise buildings and every night they put on a show to open the calendar door, it was very good and made us feel very christmassy!

Wednesday night to carry on the Christmas theme I went for a drive with Caroline and the kids to see some houses in the local neighbourhood that have decorated their homes and gardens with Christmas lights. Some are completely covered with every Christmas theme imaginable! It is a big thing in Australia and everone comes out to see them!

Friday was Andrew's last day at work and Bayside Council had put on a big Christmas lunchtime BBQ where he had tons of meat and plenty of beers, not a bad last day! We then went up to Andrew C's house in the evening for a few drinks and a curry and then onto a house party, it was a really fun evening, with maybe one two many bevvies judging by how hard the walk home was!

Saturday, the kids had Christmas with their Dad so we met Caroline in the city and went back to our favourite irish bar to treat her to lunch and a few pints of Guiness! We had a great laugh and the food was yummy! We wanted to show Caroline how grateful we are that she has put up with us over the last two months!

So as you can see it has pretty much been party, party, party this week! But its Christmas, so that is our usual excuse! Today we head over to Colac to spend Christmas with all the family!

We hope everyone is ready for Christmas and getting in the festive spirit, we certainly are!

Lots of Love

Sarah and Andrew xxx