The next day Alan and Mike were heading off to Australia Zoo so we said goodbye to them and arranged to meet them the following day in Brisbane. Myself, Katie and Gillian all checked out and caught the shuttle bus at 10am to the transit centre where we picked up the Oz bus at 10.30am being driven by Louie.

Another relatively short journey of three hours, with a lunch stop in the middle, and we arrived in Brisbane. It was very strange to be driving through a city and knowing that we were going to be staying there, having stayed nowhere even as big as Colchester! We were dropped off at our hostel, Base, and after checking in we caught up with the Irish group and Lynn. We spent the afternoon down at South Bank with Ian, Graeme and Darren, which is a man-made beach and lagoon in the middle of the city.....very surreal. That evening we caught up with Liam and Kyle for dinner ($10 steak and vodka and orange!) and spent the evening playing uno. Despite being more than ready for bed at 7pm, i did make it until 10.30pm before i went to bed.

The following day we decided to go to the Koala Sanctuary as neither me nor Katie were prepared to pay the $99 required to go to Australia Zoo (that and the fact that the Irish had told us it was not worth that!). So, myself, Katie, Lynn, Aileen and Kate (a girl who was staying in the same dorm as us and was so lovely!) all set off on the bus. The sanctuary was just like a zoo, and whilst it was quite small it had everything that we wanted to see, mainly koalas, and we spent a good couple of hours there. The highlight, as well as the main reason for going there was that we got to hold a koala, which was amazing and really made my day. One ice-cream and hour bus journey later and we were back at the hostel preparing for our first proper night out of our trip.

Whilst getting ready, we were informed that due to it being the day before good friday, everywhere, all bars and clubs shut at midnight as nothing is allowed to be open on good friday itself........because of this we decided not to go to far..........so we stocked up on alcohol, and made a plan to spend the evening in the hostel bar and then move up to the room that the Irish were staying in as they were the only one's in there. Dinner, dresses and make-up on, everyone made there way to the bar for the evening. Here we met up with Alan and Mike who had arrived from Noosa, and we stayed until closing at 12. After an hour or so of games in the 'Irish room' as it became known, myself, Mike, Katie, Alan and Darren all headed to Maccy D's............im ashamed to say that at this point, even the smell of burger made me feel ill, so everyone ate up quick so i did not have to smell it walking back. By the time we went to bed it was gone 4am and a 10am check out was on the cards!

So, the alarm went off and we realised that you know that you have definately not had enough sleep when the playlist that you were sleeping too has not even finished when the alarm goes off! Anyways, with no choice but to check out before 10am despite not getting the bus until 1.30pm, we got up, ready and checked out. A cooked breakfast was needed by all and so Katie, myself, Kyle, Liam and Gillian all went to the hostel bar and sorted ourselves out with bacon and eggs (or sausage and eggs in my case!). Feeling much better and a lot more awake we took a wander around the city centre before going back to catch the bus.

An hour late, Coaster turned up the Oz experience bus.........his first solo trip down the East Coast, and it was lovely to see a familiar face as we had all got on so well with him before. Leaving Gillian in Brisbane, the rest of us, including the Irish and Lynn all boarded the bus to Surfer's Paradise, Coaster's hometown. The shuttle from our hostel picked us up from our drop-off at the transit centre and took us to our hostel, Backpackers Resort, which we now realised was quite a long way out. Anyway, Katie, Lynn and myself were all staying to together whilst Kyle and Liam were staying elsewhere so we arranged to meet at mini golf for a game and then to all have dinner together. On arrival at mini golf, despite text messages chadsing us up, the boys were nowhere to be seen. One phonecall later and it became apparent that they were at a different minigolf to us! oops! With ew arrangements to meet in the centre of town, we had dinner first......amaig spag bol and garlic bread........and then showed the guys the mini golf they should have been at! Despite finishing golf quite early we all went our separate ways back to the hostel, and after such a late night the night before, we were zonked by 9.30pm!

Next morning and we were up and meeting the boys at 10am. We hired a car from a dodgy motel that absolutely stunk!yuk! A little Suzuki Swift automatic....collected a picnic from Woolworths (supermarket btw!) and drove around the bay to Coolangatta. This was such a good day, really chilled out with great company, awesome waves to watch amazing surfers...........no idea how they do it..........proper movie stuff where the wave goes over them, you expect them to have wiped out and they come out the otherside...madness! About 5pm we headed back...(i drove, automatic is so lazy and boring!lol!)...and got ready for our club crawl with the hostel....biggest club crawl in Surfers Paradise!

whilst getting ready Katie and I went ou to get our free BBQ from hostel.........not impressed to find that all we got was one sausage and one slice of bread....no joke! Anyways, we got ready and went to the bar, the boys arrived and the organised games began......staring with Liam's favourite 'Roxanne' which involves listening to the song and drinking every time they say Roxanne or Red Light! After a stressful few minutes of finding someone that would lend the boys jeans as they would not get in wearing shorts, it was on to the party bus which was to take us into town. An absolutely awesome night out, we went to four clubs; the bedroom, the beer garden, cocktails and dreams and Twenty1. Pies and Pizza's later and it was back to bed.

Next day the car was taken back and we all got in a taxi to WhiteWaterWorld, the waterpark. Some very scary rides with steep drops and pitch black involved but all in all an awesome day. Next day was the turn of the theme park Dreamworld which is attached to waterpark, and by now Gillian had arrived in Surfers and came with us. The thrillseekers Liam and Katie went off and did the big rides whilst myself, Lynn and Gillian did the log flume (team extreme poses for an awesome photo!) and then managed to persuade Kyle to come on the motorbike rollercoaster in exchange for me going on a ride called Hydrocoaster in the waterpark, fully clothed! So after a couple more rides and lunch, the time had come and whilst everyone else headed back to do the big rides again, Kyle and I headed round to the waterpark and the Hydrocoaster. Leaving my trainers at the bottom with Kyles t-shirt (he was wearing proper swim shorts btw) we made an agreement that he too would wear his wet shorts on the bus home so that i was not alone. It was awesome going on the ride and we did get a brilliant photo of us managing team extreme poses, but i also got off absolutely wringing wet and really wishing i had a bikini top on, not a bra under my white vest top!lol! We had to go straight to meet the others and get the bus, so Kyle kindly went home topless whilst i nicked his t-shirt, but both wore wet shorts leaving a nice suprise for whoever got on the bus after us!lol!

That night the boys came to our hostel and we had such a giggle playing games, singing, dancing and inventing goono (drinking uno!)........one of the best nights in Oz it was hilarious, many a drinks were spilt so it was lucky there is no room inspection when you check out!lol! Next morning we checked out and took a walk along the beach, bumping into Kyle and Liam unplanned. Had some lunch and made our way back to the hostel in time for the 2pm shuttle to the transit centre, again sadly leaving Gillian behind, as we headed for Byron Bay.

Surfer's paradise was such an awesome three days and will be remembered for so many things including the two german guys in our room loving to come out of the bathroom in their little white boxers with us not knowing where to look, and smelling of amazing paco rabanne aftershave......fits of giggles from Lynn, Katie and myself!lol! (sorry again dad!)