Yo, JB is back on the blogging duties.

So onto Surfers for some hardcore, relaxing maxing. On day one though we decided that it was time for exercise seeing as neither of us had done anything healthy since we've left. So we went for a good solid run on the beach. At the end of our run there was a pier, we walked to the end where the waves were literally crashing onto the rocks and over our heads where it was so windy, on the way back down the pier a guy with a really big camera approached us and asked for our names. He wanted to put one of the pictures he had taken in the local paper! Ha, I still wasn't sure so I told him my name was Matt Dyl. C picked up on my cunning plan, he proceeded to tell the 'journalist' that he was Dave Stephens. Unfortunately, we did check the 'Gold Coast Bulletin' for the next couple of days, but the photo wasn't in there, it may have been in there later though. What a cutting that would have been!

The next few days we spent by the beach(main beach) seeing as our hostel was only a 2minute walk. Frisbee and Football were the daily activities. Our hostel was on a marina and on a free bus route so location was good.

A day off the beach saw us travel into Brisbane via bus and train to watch the Twenty20 match between Australia and South Africa, at 'The Gabba'. One pretty cool thing did happen as we were having our lunch by the practice nets. The recently retired Matthew Hayden (Australian opening batsmen) was having an interview that went on channel 7 live right next to us. So once he'd finished I asked if we could both have a picture which was cool.

The game was brilliant, it went down to the last 6 balls where Australia successfully chased South Africa's target with 6 wickets in hand. C particularly enjoyed his first cricket match for the Mexican wave that happened in the first innings, it went around the whole ground 5 times!! We also caught a great video of J-P Duminy's catch, which was unreal. We will hopefully up load that on here. O Yea C has just informed me that he has a video of the winning 6 that we will also try an whack on.

We also went to Coolangatta beach a few days later where there was a tri-nations 'Beach Cricket event'. It was free and you got a free hat, so you can't knock it. Australia continued the theme of the summer by losing to South Africa badly.

One of the evenings we spent at crazy golf competing ourselves in a tricky night match, we have some photos of the holes that we scored hole in one's on. As you can see there are more of mine than C's. Reason being on this occasion I came out on top. Wahoo. (although his patience doesn't really suit any form of golf I'm sure he won't mind me saying).

I luckily enough have relatives who I haven't met who lived just outside of Surfers Paradise, so I called them up asked if we could meet. They took us both out the next day to a restaurant in Sanctuary Cove called 'San Tropez' yep…..it's as posh as it sounds. Then after we went to their house in the afternoon they spoilt us again as we went for an Indian in the evening. Lucky I know. But we were very grateful.

This part of the blog, some of the readers may find disturbing, shocking and may want to look away. We spent the following day…… w…wo…working. Yep that's right we worked for the first time in a couple of months. Ha. Basically the offer a day's hard work for cash seemed to good to refuse so we took it. We had to unload a 40ft container full of boxes containing shelves, it took four of us just under 5 hours and in the grueling and blistering mid-day sun it was ummmmmm well it was bloody hard work. But we came away with 100$ and aching limbs.

That night we felt that all that good work we had done, it was time for a bit therapy. You know a reward for the effort and laboring we had put in early doors. So that night we went to "Hooters". Ooooo Yea, basically for those of you who don't know Hooters is an American restaurant but with hot waitresses. Good times. I know what you're thinking we deserved to after working. Ha, ok I know what your really thinking, 'they do one days work and think there superheroes'. Yep that's pretty much it.

Surfers had served its purpose, so onto Brisbane, just an hours Greyhound coach away. Staying at arguably the nicest hostel so far too. (Brisbane YHA) Been here for a week, we've seen most of the city, spending most of the days walking round the south bank where there is a man made beach.

On Saturday we had classic English Saturday for some, we got up late, drank beer all afternoon and went to football at night. Loaction- Suncorp Stadium, Match- Queensland Roar vs. Perth Glory, Score- 4-2. The ground was awesome, as the pic's show, it's a shame the quality of football wasn't, although saying that, there were 6 goals, one was an absolute 'pearler' from Danny Tiatto. So good value for money all in all. But nowhere near Anfield of course.

Since we've been away cooking has been one of the 'big' things for us, hours spent in supermarkets, simply thinking of what culinary delights can be cooked for the next week. I really don't know how you do it Mum's (and dad's). Its hard enough thinking what you want for that night let alone the next 7! But C came up with a good idea for 2 of the nights. A challenge. 10$ (5quid). We had to single handedly cook a meal for both of us with 10 dollar budget. I was up first, cooked 'Beef Stirfry, for $13.25, so I broke the budget (dam peppers). But C described my Stir-fry as…….. "good mate". Not quite the descriptions Ramsey of Harriot get but I'd take it. C however….. well… unreal, not only did he cook something he's never cooked before, but something he never even liked until recently. For $17.07 inc.dessert. He cooked a curry, which by the way was probably a bit better than "good mate", and for desert he bowled out a pineapple and served fruit inside it, not quite sure where he got his inspiration from, maybe Fiji or Hawaii, but it was impressive, especially as he was half cut when he was cooking it. Ha. Fantastic.

O yea by the way there us a pic of us in the hostel lockers, that's just to give you guy's the idea of size of those things. An it was funny at the time. Just glad Herman the German (our room-mate) never walked in.

Yesterday was Australia Day here, we spent the majority of it with a hang over, because we had quite a few beers and the large share of a 4l box of wine between us. But they're mad about it here surprisingly enough. Fireworks that obvioulsly wouldn't be as good as New Year, and free concerts ect. But a fairly quiet one for 2 hung-over English lads who had invented England day the night before. Ha.

That's it I guess, tomorrow we pick up our campervan, and we have that for a just under a month, so it's going to be a tip top part of the adventure I'm sure. Just so you know the weather has been hovering just over 30degrees for the last few week or so, but not really that sunny, just muggy. But hey, not complaining.

Hope your all well. Keep the comments coming too!

So from Me and C.

Tada

xxxxxxx