A quick update on the past couple of weeks for you all, despite many of you having heard much over the phone etc.

Our time in Brisbane over Christmas was really good with lots of creative cooking on our behalf! Having Craig and Gosia's house was awesome to enjoy having a chilled out base for the festive period. We held our own Wigilia on Christmas Eve with garlic prawns and fillets of Oreo Dory fish for the meal. We were then joined by Brad, a friend of ours from the Contiki tour of the States in 2008. Had a drink and a catch up with him before heading to bed ready to see what Father Christmas delivered through the post!

It wasn't entirely a traditional Christmas Day, started by pancakes and maple syrup for breakfast and then chilling in the garden under clear skies and enjoying the sun. Then came time to get on with preparing our Christmas Day feast (2.1kg chicken, roast potatoes,brussel sprouts, peas, yorkshire puddings). It ended up amazing and we were proud to have pulled it off! Though the chicken beat us for one sitting it did help feed us for a couple more days. Having watched some TV(Vicar of Dibley Xmas special) we then got on with baking a Betty Crocker Vanilla Swirl Cake just to squeeze some more food in! It too ended up tasting very good despite it not swirling in the way we'd hoped!

Boxing Day was stunning weather again and we spent it at Wet'n'Wild Water Park. Enjoyed the many rides of all types. Sensible sun screen application meant a whole day with no burns too which was good compared to some of the other people walking around!

On the Tuesday we headed to the Westfield for a look around again and went to the cinema to see Mission Impossible 4. Other than that the remainder of our time in Brisbane was just very relaxed and making the most of a period of good weather!

Following a long overnight (17 hours) Greyhound we arrived back in Sydney on the 30th Dec and headed over to Coogee Beach to meet Andy and his housemates who have been awesome and very hospitable. We went straight to the beach for a bit and soaked up some sun before arranging to meet Michael Moloney in town at 3 Wise Monkeys bar (strongly reccommended and loved by Wightman!). After a bit there we headed over to meet Paul on Flinders Street who was having some drinks with his girlfriend and her mate. Soon enough I was very surprised to be tapped on the shoulder by Duncan Smith who had arrived in the same bar with his girlfriend and Nick Robinson who was visiting - a Bennies reunion away from home! Headed back to Coogee at 2ish and Hel managed to stub her toe badly but is managing to hobble around!

New Years Eve morning Andy greeted us with a champagne breakfast and we spent the day relaxing in the sun and watched some films before heading out in the evening over to Paddington to Paul's apartment to have some drinks with Paul and Katie, and Michael and Dulcie. At 1030 we headed to Paul's friend's apartment which overlooked the Harbour in an incredible position! Chatted with some of his friends until the countdown started and then had the best view of the fireworks. Pretty surreal in a way, hard to believe we were watching the infamous Sydney fireworks in Sydney from this amazing apartment. Left at 2ish to find our way home which took ages due to different road closures etc and we walked it all. Great atmosphere around though and everyone really happy to welcome in the new year. The sun was rising as we got back to Coogee. New Year's Day was spent chilling at the beach with a BBQ and then a restaurant called A Fish Called Coogee for dinner which was really good fish bar which you pick what weight of each you want and they cook it for you there and then. Yesterday more stunning weather greeted us so with Andy, Sam and Kimbo we did the Coogee to Bondi Beach Walk and swam at each beach/cove etc along the way before heading home to a Churrasco dinner where we all gorged on meat! Today again chilled,some repacking and now off to the airport to head to NZ!