Hey everyone! This is just a quick blog to say I am safely at the West's on the very very hot Gold Coast, about half an hour from the city centre.

Seeing Chey again was great, her family are fab, mad but fab and i have had the most relaxing week, with prob more beer than I have consumed in the last 3 months! (that's not because I'm going out and getting drunk every night, purely because it's just what you do in the afternoon- especially since the cricket is on- Australia vs South Africa). We're staying with her cousin Kelly and his girlfriend Lou, then around the corner literally is her aunt and uncle Paddy and Nessa, her Gran who came over last month and her other cousin Kyle. At the moment they have gone to pick up her aunt and uncle from the airport, who are flying in from Alice Springs. (they're the ones I met when I was in Alice, in October). Apparently there are more family flying in from Sydney on Christmas Eve, so it's going to be a mad and busy Christmas and New Years. Everyone here is lovely, so hospitable and welcoming, they've made me feel like one of the family. Last night Kyle took us to the Casino in town- I only lost 20 bucks, and Kelly bought Guitar Hero World Tour for the play station on Wednesday- it's a game that has an actual guitar, drum kit and microphone and you get to be a rock star, playing along to the songs you know. It's amazing. This morning I got up and rocked out with Ozzy Osbourne and Jimmy Hendrix. On Tuesday we're going to meet Naomi and Dan, my friends from home (well Dan is an Aussi but living in London) over on North Stradbrooke Island, I've already been there but the day was overcast and chilly so it will be nice to see it in the sun.

Speaking of the sun, blimey it's hot here! Seriously melting stuff! It makes me so sleepy I keep having these long naps in the afternoon- it's about 30 degrees, the other day i think it was 35, not much you can do in these temperatures except stay indoors, watch the cricket and drink beer... mum i'm kidding, i was drinking coke instead.

This week Kelly is taking us to a shopping centre that does a special, one-off 24-hour shopping, it's supposed to be great, shopping at 1am in the morning, I've got a fewgifts to pick up, we're going to do Secret Santa because there's so many of us.

So anyway, I'd better be off, will write on here probably next week, after Christmas. I wish you all a very merry christmas, and a happy new year of course, hope everything is wonderful!

Lots of love

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