Happy 2009 everyone!

So I have now celebrated christmas and new year Oz style and brought in new year 10 hours before you!! Christmas turned out to be great fun, albeit a little surreal. We spent all day on Coogee beach with a friend we had met on tour and some guys she knew as well. We had sunshine all day and with frisbe on the beach and a bit of fun in the sea before the jelies came in it was not all sunbathing. No bbq or drinks allowed on the beach tho, which was ok as it gave us time to recover from the nights before. We had Turkey sandwiches instead hehe. We then just all hung out togetgher with some drinks in the evening.

We spent boxing day in the sun again at the botanical gardens, opera house and a trip up the sky tower...which had great views of the city. The following day we moved on up the east coast with a stop over night at Coffs Harbour. Can't say much for here as we got there late and it was raining!!! so just a good bed for the night really. Then it was straight up to Byron Bay. This place is cool and literally contains: backpackers, surfers and hippies who have never left...that is it! So a very relaxed hioppy little town really with a great beach. The hostels are gradually getting worse as we move up the coast but luckily the weather has generally meant we aren't in them much. It was hot, hot, hot when we got to byron Bay and stayed like that other than the awesome tropical storms. We had a good day on the beach body boarding etc and then the next day we took a walk to a lighthouse and the most easterly point in oz. Another to add to the list along with the most southern point and highest point!

Then it was on to Brisbane for New Year...and it was even hotter. IT is mainly the humidity out here that gets to you...sweaty is not a good look. Luckily i got tempted by the amazing shops in Byron and bought some cool hats. We arrived in Brisbane on new years eve so after settling in went staright down to "Southbank" a little like the one in London but better with an outdoor lagoon (basically a mini beach built in the city) a giant wheel (london eye) and the firework display. This was really good. We heard that there was a bar/pub at the hostel and that it would be really busy for new year so headed back there for midnight. This was....interesting. IT was called "The fiddler's Elbow" and was an irish pub/bar and was basically full of irish lads being lads. Now i say full quite optimistically...for new year we were surprised at how not full it was. However, after a drink and a good countdown on the terrace it got busier and we all watched the second firework display on the roof and brought in the new year quite traditionally which was good fun. The only downer was that kick out was at 1am...boring!

Next morning up bright and early to make the most of our one day! Straight to the Koala Sanctuary where i held a Koala and had my picture taken with it yipeee! Then on to a modern Art gallery which had some wicked exihbits. Then on to the cinema to watch Australia...in Australia which was great. So a rather packed day.

Finally we moved on up to Noosa today. With more rain!! booo. Luckily it has cleared the air and hopefuly wont be to scorching tomorrow. It was 36degrees here the other day with 70%humidty...yuck! glad we missed that. So tomorrow we spend our one day hopefully exploring the market, beach, national park and town. Then we head on up to the really exciting Fraser Island and Whitsundays.....i cannot wait!

Hope you all had fantabulous Christmases and a brilliant New Year.

Love and squishes to all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Check out my Koala pic on this link:

http://photo.koala.net/0101006099en.htm