Yeehaaa ringers! Kroombit farm stay was my first stop after Agnes Water, partner. A fair-dinkum working cattle station. We first arrived after driving through a lot of dry nothingness to steak cooking on the BBQ and a sign saying 'where there is smoke there is usually fire, where there is fire there is usually steak.' If only this saying were true in everyday life, not just on a farm. After lunch my afternoon was spent dodging the creepy crawleys by relaxing in the pool and the sunshine. It was hot stuff in the outback. The next activity was learning to lasso- I was actually quite good at it! Do you ever think that one day you will stumble across something and just be naturally very good at it? I was hoping this hidden inherent talent would be surfing, alas, it seems that lassoing is more my thing. Maybe I was a cowgirl in a past life. Anyway, our new lassoing skills were put to the test in the goat rodeo- yeehaa. Poor goats. 12 crazy tourists running after them waving ropes wildly above their heads, they must have been petrified. It was very fun nonetheless. After an electric shock from a cow stunner (as you do), we headed down for a snack of mystery meat (goat) and the farms owner spoke to us about the history of the 10,000 acre farm. This was proceeded by a spot of whip cracking. I was awful at this. The cracking sound that a whip makes is the breaking of the sound barrier, and I think I was perhaps a little slow. Haha. Managed a very pathetic noise and then gave up because I just kept whipping my own head and arm in the process. Bush dancing was next, something much more up my street. More beef for dinner then a mechanical bull rodeo to finish the evening - all lots of fun.

We were up at 5.30am (yuck) to begin our drive back to Rockhampton and then on to Emu Park with Colin and George. Team Emu. Emu Park is a tiny place, and it turns out we had an empty and therefore private hostel too! Lovely! We spent this day being totally lazy by the pool, and eating curry and apple crumble and custard (a craving I have been having for a long time; soz Australia, your desserts are nothing compared to in the UK) in front of Die Hard in the evening. Lush.

Back to Rockhampton (again) then another night at a cool hostel in Agnes Water to survive the end of the world (WELL DONE EVERYONE!), and then on to Rainbow Beach. A relatively long drive on the Oz bus helped along by games and lollies, so I was happy. Haha. Arrived and had a very long and boring meeting about my Frazer Island trip and finally did some washing!!! Hurrah! Oh to be clean in clean clothes, such a luxury when travelling!

Frazer island was beautiful!
Day 1- up far too early, driving for a while in the back of a very bumpy truck (numb bum), visited beautiful Lake Mckenzie (but with clouds overhead), the amazing ship wreck, finished off with steak for dinner and goon. Lovely.
Day 2- Scrambled egg for breakfast (who says camping is bad?!), visited the awesome but slightly scary Champaign Pools, up to Indian Head look out (but no sharks booo), Eli Creek (my fave place on the island that we visited), ice cream for lunch! Day finished off with chicken stir fry and more goon.
Day 3- Christmas Eve!!!!!!! 30 degrees and Christmas Eve! So weird. I drove this morning on the sand, was loads of fun and I managed it without getting bogged. Hurrah. Went to another gorgeous lake after walk through the rainforest. Beaut. Then back to the hostel for recovery time and a special Christmas Eve dinner of rice and mushrooms and capsicums with Christin. YUM.

I was lucky enough to meet some amazing people on my Frazer Island trip, and we all headed down to the beach at midnight to count down to Christmas Day- it was fab to bring in Christmas with a bunch of really lovely people.

Christmas Day was really great. We welcomed it in around a campfire on the beach, then myself, Herre and Christin got up early to have a special Christmas breakfast- eggs, beans, toast, orange juice- a feast, backpacker style! Then I hopped on the GreyHound bus with Danny and Mark and we had a bus christmas party (that consisted mainly of sleeping), until we reached Brisbane at around 2ish. When I reached Brisbane, Mark was there to meet me and we walked down to meet his mum and dad and Steph for Christmas afternoon fun! It was so so lovely. Mark's mum and dad were renting the most beautiful house and were so generous and lovely for having me to stay. We had a really great day full of yum food, interesting charades, red wine and Hugh Grant in Love Actually- just how Christmas should be! And although home is 10,000 miles away, it didn't seem that far. All my fantastic family had sent me cards and pressies and I was able to FaceTime them just as Christmas dinner preparations were underway- a mad house as usual! I was initially worried for Christmas alone but it turns out I wasn't alone at all. :)

The next few days I spent exploring (getting lost in) Brisbane with Mark. We went to the Boxing Day sales for a grand total of 10 minutes, then swiftly disappeared to find the transit centre and get lost again. After a Nandos to recover from all the walking and getting lost, we got on the ferry back home for a great view of Brisbane. This evening we headed back into town to meet Oli and have a drink and then watched Despicable Me until the wee hours of the morning.

We also went to Australia Zoo! We went to Asia and Africa, fed elephants, got eaten by crocodiles, fell in love with wombats, got tattooed, and hung out with kangaroos. It was a pretty cool day! Ended with burritos, cheesecake, ice cream and churros. Yum.

Unfortunately it was now time for me to leave the beautiful house of Mark's mum and dad and head to my scabby hostel that smelt of feet. We headed to the Queensland Museum and made good use of the free wifi (the excitement over free wifi is unreal), before saying goodbye. I then went back to my hostel and rang home before bed.

The next couple of days were spent mooching about, job hunting, trip sorting, cycling, exploring, enjoying Brisbane in the sunshine, watching Les Mis (a Christmas treat to myself- I won't say anything incase of ruining it for you all in the UK), spending time with friends, and seeing in the new year with fireworks and a picnic. I love Brisbane! I have been here for a week now and it's the longest time I've spent in one place since 21st September. I will be a bit sad to leave here today but also very excited to visit Byron Bay, my next stop.

So, my lovely ones who have managed to read this far down without getting distracted by left over Christmas chocolate or something on the tele, happy new year!!! We made it through the end of the world and have welcomed in 2013! How exciting!!!

Through the airways and through this blog I'm sending so much love and health and happiness to all my loved ones: Family, friends, old and new, wherever you may be in this wonderful world, in England, Switzerland, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France.. I love you all. Thank you for loving and supporting me always and making 2012 a year I will never ever forget. It has been nothing short of incredible. I am also quite proud of myself for getting out here and doing it; I decided to go on my first real adventure on my own, and i think that's pretty brave :) And I'm surviving! Hurray! I miss home lots sometimes but I have been incredibly lucky to make some amazing friends who have always kept a smile on my face :) Thank you, you're awesome.

So. Intentions have been set and plans have been set in motion. Time to thank those lucky stars every day and show compassion to all and give love without condition. Be happy, be grateful, be free, explore, create and love. Not all those who wander are lost!

2013, lets be having you!

Big kisses from sunny Brisbane xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Living the dream, 2013 ;) xxxxxxx