We’ve had a great time celebrating the holidays together.
On Christmas Day, despite being overcast, we drove just north of Brisbane to Pelican Park in Clontarf and opened our stockings on the beach.
We all had some fab gifts including a Joanna getting her Australian Passport and the girls having matching Disco Bead bracelets.
Later, we cooked up a spread of dishes to cater for all including salmon, ham and veggie tarts with a variety of salads.
The sun came out briefly after a huge downpour and later we played Dobble, Uno and Rummikub.
We drove to Noosa on Boxing Day and as we got closer, the day got sunnier! We spent the next three days here …
… spending some time on the beach ….
… and hanging out with the Hodder clan.
We also hired a paddle board for an hour and took turns. Joanna had her own board in Sydney but it was the first time for Chris and me. We both had a little trouble to start with and I even fell off and dropped the paddle and Joanna came to my rescue although when I realised I was not out of my depth and could stand on the bottom all was fine!
By the end we both managed to stand for quite a while – definitely something we will do again!
We explored Tambourine Mountain, set in the green hinterland where there are several national parks protecting rainforest and waterfalls. We took a walking track to Curtis Falls … spotting bats on the way and getting amazing ice cream in the cafe afterwards.
We’ve visited the Botanical Gardens at Mount Coot-tha before, but it’s a good place for a stroll and we even spotted wildlife, including a possum trapped in the cafe, causing chaos.
Poinciana trees are in bloom all over the city which has been a surprise as they weren’t flowering last trip and here is a huge one here making a bit of a show …
… and another along Kedron Brook where we walked on several mornings.
We cooked up another spread for New Year’s Eve including Jan’s Coronation chicken, frittata and a whole roasted cauliflower and celebrated the arrival of the new decade with party poppers and champagne.
On New Year’s Day we opted not to spend 1.5hrs in the traffic each way to the beach and instead chilled at home which was fab … sun, pool, board games and a few beers!
We’ve had a great time here but unfortunately all good things come to an end and it is now time to leave … our next destination, The Philippines.
Off Travelling Together 