Time to get our backpacks back on...

Surfers paradise - well for one thing. I don't think it lived up to the "paradise" name. Maybe that's just my snobbiness coming through! But it was just full of really tacky people and reminded me of what I could only imagine Maga to be like. Was very thankful we only spent a few nights there! But we did have a few visitors from Noosa and it would be rude not to experience one night in tack city. So Jan, Shane, Brandi and I headed out. Fairly it wasn't that bad but think that's because it was easy to forget where you are when you're having a good time and in good company.

Can say with certainty I won't be returning to the Gold Coast any time soon!!



Time to visit the relatives - we went to coolangatta to visit Lorraine and co. Which was so lovely to meet them all. And was nice to be in a family environment for the first time in months! Dean took me up Mount Warning which is the tallest point on the east coast and was a 10k hike up... Which was a hell of a workout but the views

were definitely worth it! Then Ross and Annabelle took us to see Byron Bay and up to the lighthouse which is the most easterly point on the coast. (4 months in and was time to do some sightseeing!)


MELBOURNE - in all honesty...when we first arrived in Melbs it wasn't my favourite place and I wasn't a very happy bunny and was fairly grumpy throughout our first week (sorry corn!!) but  by the end of our 2 weeks it grew on me completely, the city has such diversity! Brunswick had such a Camdeny feel to it. Bit gutted we didn't spend enough time actually enjoying it.

We decided to splash some cash and hit up the Australian open. But dear lord we couldn't have chosen a worse week to go. Melbourne was experiencing the hottest temperatures in over 10 years. NOT COOL. The day we went to the tennis it was 43 degrees and we were sweating like there's no tomorrow. It was disgusting, I don't think there was a part of my body that wasn't sweaty.

Cheers to 2013

New Year's Eve - we headed into Brisbane with Tamara and Brandi after packing up all our stuff(note to self...far too much stuff) then time for the masquerade ball babyy and a open bar... What could go wrong...? 

....a few minutes to midnight I'm looking around for Cornelia and can't seem to find her nor had the girls seen her for a while. Anyway we were sure she was somewhere and just couldn't find her...but after all the cheers'ing and whatnot I still couldn't find her so I went to the toilets to look there. And guess what I find. A very drunk corn hanging over the toilet! Barely coherent we said our happy New Years and she wanted to be left in the toilet so us girls decided to dance a little longer taking it in turns to look after the invalid. But as the night came to an end we manoovered her into a taxi and straight into bed as we got in. 

Overall a very funny night with our favourite girls and a lovely way to bring in 2014! 

IT'S CHRISTMAAAAAAAAASSSS

I was so apprehensive about christmas. Worried that it would have just been me and corn wallowing about how much we miss home, or not feeling like we were apart of something. But I can hand on heart say it's one of the best christmas's i've ever had...even if I was an orphan, but i'm pretty sure I played mother hen all day anyway!

We started off by opening the presents Cornelia had brought back with her from her flying visit home for her sisters wedding. Then made a monstrous breakfast buffet for all the house and the 2 new Canadians we picked up at Fraser!

While I let the first food baby of the day deflate a little, I FaceTimed home and wished them an early Merry Christmas (as I wasn't sure how I would be after the 2 boxes of goon and 3 bottles of wine we had bought at Dan Murphys the day before)

What's christmas without heading to the beach? No christmas at all! Never had I expected in a lifetime to be spending Christmas day on the beach. I just couldn't wrap my head around that it was d
December let alone Christmas!

Christmas dinner was just like having a massive family sit down...round the table we had, 4 Canadians, 4 Brits, a French, a Taiwanese, and even an Israeli celebrating his first ever christmas which was a delight to be a part of! The food had been a huge success having a classic British roast and was demolished very quickly. But in hindsight can now understand why the Aussies have a cold/seafood christmas dinner...it's waaaay to hot to be cooking roasts in a kitchen without aircon!

I have to say I think Christmas Day has to be one of my favourite things about Oz so far. There was something so lovely about seeing all the travellers sitting round a table, being in the same boat by not having family or friends near by but all being so content to be there. I think it's something I'll treasure forever.

Muchos gracias to all the people who made the day so special

   xoxo 

Countdown to Christmas...

Christmas was nearing and we had decided that our time in Noosa was coming to an end, we wanted to travel and see the rest of Oz.

But we'd thought we could do with a little break before the crazy christmas frenzy started...HELLO FRASER ISLAND.

We managed to persuade our little Canadian meatballs to come with us, so all of us squeezed into the little Exel and off we drove on our first road trip to Rainbow Beach.

The next few days were filled with stunning scenery, beautiful beaches and lots of laughs. Pippies 4x4 tag-a-long tour was so much fun, and I think that was down to a good crowd and the hilarious tour guide Steve.

I even managed to cope camping for 2 nights (big achievement for me!!)


Summary...beautiful island, beautiful weather and beautiful company resulted in a fab few days away.



Christmas Eve and we were reunited with our favourite flashpacker boys and was so good to see Jay, Levi and Jesse. Another night of lots of laughs and plenty of alcohol.

xoxo

All rolled into one...

The month flew by and before I knew it, it was December  and we were having our work christmas party...

Working for the Sheraton, we knew it would be good night with plenty alcohol and good food flowing and boy did it live up to the expectations!

It was fancy dress with "S" being the theme. So being adventurous old me I went with a sailor however Cornelia wasn't going unnoticed so she went as Snoop Dog....well let me tell you, she looked hysterical! She'd gone all out with drawing Snoops tattoos on her arms and, well, she just looked great...but upon arrival to the party, and getting a few weird looks from the senior staff not having a clue who she was - she changed to be a bit more of a conservative sailor like me.

The Sheraton had pulled of a beautiful banquet yet again, they had made it into a winter wonderland with fake snow machine and turning up the aircon made it feel a little bit like home ;) Down went some scummy cocktails with cute little candy canes hanging on the glass - and a few too many glasses of wine...but topped off with good music and fabulous company. I couldn't have asked for a better night.

During our time at work we had met some genuinely lovely people, and I am truly gutted that we've left and having to say goodbye was tough but I mustn't dwell but look back on the good.

Time...

How has 4 months gone by since I last wrote on here?

While travelling time just seems to vanish beneath you...You loose track of what day you're in and suddenly realise another month has just sailed past without you even noticing. I guess being in the middle of the Australian summer just adds to the confusion of it being february!

These past 4 months have been a lot of fun, met some incredible people along the way and have had to say goodbye, but I know that goodbyes aren't forever and I look forward to seeing all the lovely people again... wether it be in Australia, UK or in their hometowns.

I'll stop the jibber jabber and fill you in on the past 4 months...

Long overdue update...

So a fair bit has happened since I last posted...

We both managed to get jobs at the Sheraton, which is good that we managed to get jobs so quickly but it's such a chore to drag ourselves to work. They've not put us on the same shift pattern either due to experience and not working together has it's downfalls as we won't see each other some days :( but all in all it's good pay and fingers crossed it'll get better! To put the cherry ontop I've got this sexy uniform to wear...

A few plus sides to work is the stinking rich Aussies that come to the hotel like to tip very generously...$50 will do me nicely, thanks mate. And not complaining with the leftovers that I received the other night, just what I needed after a shift at work!!! 

We gained another family member this week....welcome Tagilicious! His name is actually Merrill and he's from Paris. But he looks like Tag (Rachael's toyboy boyfriend in friends) which we all found hilarious and he from that moment onwards he became one of the family and adapted the name Tag - and would actually respond to it too! (Top lad) 

On our first day off together, Cornelia, Tag, Rach, Jesse and I went to Melany which has a rope swing and waterfall area.

 Tag let me drive his banger of a car...which I'm not sure is legal but hey! Was a fun little road trip! 

Fair to say me being classic grumpy Lauren - I didn't want to get in the dirty lake water so I sat and watched Cornelia launch herself into the water! 

Seen as I have so many mornings off without Cornelia. Jesse and I decided to take a stroll to Alexandra Bay which is the nudist beach. Fair to say we didn't join in!!! And thankfully there wasn't too many old saggy men about but the ones that were about had a little modesty...

Alexandra Bay is in the middle of the costal walk on the edge of the national park but a beautiful and secluded beach.(probably why it attracts the nudies!!) so Jesse and I practically had the beach to ourselves which was so peaceful! 

Today we lost a family member...Tag had to go back to work so we had a Bon Voyage BBQ for him with everyone which was so sweet for all of us not to be working for once - so blessed to have genuinely met the most amazing people that have made this the start of our adventure incredible! Dread the day that we have to say goodbye to the family. 

Can't believe that come Wednesday we've been away for a month already!!! Time has actually flown by, Christmas is going to creep up on us soo quick and I can't wait!!!