Brisbane - Australia

We arrived bright and early after a 14 hour flight over the Pacific Ocean and across the International Date Line, losing one day of our lives in the process. We were greeted at the airport by our friends Jacqui and Kris- always great to see familiar faces in a new place. We jumped in their car (you have to be quick and make sure you’re not stopping anywhere near a no stopping zone to avoid a hefty fine) and drove to the city centre where Jacqui had an interview scheduled. While she was doing her bit to impress the bosses at David Jones Kris took us for a walk through the city and along the river. The views were very impressive and the little man made beach just added to the very pretty area. Once Jax had finished we met up again and headed to their lovely home complete with swimming pool, a necessity in this very hot city (and cutest little pup Mighty).

Once we’d changed into some lighter clothing Jax then took us for a little drive around the area and we stopped at Mount Coot-tha Lookout which had stunning views all over Brisbane. We had a quick drink and a chat to catch up before heading to the local shopping centre to window shop and have some lunch. Entering the shopping centre there was a huge sign for Pick n Pay (a South African retail store) which was a little surreal. They don’t actually operate here anymore, this was a legacy of their failed effort to launch in Australia some years ago – the locals haven’t bothered to remove the sign though! That evening we chilled at home and Jax made a lovely dinner outside on the patio (it’s great staying with a host who is a chef!!).

The next day Jax dragged us out of bed VERY early (5.30am on a day off, are you crazy Jax!) and we set off to enjoy the beaches which Brisbane and the Queensland coastline have to offer. We started with breakfast at Le Monde cafe on Noosa beach and then headed to Tea Tree Bay. This was a beach where you walked for 10 minutes along a path and through a tropical forest so it was nicely secluded and not as packed as the main beach. The water was crystal clear which was really nice, and we soaked up some rays while Jax did a bit of body boarding We then drove further along the coast and stopped for lunch at Mooloolaba beach further down the coast. Another stunning beach and this one had a lovely statue dedicates to Steve Irwin.

From there we stopped again at Point Cartwright coastal walk to enjoy the views of the towns and beaches along this part of the coastline. It was a great walk and the views spectacular. The surfers were out in force so we enjoyed watching them thrill and spill before driving back along the coast to Brisbane. Al had a sneaky sleep in the car which involved some snoring - must have been the early rise! Once home Al had a little swim with Mighty so they could both cool down before taking it easy for a couple of hours. We then head out for dinner and ate at a great Vietnamese restaurant where the food was superb and we could take our own wine. From there we hit another restaurant which only serves desert – heaven! It was packed inside and had a queue outside so obviously lots of sweet tooth’s in this part of the world. After feeling thoroughly stuffed and a bit tired Kris drove us back home for a quick play with Mighty before dragging ourselves to bed.

Thursday was our last day in Brisbane so we spent the morning chilling with Kris and Jax over a lovely breakfast on the patio before a short shop and lunch at the local shopping centre. Then after packing our bags they drove us to the airport for our flight to Sydney.

A big thanks to Jax and Kris for having us and taking such good care of us. Here are our Brisbane highlights and lowlights:

- Beautiful stretches of coastline and gorgeous beaches in Queensland
- Great weather, nice and hot!
- Our hosts and tour guides Jax and Kris, thanks for looking after us guys