Brisbane to Sydney

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As the plane touched down in Brisbane airport we could barely contain our excitement. This was the moment we had been looking forward to for as long as we could remember. Having heard so much about the land down under from family and friends, about the beautiful weather, outdoor lifestyle, relaxed, laid back attitude of people and the stunning scenery, we almost had to pinch ourselves to believe we were about to experience it first hand.
My cousin Nathan, was there at the airport to welcome us to Oz. He took us for a drive around Redcliff and Scarborough, down by the seafront to a cafe by the beach. We fell in love with Australia immediately and this love grew stronger and stronger with every passing day. We stayed in my Auntie Mary and Uncle Pat's house with Nathan; it was pure heaven. Nathan was so good to us the whole time we were there, showing us around, bringing us places and just hanging out with us. We really enjoyed the time we spent with him.
Lauren, a very good friend of ours, had organised a big Ozzie bbq down on the beach to welcome us over and introduce us to all her friends. It was awesome. Those Ozzie's really know how to have fun and throw a party. Everybody was so friendly and welcoming and went out of their way to make sure we were enjoying ourselves.
There was further excitement with the arrival of Caoimhe to Brisbane a few days later. It was great to see her, although it took me a while to actually believe she was there! We spent days in Sunnyside chilling by the pool, chatting and catching up with Nathan, Jodie and their beautiful daughter Eva. We really can't thank Nathan and Jodie enough for how welcome they made us and how good and kind they were.
Although it was difficult for us to get our heads around the fact that it was Christmas with the sun beating down from the clear blue sky, surely enough, Irish Santa found us all on Sunnyside Road! I had the most fabulous wake-up call (albeit at 8.30am) by a phone call from my parents. The line was so clear that it felt like they were in the next room! To hear their voices first thing on Christmas morning meant so much and set me up for a fabulous day. There was great excitement in the house as Eva unwrapped all of her gifts and her little face lit up with delight at everything she got. But Eva wasn't the only one unwrapping presents; Paulo and I received so many beautiful and thoughtful gifts from friends and family. We were really blown away by the kindness. One of the surprises sent over to us was a present of the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb!
We spent the morning chatting, swimming and peeling prawns together. It wasn't too long before we learned that Nathan definitely takes after his mam in the cooking department - he cooked up the most delicious feast for us to enjoy. It was really nice to be with family and friends and we had a brilliant day.
The Christmas celebrations continued on the following day with another get-together at the MacLean household (good friend's of the Naidoo's). Once again we were given the most beautiful welcome and treated as if we were family.
When the Christmas festivities were over we decided we'd do a little bit of diving in Brisbane. Caoimhe was very keen to get in the water while she was here so we booked in for three dives off Moreton Island, a day we will never forget, for all the wrong reasons. Unfortunately, after the second dive, one of the divers in our group never made it back to the boat alive. It is suspected he had a heart attack at the surface but none the less as the death happened in the ocean, the boat was deemed a crime scene and the water police and detectives were called out to investigate. Because we were witnesses, we weren't allowed to leave the boat until the preliminary examination was complete and the body was removed from the boat, which took seven hours.
Once back on dry land we were escorted to the local police station to give statements, with the possibility of having to return in three years to give evidence in court! Little did we know that when we set off on our diving adventure at seven thirty that morning, that we wouldn't be returning until ten that night in the back of a squad car!
Our final day in Brisbane was much happier affair spent in Australia Zoo with Nathan. We fed the kangaroos and watched the Irwin Family do their crocodile show; it was a lot of fun.
From Brisbane we flew to Melbourne to the lively suburb of St Kilda. Melbourne is a fabulous city, very vibrant and alive. We spent days exploring, wandering down side streets and alleyways, discovering funky little bars and cafes. It is so easy to get around the city with the most effective public transport system we have ever experienced. Trams, buses and trains run to every destination, we were never left waiting for more than a few minutes, far removed from the days of standing on Collins' Avenue, waiting on a 20B!
The Queen Victoria Night Markets came alive on Wednesday nights with lots of food stalls and every drink imaginable on sale. There were live bands performing and the atmosphere was electric. Paulo had a blast drinking pink champagne with the girls and chatting about anything and everything that cam to our minds! It was such a fantastically funny night with Caoimhe and Lauren; I still giggle when I think of it.
New Years Eve kind of crept up on us and with only hours to spare before 2010 was upon us, Lauren and Caoimhe managed to find four tickets to Hed Kandi, which we were all pretty stoked about. Not a bad gig to be going to any night let alone New Year's Eve. We danced the night away and rang in the New Year with big smiles on our faces.
All partied out and ready for a change of scenery, we flew up to Sydney and checked into a hotel right in the heart of the city. Australia to us just keeps getting better and better. Sydney has it all.
The day soon came for the bridge climb and we were full of mixed emotions; excited, anxious, nervous, scared! Caoimhe, Paulo and I set off to the base of the bridge, while Lauren went for a stroll around Circular Quay. We got kitted out in the most flattering jump suits and were given a safety briefing before heading out on the bridge. It was the most incredible experience to be up so high, looking out over the Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay and beyond. We were blessed with a fabulous clear blue sky that made the views even more spectacular. That memory is one that will stay with us always.
Our backpacker lifestyles had really been thrown out the window since arriving in Australia and that trend continued when I booked tickets to go see the musical Wicked with Lauren and Caoimhe, while Paulo went to see Avatar (a little break from the girls). We all had a brilliant night with raving reviews coming back from both shows!
Once we had seen enough of the city centre, we headed out towards Sydney's beaches. We had picnics in Coogee and chatted for hours on end in Manly, by which stage poor Paulo could have done with a few men in his company!
Sydney’s Summer Festival first night fell on the girls' last nigh. There were street performers, acrobats and Al Green all performing. The city was jam-packed. It was a great send off. We're really going to miss Caoimhe and Lauren now that they've gone but have no doubt that we'll see them both again really soon.

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