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HIYA!!
We're back.
So Surfers Paradise is where we left you on our adventure. We booked somewhere to stay using Air B'n'B as we did in Byron. Unfortunately this place did not live up to the same standards as Byron. We had 2 weeks booked here, so we took our big boy pills and got in with it.
Surfers was everything we expected and perhaps a little bit more. High rise buildings, surfers, bars, tacky stuff, sunshine and a glorious stretch of beach all at our doorstep. We needed work and ASAP, luckily Sam & Kerry were doing some work from home data entry work which kept us ticking over. I managed to get a role in a call centre and decided after 1 day, I would rather be eaten by a shark than continue with that job. The search proved more difficult than we anticipated and with our living situation, it's safe to say spirits were low.
Luckily enough our Scottish contacts just keep on coming and Sam's friend from home Jason met us for a bit of a Sunday sesh and showed us around surfers a bit,
which was good and managed to take our mind off the serious stuff!
After 2 weeks of living in border line squalor, we moved in to a Penthouse apartment, with everything you could want in a place! Amazing views, Sky TV, balcony, pool, sauna and the most incredible sunsets. Not without flaw, we did live with 3 guys who worked in hospitality which meant they partied midweek not the weekend and lacked the social skills of regular humans. But still, wonderful improvement on the crack den and easily the nicest place I've ever stayed!!
We did a fair bit through May and June but to be honest nothing to write home (or indeed online) about. Saving pennies and trying to find better work was the order of most days. I did manage to get some work selling college courses to unemployed Australians - it's actually worse than it sounds, if you can believe that.
However, the mood changed on approach to my 25th birthday. Sam had contacted Jonathon and Steph (see previous blogs about how awesome they are) and they flew from Melbourne to spend the weekend with us. We hired
a car and had a jam packed weekend with the guys which really was needed. We drove to Tamborine Mountain, went to a craft brewery, bush walk to a waterfall and a creepy liqueur distillery where we were chased out and quizzed as to why we weren't tasting his home made vodka at 11am. That night we tried out a new burger place near our house, which was pretty good and a great way to cap off the day.
The next morning we rose bright and early to drive to Brisbane. Sam had an interview and we also wanted to explore the city as Jonathon and Steph had never been. First stop after kicking Sam out the car was Mt Coot-Tha, where Mhairi and Stephen had taken us and I wanted to show the guys. After that we grabbed some breakfast where Steph and I got the most amazing banana bread and Jonathon got some pretty tasty looking pancakes. Sam re-joined the party and we had a nice stroll around Brisbane cbd which re-affirmed our previous thoughts - it's a great city! We grabbed a bite to eat and a beer at the James Squire pub to
finish off our Brisbane adventure. That night we went to the Hilton hotel for a birthday cocktail and had a late dinner at Sam and I's favourite Italian chain in Surfers. The weekend was over in a flash and we took the guys back to the airport and we were back to reality! For about the 5th time during our travel blog, I can't thank Jonathon and Steph enough, they are amazing and we will no doubt catch up with them very soon!
Another couple of trips to Brisbane followed for various reasons but the best one was meeting Mhairi and Stephen for a bit of a day sesh! A few beers and drunkenly scoffing down chicken wings pretty much sums up my night.
One last visitor before we left Surfers and the penthouse behind was Lyndsey, my friend from home who is also working her way around Australia just now. Some churros, prosecco, beer and vodka was had. Along with some hints and tips for the rest of our respective journeys. On the back of our night with Lyndsey, Sam and I along with Emma - Sam's sister - made some big steps
with planing the rest of trip. But you'll have to wait for that.
The tough few weeks coupled with Sams new employment in Brisbane, we made a choice to move to Brisvegas. I also managed to get a job and in our new place we shouldn't have any issues of mid week parties ....
More on Brisbane next time...
Ciao / Au Revior / Peace / Cheerio
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