Christmas in Oz

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Christmas in Oz

I arrive in Surfers paradise on the 21st to discover that the hostel is having a pub crawl (result!). I pay my thirty dollars and receive a beach towel, wrist band and a ticket for the raffle. If you win the raffle you get your thirty dollars back. I try and convince the person running the raffle that he wants to pull my ticket out. Subconsciously it must of worked as mine is the first name read out, I slide up to the bar and receive my thirty dollars. Five minutes later one of the employees of the hostel (pronounced hostelll here) comes round asking if anybody wants to earn twenty dollars an hour moving furniture. I tell him I'm in, maybe surfers paradise is my kind of place. The night out is a good one, mostly helped by cheap drinks and glow sticks. I make the decision to retire early (1am) as I have work in the morning. It seems very odd to be going to bed early but the promise of money is worth it.
The next day is spent working. It's not to bad for a one off and I come away with one hundred dollars which is a nice Christmas bonus. The work was relatively easy although the sun and rain make it a bit worse but at least there is a breeze.
The following day is spent at WB movie world. Lots of good rides including Green Lantern, Batman and a Super Man roller coaster. Also this is the first time that it is felt slightly Christmasy thanks to the giant tree and polar express Christmas themed ride.
The following day is Christmas eve. In the morning I do my Christmas bbq shopping: steak, sausage (pork not beef,) burgers, kebabs and Jack Daniels and coke in pre mixed cans are the order of the day. The afternoon is spent in a restaurant called the hogs breath cafe and I have the second best meal in Australia and feel the fullest I have for a while. The evening is spent in the club followed by a midnight trip to the beach.
Christmas day I wake early in the morning thanks to the owner of the hostel bringing his kids with him. He also bought a free breakfast so it's good and bad. The day is spent lounging round the hostel and the beach and eating bbq food for most of the day. It doesn't really feel like Christmas but its nice to have tasty food through the day rather than trying to eat on a budget. I manage to speak to my family in the morning and also receive a Christmas present from my friend consisting of strawberry Nesquick and some mints from the British sweet shop. In return she receives a biscuit tin and some packs of crisps. A fair trade me thinks.
The next few days are very similar to Christmas with me heading down the beach a lot and generally taking it easy.
It is now the 28th and I am back on my way to Brisbane to spend new year there. I have enjoyed Surfers Paradise but I am glad to be moving again.



p.s. sorry no pics this time. Hopefully next time.

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