Adventures Down Under…

My boyfriend and I returned last week from our holiday to Brisbane and I have spent this week trying to get my body clock adjusted and brain awake enough to actually be useful at work.  I feel I have only achieved the latter and still have no clue where I am.

Andrew and I flew with Emirates, this is the first time I have flown with the company.  Wow. The planes are beautiful and that’s before you even give credit to the cabin crew.  Their uniforms are divine, cream and red, and its the little touches such as the red between the pleats of the cream skirt that really set them apart from other airline staff.  The female staff had immaculate makeup, their red lipstick, a dupe for MAC’s Russian Red, lasted 15 hours – I want to know their secret for that kind of staying power…

We upgraded the first leg of our journey to Business Class, and I think we spent the first two hours of the flight pressing all the buttons on the chairs; massage, foot height and bed mode. This really entertained the child in the both of us, and for the adult within the Verve Cliquot champagne did the entertaining.  We had a sumptuous three course meal, and to say I over indulged would be an understatement, which resulted in me spending the majority of the subsequent flight in that teeny toilet throwing up.  Let this be a lesson to all; rich food ain’t good on a flight.

So anyway, the holiday…My dad walked us around what felt like the entirety of Brisbane on our first day.  My Carvela sandals gave me blisters and I had to go and buy some Haviana’s to try and mitigate the pain.  It is a beautiful city.  Lots of interesting bridges, colonial buildings, and old Queensland houses; well those left after the terrible floods a few years ago.

We visited Noosa, which is a beach resort a couple of hours outside of Brisbane.  The waterfront houses were amazing with their glass fronts and jetty’s to their private boats.  Very nice.  We stayed at a hotel/apartments called the Outrigger, which is set in the National Park and our balcony looked out onto the vast forest.  We went from Noosa to Fraser Island on what I can only describe as a 4×4 bus – I want one!  I was disappointed with Fraser Island, everyone raves about how beautiful it is, but to me it was $179 dollars spent on looking at different trees and one stream.  Perhaps it was lost on me…



Noosa Beach

‘The Gladiator’

Wild Dingo on Fraser Island

We then did a trip through the Everglades which were truly breathtaking.  The water goes from blue to black due to the Tannin in the water from the Tea trees and the reflections made for some beautiful photographs.  It truly was the most tranquil place I have ever visited and if I were a writer I think it would be the perfect place to conjure up incredible fiction.

A Trip on the Everglades

Beautiful Scenery

We went back to Brisbane and spent a few days looking around the shops.  I couldn’t believe how much makeup the girls wore over there, and in that heat!  I went barefaced for the majority of the holiday and even Andrew commented on how good my skin was.  I’d like to know the skincare routine of those girls and also how on Earth they kept it in place all day.  Beyond me.

I got to cuddle a Koala at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary which was a wonderful experience, it was a female Koala called Theresa.  I did this in Perth about 12 years ago but it is amazing getting so close to these creatures.  Each Koala can be cuddled for 30minutes per day, with every third day being their rest day.  We got to feed Kangaroos as well, and me being me, obviously the biggest Kangaroo in the sanctuary came over to get fed.  One greedy Kangaroo did try to steal my bag of food, and one of my knuckles with it.  Cheeky bugger.

Hello Mr Koala

Andy, Theresa and I

G’day Big Guy

I think I made a friend.

Surfer’s Paradise was firmly on my list of places to visit, and I’m so glad we did.  The beach was incredible.  We were approached by club promoters quite a lot so I think it is very much a party town after the sun sets.

Such a Touristy Picture

And so here I am, sat in the house with the central heating blasting, a wooly jumper and haven’t left the house today without my feet being firmly snug within the comfort of my Uggs.  I really don’t see the appeal of moving down under.  No not the laid back lifestyle, the glorious sunshine, or the fact that school children learn to surf as part of their curriculum.  No.  England appeals so much more.

Lauren xx