HOME!

HOME!!
No matter how awesome a holiday is (and this one was Amazingly awesome!) no matter how much you just wish it could go on and on forever (believe me, if it was up to my daughter we would be living there now!) there really is nothing like getting home and having that first night sleeping in your own bed!

We had a fantastic time in Brisbane, my daughter and her best friend got to catch up - for catch up read talk and giggle non stop for 12 days! I got to spend time with my friend and have my first taste of Aussie life.

Our first experience was a picnic breakfast on Surfers Paradise beach.
Tough, but someone has to do it!   

                                                                    We visited Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, where we fed kangaroos, goggled at snakes in tanks, and saw our first and only spider (sorry about the blurry photo, camera shake due to full zoom as I wouldn't get any closer!)

and of course see all the adorable koalas!












Wandering around the city we came across lots of examples of old and new architecture side by side. Modern sky scrapers towering behind historical old buildings. 
                                                                                               The girls had fun at Movie World and Wet 'n' Wild, and we hit the shops in Brisbane.
OH MY GOODNESS! THE SHOPS!
I swear I was hyperventilating as we drew into the carpark at Ikea!! On our last night my room was full of bags, one suitcase that had been full to start with, plus about twice the amount again to get back in it! I was about to go out to buy a new suitcase when the people we were staying with pulled out a big holdall they said we could use! (Thanks A!)
The friends we stayed with have a beautiful home, and are very clever at finding great bargains when it comes to furniture, and revamping them to look amazing, like the fabulous French style wardrobe that cost them $10!! It looks identical to any you could pay hundreds for. I came home very inspired to do a spot of decorating! Of course my 39" high Eiffel Tower wall art from Typo may have something to do with that as well..! It came in a tube, which I carried the entire way home, as hand luggage, along with my huge holdall bag, laptop and handbag. Was it my imagination that the customs officer raised his eyebrows, smiled and let out a big "I give up!" sigh as I went through?!