Memories from 2010

I was browsing Nadine's Australia posts tonight, and decided to post some photos from my trip. I went to Queensland on my first holiday outside of New Zealand last November. I was so excited, you have no idea. I took 875 (pretty low res) photos during our week-long trip, snapping away at anything I saw- fast food chains we don't have here, shop signs, unusual houses, the ground, people...

Charlie and I barely slept the night before, and flew out of Wellington at 6.30am. A three hour flight and three hour time difference means it was also around 6.30am when we landed in Brisbane. This is just one of the many happy snaps I took "I'm over the Tasman, o-m-g!"

This was outside, after we landed in Brisbane. I look pretty relaxed here, pretty collected. I was back to grinning like a maniac the second after the photo was taken, I assure you.

"Charlie! Smile! Hey! Smile! Photo!" Direct quote, probably. This photo was taken in Brisbane, during our first visit to GoMA.

We drove south to Broadbeach for the first few nights, and stayed in a hotel. Such good memories of just sweating on the balcony. Never has a view of an access road been so exciting to me.

Through the bars you can see the Gold Coast Convention Centre across the road- nothing particularly special, but I get all dreamy whenever it's in Australian news. I'm such a dork.

I didn't get a tan, just burnt. This photo is a lie.

From the monorail.

The view of Jupiter's Casino from our room. We did go there one evening, and I played pokies for the first time. Which was underwhelming. Unlike the food and drinks which were faaabulous.

Oh yeah, the whole reason we were to Australia in the first place was for Charlie's cousin's wedding, which was up Mount Tamborine and was lovely.

We dressed nice. I swear he was happy to be there, he just doesn't really like smiling in photos.

We spent a night back in Brisbane, and I have too many photos of buildings and streets to choose from. Instead I'll post another happy snap of... a bus stop. "Oh wow, their benches face the bus." Moron.

For the final few nights we drove another three hours north to a settlement near Hervey Bay.

We jumped out of the car from our trip and got handed beer. Perfect.

This was the part of the trip where I got really sunburned. Kayaking and swimming in the warm sea every day was totally worth a little peeling and pain.

Some neighbourhood dog. If you can call paradise a neighbourhood. Sighhh.

A pier at Hervey Bay. Much longer than it appeared from shore. One day Queensland, I will be back.