Bris-awesome!

I have had a hard time beginning this blog. It has been difficult to put in to words the gratitude I feel for our Australian family. Miguel and I truly saved the best for last!

After almost 20 years apart, Brisbane and I reunited. It was wonderful and much better than expected. For those of you who don't know my family spent a fabulous year in 1992 in Brisbane, Australia. My mother was an exchange teacher, my sister and I went to school, and my father enjoyed the "good" life. During our year in Australia we met the Atkins....the most loving and wonderful family you can imagine. We enjoyed family barbies, many avo's (afternoons) together, and just truly fell in love with one another. My family became very close with Kirsten, the youngest Atkin daughter. She is a beautiful character and a truly loyal friend. I couldn't wait to introduce her to Miguel!

We arrived in Brisbane on February 16th and we were greeted by a curly blonde haired beauty with a HUGE smile! "KIRSTEN," I screamed (yes, we had a total girl moment at the airport) and I couldn't believe she hadn't changed after nearly 20 years. That same face I remembered was still the one standing in front of me. So funny how years can pass, but the feelings of true friendship never leave. We began our conversation like only minutes had passed, not years.

One thing is for sure. When you visit Kirsten, EVERY SINGLE DETAIL is taken care of. She remembers everything and forgets nothing. She is a Brisbane copper (cop) and a damn good one at that. She knows her stuff and you NEVER mess with Kirsty. She tells you the sky is green and you believe her! I love her strong will and her determination. When you are with her, one thing is certain, a friggin GREAT time. Before we arrived, she had the fridge stocked with our favorite goodies, the "liquor" fridge filled with our favorite stubbies (beer) and of course our bed was turned down not with chocolates, but with serving size packets of vegemite. AWESOME! Needless to say, we were home with family and we couldn't wait to get the party started.

We began our first evening with lamingtons (chocolate covered sponge cake rolled in coconut), delicious fish and chips and Kirsten's baby girl Bonnie Bonita! The most beautiful dog I have ever laid eyes on! We ate dinner together on the water with the moon gazing over head. A wonderful evening of friends and stories. No words can describe how lucky I feel to be back with Kirsten. We are usually separated by ocean and so much distance....it is such a pleasure to be so close!

The next morning Miguel and I wake to Kirsten asking us what we want for breakfast (it was like this every morning to come). She spoiled us rotten. We asked for eggs and we got them. We asked for pancakes and we got them. We asked for the best coffee ever and yup, we got it. We asked for bacon and yes, we got it too. Kirsty wouldn't let us lift a finger. It was like a 7 diamond hotel. Seriously!

Brekkie at Kirsten's

Pancakes...mmm delicioso!

The first day, Kirsten took Margaret (her mother) Miguel and I to visit the Australia Zoo. The zoo was taken over by Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter) and transformed into the beautiful zoo it is today. Steve Irwin wanted to share his love of wildlife with the masses and he wanted its visitors to get close to the animals...and close we got. We were able to feed and play with a variety of animals. My favorite was feeding the elephants and playing with the koalas. Beautiful animals. The next couple of days were spent close to home relaxing, doing laundry, and hanging out. Kirsten took me to the home my family lived in while we were in Brisbane. She also took me to my old primary school....a few updates, but it looked the same. It was great to visit these places again. It took me back in time to a place in my life that I loved! 

Tassie Devil...they are so soft and CUTE! 

If you look close enough you can see my six pack....not!

Red Panda - REMEMBER PLEASE DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS

American Blonde - REMEMBER DON'T GIVE HER A CREDIT CARD

The Outback Spectacular
Kirsten also treated us to a wonderful evening at the Outback Spectacular. A dinner theater that provides a beautiful dinner and entertainment that tells the story of the Light Horsemen. It was a wonderful evening full of fun, cocktails, and live horses. 

Surfer's Paradise
Our last day, Kirsten took us to the coast. We started at surfers paradise and visited the AMAZING Q1. Q1 is the tallest building in Australia and is known for it's 360 degree view of the coast! WOW, it is a truly amazing and thrilling view. You fly to the 77th floor in a speed racer elevator and exit through glass double doors and the first thing you see is paradise. The coast goes on for miles and the ocean seems to fall straight off the edge of the earth. The view left me speechless. We spent the morning enjoying a delicious cappucino, taking in the beautiful view, and picking our favorite homes that lined the outer canals. Breathtaking!

Q1

Court's dream home..maybe I can work as a pool boy there?

Coolangatta Beach

Aussie Barbie
That evening Kirsten planned a family barbie! All three of the Atkin girls and their families/friends came to play! We dined on kangaroo, steaks, and sausage. We had delicious sides and endless cocktails. We reminised of our times together in 92' and the many stories of our fathers. I was amazed at the detail everyone remember of Dad. It was wonderful to remember him and have Miguel hear their stories. We spoke of old memories and made many new ones. It was a PERFECT evening and I was so sad to see it end. Miguel and I loved every minute in Brisbane. We cannot thank Kirsten and her beautiful family enough for showing us such a wonderful time. We consider the Atkins family and we were treated like family! I can't wait to return the favor!! Thank you for your hospitality, your kindness, and most of all your love!!! Until we meet again.....We love and miss you everyday! 

Hello Zelco!

Court and Bonnie

Melissa, Marg, Joe, and Robin

Pavlova, molto buono!

Twice as good as a Dos X

Paradise on Land and Water

The cities of Cairns and Port Douglas are nestled between two of natures greatest gifts to the world, the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.  After driving for hundreds of kilometers over the past week in both Southern Australia and Tasmania we were looking forward to spending sometime in the water enjoying some scuba diving in one of the world's best diving locations.  However, our expectations were somewhat guarded since the cyclone had hit this part of the country just a few days earlier.  Luckily news reports indicated that both Cairns and Port Douglas had been sparred the worst.

We arrived in Cairns early in the morning and we instantly fell in love with the city.  The streets were full of shops, restaurants, and cafes and to top it off the weather was perfect! What also made the city so appealing was that the cyclone had scared away many of the tourists that would usually crowd the streets of this little city, which also meant that we could score some deals! As in every city we had been before, we were very anxious to check out our hostel...I booked another shared bathroom type of room :). Courtney has been a great sport throughout the trip and I certainly did not want to scare or disappoint her. The Dreamtime Hostel was rated as one of the top hostels in Australia, so what could go wrong? Fortunately, nothing went wrong and the place was great! Our next task, procuring a diving excursion for the following day.  Diving at the Reef was one of the main reasons we got our diving certification a month earlier in Maui.  Not only did we want a top of the line diving company, but we wanted to capitalize on any special deals that were going on. The hostel was able to help us with this and we booked a trip with the TUSA T5 diving company.  They gave us a great discount and gave us the third dive for free! With business taken care of, we needed to feed our bellies and enjoy a delicious Australian cappuccino.

Dreamtime Hostel

The Lagoon, Cairns

One of our favorite spots in Cairns was the Lagoon. A large public salt water pool. Perfect for travelers who do not have a pool in their hotel/hostel!

Great Barrier Reef

The main reason for the long haul to the north eastern part of Australia was to scuba at the Great Barrier Reef.  It spans over 2,600 KM, which makes it the worlds largest reef system.  This amazing ecosystem is immense and it supports a wide and diverse set of organisms.  Even though it is probably one of the most protected national parks in the world, the Reef's health is in peril.  Increasing temperatures around in the oceans and flood runoff from the mainland is bringing in unwanted fresh water and dirt that kills of the coral and its marine life.  If I were you I would get my butt here and swim it before it vanishes!

We dont have any underwater pictures since my camera case can only go down to 10 meters (30 feet).  We dived three times at two different dive sites.  The company we went with was absolutely fantastic.  A fast and sharp looking boat took around thirty of us for an all day trip around the reef.  We dived at depths between 30 feet and 60 feet.  It was truly beautiful and it completely beat our expectations.  We swam through canyons of corals and saw all kinds of crazy looking fish with the most phenomenal colors we had ever seen.  

My buddy looks good for diving

Chilling in Port Douglas

We really enjoyed Cairns, but Port Douglas was even better.  This is one place we will have to come back to some day.   There are not as many tourist and everything just seems and looks cleaner and nicer. We got to stay at the very nice Sheraton Mirage Resort. Even though the hotel was built a while ago and it needed a face lift, its multiple salt and fresh water pools more than compensated for it.  We got an upgraded room for our stay and we decided to chill and recharge before heading to Brisbane for our final four days in Australia.

Courtney typing away on the blog

Enjoying a beer at Rattle N' Hum

Salt water pool at the Sheraton

Our room, sorry for the mess

Driving to the airport...Brisbane here we come!