Highlight reel...Brisbane to Sydney

Nothing like writing a blog while hungover/full/tired/cranky or needing a cup of tea. Anyway, here are some photos from my travelling part of my trip to Australia before I settled down in Brisbane. Had a crazy few months but was totally worth all the effort. 2012 was a pretty bad year but it ended on a huge high.

(left) My approach to BNE, 22 hours is a hell of a flight to stay awake for. Fish porridge for breakfast on EVA air is not recommended for sure!!

The views were fantastic, this was around 9am on a clear day and a further on in the approach Brisbane city was clearly visible. The start of the adventure was here.

Hope Island (below), staying at my cousins was an experience. Well looked after, great way to be welcomed to Australia. Below is my view from my room balcony of the house.

My first full day in Australia was spent on my cousin's boat, not a bad way to start. The trip to (I believe) Windbreak Island was great. We even met a family who had built a nuclear blast proof house and were living in it along with the 1001 conspiracy theories the owner had! Beautiful weather though, and the picture below is of Harry,Cleo and myself. My cousin Sean has two amazing kids and we had a great time relaxing on the boat and letting them beat the living daylights out of me!                                                        

Australia V South Africa at the Gabba in Brisbane. (below) If Australia won they went back to the number 1 spot in test cricket. They didn't, Jacques Kallis scored a brilliant century as the game petered to a rain affected draw. This was my first job, selling headsets to the crowd at the ground. I was able to watch the game at the same time and with it some amazing cricket...by South Africa! The crowd was pretty quiet, practising for the Ashes this summer I suspect!!

 I also did the same job at the MCG in Melbourne for an ODI between Australia and West Indies. The ground is incredible, huge. Its a shame i couldn't get down for the boxing day test but just to be at the ground was great.
Bright yellow t-shirts and a massive sign above your head are not likely to make you a hit with the ladies but the pay was good and I managed to watch some free cricket.

 Left is a picture from Lone Pine Koala sanctuary. They specialised in koalas but also in the park they had a array of kangaroos that you could feed. (much like Australia zoo) I managed to take this picture of the roos and duck sharing the water, very cute.

Being able to handle the koalas was a nice experience, Apparently they are not koala bears, very disappointed in this discovery!! They don't seem the same now!!

Spaghetti House, Brisbane. Prior to Christmas I was fortunate enough to land a job in an Italian restaurant. 60 hours a week wasn't what I was expecting to work over in Australia but luckily one of the girls lived behind the restaurant. So many nights were spent in the garden drinking until the small hours with just a few of the many friends I have made here.
The photo on the right is the 3am group shot. At the front of the photo is the then manager. Claimed he was part of the 'Brisbane Mafia'. He wasn't, he was just fat and greasy!

Sydney Opera House (below) on the 30th December. After a 3 day 1500km drive from Brisbane I ended up in Sydney for New Years. Weather was perfect, and Sydney was a buzz of activity ready for one of the best firework celebrations in the world. This photo was taken off the Harbour Bridge. 

 Below is the view from our position for New Years eve. We managed to find a spot in a public park overlooking the bridge. Arriving at midday we picked up some beers and relaxed in the sun awaiting the start of 2013. It was very amusing to watch the girl who by 1pm had fell over and passed out drunk in the middle of the park.
Sitting on an embankment over looking the bridge for New Years is one of the best things I have done and made coming to Australia worth the effort.

And finally......(Bottom Photo)

Sam and Dave, the two guys who I travelled with from Brisbane to Melbourne. I got to know Sam very well from our time in the backpackers in Brisbane. We had the most amazing road trip, 12 days in a car is taxing but sleeping in one is even worse. Great fun and totally worth the backache!!

Sam, Myself and Dave on New Years Eve

Next week...Sydney to Melbourne photos.