Our last few days in Australia were spent in Brisbane with Brad & Salini, beginning with dinner at theirs on New Year's Eve. Their lovely new/old home has a great view from the decks over Brisbane city and allegedly a view of the fireworks - unfortunately in the five years since they've been away people have inconsiderately planted trees which therefore obscured much of the view!
Hayley starting the new year as she finished the last one!
What's an Aussie dinner party without a pavlova?!
The following day we went to Mount Tambourine, way up in the Queensland Hills. Randomly on the way you pass Piano Rock - originally named because it is a rock that looks like (and therefore someone has painted it!) a piano that has been thrown down the mountain!
Allegedly, there are great views but when we were there these were being slightly obscured by the clouds as the heavens decided to open as soon as we arrived! After lunch in a pub whose other claim to fame other than its views is the massive St Bernard dog, we indulged in a little bit of wine tasting before heading to the rainforest to do a little walk to Curtis Falls!
A uniquely named Australian vintage from the local vineyards!
This took slightly longer to get going than we thought it would as conveniently placed at the foot of the walk was a traditional sweet shop which involved lots of reminiscing and a lively discussion (Salini!) with the shop keeper about whether certain sweets were of Australian or New Zealand origin!
We finally headed off though, appropriately attired in our walking shoes ie flip flops, onto the muddiest walking track in the world, through the rain forest to Curtis Falls. Most of our concentration seemed to be based on staying upright and not falling face first in the mud however it was actually a pleasant walk through the forest to the falls - were they worth it?! I'll let you judge for yourselves...
Our final day in Brissy was a spent being proper tourists and catching the ferry over to Brisbane's South Bank to compare it with London! We had a lovely lunch with the most lurid coloured cocktails!, before walking back along the river and catching the ferry home.
Brisbane's answer to the South Bank - complete with fake beach!
No artificial colours at use here!
And now.....on to New Zealand....!
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