Unforgettable Australia

Jump...jump...at a playground in Gold Coast

Oh my Gosh it's been the 12th day of 2014 and I haven't posted anything yet. As usual I still have the post-holiday-syndrome, feel like I am still on holiday and have nothing to worry about while the fact is totally different. My girls must go back to school and my teaching schedule keeps calling me to get back to reality. I know there is always an ending for everything even for one of the best holiday ever.

Surfer Paradise, Gold Coast

Botanical Garden in Brisbane

Our Australia trip was kind of unplanned. My hubby's cousin who happens to live in Brisbane, invited us to visit them. I was not sure that I could get the visa within the limited time and found a reasonable price of flight ticket for the four of us since it's christmas and new year holiday.

Luckily we got the visa and the flight tickets as well although the price was quite pricey but the show must go on. Let's get rolling. Let's explore Australia. After eight hours of flying plus a-three-hour transit in Denpasar airport, we finally landed in Brisbane at 7 a.m. (Brisbane time is three hours ahead of Jakarta time). Good morning Brisbane. We arrived on December 26, it's a Boxing Day, no it has no relation with boxing in fact it's the best day for shopping since all shops and mall give 50% discount and more for all items sold. Just a perfect day to browse Australia malls although almost all of them were crowded. However it's quite interesting to know the history of Boxing Day, you can check here.

Our cousin lives in Sunshine Coast, one-and-a-half hour from Brisbane. It's a nice-peaceful-comfortable place with warm people. No traffic jam, no pollution, no crime, it's surrounded by many beaches. The Brisbaners  love picnic. They do it easily due to lots of beautiful beaches there and the city council provides them with comfy benches and barbecue tools, you just need to relax and enjoy the view. Najla and Zea fell in love with this place since they could swim everyday and could play in many nice and well-maintaned playgrounds all around the places and drank a tap water directly when they're thirsty.

On the 1st of January was Zea's 7th birthday, we celebrated it by visiting Australia Zoo owned by the legendary crocodile hunter, the late Steve Irwin and Zea's dream to meet and feed Kangaroo finally came true. We even watched the crocs show performed by Steve Irwin family, his wife and their two kids. I know this is going to be one of the best birthdays for our new year baby, right Zea?

Steve Irwin pics spread all over this place

Feed the kangaroo gently

Our cousin and his Australian wife are the best holiday organiser ever. They never let us stayed home. They already prepared a two-week-tight-holiday-schedule for us. But Australia is one of the biggest country in the world, two weeks are not enough to even explore Brisbane, one of the states in Australia.    There are too many places to see but still we're grateful to experience such awesome places such as Gold Coast as the surfer paradise, Brisbane with its big Ferris Wheel to see the beautiful city along Brisbane river, South Bank with its beautiful swimming pool, cafe and nice surrounding, the quite small city of Montville, Melaney with its farm and breathtaking view, Currimundi lake, Mooloolaba beach and fish market, the sunday market, and many more. Sound like a strange name? Yep, we found many unique names for places, beach, lake, etc since Australian took them from Aborigine, the indigenous people of Australia.

Cozy bookshops are everywhere

It's our best holiday ever and I really recommend people to go to Brisbane, a peaceful city that really kids-friendly. In fact Najla rejected to go home. Oh...my dear, mama feels you, this place is too good to be true if we compare with Jakarta and its horrible traffic jam. But time is up baby, pack your things and let's get back to reality. Hope this year we can have as awesome holiday as this one!!!