Australian Holiday

However much you enjoy travelling, there is never anything as good as a sleep in your own bed, is there? We landed safe and sound in Dublin yesterday (where I certainly did NOT cry like a baby when I was safely in Trev's arms) and drove the few hours home to Tinnock. There are big fat clumps of yellow daffodils down the field, the buds on the fruit trees are close to bursting open, the grass is lush and so thick, and the pots are full of bright tulips. It is so good to be home. 

But this post is about Australia, so I will stop waxing lyrical about Tinnock now and get down to it! 

We arrived to the sticky heat of a 30 degree Brisbane night and made our way to the Brisbane north coast suburb of Redcliffe to my parents place. Waking up to gentle waves, strong heat, and loud bird calls were surreal but wonderful, and we walked down to the beach to put our feet in the South Pacific Ocean and run up and down the beach looking for treasure in the form of shells and colourful sea glass. 

The first few days were spent alternating between dozing off spontaneously and being so full of energy and ready for adventure. We caught up with many relatives, walked down the road to the local markets where Lily convinced me to buy more pineapples then were necessary, and swam everyday. 

When we were up to it, Mum, the girls and I drove up to one of the most beautiful places in South East Queensland, the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. We had a beautiful day wandering the towns of Montville and Maleny and I convinced my mum to pull over several times to take pictures of the passing scenery. I drank way to much iced coffee, the girls were spoilt by their Nan, we visited some awesome local craft and antique shops, and enjoyed being among open rolling hills. 

My beautiful niece Evelyn celebrate her birthday twice while we were there. For the first little party we made a little cake, which Evie promptly ignored in favour of eating her body weight in watermelon, then went for a swim in her pool while my Brother in law Chris made us an award winning BBQ dinner. The second party was a trip around Australia Zoo. We packed our bags and set off early that morning, each with a different animal we were excited to see. We watched the crocodile show, saw all sorts of animals, patted some kangaroos, wallabies and koalas, and watched the kids as they met each animal with excitement and fascination. Lily's favourite were the giraffes and snakes, Mae enjoyed the koalas and meerkats, and I waited impatiently until we finally saw some wombats. Evie's tiny little 2 year old legs stubbornly walked her the whole way around the zoo and all three girls slept the way home after a wonderful day together.

Beside Tinnock, the place closest to my heart is the inland gold mining town of Gympie. The girls and I drove up the old highway, driving past the towns of Kennilworth, Imbil, and Amamoor until we reached Gympie. We had afternoon tea with my grandparents on the north side then ventured south to stay with my wonderful cousins. We had the best weekend, eating pizza with all of my Gympie family, all the kids playing sardines in the pitch darkness in their great-grandparents backyard, drinking copious amounts of tea, chatting until all hours, visiting the dump shop and buying an oil painting for $1, and just spending time with people I love in a town I love. On the last day of our time in Gympie, we travelled on an originally renovated steam engine up the Mary Valley. It was an absolutely amazing experience, and the girls and I loved every minute of it.

On a 35degree day, we jumped in the car and headed on the bridge over the Pumicestone Passage to Bribie Island. The island, which is mainly national park, is home to an amazing range of wildlife and is bordered by white sand beaches. We spent the morning on the sheltered west side where we watched the girls swim, then after a fish and chip lunch, we drove across the island to the surf beach to take a stroll. 

It was a great trip home, and we came home full of love, good memories and experiences, with a jar or two of rosella jam and promite.

As a write this, I have my favourite coffee mug full beside me, Hazel at my feet, the girls are out playing with Woody in the paddock, and Trev is tucked up happily in bed, snoring away. There is a mountain of washing to get through and the job list is longer than my arm, but I am home, and as always in Tinnock, there is no rush.