Moving to the Sunshine State: South Brissie and Straddie Island

Time really does fly when you’re having fun! It’s been over a month since the big move down under with my boyfriend, Dom, to work in A&E in Brisbane, Queensland. I can’t quite believe that this is the 7^th country I’ve visited in as many months, and am looking forward to the adventures to come!

Aptly named the Sunshine State, I was greeted with cloudless blue sky and a temperature of 25⁰C the day we arrived. Did I tell you they call this ‘winter’?! Helloooo Australia!


My new home!

The first week passed in a blur of life admin, night shifts at my new job (NOT a good combination with jet lag) and getting settled into our new home in South Bank. The buzz of city life means there’s so much to see, do, drink and eat! It’s an exciting contrast from our relaxed country lifestyle in North Wales last year. Living in a beautiful riverside location, even commuting to the city centre is done in style here via a kitsch ‘city hopper’ ferry. Catching some rays on the top deck whilst cruising along the river, I feel a world away from the UK. It certainly beats the tube!



Commuting the Ozzie way

Evenings have been spent sipping bubbles overlooking the river, admiring the city skyline sparkling against the night sky. And what a novelty being able to have a drink outside in the evening without feeling cold!

Enjoying Bubbles in the City

 

One pro of shift work is getting a stretch of a few days off, enabling us to go and explore. First on the list? Stradbroke Island (or as the locals fondly call it, Straddie Island) off the East Coast

After dropping off our stuff at a cute Airbnb on the coast (massive fan of Airbnb!), we hopped straight on the ferry over to the Island. What a treat we had awaiting us. Wow. The island was breath taking!

 

Straddie Island

 

Walking around North Gorge at Point Lookout on the tip of the Island, we were rewarded with humpback whales and dolphins majestically jumping out of the beautiful turquoise water. We even spotted a pair of giant manta rays leaping gracefully over the surface of the sea, whilst Kookaburras and some cute plover chicks tweeted in the sunshine.

North Gorge

 

We got very overexcited to see wild koalas in the eucalyptus trees for the first time. Cue double overexcitement when a family of kangaroos casually hopped past us, complete with baby Joey in pouch.

Enjoying tasty gelato at Point Lookout

 

The next day was spent strolling along the golden coast, with warm sand beneath our feet and crystal clear waves rolling ashore. It was only after Dom took a dip in the sea that the locals warned us about the number of sharks in the area. Definitely won’t be trying that next time! We ended our mini break by enjoying sunset at Cylinder Beach, before tucking into some delicious local fish and chips. What a great few days, I can’t wait to explore some of the other Islands!

Sunset on Stradbroke