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Start 2017 right
January 1, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
For the second year in a row we did a little New Years morning run.

This is a great start to a year of good choices.

Unlike last year we did not try to run around the world but did a nice and easy 7km with lots of walking in between.

Even at 8am the sun had no mercy, apart from the annoying running shirt tan, we took about 2 hours to completely cool down after.

Nothing tastes as good as feeling fit!

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Australia Traveler
Surfing
January 1, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Andy was nice enough to give me a quick surfing lesson.

I managed to get up on the board fairly quickly, but I am still struggling to read the waves, but apparently that comes with time.

The biggest lesson I learned was, to never surf without a rash vest. After an hour and a bit of surfing my chest and nipples was raw from the scratchy surface of the board.

Great fun, and one more tick off the bucket list.

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Australia Traveler
New years day
January 1, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
We kicked of 2017 on a action packed pace. We continued our tradition to run on Jan 1st. We explored ran on the walkway from Alexandra Head to Maroochydore, a part of where the Gold Coast Marathon is hosted. After a healthy brekkie we headed to the beach. Andy gave Roedolf some surf lessons. I chilled with the extended Westwoods, I read my book and watched all the holiday makers go by.

Me and Roedolf did a mini roadtrip on the coastal road no 6, all the way up the Sunshine coast to Noosa Heads, a posh holiday town which reminded me off Knysna. We stopped at all the beaches and viewpoints along the way. I like the trees growing on the rocks at Coolum.

Ended the afternoon with a homemade gelato in Noosa heads.

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Australia Traveler
Road trip to Brisbane
January 2, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
We lazed back to Brisbane via Caloundra on the scenic route, we stopped at a couple of very scenic spots along the way and then rushed back to the comfort of the cars air con. The coast is filled with eager holiday makers... catching some serious rays, having 2 summers have its perks but honestly I felt like being in snow for a day.

As we celebrated with friends on New Years eve, we didn't spend much quality time with each other. I suggested a "reflective" cider at one of the beautiful picnic spots. It was fun looking back on our highlights of 2016, it was quite an eventful year.

Jan 1st 2016 we decided to leave Bermuda then it was
Jan -the triangle
Feb- rugby season
March-the NYC half, Janies bachelorette, Durnferds bachelors, Dolf's bday in Stowe
April-Skiing and the Police dinner
May-Nyc airbnb half
June-Dolf final home test match with his parents the to see it, many beach days... making a list of what we need to sell, doing lots of research, planning our trip roughly
July- my grandpa passed away and we went to SA
Aug- Cupmatch and more Bda summer , planning some of trip, starting to sell things
Sept- packing up our lives in Bda and all the emotional rollercoasting with that
Oct- leaving Bermy😂, and our great adventure started spending time in Florida with the Oberholzers & San Jose with the Strydoms & getting on the cruise... Seattle, Hawaii, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia
Nov- getting off in Sydney... Manly was deffo the highlight with the Dobinsons
The Milford track , all the amazing adventures in NZ
Dec - Fun times with Christine in Auckland , and the Hurlings in New Plymouth...& Back to Aus, Great Ocean road...Great Barrier Reef ...Rainbow beach, Fraser island Brissie Bonding with the Barnards

What an incredible year!!, I can only be grateful for all the people and blessings in my life!!

Looking forward to year of travel, culture enrichment, family that word called settling down and many more amazing adventures 2017

{Issy}Read more
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Australia Traveler
The Gabba
January 3, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Per usual Clay suggested a Westwood tour to go and watch Brisbane tennis international and big bash cricket all in one day. I opted in for one of the two.

Jimmy Sounes (good friends with Johan Botha who plays for the Sydney 6sers) was able to arrange tickets for us as the Brisbane Heat hosted the 6sers.

It was nearly a sellout crowd with 32078 in attendance. Nael bitting game with 2 wickets in the last 2 overs that nearly changed the outcome of the game, but the 6sers managed to do just enough to win it. Johan played really well with good bowling in the middle of the innings to restrict runs and them scoring a quick 13 runs when it counted.

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Australia Traveler
Southbank run
January 4, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Today we explored the city a bit. We hopped on the Brisbane ferry at Bulimba and ran along the river through the Botanical gardens over the bridge to Southbank.
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Australia Traveler
Southbank
January 4, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Southbank has a man made beach and pools which is brilliant for kids... we finished our run there with a post run cappa. We met Tanya and Willie and the kids for a swim. The facilities are brilliant (and free) , there are even showers and change rooms so they brought our towels and clothes to change into.

We stayed behind and refueled with some delicious ribs and the best salted caramel milkshake ever..nom nom

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Australia Traveler
Explore some more by foot
January 5, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
I grabbed my ipod, ferry tap on card and off I went. I didn't plan a long run but ended up doing one, ish!! I can Feel my fitness is deteriorating, nevertheless I can still do distance just not at a pace!! When I got to the Bulimba ferry stop the crossover ferry to go to Tenerife was about to leave. I sprinted to hop on, then ran alll along the river to the cbd, over the bridge back home. On the eastern side of the river the path goes trough the neighborhoods so I had to stop a few times to figure out where I am, google maps sorted me out. Great to wake up and just disappear for a run without sharing the route with R, I doubt this will be the case in Asia, so I am embracing the last bit in Aus. I logged an impressive 15km 💪

{Issy}Read more
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Australia Traveler
Lone pine sanctuary
January 5, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Ticking off my Aussie bucket list through the eyes of 2 year old. The day started with Alyssa pushing her own pram, luckily toddlers get sidetracked fast with some negotiation and cute animals. I was thrilled to finally see a kangaroo and "active Koala". I enjoyed the fact that it was not like a zoo. We fed some parrots till I got freaked out when one came and sat on my head. The wombat, wallaby , platypus and other native Australian animals were also great to see.

We had so much fun with Alyssa, feeding the kangaroos, chasing the Tasman devil around between three neighboring cages, she wearing my sunnies (me wearing hers) and jumping like a kangaroo with me.

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Australia Traveler
Wet 'n wild
January 6, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
What better than a water park on such a hot day. It was so hot I literally burnt blisters on the balls of my feet from walking on the hot pavement between rides.

Awesome rides at this park, however the waiting time was a bit ridiculous as you first had to queue up to get a tube and then queue up to go on the ride and as soon as your done with the ride you had to give your tube back, so if you want to do a ride again you have to start the whole process over. Just after lunch we gave up on this park and moved on to the Movie World in the hope that there will be less waiting time. When Movie World closed we realized that we still had one more hour at Wet 'n Wild so we went back to hit a couple more rides, this time with no waiting at all, it was awesome.

The Tornado and Kamakazi held true to their names as probably the two best rides in my opinion, tube rides that both make you feel like you are going to fly out the ride. Closely followed by the Aqauloop, the Aqauloop is terrifying because you get into a chamber with a trapdoor under your feet and when it opens you drop down vertically and through a 360° loop.

The biggest highlight off course was to spend some more time with Christine who happened to be on the Gold Coast with her friend Ash for holiday.

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Australia Traveler
Gold coast
January 6, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
We decided to pretend we are kids again & run from slide to slide till the park closes!! Lots of fun in da sun, at wet and wild and movie world. I kept the expectation low but was impressed by the extremity & quality of the rides!!

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Australia Traveler
Movie World
January 6, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Feeling like a kid on the Gold Coast at Warner Brothers Movie World. They have roller coasters everywhere.

Isabel and Ash was the two thrill seekers and Christine and I just tried to survive.

I normally don't enjoy roller coasters due to the combination of heights and speed, but today I really loved it, don't get me wrong I was extremely scared every time. Faced my fears, courage is not the absence of fear but, the triumph over it!

These were my favorite coasters today:

Superman - https://youtu.be/siKw60INs0Y

Green Lantern - https://youtu.be/tmJmvln-bP0

Arkhan Asylum - https://youtu.be/oSFRpJO2xgE

{Roedolf}Read more
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Australia Traveler
Catching up with the Juta's
January 8, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
What a pleasure to catch up with William and Lara Juta in Brisbane.

Just showing how amazing social media can be, we would have missed them completely if Isabel did not post some Brisbane stuff on Instagram.

After 4 years back in SA since they left Bermuda they have recently moved to Australia for good. They have an unique perspective on SA that makes me think. They loved it back home but future prospects for their little daughter Kate is what made them move to Australia.

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Trip end
January 8, 2017