The Great New ZOzLand Road Trip

Got up at a reasonable time, had breakfast and then drove up towards the Sunshine Coast, this time in glorious weather. We stopped near Mount Mee to get a good look at the Glass House Mountains. After 10 minutes in the sun we hopped back in the car and drove to Beerwah and the world famous Australia Zoo. It's expanded hugely since I last visited about 20 years ago, the price has also expanded but in reality it's probably not much more expensive than a day a Paignton Zoo and you can bring in your own food and drink and make a whole day of it. As it was we probably spent the best part of 5 hours wandering around and saw two thirds of the zoo. We decided to give the Asia/Africa section a miss and stick to the Aussie animals as those are the ones that Adrian's not really seen close to before. Within 15 minutes of arrival an opportunity to get close to a koala presented itself, so I pushed Adrian forward passed the ever arriving families so he got his turn before too many interl...

Really didn't sleep well. Up very early to leave for diving, got everything ready. Left before Adrian, Jan and Stuart up. Said goodbye to Rach and Jack. Drove to Brisbane Dive Academy. Got fitted for my whale suit - which was a struggle before the kick off!! Met Mel (HR manager of an aged car company) who was also re-certify and Anna a German living in Brisbane for several years doing an open water dive course. Also met our instructor Sam - born in Plymouth, a good old Devon lad. Loaded up trailer and jumped into Damos truck for the drive down to the dive site. Thought we might be diving in Moreton Bay but actually drove down To Tweed Heads on the Gold Coast at the QLD/NSW border!! Unpacked trailer kitted up, rigged up our O2 tanks, BCDs etc. First dive hoping to tick off most of the compulsory skills - mask work, fin pivots. Walked down some rocky steps into the water had trouble getting my fins on. Got to dive flag and followed the line down to bottom, equalising fine but diffic...

Up and dressed and Carmel (Mrs J senior) popped in for a chat, they'd arrived back from their travels the night before. Rach, Jack, Mrs J and I hopped on the golf buggy and Jack expertly drove us down to see Eckhard . After we drove back up Rach and I got out the new Christmas tree. Even between us we couldn't lift the box so goodness knows how Damo got it into the car and house on his own! We took the tree piece by piece to reassemble it opposite the front door. We had to move the buffet and as we I'd so a pretty little gecko ran up the wall. He looked like a aboriginal dot painting, Rachael captured him and put him outside where the dogs wouldn't find him. Christmas tree swiftly assembled and all in working order (integrated lights) I knuckled down to some PADI Revision, after a good two to three hours worked I passed the self test with 100% and printed out my certificate and Medical Form/Disclaimer ready for the morning. Disclaimers always make me laugh - not sure wh...

Up early left the house at 7am, dropped Jack off at school. Found a Coffee Club in West End and had a beautiful breakfast to set us up for the day. Rach dropped us off and we walked the last little way to the Gabba with the normal mad fans dressed up and sellers and staff hyped up and cheerful prior to a big game. Checked in through gate seven then walked back passed another couple of gates through the members area to get to disabled lift, which we shared with no less than Adam Gilchrist, few of others in lift had photos with him but I was too embarrassed to ask because I couldn't remember who he was (did remember he was an Aussie wicket keeper at least!!). Got to our seats on the 4th floor and had a glorious view - the "restriction" was that we were close to a rail which really only compromised the view if people stood in front of it and then not that much from our seats. Decided that only the pretty peoples were being invited to the pool deck as the young stewards with ...

Up and showered, few chores to help rachael out, then showered, met Gail the cleaner and left for a day out in Brissie. Ferny Grove car park was full so drove into the city to south bank, $16 for the day so probably same cost as train ride for the both of us. Walked along south bank, saw lovely views to city and the famous river beach. Bought back quite a few happy memories. Nowhere obvious to have brekkie at 10:50am so went to south bank beer garden and had a drink and then ordered lunch and hung out with one eye on the Tv screen with first day of Ashes and one eye on the view of the beach. Huge lunch - burger for me and a steak for Adrian. Walked back along the Parklands and had a ride on wheel of Brisbane - Brisvegas version of the London Eye. Rain streamed half way through our ride but when we got off was only a light shower and was warm. We walked back towards the car stopping at the Queensland Museum and Sciencentre. Lots of great exhibits, Queensland biodiversity, Space photos a...

We planned a lovely Family day out to Eumundi Markets and Montville. Nice start to the day in warm, dry weather but as we reached the Sunshine coast, ironically the sun disappeared and it started hammering down. Jack kept us entertained in the car with another round of "Would you Rather" and proclaiming that the Sunshine Coast hated us as the rain lured down. We trooped round a fair amount of the Eumundi markets in the rain for about an hour, saw interesting stuff but I have nowhere to put it in my luggage!p, so I bought a little ring fish for a Rach instead!  Heard a cool band playing native sounds with a couple of drums and a didgeridoo. Jack had a bookmark made for him by a nice aboriginal fella who insisted on not charging. Wet and a little cold, we bundled back in the cars and headed to Montville to find some lunch. Sadly the views out were obscured by the low lying cloud and mist and the temperature had dropped a little being up in the hills. We found a nice burger join...

Lazy morning watching TV and prep for tonight's dinner as well as putting cooker back together after a good clean. Drove to Geebung with Damo for our Dive medical - spire and audiology passed. Although the audiology was hard as it was easier to hear everything but the tones that they were playing to you!! GP Clem laughed when I told him I was fat but fit. Kindly he refused to bill me for the Medical and instead said Damion could work off my debt as some of the windows need updating at the Practice. Went to shopping centre and had Greek for lunch - lovely souvlaki and pitas. Had the "Zeus" lamb with tzatziki, minus the slaw. Went to pick Jack up from school and dropped him and Adrian at Goalie training whilst Rachael and I had a manipedi. Arrived and were only they expecting one client. They then called  for another lady to come. The owner was a Venezuelan lawyer, running a beauticians from basement of her shop. She'd been in Oz only for 3 years and Wasn't sure if...

Dropped Adrian at Toowong station so he could go into town to meet his friend  Justin - a co-worker from Teignbridge that he hadn't seen for 15 years. Justin noticed on Facebook that Adrian was in Brisbane and lives further North in Queensland but working between Sunshine and Gold Coasts so a meet up in Brisbane was organised. Rachael and I drove 5 minutes more to the White Orchid Day Spa where 3 hours of "pampering" commenced. We were lured into a false sense of security by the lovely foot soak and Lower leg massage, I almost fell asleep in he comfy recline chairs. We then wen to our separate owns for our body scrub and massage. For anyone who has never had a Thai massage it is a different experience, I've had one before but had forgotten. The pressure is always at maximum, Ingres, thumbs and elbows find every knot and pummel it out of existence. The nice thing is that you do feel totally relaxed afterwards. After been scrubbed and then cleaned with warm towels and t...

Up shower bacon and eggs and chilling out on sofa. Rach and I went to a shoe sale. A friend imports shoes from Menorca and sells them in Brisbane. We drove to a small church hall closer to town for a look. He had also invited another couple (wife is Spanish) who import Spanish cheese. Rach bought five pairs of shoes, I bought some cheese!! We popped in to meet her friend Serena on the way back home. Had a cup of my special Tea - hot water and chilled out watching British food programmes whilst chatting. Once we got home and un stacked our wares, we made a lovely potato and veggie bake with steak for dinner. Stuart looked  at options for touristy stuff for rest of week for Adrian and I - some were places none of us had ever heard of and some were decidedly unexciting. Adrian had a positive email back from the Gabba about the Ashes Test......

Up and rewarded with bacon and eggs, after Brekkie Rach and I headed off to the supermarket. We found the Lovely new fresh fruit and veggie shop - lots of free samples and we had to try several more than once especially the nectarines!!! Happily we found a suitable plastic Garden chair in Aldi for to act as a shower chair for Adrian. We encountered an Accident on the way Police, Firemen and Ambos in attendance , Rach spoke one of the  policeman, someone had rolled their car, he thought it'd beat least 20 mins to get car on the back of the tow truck, so we had to do a massive detour back the way we came and got back 15 mins too late to take Jack to Futsal. Damion took him and we passed them in the car about 2 miles from home. Whilst we'd been out shopping, Damo had been busy building a ramp system for Adrian to be able to get in and out of the House. We changed got back in the car - we managed to get 4 of us plus wheelchair in the crappy Corolla (back seat not strictly clicked i...

Up at 2:15am packed and downstairs by 3am for 3:12am bus back to airport. Fairly well but bus ramp and suspension not lowered so Trip up the ramp was hardcore. Few bitsof duty free shopping and onto plane. Watched best part of two movies. Landed safe in Brisvegas. Picked up hire car - upgraded to an SUV type vehicle, asked to be downgraded as no way Adrian can get into a high car - got a souped up Toyota Corolla. Actually with a bit of jiggery-pokery the wheelchair and bags fitted nicely, but I am NOT a big fan! Drove out to Rachel's old work to meet her and Damion and then drove back to the house to settle in. Had a tour around the mansion and then Rachael and I jumped into the golf buggy and popped down to look for a chair at Mr & Mrs Js (a shower chair for Adrian).  No luck! Rach and I went back to Hospital and then work to finish off as she's got the week off. Adrian chillaxed at home. Damion went to see Jacks Football training. We came home, TV, family dinner then bed ...

We got up and checked out by 10am. Drove over to Mission Beach and had a lovely brekkie at the Mission Beach Cafe looking out towards the water. After a good feed we started our tour from mission beach. We drove around the headlands stopping to look at some of the beautiful bays on the way, like Bucklands Beach and Musick Point. We cut inland briefly to visit Sujay at work and drop off the wine we hadn't managed to take the night before and had a quick tour of her work. Had to laugh when I told the receptionist that I was Sujay's cousin - "What her real" cousin? She asked. Sujay explained I was her husbands family which seemed to make more sense to her. We hugged a lot and said our goodbyes and carried on our Tiki tour continuing around the coast to Maraetai, Kawakawa, Orete Point and Kaiaua, finally driving inland through Mangatawhiri and to the hotel at Auckland airport. After getting the bags up into the room I dropped off the hire car back at the rental agency and...