Australian Adventure, Week 11: October 2-8

Welcome back to the blog! This week we got back to normal life in Brisbane after our week away at the beach.

On Sunday, we made our way back to Brisbane from Byron Bay. On our way, we made our first stop in Brunswick Heads, a small town on the coast with a freshwater river running through downtown. We had a delicious breakfast and great coffee before getting back on the road.

Our next stop was at the Gold Coast Premium Outlets. This had been on my list for a few weeks now. Sadly, we were disappointed with the prices. The same Coach purse I bought a few weeks before we left in Canada was 4x more expensive in the outlet here – crazy!

On Monday, we spent the day unpacking, doing laundry, and getting some groceries. We are staying in a new apartment, on the north side of the Brisbane river. It is a new neighbourhood, with a lot more families.

On Tuesday we had a busy day back at work and school. I only have three weeks left in the semester, so we are getting close to exam time.

On Wednesday night we played trivia at a cool pub on Fish Lane. Fish Lane is a pedestrian area in South Brisbane known its bustling bars, restaurants, cafes, art, galleries, music and events. We played trivia with another Canadian, Coleton, and took home 2nd last place! The only game where you get a prize for losing, we took home a coupon for some freebies next week.

On Thursday we were back at the Food Bank volunteering. We sorted through big donation bins that came to the warehouse from a grocery store, then we categorized them by type of donation (ie. mixed jars, cans, cereal, pasta/rice, drinks) for distribution to those in need.

On Friday, Webster had a big day back at the driving range! Four months post ACL surgery, Webster was cleared to chip, pitch, and put. It was an exciting time seeing him back in his element! We celebrated with some Thai takeout!

On Saturday we went to Australia Zoo, home to the crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin and his family. We spent the day exploring the 700-acre zoo, walking through exhibits of animals from Africa, Asia, and Australia. Throughout the day we saw amazing shows put on by the zookeepers. The highlight was seeing Robert Irwin (Steve Irwin’s son) host a crocodile show in the Croceseum – a stadium in the middle of the zoo. It was a great day!

On our way home from the zoo we drove past a Costco location and had to stop for a pumpkin pie! Offered in the “international” section, we couldn’t have a Canadian Thanksgiving without one.

This week we are headed back to the driving range, to a brewery tour, and to the beach! Thanks for following along with our Australian adventures. Happy Thanksgiving!