Maybe it’s because it’s not cold here. Maybe it’s because Australia has a Christmas song about Santa getting too hot so he takes off his suit and goes for a swim in the billabong (which is Australian for a water hole). Maybe it’s because Australia (or at least Surfers Paradise) doesn’t seem to think Christmas is that special – it seems like it’s just another day. Or maybe it’s because there are no decorations around us, and very few reminders that it’s Christmastime. Whatever it is, Christmas in Australia does not feel at all like Christmas. :(
So Isa’s parents decided to fly out to Australia for a few weeks, and they spent a few days with us to help make it feel like Christmas. One of the first orders of business was that we needed stockings. Isa’s mom went to the store and bought oven mitts, since real stockings were not available. She also bought glitter-glue, and we decorated them to make them our own. I think they turned out pretty great:
If you’re wondering what that blob is next to the Christmas tree on mine, it’s supposed to be Australia. And with the present and the candy cane is a heart and mistletoe. Yeah.
Mike and Melanie (Isa’s parents) had rented a car, so we were able to take off for a couple days and go on some adventures. The first day, we went up to a glow-worm cave. They don’t let you take pictures inside because they’re very sensitive to light – you can’t even open your cell phone in the cave. It was something amazing, though. Click here for a picture from a random website of what it looked like.
On the way back, we stopped for a little hike out by Mount Tamborine. It was only about a 1 km hike to Curtis Falls. The trail was really pretty, as it cut through the tropical rain forest with really lush green foliage. The falls were pretty too. So we took our family Christmas picture there:
We also went down to Currumbin to that Ecovillage we visited on my Golden Birthday. Mel tried to get as close as she could to the Kangaroos:
It turned out to be a really fun Christmas, and we’re really glad Isa’s parents could make it out. They’re still bouncing around Australia, visiting everywhere from Perth to Darwin to Sydney. And we’re still in Surfers – the most Americanized city in all of Australia. Oh well, Isa and I will come back in the future and do the month-long country tour some other time.
Merry Christmas to everyone back in the states! We love you all and hope you had a great day!
Click here doesn't work. What's the link to the website? That sounds awesome.
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