Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Gold Coast

Our recent trip to Australia consisted of a lot of car riding, up the hill, down the hill. Me telling my husband to go left, him turning right - and so on...

We revisited one of our favourite spots on the Gold Coast - Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. After all, one cannot visit Australia and not have a photo taken with a koala bear, and some kangaroos, oh and my husband wanted our daughter to touch a snake too. As you can see, she was not quite in agreement with his plan.

She was not so impressed by the feeding of the kangaroos. We teied to explain that we were giving some "nam, nam" to the kangaroos. She put the food in her own mouth...

A year ago today

It has been a year since we left Australia in order to start our adventure in the Middle East. It's incredible how fast the past year has gone. While Australia is not the my native country, there are things that I do miss.

My friends would come first on the list, it took me a while to develop a network of friends in Australia, and just as I had done that it was time to leave.

I also miss the Australian people in general, they are so easygoing and and friendly, whether you know them or not. Customer service in Australia is also something quite different to what you experience here, it just seems people are not really committed and they do not care whether they have made you feel happy or not.

Parks. I used to laugh to myself, because in Australia, especially on the Gold Coast where we lived, they had parks everywhere. Big and small. If there was a just a small patch of grass, a bench and a tree it would be called a park! These parks would be clean, really clean. Over here there are very few parks and especially during the weekend they are not very clean because people leave their rubbish everywhere!

Nice, cozy coffee shops. The ones where you can sit for a looooong time because it really feels like an extension of our own living room. One of my favourites was Gov's Espresso, coffee shops here are mainly of the American/British franchise kind...

These are just a few things of the top of my head. I am hoping to go back to Australia for a visit at some point, but I have no idea when that would be...

Det är nu ett år sen vi flyttade från Australien till Mellanöstern. Ett år som har gått otroligt fort! Trots att Australien inte är mitt hemland är det en hel del saker som jag saknar. Främst av allt mina vänner, men också det australiensiska folket över huvudtaget.


Jag saknar också alla fina, gröna, rena parker! Jag längtar också tillbaka till Australiens cafekultur. Det finns så många mysiga och trevliga cafeer, men här i Saudiarabien får man nöja sej med "stämningen" som erbjuds av ett amerikanst/brittiskt franchiseföretag...


Jag hoppas att vi gör ett besök till Australien i något skede, men just nu är det inte aktuellt tyvärr. Det finns ju en massa andra ställen man vill se!

Vatten, vatten...

Först och främst, jag har allt bra och har inte flutit bort! Många har tagit kontakt via SMS, e-mail etc för att kolla att allt e OK. Sommarens regn har varit ihållande och ren den senaste månaden har stora områden i delstaten jag bor i påverkats av översvämningar. Nu senast har Brisbane, Queenslands huvudstad, drabbats hårt. Området jag bor i har hittills kommit undan, jag hoppas att det fortsätter så. Samtidigt går mina tankar till dem som har tvingats lämna sina hem och dom som har mist livet i översvämningarna.

Thanks to everyone who has been in touch and been concerned about my well being when new about the Queensland floods have spread across the globe. Thank God, I am safe and well and the area I live in has not been affected by the latest waves of flooding. Brisbane, the Queensland capital, which is located an hours drive to the north has not been as lucky. Businesses have been closed down today, and people are being urged to leave straight away! My thoughts go out to those people who are not as lucky as I am, those whose houses are filled with water, and those who have lost loved ones.
 

Bring on 2011

Happy New Year! Gott Nytt År!

How the other half lives

The other day (more like over a week ago)  we were driving around the Gold Coast and decided to check out a street called Hedges Avenue in Mermaid Beach. This street is home to a long row of absolute oceanfront houses. This means it's an exclusive address and the area is often referred to as Millionaires Row. Some of these houses are worth nearly 20 million dollars.

This is the view that you would have living here.

Some of these houses are massive, with immaculate facades and gardens.

Fancy that, even the cars have a view!

I like it when people put in a bit of effort on the small things.  How cute is this address plaque?!

Enough from me for now. I have the TV to myself and Masterhef is on! See ya!

Haromdagen korde vi onkring och bestamde oss for att kolla in Hedges Avenue i Mermaid Beach. Addressen for dom rika och beromda, Hedges Avenue kallas ofta for Queenslands mest valbargade gata. Att kopa ett hus har kostar miljoner, endel hus har ar varda narmare 20 miljoner dollar!

For den slanten far man en fantastisk vy over Stilla Havet och stranden som stracker sej tiotals kilometer bade norrut och soderut. Manga hus har massiva proportioner och fasaderna och tradgarden runt husen ar snudd pa perfekta. Till och med bilarna parkeras med utsikt over havet!

Nu e de hemmakvall framfor TV'n som galler for mej. Min battre halft ar inte hemma sa jag har fjarrkontrollen helt for mej sjalv! Vi ses!