Australia - An Aussie Christmas

Christmas on the other side of the world would never quite be like home. The sunshine, beaches and surfing of Australia were a world away from the log fires, mince pies and family we were missing this Christmas. So when our friends Kat and Andy (who kindly had us for Christmas and New Year) asked whether we wanted an English Christmas or an Aussie Christmas, we quickly decided that having turkey and all the trimmings in 30 degrees just wouldn't quite feel right, and that the Aussie way would be the most fitting for the day.

Christmas morning

And we were right, as we woke on Christmas day with the sunshine and blue skies, we headed up to the apartment rooftop for a Christmas Day morning swim (what a great way to start Christmas).

Just your average Christmas day morning in Sydney

It's not Christmas without a good glass of wine

We enjoyed opening up the Christmas cards that had been posted to us in Sydney, with a few letters from home and Skyped our families on their Christmas Eve, so we didn't really feel that far away from them despite being on the other side of the world and 11 hrs ahead.

Hello Nan!

Kat and Andy had planned a delicious Aussie feast for Christmas dinner, there wasn't a brussel sprout in sight! We sat down to a deliciously marinaded BBQ'd lamb fillet, which was so tender and tasty it made us feel that it was all those back home sitting down to a turkey dinner that were missing out. And of course there was plenty of wine, cheese and biscuits too!

Throwing another shrimp on the barbie!

Christmas dinner with an Aussie twist - yum yum

As the evening drew in we got settled for the very English tradition of a good old game of Monopoly, but this was the 'World' version; very in keeping with our travelling as the game involved collecting passport stamps. But instead of a fight for Mayfair, there was a fight on for Sydney! And the tables turned for once as Jules won the game.

...yes to all our surprise Julia won... I put it down to the wine!

Sipping on the bottle of Coffee and Chocolate liquor we had bought Kat and Andy for Christmas from Bundaburg and munching on cheese into the early hours, Jules braced herself for the Jet Boat trip that Kat and Andy had given in return!

Merry Christmas!