Never say 'Never'

Australia has never been on my list of travel destinations (everyone says "its so much like South Africa") until a young family member who'd settled there, planned their wedding. Not to be the one left out, I started arrangements to visit, together with children and sister scattered around the globe. It was going to be a family reunion!

Sydney at twilight, mesmerising

Sisters together at last! Brisbane airport

Our destination, Runaway Bay, Gold Coast. The 'broadwalk' development caters for walkers, runners, cyclists and everything inbetween. The water birds wait for their lunch outside the numerous seafood restaurants

The Gold Coast is an urban anglers paradise. Man-made canals make for easy access to the water and with homes right on the waterfront, its a wonderful lifestyle

One can walk along the broadwalk from Runaway Bay to the Harbour and Surfers Paradise

An early morning walking companion

We take a short road trip inland and on route to Tamborine Mountain, we stop for a coffee and a hilltop view of the Gold Coast

Mount Tamborine is only an hours drive from Brisbane and sits 1722ft above sea level. Gallery walk is a delighful street filled with quaint shops catering to every need. The National Park was declared in 1908 and the first tourist road was opened in 1924. Today its a bustling tourist destination offering everything from hiking to skywalking, wine tasting to lilly pilly gin and eucalyptus gum leaf vodka, arts and craft galleries to botanical gardens, coffee to glo worms, hot air ballooning and chasing waterfalls to cheese and fudge. The list goes on and on....

We go in search of glo worms and find an indigenous forest, a man-made cave with stalagmites, stalagtites and thousands of glo worms. What fascinating creatures

Mount Tamborine is a magical area. Time is needed to explore its many wonders. All to soon, we depart for the restuarant and wedding venue of Sirromet, further up the coast towards Brisbane

Winyards and chapels

And our first glimpse of a wallaby

After a sumptuous lunch and a good dose of people watching, we head up to Brisbane's South Bank. What an enchanting district. The river, the lovely gardens and picnic areas, a swimming pool and beach, a Nepalese Pagoda, restaurants and market make this a cultural hub for residents and tourists alike

Brisbane city skyline

Paths and gardens line the river

Party boat dock

A riverside beach and pool

As the sun sets the city lights up

I felt I'd walked back into Kathmandu

...and something for thrill seekers

Dining and markets line the streets

We are fascinated by this artist who paints only with his fingers, to create little masterpieces on glass

The end result, dolphins as ordered by my sisiter...absolutely beautiful

Have you ever.....a gondola down under? yes indeed, they have the canals so why not a gondola?

The harbour from our little goldola

This is quite sureal

The rides are 1/2 hr to 3 or 4 hours long. Imagine an evening trip with dinner for 2 for that special occasion

A new day brings a change of sleeping arrangements as my little family arrive. What a beautiful apartment on the edge of the estury. Cousins, aunt, monther and children are reunited

The day before the wedding weekend, we take time out to visit a pukker australian farm

Koala's are just the cutest

Kangaroos....ok they ARE the weidest creatures

A walk along the broadwalk, looking for our supper...

And boy, did we find it. Seafood is everywhere along this coast, obviously. We eat at a small local eatery. Delicious does not describe this meal! Crab, crayfish, line fish, muscles, calamari AND 4king prawns, totally yum. What were we thinking having starters too?

A glorious day breaks at the start of the weekend and wedding festivities

For the ladies, a high tea...absolutely scrumptious (the boys head out for some masculine adventure and sporting games)

...and then a truely creative evening, flamingo's being the theme, that's exactly what we were coached into painting, what fun, such concentration and a great business idea

I dare say the bachelor party photos are not featured here

A last walk along the estury before we move up to Brisbane for the wedding. Pelicans are never too far from a free meal

A dream job, sun, water and icecream

A small protected mangrove swamp park on the edge of the estury

A lovely pre-wedding dinner in RunawayBay, meeting new family and friends can only mean one thing...the wedding is going to be some party!

Father and daughter share a beautiful moment

Welcome to our family Sam

The bridal table

Individual settings have a personalised, handwritten card

And then some serious letting down of hair

The morning after party, breakfast for any early risers

North bank along the Brisbane river. After a delicious breakfast and long farewells to the happy couple, new family and friends, we head south to New South Wales

Byron Bay, a hippy, alternative town is known for its surfing and whale watching. Europeans arrived here in 1770 and established the town. We book a kayaking safari before a long stroll down the beach

With such a short time here, I'm up early to catch the sun rise

The waters of the bay are a marine reserve and we catch glimpses of dolphin and turtles below. Fantastic experience, great guides and tons of fun had by all

This is why people come to Byron Bay

Exploring the State Conservation Park... Julian Rocks in the distance

The trail to the lighthouse is a few kilometers, mostly uphill, but so worth the pain

Built in 1901, she is a beauty still

Whale watching is best between June and November when the humpbacks migrate along the coast

Tallow beach was mined for gold in the early days

And downhill through indigenous forest, lovely and cool after a hot climb. You may be lucky to spot a Koala or two in the treetops if you can cast your eyes up without loosing your footing

This has been no ordinary trip. Sharing it with family, experiencing the culture and meeting wonderful people, has been a rare and unforgettable adventure which would never have happened without the one element that brought it all together....a wedding