Goodbye Tweed Heads

After living with Joe for three weeks at Tweed Heads, a suburban area on the Gold Coast, the three of us grew accustomed to life without convenient public transportation, noise and crowded streets.  We will (and do!) miss all the people we’ve met, those who would just show up at the house, the amazing sunsets from the front porch, Liz’s whole family! great BBQ’s made by Joe, the intense conversations we had, ranging from the most trivial things to life in general, as well as debates about Joe’s manliness (though there is nothing really to debate).

The three of us had a memorable time, we experienced a part of Australia and a lifestyle we probably never would have otherwise.  We loved meeting and getting to know so many different people, and as I’ve mentioned in a previous entry, goodbyes will be, and are, a big part of our gap year. 

We would like to just say for the last time, a big thank you to Joe, Whitney and Sam for making us feel at home while we are away from home.  We miss you heaps!

Brisbane to Byron to Birthday Celebrations

Almost immediately after we returned from Woodford Folk Festival (where we camped for 7 days and 6 nights), the three of us arranged to attend another music festival–Sunset Sounds, in Brisbane.  On the 6th, we took a short train ride to “Brizzy” the day before the festival started, excited to experience city life again, but more importantly, we were excited to see one our favorite bands: The Cat Empire.  On the day of the festival, we got to the venue an hour before the first concert began and remained pressed up against the stage through five hours of (mostly) great music, anticipating the Cat Empire.  I can’t give their performance any justice with written words–it was just unbelievable, exactly how I would imagine them live and infinitely better than they are recorded!  Their hour and a half performance was worth the trip to Brisbane without a doubt.
The morning after the concert we took a train back to the Gold Coast, where we have been staying with Liz’s cousin Joe for about three weeks now.  Just a few hours after we arrived home, we all got into Joe’s (monster) truck with his roommate Whitney and brother Ben and drove down to Byron Bay for another concert.  This time we were going to see a band called Jackson Jackson–created by one of the lead singers from The Cat Empire.  Needless to say it was an amazing concert and again we were about five feet away from the lead singer, Harry.  After the performance we were able to talk to the drummer, the same drummer from The Cat Empire (!) and ask him a few questions about the two bands as well as convice him to come to New York.  He also wished Liz a very Happy Birthday, which we were celebrating the next day.

And now for the most exciting thing that has happened in Aus so far, Liz turned 19!  To celebrate her newfound maturity, we played dress-up.  A group of friends and family dressed up as sailors and pirates (Liz, of course, was the captain) for the night.  We all had a fabulous night, full of dancing and celebrating…though those photos will not be going on the blog.