From December 22nd to January 12th, Stephanie, Erik, and Rylan enjoyed an Australian summer with other members of the Calcott tribe. The trip was extremely enjoyable, but had it's moments as well. So, read on, and live the adventure through our fabulous pictures and descriptions.....
Our Flight leaves LAX at 11:00pm December 22nd and somehow flies through the space-time continuum landing in Brisbane 13 hours later but on the morning of December 24th. (What happened to the 23rd?)
That aside, the flight was pleasant and there was much sleeping. In addition, we shared the flight with sister Kamryn and her husband Steve, so that was nice. This is a picture of them not jogging.
After landing, we had a surprise greeting at the airport by other members of the Calcott clan. This included sister Brittney (the one who lives in Australia) and mother Calcott (with her beau Grant) both of whom had already been in Australia for a few weeks.
(Grant is not pictured, sorry.)
(Grant is not pictured, sorry.)
Everyone exchanges greetings, we rent the car and we're off to Brittney's house in Noosa. This ritzy vacation spot is about 100 kilometers north of the larger city of Brisbane. Notice how I say "kilometers" like a local. I think this is either 60 miles or 2000 feet, I'm not sure. What I am sure of, however, is that I am driving from the wrong side of the car. Now that I think about it, I'm also on the wrong side of the road. God help these poor Aussies.
Brittney rents a charming 3 bedroom house. I'd say she lives alone, but with the 2 cats, Pete the dog, and an infinite amount of birds and wild turkeys on the property, she is far from alone. The house also has a nice saltwater pool, which was frequently enjoyed by both Pete and me.
Since the other 2 bedrooms were to be occupied by Kamryn & Steve and Mom & Grant, we are graciously kicked out into the street where, luckily, there is a hotel nearby. This actually turns out to be a good thing, as you will discover later.
Since we arrived on Christmas eve, there weren't any plans other than buying some beer and champagne, and alternating drinking and napping. It was a nice Christmas eve, just the way Jesus would want it.
On Christmas Day, we were all happy to see that Santa found Rylan at Brittney's house. Clearly, he was attracted by the remnants of the illegally massacred freeway pine that served as the makeshift Christmas tree. Regardless, Rylan seemed to truly enjoy the fact that, mysteriously, toys appeared under the tree and he could play with them.
For the rest of the day, we enjoyed each others' company, along with plenty of snacks, drink, and the traditional summer Christmas barbecue. It has been many, many years since all Calcott siblings and their matriarch had enjoyed Christmas together. Though it took 5000 miles, it was worth it.