The Sunshine State

After one of the longest flight itineraries known to man (London-Manila-Darwin-Brisbane, ouch!) Ben and I found ourselves in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. Situated in north-eastern Australia, Queensland has earned the self-explanatory nickname of 'the Sunshine state'. Having just visited England and Canada (where chilly autumn was in full-force) we couldn't wait to slap on our shorts and bask in the glorious sub-tropical climate.

Unfortunately, most of our time in Brisbane thus far has been spent on the couch job-hunting, although the sunny weather nearly convinced us on several occasions to abandon our search for employment altogether. (We do have a job now by the way, but more on that later!) We did however manage to squeeze in an overnight camping trip to nearby Straddie Island, known for its abundance of wildlife, pristine beaches and overall natural beauty, making it a holiday hotspot for locals and foreigners alike.

Excited to be camping

Straddie Island

Queensland, I love you

Oh hello crystal clear water and incredibly fine white sand beach...

We had it made in the shade, literally

View from our campsite, not bad!

These guys were everywhere

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, budgie smugglers = speedos

Considering we are about to start what sound like pretty strenuous 40 hour work weeks (again, details to come!) this brief island getaway could not have come at a more perfect time. I cannot wait to see more of the Sunshine state!