First Amazing Day with Host Familes

Hello Everyone!  Our trip is getting better and better!  We met Reg Norvill this morning for a walk down to the surfing area along the Golden Coast.  We took pictures at the time line which is an hour difference depending on what side you are standing on.  New South Wales observes day light saving while Queensland does not.  Very hard to keep up with but it starts some very interesting conversations between locals.  Don and Carol Neale are my host and I could not be happier!  I fill very comfortable in their home and we are talking right now as I type.  They have a daughter Breanna who is 13 years old and stars in school plays and dance.  I can safely say, she loves music just as much as I do.  We are trading some mp3's tomorrow!  They also have 4 children that are on their own with 5 grand kids.  The home is so beautiful with a view that looks out over the town towards the ocean.  They have traveled a good bit and there are signs of that in the decor.  I love seeing the differences in building structure and layout.  The toilet is separate from the shower and the sink is in a common area.  The veranda has to be my favorite spot because of the view and stocked bar.  The sign above the bar says "No Drinking Till 5" but the clock is stuck on on 5:)

  We started the day at Brunswick Heads.  Beth and her host Richard and Natalie meet us and we had a very nice meal at an old pub patio.  The weather was great with big gust of wind.  From there we all headed to Byron Bay, the most easterly point in Australia.  I have been on the eastern tip of AU!  It is the home to Paul Hogan's(Crocodile Dundee) Pub.  This is the area where all of the backpackers come and it was packed!  There is a working light house on the top of Byron Bay that has been there since 1905.  We walked all the way down the the beach from there which was a wonderful hike after eating and sampling Aussie Beer.  After leaving the Bay, we stopped by several other heads to take in the surf and amazing views.  Along the way Don took us to a large area of land that he is developing for 2400 homes, a school, shopping centers, and industrial area.  When can you ever take a trip and get to dive into a culture with your own tour guides?!?!  We are truly blessed!  Thank you Don, Carol, Breanna, and all of our host!

We made it back home by 5:20 or so and hurried to the showers so we could meet on the the veranda for predinner drinks.  We then drove over to Charles and Wendy's house on the Tweed River to meet up with the rest of the GSE team and their respective host.  It was a fantastic time!  The sang us some Aussie songs and in turn we sang the National Anthem....in Tune...HA!  But at least we did it.  We had drinks and mingled with each others host, trading stories, traditions, and differences in culture.  Wendy cooked chicken wings, slaw, potato bake, and salad while Charles manned the flat grill on the deck with steaks.  We followed that up with ice cream and fruit salad, all very fresh. A perfect Sunday evening in Tweed!

Wendy and Charles had an amazing garden that was a testament to hard work and dedication.  I'll let Nick dive into that since that is his field.  We are off to our respective vocations tomorrow.  I've been set up to go to an architect and am very excited.  We will spend the day with them and the evening with our host families.  I find it so easy to talk to Don, Carol, and Breanna so I'm sure it will be another lovely evening!

I'll do my best to check in tomorrow!  Good Morning to you in Missouri, Good night to my Mates here in AU!