We’re Back in Australia 🇦🇺

And honestly… our hearts couldn’t feel much fuller.

After four months away, we’ve finally made it back to Australia.

We landed in Brisbane, collected our bags, squeezed ourselves and our newly downsized luggage into an Uber, and headed towards our first house sit of this next chapter in Labrador on the Gold Coast.

And within about five minutes, it felt like we’d come home.

Not home home, obviously — we’re still very much nomadic Brits wandering around the world — but that familiar Australian feeling came rushing back.

The sunshine. The space. The wildlife. The beaches. The ridiculously laid-back atmosphere.

We’ve missed it.

House Sit Number One: Labrador

Our first stop is Labrador, just north of Surfers Paradise, and it’s proving to be a pretty brilliant base for our first few days back.

We’re here looking after some lovely pets, which is exactly how we wanted to start this next stretch of the adventure.

Labrador itself is a great little spot because you’re close enough to everything without actually having to stay in the middle of the Gold Coast chaos.

Surfers Paradise is just down the road when we fancy a bit of action, while the Broadwater gives us plenty of space for walks, wildlife spotting and generally doing very little — which, let’s be honest, we’re also very good at.

There’s also plenty of green space around here, and we’ve already been enjoying getting out for walks and remembering just how much of Australian life happens outdoors.

And then there’s the wildlife.

We’ve only just arrived and we’re already spotting birds and other Australian critters as part of everyday life.

That’s one of the things we missed most.

You don’t necessarily need to book a wildlife experience in Australia.

Sometimes you just go for a walk.

And Then… The Gold Coast Show 🎡

As if the timing couldn’t have been better, we arrived back in Australia just in time for the Gold Coast Show.

Friday was the Gold Coast public holiday, so we headed over to Broadwater Parklands to see what all the fuss was about.

And we bloody loved it.

It had such a nice feel to it — busy enough to feel like a proper event, but still really family-friendly and relaxed.

There were rides, food, animals, showbags, entertainment and all the other wonderfully chaotic things that make an Australian show an Australian show.

Poppy was particularly happy when she found a pen full of puppies.

Because obviously.

She was straight in there making friends while we stood outside watching her with enormous smiles on our faces.

Showbags were secured for both Poppy and the girl whose house we’re sitting, so we could officially call the day a success. 😂

It was actually the perfect welcome back to Australia.

Four Months Away… And Back Again

We’ve had an incredible four months since leaving Australia.

New Zealand.

Bali.

Malaysia.

Vietnam.

Singapore.

So many places, so many experiences and so many memories.

But coming back has reminded us that travelling isn’t about constantly searching for somewhere better.

Sometimes you find somewhere that just fits you.

Australia did that for us the first time around.

And now we’re back.

We’ve got months of house sitting ahead of us, plenty of coastline to explore, wildlife to find, waterfalls to chase down random roads, beaches to walk, pies to eat and adventures to stumble across.

For now, though, we’re perfectly happy being back in Labrador.

Our first Australian house sit of this next chapter.

And after four months away…

Our hearts feel pretty bloody full. 🇦🇺❤️