A Noo kind of Christmas

My first Vegemite experience. Not like Nutella at all. Very salty. Word of caution: do not spread too much on your toast.
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Merry Christmas from Noosa!

After six days of solitary exploration through Mel and Briz, I was ready for some company again.  Christmas was rapidly approaching and I had no desire to spend it eating bargain food in a hostel somewhere.  Luckily for me, I had a contact close to Brisbane.  Mali, one of the women I met while diving in Fiji, lives in the town of Noosa.  She had moved out of her place before going to Fiji, so she was now living at home with her parents, Greg and Pam, and two siblings, Tyson and Haley.  This was all the better for me because it made the setting more homey.  And to add to company was another friend from Fiji, Stuart.

Merry Christmas from Down Under!

At the Noosa National Park.
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I've now done several highly touted activities in Oz and have several left, but I already know that Noosa will be my highlight when I leave the country.  For the type of person I am and manner in which I like to travel, this stop meant more to me than any other.  Christmastime is important to me.  I've never been away from home.  I associate the holiday with food, song, weather, and, of course, loved ones.  It was odd not buying presents for friends and family.  For the first time, I was really missing home.

Solo waterfall shot.
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When I stepped off the Greyhound bus in Noosa Heads, I saw Stu and Mali sitting on the bench smiling.  I felt like I was greeting old friends whom I had not seen in ages when in reality these were people I knew for no longer than one week not more than 6 weeks ago.  That is one of the main oddities and pleasures of traveling for me.  The speed at which acquaintances can become solid friends.  I know I have a home should I visit Noosa or the Isle of Wight in England.  I don't know many, if any, people I've met while living a "normal" life for which that holds true in such a short time.

At the falls (from L to R): Stu, Mali, me, Adzy, and Hal
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In total, I spent five days in Noosa, and I would have been happy spending another five.  Our days were not cluttered with tourist activies.  In fact, they were not cluttered at all.  Stu and I lived like locals and we both frequently commented to each other and the family how welcome the change was.  Some mornings we'd sleep in, drink tea, eat brekky, and watch a movie or reruns of "Friends", Stu's favorite sitcom as well as mine.  Other mornings we'd get up with the sun to surf with Greg and Mali, both of whom are avid and fairly talented surfers.  Stu and I would infrequently catch a wave and even less frequently stand on the short boards we were given.  However, we followed the one cardinal rule of surfing: always smile.

Sitting down to our family Mexican dinner which Stu and I prepared in gratitude for our week's stay.
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Since it was the holiday season, most of the family was not working during the day, which gave us more time together.  I think it still would have been pleasant had people been at work during the day, but it was far more pleasant to have everyone around.  Since we had little agenda of our own, Stu and I were happy to accompany Mali or either of her parents in to town for some small errand.  The trips were unimportant in destination, but the time getting there allowed for more and more conversation, further strengthening our bonds.

Stu preparing the tealights in the paper sacks. New Mexicans, look familiar?
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On a couple of afternoons, Mali took us to see some of the nearby beauty.  One day we went to Noosa National Park for a hike and swim.  We had a great time getting sweaty while tramping through the dry tropical forest and then trying to bodysurf the small waves in the bay's waters.  Another day, Hal and Adzy, Mali's boyfriend, joined us for a trek out to another park which featured several waterfalls.  The grand fall was broken, i.e. the path leading to it was under reconstruction, so we made do with a smaller one, which was actually more ideal for climbing around and jumping from.  On our way back, we summited a hill which gave us a 360-degree views of Noosa Heads, the national park, some of the nearby lakes, and even more of the land westward away from the sea.  No matter where we were or what we were looking at, I continued to feel very lucky for company.

The ambience of Christmas Eve dinner at the Reed house.
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The day before Christmas Eve, Pam, Stuart, and I had been talking a lot about food.  I had mentioned how much I missed proper Mexican food and how I enjoyed cooking.  Pam, not being a fool, jumped at the opportunity to satisfy both of those desires.  She agreed to buy the ingredients I needed if Stuart and I cooked.  Stu was very forthcoming about his lack of knowledge on Mexican food but also his experience in the kitchen, which was noticeable once he began preparing ingredients.  We made fairly good versions of Spanish rice and refried beans, but the tacos came out quite well.  We fried minced beef, mashed potato, and cheese in corn tortillas to make street tacos.  With a bit of taco sauce and a cold beer, I could have been in my own kitchen making a similar dish for CA friends.

More
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I've never had Christmas Eve dinner on a pool deck before, but I must say it wasn't very hard to get used to. Pam had prepared a wonderful amount of food, some that I had seen and some I had not.  Typical to holiday dinners I'd attended in the States, everyone ate and drank for over an hour until they were too full at which point dessert was served.  The unique thing about this dinner were the crackers at the end.  True to British tradition, the family opened small party crackers with treats inside.  One of the treats was a nice piece of chocolate, while the other was a trivia question.  Poor Pam had been making these each evening for a couple of hours, largely because she made the mistake of asking me and Stuart to come up with some of questions.  Being a trivia nut, I had many odd facts but tried to limit the topics to things that people might actually find interesting and not consider me to much of a freak for knowing.

Grubbing on some of the delicious appetizers for Christmas Eve dinner: oysters, chocolate covered almonds, brie
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Half way around the world with no address of my own, Santa Claus still managed to find me on Christmas morning.  I had a stocking with my name on it with all sorts of edible goodies inside.  Ever had a fresh mango on Christmas morning?  It is a wonderful treat.  Aside from the stocking, St. Nick had left me a wrapped present as well: a puzzle game called Tantrix.  The Reed family had a copy of this game which had occupied a fair amount of my time during a few afternoons. There were too many puzzles to finish before I left, so it was thoughtful of the jolly old man to give me my own copy with which to travel.

The setting
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As much as I wanted to stay there for Boxing Day and the day after and after... I had to catch my next bus that morning.  Goodbyes were bitter, and I don't think I'll get used to them.  However, I'll continue to hope for them knowing why they are bitter.