I decided to take advantage of a conference Tom was attending in Brisbane to get some winter sun and also visit some friends living nearby in northern NSW.

Brisbane is pretty nice! I’ve always dismissed it as a destination, for some reason, but it was lovely to walk around. I particularly enjoyed the Botanical Garden and wandering by the Brisbane River. We enjoyed good coffee, good beer and the GOMA museum. At one point, I was in the CBD heading to a record store when a woman stopped me at the pedestrian lights to ask if I was cold. I was wearing shorts, but it was mid-20s, and about to get warmer – maybe I am actually adjusting to the Dunedin weather …

After hanging in Brisbane for a few days, we headed south to Murwillumbah to visit a friend who works as a brewer at the Stone&Wood brewery and his family. It was a treat to relax there for another few days soaking up more warmth in the cosiness of the area.