Up to Brissy for Chrissy

It's Christmas Day. We are celebrating it alone as a family, the presents were opened yesterday, our lunch was leftovers turned into a salad and our dinner was Hungry Jacks. But the tiny Christmas tree from home sits on the hotel room desk, wrapped with colourful battery powered lights. There's pudding and custard, cherries and mangoes, plus lots of chocolate. And we are on holidays!

Outside the hotel room window is a view of the Brisbane River, with bridges and buildings on the Southbank lit up in Christmas colours. There were crowds of people admiring the tree and lights out the front of the Brisbane Town Hall. I expected the city to be dead on Christmas night, but no, it's buzzing.

I'm exhausted after the drive north. I had a rough sleep, dreamed I was flying and swimming in the South Pacific. Then I cracked a molar while eating Christmas cake! This is totally unfair because I just had a lower molar repaired earlier in the week.

The traffic was moderate leaving Sydney and never entirely let up. B and I took turns driving, which was nice because I had time to nap and look out the window.

We stopped at South Kempsey to eat the leftovers of a pre-Christmas Eve roast lunch converted into a salad. Only McDonalds and KFC were open, no Fredo's Crocodile Pies today.

The rivers were high, the canefields bright green as we headed north, overtaking Kias and in turn being overtaken by Subarus and giant utes.

The weather turned grey and showery once we crossed the border into Queensland. The traffic was also very heavy, possibly residents heading out to Christmas dinner with relatives or home after a long lunch.

Once we had unloaded our luggage we set out to find some Christmas dinner and were surprised that there were places open, despite my fears.

So now, at last, it's time to relax and enjoy what little remains of Christmas.

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