Gold Coast, Australia, 2003

Warm sunshine, fresh seafood, tropical fruits and laid back days sunbaking on the long white sandy beaches watching the dazzling blue ocean -- yes, we took a one month trip to Australia! It was our first trip to the land down under in three years and we stayed with my family on the Gold Coast.

Mum and Nanny built their new house after I left oz, so this was the first time that Yves and I had seen it. Nan lives upstairs, and mum's on the ground floor. We slept in Nan's spare bedroom upstairs.

Yves saw Pelicans for the first time ever. They hang out in their dozens on a beach outside a fish shop where they get fed leftovers everyday. A word of warning about these birds: Never ever park/stand under ' the lights because the pelicans like to perch on them and when they need to go to the toilet, they just go which means that literally a bucket load of shit gets tipped onto you or your car.

We spent a fair amount of time in Surfers Paradise, which is the heart of the Gold Coast. Most things in Australia are done around the water or on it. The beach here is great for surfing (hence the name of the area). The Gold Coast beach stretches for 52km, and it's busiest at Surfers Paradise, right across the road from Cavill Mall where there is a tourist radio playing over the loud speakers, beach volleyball, surfboard hire.

Cavill Mall is a pedestrian street full of shops, outdoor restaurants and cafes. Most days and evenings in the Mall you can find street performers or live bands. By day it is a lazy and relaxing, typically sunny street. But in contrast, at night, Cavill Mall is a hive of activity.

Just down the road is Orchid Avenue, which is crammed with nightclubs. Club hopping is very popular and the streets are packed with clubbers. The Mall's many restaurants (and McDonald's) are open 24hours and the clubs are open until around 4am-5am. After a night out on the town, people tend to wander up the Mall, get some breakfast and head across the road to the beach (where the new day is already quite warm) and watch the sun come up.