Day 1 - Carmen's House

So our trip up North starts in the most un-glamourous way with a drive just short of 20 hours. I finished work at 6am Friday morning, we started driving at 9am and we arrived at Mission beach at 4am Saturday morning. In the last 8 hour stretch, Ben decided to fall asleep, leaving me to stock up on no-dose...that was an interesting stretch of semi hallucinations turning me into one cranky beast when we did rock up at our destination! Our destination being Ben's cousin's house in Mission beach. His Cousin, Carmen and her family had done the reverse of us and headed down south for the Christmas period, kindly letting us crash at their abode.

Anyway where was I? Um, 4am we arrive...and Ben couldn't open their front door, I could have cried but instead stormed off to the car in an undignified manner and tried to sleep, a mossie made sure I'd have none of that but as luck would have it, half an hour later Ben had figured out the key. I have to say, it's one of life's little pleasures laying down on your pillow when your body is beyond exhausted!

Five hours into our sleep the heat made sure we were well an truly awake by 10am, I was still half cranky but the excitement of a new place kept me going. I got to have a really good look around their house and it took my breath away!

Their backyard is literally a rainforest and Carmen is one kooky creative lady lending to their house to be a magical place!

can you imagine looking out your back porch everyday and seeing that! just beautiful :)

One of Carmen's creative passions is mosaics...

she also does legs

and hands

Their house is just delightfully colourful and quirky..I clearly fell in love!

I loved that her bathroom was covered in jewelery!

three boys in the family!

Even though I'd been up North once before, I'd had forgotten about the crazy humidity, call me crazy but I loved the heat! There is also lots of fun things that come with that humid environment...including butterflies...lots and lots!

weeee!

I had so much fun exploring and took way too many photos!

Totally jealous, hopefully one day I can live in a place just as beautiful!