Brisbane welcomed us with heat, palm trees and… Christmas shopping. With the big day fast approaching we didn’t ease in gently. On our first afternoon we checked in, dropped the bags at the place we’d be using as our Christmas base, and headed straight to the nearest shopping centre to grab the basics. It wasn’t glamorous, but after weeks of moving around it felt good to know we had food in the fridge and wrapping paper ready to go.
The next morning we properly settled in and then drove further towards Brisbane to tackle a huge Westfield a bit down the road from us. We told ourselves it would just be a few bits and pieces. Instead, we spent most of the day in a blur of trolleys, tinsel and background carols on repeat.
Westfield was in full pre-Christmas chaos: toy shops spilling over, decorations everywhere, kids queuing to see Santa and crowds weaving in every direction. The girls loved it. We tag-teamed the list, tried not to lose each other in the crowds and eventually stumbled back out into the car park with bags full of presents, craft bits and “essentials” that somehow jumped into the trolley.
It was hectic and noisy and very different to our quiet days in the High Country, but walking out into the warm Brisbane air with a boot full of Christmas, it finally felt like our Aussie Christmas was really on its way.