Glaedelig bagjul og godt nytaar Merry Christmas and a happy new year - vi haaber at alle havde en rigtig god jul og et brag af et nyt aar. The english version is coming after the danish version - what we don't do for you all:D

Vi fejrede julen i gode haender hos Bob og Louise i Glening Valley, det var lidt sjovt at proeve en anderledes jul, men vi savnede godt nok familiens skoed d. 24. december!! Istedet for at holde juleaften lavede vi risengroed som senere skulle blive til Ris a la mande, spiste and og brune kartofler og vi fik dem soerme til at danse om juletraet. Senere saa vi en julekoncert fra Melbourne og tog til midnatsmesse i en lille kirke med en praest fra Burma - da vi kom tilbage fra messen aabnede vi gaver:D.. Tjo, det var nu ikke en helt daarlig juleaften:) Det var foerste gang at Emily og jeg valgte at proeve vores julemad talenter af med Ris a la mande (og saa endda uden almindelige danske groedris), og for at vaere meget selvtilfreds, saa var den bedste ris a la mande jeg laenge har smagt (vi elsker stadig mormors, bare rolig:)).. Til midnatsmessen (som var en katolsk messe) var Emily og jeg helt i hundende - vi var ved at doe af grin fordi korsangerne sang pivfalsk og vi satte os ned naar man skulle staa op, og saa er det ikke helt nemt at forstaa en praest med "burma" accent. men det var da en oplevelse vi vil huske, selvom vi var rigtig pinlige danske turister:)

D. 25 december var det saa tid til australsk jul. Vi stod tidlig op for at goere vores ris a la mande klar og goere os jule fine:) Vi skulle spise julefrokost henne hos Bob' og Louise's naboer/venner: Tony og Julie og deres fire boern, Tony's far og bror og saa os fire. Vi fik en dejlig jorbaerdrink og der var mad til flere dage saa vi satte os til bord og havde det super hyggeligt. Som aegte danskere havde vi lavet en pakkeleg (du ved, den hvor pakken er pakket ind mange tusinde gange med utrolig meget klisterbaand, saa sidder vi i en rundkreds og slaar med en terning. Det gaelder om at faa en sekser og saa er det ellers bare om at skynde sig at faa en hat og at par store handsker paa), hvilket var en kaempe succes, og alle var med!! Saa gik vi ellers igang med Guitarhero (supersjovt) og endelig kom tiden, hvor vores ris a la mande skulle afproeves - vi var ret nervoese for om de ville kunne lide det - men de elskede det og skrapede skaalen. Vi havde puttet en mandel i og haabede selvfoelge ikke at enten mig eller Emily ville faa den, men jo den fik jeg!!Men som min soede morfar har laert mig saa kan man jo sende den rundt under bordet;) - saa Roselie, den mindste datter, fik fornoejelsen og alle var glade:)!! Vi blev ved Tony and Julie i nogle timer og tog tilbage ved 6-tiden... Jeg lagde mig med det samme ind og sov i mens de andre saa en film inden vi skulle videre til Louise's soester "Bernie", hendes mand John og deres to boern og deres kaerester og en kaempe hund... Det var ogsaa vaeldig hyggeligt og vi fik god dessert (mere mad!!!!) og at glas vin at styrke os paa:) Juledag var fardig ved midnatstid, men vi var fandme ogsaa traette efter at vaere paa en hel dag (hvor laenge har i rejst? hvor har i vaeret? hvordan holder i jul? osv!), men det er da dejligt at de viser interesse:)

D. 26. december (Boxing day) var vi paa den igen. Vi skulle hen til Bob's gamle chef og hans store familie og nogle venner. Det var meget afslappet. De havde en laekker pool og udsigt til en dejlig soe. Vi snakkede og hyggede - de havde boern paa vores alder saa det var lidt hyggeligt!!!)! Vi var hjemme ved 8-tiden og saa var det tid til dommens time med hensyn til pakning. Vi har begge to vaeret lidt nervoese med hvor meget bagage vi havde og jeg var isaer bange for at at jeg havde nok plads i min ene rygsaek, men mirakuloest nok saa havde jeg plads (altsaa min taske er ved at flaekke, men det er da pakket) og min taskede vejede kun 19,5 kg. YES!!!

Louise koerte os til Sydney d. 27, hvor vi havde booket et hostel midt i Kings Cross - vi boede i en "dormroom" med to tyske drenge, men fik ikke rigtig snakket med dem da vi havde saa pokkers travlt med at naa at se alt naar vi nu var i Sydney!! Naa, men - vi startede med at finde "Darling Habour", som er et hyggeligt lille havneomraade! Saa saa vi "Chinese garden", hvor der var en lille bryllupscermoni, det var lidt sjovt at opleve - Haven var rigtig smuk og idyllisk (I maa se billeder naar vi kommer hjem:)). Vi tog videre til Paddys marked (kaempe marked i en lagerhal), meget hektisk, men mange gode og billige butikker!! Videre derfra blev det til chinatown med en masse kinesere (SJOVT NOK!!!!!!!!!!). Paa det tidspunkt syntes vejrguden at de var tid til regn, saa da vi tog op i Sydneytower var det ikke ligefrem den bedste udsigt vi fik over sydney, men vi har da vaeret der og det taeller ogsaa:)!! Vi tog i biografen for at se "Australia", men den gik foerst to timer senere, saa vi saa "VickyChristinaBarcelona" i stedet!! Saa var det hjem, og paa hovedet i seng.

D.28. december blev det til en "smuttur" til Blue Mountains. Det vil sige at togturen derop tog 3 timer i stedet for 1 1/2 time og vi havde kun 3 timer i blue mountains foer vi skulle tilbage - men vi saa det man skal se (de tre soestre)! Og saa et lille soedt vandfald pakket med kinesere og kameraere (det hoere ligesom sammen:D).. Da vi endelig kom tilbage til Sydney tog vi faergen til Manly beach, hvor vi spiste middag (min mad kom foerst da Emily var faerdig med sin), saa det var meget skuffende!!, men vi fik god italiensk is til dessert saa det hjalp lidt paa humoeret. Vi var hjemme paa hostellet kl. midnat og skulle op kl. kvart over 4 for at naa vores shuttle til lufthavnen, saa det var ikke meget soevn i denne omgang + Emily havde migraene, saa det var ekstra lidt soevn for hende.

Vi landede i Melbourne! Meget traette! Meget grimme! saa det var rigtig dejligt at Claire (hende, vi havde faaet lov til at bo ved de naeste 4 dages tid) tog imod os lige ude ved gaten. Claire er skolelaerer og har en soen paa 13 aar, hendes tante fra england var ogsaa paa besoeg saa der var liv nok:)! Clarie havde indrettet sit eget sovevaerelse med tilhoerende badevaerelse til os, hvilket var alt for meget, alt er luksus naar man normalt bor i en koejeseng paa et hostel:) Claire og Sheila (tanten) tog os med ud for at se Melbourne by: vi var i skytower, Melbourne. Botanic garden, og ellers bare saa byen fra en australsk vinkel!! Dagene efter tog vi i zoologisk have og saa en masse dyr; Rigtig hyggelig zoologisk have med megen idyl.

Nytaarsdag tog vi i biografen og saa "Australia" og den kan helt klart anbefales!! Den varer godt nok 3 timer men det foeles ikke som 3 timer, den er rigtig god.. og senere tog vi med Claire ned til floden og gik rundt mellem al festlivet. Det var nogle faa koncerter og en masse glade musikanter, det var sjovt at vaere en del af.. KL. 9.15 var der fyrvaerkeri for boernene (og alle andre:)) og kl. 00 var der et sindsygt fyrvaerkeri - det var utroligt flot og varede i 20 minutters tid! Derefter tog vi bare hjem og hyggede - vi maa vente med den helt store nytaarfest til naeste aar:)..

Vi tog fra Claire d. 2 januar 2009 og havde en forfaerdelig flyvetur paa 3 timer med utrolig meget turbulens at vi begge to stadig var ret daarlige en time efter, men det hele gik smurt, vi fandt vores baggage og kom igennem sikkerhedskontrol rimelig hurtigt - selvom de var lige ved at bede mig om at tage vores telt op for at se paa det og med det sagt, saa ligger teltet i bunden af min totalproppet rygsaek, saa de havde i hvert fald ikke vaeret saerlig populaere, hvis jeg skulle aabne den!!!

Nu er vi her i Christchurch paa et rigtig hyggeligt hostel - kaldet Base. Vi havde booket to overnatninger hjemmefra paa et dobbeltvaerelse, hvilket er lidt aergeligt for vi moeder altid saa mange naar vi bor i sovesale... Men en tur i baren og pludselig kender man alle - det er skoent at vaere omkring backpackere fordi de allesammen er i samme situation som en selv og de er allesammen fra alle mulige lande, saa der er masser af snakke om:)

Det var meningen at vi skulle med en bus idag (soendag), men der var ikke plads, saa vi tager videre i morgen (mandag) til Kaikoura, hvor der skulle vaere en masse dyreliv og muligheder for at komme paa hvaltur, men nu maa vi se... Indtil videre er vi her for at moede en masse andre backpackere og for at se den skoenne natur!! Hvis vi laver noget vildt, faar i det foerst ad vide bagefter:D..

Hold jer muntre i kulden og hvis det er en troest saa er der kun 20 - 25 grader i new zealand istedet for 25 - 30 grader som der var i australien;D.. OKay, maaske lidt flabet, men jeg er paa den anden side af jorden saa jeg kan tillade mig at vaere flabet:).

Sommerhilsner fra Emily og Sara, som stadig nyder vores eventyr og stadig holder hinanden ud!!!:D

Merry christmas to all and to all a.... happy new year!!! As I have now been written in danish for about an hour then I will not promise that this i going to be a very good english performance from my side - but don't worry I will do my best, just wanteed you to be prepared!!! :D

We had a very merry christmas with Bob and Louise. Starting the 24th. by making the famous danish "Ris a al mande" - first time ever made by Emily and I, but pretty amazing if I should have a saying in it. We had a bit of a danish christmas dinner with duck and "sweet potatoes". Afterwards we watched a christmasconcert from Melbourne and danced around the christmastree (build by Louise, Emily and myself). We went to midnight mass in a catholic church, where Emily and me couldn't stop laughing because the choir didn't have a tune in their lives - a bit embarrising. LAter we came to sit down when everyone was standing. The priest was from Burma so we did not quite understand what he was saying, but it was a good ceremoni and we had a great time... When we got back we opened the christmas presants and a had a wonderful time.

On the 25th. we had a great christmas lunch with Bob and Louise's neighbours/friends: tony and julie and their 3 kids, tonys dad and brother and all of us from bottlebrush drive.. There was a lot of delicious food so we quickly sat down to eat:D.. As danish as we are we had made a little danish game, where we had wrapped a presants i paper about 30 times and put a lot of tape on it. Then you have to try and open it with a had and a big pair of gloves, but only if you have a 6 on a dice..Everyone joined in and we had a great time. Later vi had a wonderful christmas icepudding and our ris a la mande where we had put an almond in - TThe youngest daugther won the presant and everyone liked our riceoudding - SUCCES!! We had a grest time and went back home at 6 o' clock.

I slept for a couple of hours while the others watched a movie. We then went to Bernie and Johns, Louise's sister. Their children and their boyfrinds and girlfriens were there to. They had invited us for dessert and drinks. We had a really great time. We went home to bed at 12 o clock and we were really tired! Boxing day, we were ready again nad we went to have a barbeque with some of Bobs collegues. They had a big pool and a lovely house by the lake, o it was wonderful. We just hangedaround all day and the weather was bautiful! We went home late afternoon and then it was the dreading packingtime! We were very worried that we couldn't fit all our stuff into our bags, but we maneged and went to bed happy! The next morning Louise drove us down to Sydney, which was really nice. We dumped all our stuff in the hostel at Kings Cross and sayed goodbye to Louise. We headed of to see all the things we haddent seen yet in Sydney. We started at darling harbour where we had lunch. It was very nice down there and very iddylic. Then we went up to see the chineese garden, which was cloese by. It was really beautiful in there. We took some great pictures you must see when we get home. There was also an indian weeding going on when we were there. (yes I know, an Indian wedding in a chineese garden..?!?) But that was quite funny. After this we went to a big market, called paddys marked. It was really big and crowded, so we only stayed for a short while, eventhouh the shops were cute and cheap. :) We went back through china town and took the train back to sydney central. We went up the Sydney tower to see all the views, but by this time it was very clouded and had started to rain, so we couldn't see much. We were going to go to manly beach in the evening, but because of the weather, we decided to go to the movies instead. We saw a film called Vickychristinabarcelona. It was a bit wierd but alright. We went home and went early to bed. The next day we took a short trip to the Blue Mountains. We had been told that it would take 1,1/2 hours to get there, but it took nearly 3 hours! So by the time we got there it was already late. We saw the most imprtant things (the 3 sisters) and a small, but very nice waterfall. Then back home again, so we could see manly beach. We wished we could have stayed longer, but you can't do everything. We took the ferry to manly and had dinner there. Emilys had already finished hers when I got mine, so that was very diapointing. Luckily we had Italian icecream for dessert, and that helped on the mood. We didn't get home before 12 and we had to get up the next morning at 4 to go to the airport. Emily had a terrible headache, so the little sleep we got, made it even worse for her.

We arrived in Melbourne at 9 in the morning, feeling very ugly and very tired, but luckily Claire, the girl we had been alowed to stay with, picked us up at the gate. So that was really nice. She drove us home to her son, Cameron 13, and her visiting auntie from England, Sheila. Claire had given us her bedroom with our own bathroom, which was too much! But I must atmit, we slept really good! Everything is better that a hostel bed! We had a cup of tea and then Claire, sheila and us went into Melbourne to look around. They took us up Melboune skytower and saw all the views of Melbourne. A bit better than in Sydney. We also walked around and saw all the arcitecture and skulptures there are around Melbourne. Then we went to the Botanic gardens where we had a coffe. We went home and had a really good nights sleep. The following day, the weather wasn't that nice, so we went to a big shopping center to look around for a bit. After a few hours the weather had cleared up, so we went to melbourne zoo. It was a lovely zoo and spend quite a few hours there. On the 31st, new years eve, we went to see the film Australia! It was absoulutly amazing, and we really enjoyed it. Claire took us into the city in the evening to walk around and take in all the atmosphere. There were small concerts everywere, intertainment and great fireworks at 9 and ofcourse at midnight! It was fantastic and it just went on and on for about 20 minutes.

On the 1st of Janurary 2009 (!!) we went for a drive up a mountain, where they had really cute shops and cafees. We wandered around and had a loevely day. In the evening we rented a movie and just relaxed. Claire drove us to the air port the following morning. We had a great time in melbourne and we were taken very good care of! The flight to New Zealand was very bumpy, and we felt really sick when we got of the plaine. Luckily we found everything very easy and found our hostel quite quickly. The last few days we have just been walking around the town, seen the church, the art gallery, botanic garden, the local bar, and lots more. Tomorrow we start our bustrip around the south Island. We are looking forward to getting started!!

We promise to write soon, and promise not to take this long the next time!! We hope everybody got well into 2009. We miss you all very much!

Lots of love Emily and Sara