Brianne turns 20 in an AUSome way!

Turning 20 is a milestone as it is, but then to celebrate in Australia is extraordinary! We have been celebrating Belle's birthday for a few days. It began at the Kings Park Festival in  Perth where they have gorgeous flowers in the park next to the Botanic Garden.  The wildflower season is known as one of the most fascinating of Western Australia's national treasures drawing people from all over the world.

After leaving the park, we took a bus to do some shopping. Their public transporation is great here and it was free on this Saturday. That gave us some extra money to spend on jewelry and special dresses for Brianne's birthday party dinner to come on Monday evening.

Saturday night was a fun time with a pre-party in my hotel room with wine and crackers and cheese for the girls. We then went to the strip, where all the restaurants and bars are located. We went to Norfolk for a drink in an outdoor setting. And then to to Newport to dance the night away. It was a bit wild and an whole lotta fun.

And the fun continued on Sunday with Brianne and I going to the Markets. The Markets are open every weekend and it's an awesome experience with vendors selling fresh fruit and vegetables, handmade Australian products and Aboriginal items as well. I was able to buy a few items for the special people in my life back home. It was nice to do some Christmas shopping in Australia!

Once we were finished with our shopping we had some lunch and then went to Cleos, where Brianne lives. I met more of her friends and toured her living quarters. It's a nice old building with wooden floors and rooms that are a little more spacious than the average dorm room.  There are boys and girls living here and all seem to be getting along quite well.

In fact, Brianne was showered with gifts upon our return to her dorm and then we gathered up the troops and went to Little Creatures Brewing Company in Freo. It's located at the marina where there are several drinking establishments. It was quite fun, although we had the worst server ever. In Australia, the servers make good money and there is no tipping. This of course means there is no incentive to provide timely and friendly service. Thankfully, there was a shift change and we had a much better server before we left and ultimately a very nice experience.

Next stop: the Esplanade Hotel, where I'm staying. We enjoyed some wine and then went for a dip in the hot tub and then to relax in the sauna. I was also able to give Brianne her birthday gifts I had brought with me. I gave her a beach bag that had her initial stitched into it with a princess crown. I'm sure this will come in quite handy as she hits the beaches along the W. Australia coast. The other gift was a singing Justin Bieber toothbrush. She was giddy with excitement over it, but her friends were a little creeped out and obviously don't have the Bieber fever. Understandably so.

Stay tuned...the party continues this evening!

Wildflowers at Kings Park Festival

Brianne loves hugs.