Aussirose Travel and Photography: 2009

BRISBANE MEET & GREET

VT Meetings Downunder were becoming a regular yearly experience. Us Aussies looked forward to showing our international guests around our home.

It all started in 2006 in Melbourne, then Perth in 2007, Darwin and the top end in 2008 and now the fabulous Whitsundays in 2009.

This is an account of our VT experience, friendship and good times. Trip advisor can shut down Virtual Tourist, but they will never cut off our community spirit. It lives on.

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Most overseas visitors were flying into Brisbane so we decided to have a little pre-meet here at the Breakfest Creek Hotel.
Great night!! Great company!! Fantastic time!!

cnango, thetravelslut, belsaita and aussirose

2Cities1Love, Stephanie and Gerry, aussirose

Stevemt and aussirose

2Cities1Love, betska and aussirose

DennyP and aussirose

Waalewiener and aussirose

Belsaita, Waalewiener and aussirose

Waalewiener, Lukas and TheBoyToy

VTérs enjoying dinner

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Sue (2Cities1Love) and I stayed at the Kingsford Riverside Inn. This is a basic hotel, but if you are staying just overnight in Brissy for 1 night and want a place near the airport plus near a great hotel, Breakfast Creek Hotel, then I would recommend that you stay here.

We went for an early morning walk along the river which is just across the road from the hotel.

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Next day, off to Airlie Beach.

It was fun having a stack of VTérs on the same plane.

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AIRLIE BEACH VT MEET & GREET

Hansi with the ladies aussirose, Waalewiener, rosie235 and adelaidean

Meet and Greet is one of the bet things about our VT meets.

A group of us had already met in Brisbane and had caught the plane up to Proserpine which is the local Whitsunday airport. A few of us grouped together and paid for a limo to take us into Airlie Beach which is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

wise23girl, lou31, aussirose, tropicrd, betska

betska, aussirose and dancingbudgie

aussirose and bungalow_bill49504

TheBoyToy, lou31, Russell and TheTravelSlut

TheTravelSlut Ann and TheBoyToy Charlie from Florida always turn up in fabulous costumes.

Needless to say our Ann and Charlie stole the show.

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Us Aussies love to try to get everyone to stay together at the same accommodation as it is easier for the organiser and attendees.

I chose the Waters Edge Resort with a fabulous view over the islands and recommended sharing as the price was very competitive to do it this way. I hired the Penthouse apartment and 7 of us shared. It worked out to be only $85pp per night. Total bargain for 5 star accommodation with a view to die for.

Trekki's Nobby loved the view

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VA's OH_DK and Reorich55 drank, and sank.

And our dear Hansi from Canada was worn out.

Hansi enjoys knitting and makes scarfs for all of us.

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KNUCKLE REEF

Day 1 - I booked us all on the Cruise Whitsundays. We went to the outer reef for some snorkelling, diving for a few and the glass bottom boat. We arrived at a pontoon in the middle of nowhere. The pontoon had a slide for those that were game. I just did some snorkelling. Lunch provided was a lovely buffet of fresh seafood, cold meats and salads.

I would recommend this trip.

Pitt Stop at Daydream Island on the way

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WHITEHAVEN BEACH

Day 2 - It was unanimously decided that the sailing trip the next day to Whitehaven Beach was better.

Whitehaven Beach is world renowned as being one of the best beaches in the world and rightly so. Its picture perfect blue water and pure white sand makes for stunning holiday postcard photos.

FIRST EVER VT OLYMPICS

There were games such as thong fling, Vegemite bowling, XXXX shooters and Tim Tam grab.

THONG FLING

Contestants had to don a thong and fling their thong.

Thong fling!! (say that a few times after some drinks haha).

Who can fling their thongs the distance....? 😉

VEGEMITE BOWLING

Name says it all. Bowl the Vegemite jar and hit down a pile of XXXX stubbie holders.

Seemed easy enough, but the contestants didn't know that their Vegemite jars were 1/4 full which meant that if they didn't bowl fast enouth, the jar would veer to the side, or even do a 360 and totally miss the mark, hehee.

XXXX SHOOTERS

No! It's not shooting down XXXX beer!!! Shame on you! haha.

This was the most cutest VT Aussie Olympic game.

Contestants - dancingbudgie and son.

Tracy had to don a pair of swimming goggles and sit down on the sand. We gave son a water pistol and he had to shoot the XXXX stubie holder off his mum's head.

Only took the young lad about 3 shots.

😁

TIM TAM GRAB

Who doesn't like Tim Tams? Yuuum.

This game was sooo funny. 😃

The whole beach was in hysterics!! Of course it wouldn't be the same if the stars of the game weren't TheTravelSlut and Waalewiener. Ann and Hansi just kept us laughing.

They were blind folded and twirled to disorientate. Then they had to kneel down. I quietly placed a packet of Tim Tams near Ann. And then they were told to gram the Tim Tams.

Well all hell broke loose! There was lots of grabbing, but the Tim Tams stayed in their place haha.

Ann & Hansi started crawling in different directions. Well everyone totally lost it! We were crying with laughter.

😭

I had to play the chilled, cold, luke warm, warm hot, hotter game - until Hansi grabbed the prize!!

They don't call our Hansi the cookie monster for no reason.

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Sailing back on the purple camera was fun.

We had an awesome bbq lunch and the drinks flower until we could not disguise our wabbly legs any more. Maybe just blame that on whoever is rocking the boat.

😜

And Riorich55 says Look how many I had

And the big day was too much for some.

Next blog - an all afternoon long lunch held at our hotel by the pool with magnificant views and fabulous entertainment, dancing and good old VT friendship along with plenty of chat and laughter. Everything that us VTérs do. (did) the best.

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ALL AFTERNOON LONG LUNCH AT

DEJA VU RESTAURANT, WATERS EDGE

Our sweet fun lady Dorrise (tropicrd) stole the show.

More about that later.

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We just had 2 days of cruising the fabulous Whitsundays.

We snorkelled, dived and ate a smorgasboard of seafood, cold meats and salads, washed down with copious amounts of good Aussie beer and wine. We had laughed until our bellies hurt. We played some unique games. We jumped for VT JumpingNorman on the famous Whitehaven Beach.

We were staying at the accommodation at Waters Edge in Airlie Beach with a view to die for over the Whitsunday Islands.

Today, we were about to have an all afternoon 8 course lunch to which the Deja Vu Restaurant at Waters Edge was famous for.

We thoroughly enjoyed the 8 courses, drank, danced, laughed, enjoyed great company and stunning views.

Stephany and Gerry from VT Headquarters

Nobby, Waalewiener and Triabunna

wise23girl and grandson zzone

Nobby with his mum Trekki who couldn't attend

but sent him over to have some fun with us.

Nobby, DennyP and Trekki

aussirose and Ove from Denmark have a dance

Belsaita from Barcelona and Hansi from Canada

Rich from Chicago is a messy eater

PJ got on the happy herbs

A little tribute to dear Rexy, Dorrise's husband who has since passed away.

They always enjoyed happy hour with a glass of red every afternoon

in their back yard listening to the birds.

See them dancing in the video below.

He was singing to her. 😘

The entertainment were absolutely fabulous. They played fantastic dance songs. Our Hansi did a great job in explaining what VA's were all about, including his lovely wife Lori to whom he had with him as a VA. Lori couldn't make the trip. It is too long a journey for her.

So, anyway the entertainment were just loving us VT'ers.

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Now about the photo above. Dorrise stole the show.

The entertainment just loved our Dorrise. 😀

You have to check out the video below.

Plus a couple of other fun videos.

Dorrise and the wobbles

aussirose and DennyP kick up their heals

Hansi dances with VA wife Lori

VTérs enjoy a romantic dance

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MORE PARTYING AT AIRLIE BEACH

Our goodbye party was held at Mangrove Jacks Restaurant in the main street of Airlie Beach. This restaurant had plenty of room to cater for our big crowd.

Here we presented lou31 with a gift for helping plan and co-ordinate this fabulous meet including a great bbq dinner at the meet and greet at Waters Edge. Lots of hugs ensued.

Happy hour at Cactus Jacks around the corner saw us all hooking into the Margaritas. Yuum!

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IT'S MY PARTY!!

I honestly can't remember where the balloons came from? But Birthday Girl Nancy from California certainly knows how to party.😁

We were walking down the main street following Birthday Girl who was proudly parading her balloons singing "it's my party!!" when some randoms couldn't help but join in.