Blogs from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, Oceania

As mentioned, I'll make an effort to show you around home. I guess it begins in my backyard, waking to kookaburras. Most mornings I head outside under the guise of doing some tai chi ( code for stretching out ol' lady aches and pains). For those not fortunate enough to breathe this fresh air and savor the aroma of gum trees and the peppered scent of the earthy bushland, I can honestly admit it is something I never tire of. If you were to ask a local what they love most about this area, it would likely be that we have some of the most beautiful beaches at the front door and some of the most amazing rainforests and mountains at our backdoor. The richness of the area is mostly due to a place called Mt ... read more

I wanted to begin my blog by declaring MY PASSPORT ARRIVED! It's lame, I know, but to someone like me, who has never ventured outside "home", it is an exciting prospect to finally have that ability to up and leave. Although, it may not be entirely correct to say I haven't traveled. My "homes" have been Melbourne, Sydney and now, the Gold Coast. I also had a holiday in Papua New Guinea when I was really young, I don't recall much other than a church, which housed a black Mary and Jesus, a visit to the regional markets and a trip along the river to see how the locals lived. They were my only memories of such a native culture. I'm not sure culture is a word associated with Australia, in the sense many use the ... read more

Today I went to Movie World with my family. I started with the Batwing space shot ride which is the highest attraction in the park. I then went on the Justice League 3Dthe Ride and after that I went to watch the Holywood Stunt Driver. I went on Road Runner which was a roller coaster and then I went to see the 4D Ice Age show. I then went on the Scooby-Doo Spookey Coaster rider and I like it so much I went on it twice more. I watched the Parade on Main Street and then I went on the Wild West Falls Adventure Ride and I got wet. I ended up on the bumper cars and playing the machines in the arcade. I then went home and had a night time swim in the pool. ... read more

Seeking refuge from the tight confines of the boat, we head out to the rainforest. 3 nights at Border Ranges National Park with a stop at O'Reilleys, Lamington National Park on the way. Luke... read more

Sat 9th Feb.... my 50th birthday and it was our last few days of luxury staying with Richard Christine in their beautiful house in Tallai overlooking Surfers Paradise. Annie and I spent the day on the beach and in the evening we were taken out for dinner by Rich, Christine, Robert and Erica to a restaurant on the seafront called Sax which overlooks the marina. http://saksrestaurantandbar.com.au/ It was a great evening with great food, drink and company. Certainly a birthday I will remember for a long, long time. Thank you all!!! The following day we went out on Rich's speedboat. We met up with Axle Lou and two of their friends in his boat and spent a fab day racing around the coast, swimming on a secluded beach and lunch on Couran Point Beach Reserve. http://www.couranpoint.com.au/ ... read more