Blogs from Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia, Oceania

Here we are, our last little blog of a six weeks on the road! No...we are not done with planes, just slightly different for the coming few weeks. That was a trip! This entry start in the Sunshine Coast. We are staying for 2 nights at the Novotel Twin Waters. It's a pretty old property, but the frequent guest benefits are pretty awesome. We love balcony with views, big baths, mini kitchenettes, suites in general...even more when they come with a complimentary bottle of wine! This is my first venture in this part north of Brisbane. It's way greener and peaceful than the Gold Coast. We spent some time having more great food and some superb wine. Weather is also still on our side, so the little walk to Noosa Heads National Park is just amazing. ... read more

Day 23 We packed up our stuff and left the hotel in Brisbane for our hour drive to Surfers Paradise! As we couldn't check in until 2 we had a stop off in Oxenford for a bit of brunch and then had a mud muffin and hubster had millionaires shortbread! Piggies! In this same bakery we saw Horsey Cake which was actually being sold as a hedgehog slice!! Very bizarre! We arrived in surfers paradise about 12, too early to check in so we went for a walk along the beach front lots of nice big waves, hence the name I guess! We went to the hotel about 1:30 but the room wasn't ready. We were able to park the car in the car park and use the hotel facilities but we decided to go out ... read more

I was really sorry to be leaving Byron Bay behind but our journey up the east coast wouldn't continue without moving on. Its always hard to leave behind places that you really like ... No matter, Surfers Paradise sounded as though it would be just as good so back on the Greyhound bus it was. We travelled on the M1 (no, not like our M1, this was also known as the Pacific Highway so there was a bit of a difference!). The landscape was very green and verdant, mainly agricultural with lots of cows. Many of those looked typically European to my layman's eye (Fresian, Hereford) but there were some with a bit of a hump and longer droopy ears; I think I'm right in saying these are Brahman cattle and though they originate in the ... read more

It's crazy that tomorrow it'll be a month since I left Calgary. Time flies! It feels like just yesterday I got here. I've spent the last 3 days in Surfers Paradise. Another beach town, but it's a really big party town and reminds me of Miami in a way. There are big skyscrapers, fancy clubs and theme parks. It's a lot flashier than Noosa or Mission Beach. Took surfing lessons yesterday. The very first time I tried to stand up probably ended up being my best ride of the day. Conditions weren't great - the waves were really big and not ideal for beginner surfing. There's a poker tournament at my hostel tonight. $5 buy in includes a free beer. Winner gets a $50 bar tab. Other than that, I haven't been doing much lately. It ... read more

Today has been eventful, and it's only 3:30! I woke up at 6, got ready, and walked down to Surfers Paradise! I grabbed some food at McDonalds (I know, great choice right...lol), then walked around the shops. I found this place called Cotton On, and I may have fallen in love with the styles. I bought a dress, sunglasses, and 3 nail polishes, and it only cost me 30 bucks! So good! After that, I went down to the water and walked along the shore for about an hour, then headed up to grab a Starbucks (shaken passion tea lemonade FTW!) I then decided to head home, 'cause I was wiped, and a tad sweaty.... TMI I know.... but seriously though, in total today, I walked about 10 km! So it's no wonder I was sweaty ... read more