Advertisement
Published: August 5th 2013
Edit Blog Post
Awesome week. As mentioned at the end of my last blog, my friend and ex-colleague Kate flew out to meet me in Brisbane for a week of fun and frolics. We swapped HR for rollercoasters, the union for the spa and payroll for the beach. Know which I prefer.
After my return from Fraser Island, I head to the hotel Grand Chancellor. I felt a little out of place with my huge backpack and accompanying sleeping bag. It was pretty obvious I belonged in a hostel, slumming it with the rest of Europe's youth. I found myself at reception standing up straight, putting on my best voice and proving with good manners that I was in the right place. After checking in it was straight to the bar to meet Kate. It was so great to see her after a month or so, and even more great that it wasn't in a stuffy office with a non-stop phone. We ordered some cocktails and began the holiday as we meant to go on.
Kate had hired a car and day 1 we hit the Gold Coast - MovieWorld! We spent a day in the sunshine screaming on the Scooby Doo
ride, getting soaked on the log flume, eating hot dogs and ice-cream and shooting 3D aliens. Awesome. But the best part was the unexpected Warner Bros parade. If there's something I did not expect to see in Australia it was Bugs Bunny, Daffy, Tweetie Pie and Sylvester street-dancing to One Direction. We met Superman, Batman and the Green Lantern and probably had more fun than the kids there. That night I took great pleasure in ordering room service and watching TV in my double bed. 6 months since I'd had that much space - I will never take it for granted again. Nor will I take for granted being able to leave my toiletries in the bathroom and being able to get dressed in my room and not a cubicle.
I started the next day how I totally meant to go on - with a session at the on-site gym. Truth is that was the only morning I managed it. Still, the thought was there and that's what counts right?.... Kate and I spent the day exploring Brisbane. We went on the Brisbane wheel, walked around Southbank, got excited in an old-school sweet shop, found an awesome dessert cafe
and ordered banana crepes and chilled by the city beach. The next day we felt a little exhausted and had the laziest day we could think of- cinema and pub. The cinema only cost $6! Cheapest day I've had in Australia :-D the rest of the week we visited Noosa, ate more cake than I care to admit, went to Surfers Paradise, saw 8 Elvis Presley's get out of a limo and sing Suspicious Minds (only in Goldy!), visited a really cool night market, explored the weird and wonderful at Ripley's odditorium, had a drink in the famous Ettamogah pub, got pulled over and yelled at by an angry policeman for using a mobile phone for directions, had the best dinner at Libertine (French-Vietnamese is one of my new favourites), rejected the advances of a drunken Irishman, ended up accidentally in New South Wales when we missed several highway exits and sang our hearts out to the Great Gatsby soundtrack. Packed week, thus we ended it in the best possible way...
Kate's last day was Saturday. We drove (and by we I mean Kate drove and I attempted to navigate) to the beautiful Mount Tamborine national park. Surrounded by
rainforest and draped in sunshine it was simply stunning. Tucked away at the top was a gorgeous little day spa. We had our own room there for 90 minutes. Our own steam room, hot-tub jacuzzi, mineral spa bath, stocked fridge and open fire. I've never been so relaxed in my life. After a full on few weeks it was the best thing ever to just sit in a dressing gown with a cup of camomile tea and just 'be'. As if this wasn't enough, I also treated myself to a 30-minute back massage. Tell you what, I know how to backpack Australia in style! Feeling thoroughly relaxed and knot-free we went in search of lunch and found ourselves in the most over-the-top, stereotypical Bavarian pub. We sat outside, listened to German cheesy pop and ate schnitzel served by girls in lederhosen. I loved it! We walked off the food with a rainforest walk, finding a waterfall at the end. So beautiful and the perfect end to a relaxing day.
I said goodbye to Kate. I hate all these goodbyes. That's the life of a traveller I guess; you meet people then move into the next place. Though Kate talks
of a visit to London and I really hope to see her there when that time comes. That night I was back in my cheap hostel, met some great girls in my room and watched Notting Hill with them and a tub of popcorn. I packed and prepared myself for another plane journey. Time for a new journey. I was on my way further up the east coast to better weather, amazing scenery and underwater adventures.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.084s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 10; qc: 49; dbt: 0.0492s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb