Gold Coast

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I am lucky enough to have two friends, Mason and Sarah, who live in Gold Coast. We met five years ago in Nicaragua and they visited me that same year in Pittsburgh. Gold Coast might not have been on the agenda otherwise, but I'm really happy to have been able to explore the area and meet their friends and family -- definitely a more authentic experience than just spending time at hostels, or trying to follow the advice of how to live "like a local" in the guidebooks.

They picked me up at the Brisbane airport because I had no idea that the Gold Coast wasn't just a coastline, but also a city. It's just an hour from Brisbane and there might someday be nothing more than a hyphen between the two. I could have flown directly into Gold Coast but it was good to get some dinner in Brisbane before the drive to their place.

Wide, empty sand beaches stretch endlessly along the coast here. While Gold Coast itself has development just off the beach, plenty of other places we visited had only brush and bush on the edge of the beach. Hardly anyone is on the beach during their winter (it's still 70 degrees or so during the day). There are estuaries every few miles that locals make good use of by paddle boarding and kayaking in the calm waters. The water is clear and there aren't any crocodiles in this region. The city itself is like an LA or Miami beach-city scene with lots of money and flashiness.

Mermaid Beach to Surfer's Paradise

I walked/ran the beaches from Mermaid Beach, where my friends live, for a few miles toward another confusing name -- Surfer's Paradise (which is right by the city center; apparently it was once appropriately named -- 50 years ago when none of the city was there). The city has done an amazing job keeping the beach pristine. There is no garbage, beach chairs, vendors, or much of anything other than sand and water. The city goes right to the sea and since the beach was abandoned and the storm clouds were sifting some sun through, it felt like I was running in another world.

Burleigh Heads National Park

We did a really nice day hike on this hill, which is only about 10km down the coast from Gold Coast. Some of it was closed due to rock slides, but we climbed the barriers and continued on anyway. It provides some fabulous views of the shoreline and surfers.

Day Trip to King's Cliff and Byron Bay

My friends recently purchased a beach condo in King's Cliff, about a half an hour south, so we crossed the border into New South Wales and spent a night there, adding a long walk on the beach the following day. It's amazing how little development is there and how clean the beaches are; I wonder what it will look like in another 20 years.

We then drove down to Byron Bay, which is a pretty alternative area with plenty of surfers, backpackers, and campervans. There are lots of interesting and stylish shops and galleries there, so we spent a few hours walking around. The beachfront was packed with people lounging, throwing footballs, etc., so I can see why it's so popular.

Whale Watching

I had intended to go whale watching with The Spirit of Gold Coast on Sea World Drive. I looked everything up the night before but when we searched for it in the morning it was raining, so I got dropped off at Sea World, thinking that all the boats left from there. The price was the same (99 AUD) and the name of the boat was nearly the same (The Spirit of Migaloo -- the albino humpback that comes through every year) so I bought the ticket, not knowing that I was signing up for the Sea World trip. This wasn't a big problem -- I just don't like the whole Orca thing and didn't want to give them any of my money.

But once we got out there it, it seemed like we were watching the same whales as those on the other boat that I meant to take. Our vessel was larger, which made it tougher to maneuver, but we weren't packed in as tightly. The people on the other boat (The Spirit of Gold Coast one) all yelled and cheered when they saw a whale come above water, which according to them is supposed to make it want to play. We had some young, inspired guides who said it does nothing and is against regulations anyway.

We saw a few whales early on, but they were moving quickly (they are migrating to the northern parts of the reef, after all) and it was hard to predict where they'd come up next. The boat was really rocky and I had to sit down inside a few times. Toward the end of the two hours we finally found a pod of whales who was willing to play around the boat, so we saw plenty of spouts, turns, and jumps just a few meters from the boat. It was pretty amazing but I didn't get any great photos.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

On my last full day in Gold Coast, Mason dropped me off here at 8:15 AM and I was the first one to enter for the day (49 AUD for adults). As such, I was able to enter all the areas by myself and have a few minutes alone with the animals before others got there. While it was no substitute for seeing them in the wild, I loved seeing the animals up close. The kangeroos lounged around like cats (you can feed them too for a small fee) and some ran around with babies in their pouches. I also got very close to wallabies, emus, and other large birds. Everyone who works on the grounds is a volunteer and they seem to do some really wonderful work here. They must make a killing on people paying 20 dollars to have a photo with a koala... there was a long line and each photo only took a minute or two. By the time I left the place was pretty crowded, so it's definitely worth getting there right as they open at 8.

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Photos

Gold Coast
Who would have known it's a city? And it looks like one on another planet.

Koala
I think he's hiding from the morning light... Notice all his friends in the background.

Vegemite
I spread it on too thick the first time... A thin layer and some butter on top isn't bad.