Category: Trans-Pacific

We have been enjoying a much more relaxing time here on the Gold Coast than during the previous weeks of the trip. We have no plans to get on a surf board but the water is so warm and surf so mesmerizing it is almost impossible to resist. There are many kilometres of beach but only small sections, 100 to 200 metres wide at various locations, are protected by life guards. The hard core surfer dudes pretty much ignore the life guard stations but those of us who just play in the surf and sand observe them completely. The water currents that can be felt only a few metres from shore are quite impressive.

Gail Just got Covered by a Wave,
you can see her head in the middle of the frame.

What you see just before you go for a ride.

There is the very obvious wave that rises and curls with the foamy cap. They are fun to just jump into and let them carry you to shore like a pretend surfer. They are often not as violent as other waves that lack the foamy crest. Some of the waves that appear as innocent rollers hit with freight train-like impact. As the ocean recedes after one of these swells it feels like you are about to be dragged out to sea or, in some cases, down the beach parallel to the shoreline. The biggest impact seems to occur when a swell that has gone high on the sand recedes and meets another wave just as it breaks. If you happen to be at the point where they meet and the wave crest is rising you get tossed and twisted like wet clothes in a washing machine then spit out nearer the shore.

Traffic here is, in some ways, more civilized than in Canada. When traffic is heavy enough they stay in their lane when two lanes turn but in lighter traffic conditions, like us, lane markers are often ignored. It is generally safer for pedestrians to cross streets here. Perhaps part of the reason is the $400 fines for not giving way at controlled pedestrian crossings and only slightly less for other marked crossings. Our problem is checking the right direction for approaching traffic. Occasionally during the evening when traffic is lighter, we can hear vehicles that sound and sometimes look like leftovers from a Road Warrior movie. In general, vehicles here tend to be smaller. The few larger vehicles seem to be Land Rover style off road machines with unmistakeable snorkel air intakes.

The Aussies we have met have been friendly and willing to chat informally whether on the beach, in restaurants or in grocery stores. It takes a while to become accustomed to the language similarities shared with the British but they also have a whole series of Aussie-isms. Here is an abbreviated list from my observation.

Aussie-isms

• Sunnies : sun glasses
• Maccas (sometimes Mackers): McDonalds Restaurant
• Woolies: Woolworths, a grocery store
• Barbie: BBQ Grill
• Boggy: poor quality
• Pozzy: position
• Dunny: toilet
• Mozzies: mosquitos
• Trackies: track pants
• Sickie: “mental health” day
• Cockie:  cockatoo

To say the dress code in Burleigh Heads is informal is no exaggeration. Smart casual means shirt and shoes. Beach wear, that’s something else indeed. A swim suit and a surfboard is pretty common. I am not permitted to even photograph most of the swimsuits. I can only say that having seen them in the surf they are much stronger than they appear.

On Sunday’s walk about we discovered quite a large market in the park along the beach. There were vendors selling a variety of goods from bamboo clothing to candy. One of the clothing vendors brought their own portable dressing room for customers to try on merchandise, first time we have seen such a thing. Sunday and Monday were surf days. When we’re on the beach resting there are lots of Aussies willing to engage in conversation and it is quite remarkable how many have a Canadian connection of some kind.

Tuesday we returned to the public transportation system first to head south to Currumbin. The beach was like many others except for this lookout.

We passed through the community of Palm Beach on the way and we took a look at the wildlife centre but elected not to drop another $100 to look at austalian animals seen many times before. In the afternoon we headed north to Surfers Paradise. We remember one high rise building when we were here 10 years ago, today the skyline is filled with skyscrapers.

Our trip to Surfers was by bus and tram, a vehicle built in Canada by Bombardier Aerospace.

The tram travels along the highway between opposing traffic lanes. It is not the fastest but it is quite effective. The tram is essentially a street car that is about one block long with very comfortable seating. While walking to the beach we encountered a city workman who reacted to my Toronto Blue Jays t-shirt. As it turned out, he had been in LA when Wayne Gretzky played one of his last games and also saw the Jays play in LA. I’m not sure how long ago that was. When we visited Surfers Paradise 10 years ago there was only one sky scraper today, it looks like the photo below. We counted a dozen buildings more than 30 stories.

While walking the main street of Surfers Gail’s Canada t-shirt got a reaction from a young woman whose father had spent years in Manitoba. Once again, we ducked a rain shower while riding the bus back to Burleigh Heads. However, our luck missing rain ended this evening. We needed the umbrella on the walk to The Surf Club for dinner and after dinner the umbrella was not quite enough. We didn’t get soaked but it ended our dry streak.

Here is a video clip from various beach visits. It may take some time to download.

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Tuesday afternoon we began expanding our domain with a bus excursion to a nearby shopping centre. The motivation was a search for drip style coffee. We anticipated Gail’s dislike for Australian coffee by bringing filters and holder to make drip coffee but first purchased ground coffee in Honolulu after we discovered a kettle to be standard equipment in the Queen Elizabeth’s stateroom. We replenished our supply of coffee and filters while in Sydney as we also had a kettle in the hotel room. Here we are now in Burleigh Heads and ground coffee is not a standard item on the shelves of local grocery stores. Today we expanded the search to a nearby shopping centre and made our first use of Queensland Public Transportation.

In Sydney we had something called an OPAL card. It was quite useful and easy to top up as needed with not complicated registration process. In fact, there was a daily maximum charge which we hit several times. In Queensland we have a TRANSLink Go Card. While it is just as easy to use on public vehicles that is where any comparison with the OPAL card ends. Before any attempt to top up the card with funds online a registration process is required where almost everything except one’s bathroom habits must be recorded. Even after that the online update process kept insisting my trusty credit card was invalid. Every other store finds it valid. Fortunately, updates can be done at some 7-Eleven stores and there is one nearby and they happily accepted the credit card.

Tonight we had our first restaurant meal since arriving. The place was called The Carvery and for $12.00 per plate we had a delicious roast beef dinner with potato and vegetables. Typical evening meals in Sydney were in the $50.00 range. 

On our way back  to the apartment we could see birds flying toward a small grove of Norfolk Pine trees. We were told these were Rainbow Lorikeets and there were thousands of them and they are not a quiet bird. Apparently this grove is their night time nesting place. Interestingly, the beach is lined with Norfolk Pine but only this small grove of 20 to 30 trees seems to attract the birds. They are impossible to photograph because they fly so quickly and seem to vanish once in a tree, it is only the loud screeching that gives them away. 

Stock Photo of a Rainbow Lorikeet

Wednesday morning began as the coolest day so far with an overcast sky. When I walked to the beach dark clouds met the horizon and a light mist partially obscured the high-rise buildings to the north. We first noticed the rain about 9 AM. Before long the rain was torrential but dissipated quickly. After a few minutes of calm the wind picked up, rain redeveloped and continued with some intensity until noon. We still managed to find our way to the pool.

Thursday promised more rain but our timing was good. We walked north along a beach path to an elevated lookout called “The Nobbies” by the locals, “South Nobby Headlands” by the gazetteer. We were able to identify a few of the trees along the path courtesy of small signs along the way. We returned to the apartment just as the next rain storm began.

Short Screw Pines with taller Norfolk Pine behind

Seen from South Nobby Headlands

Friday, more rain promised. It was fine after breakfast so off to the southern trail. Our plan was to walk the lower trail along the water but it had been closed because of some rock falls so if we wanted to walk we had to walk up the hill. The trails are within Burleigh Head National Park. The lookout was about a one kilometre walk with a rise of about 85 metres. The trail began with a number of stairs then continued as a narrow trail. We chatted with several other walkers and saw a Bush Turkey and a couple of Kookaburras along the path. There was a rumour of a koala sitting but we saw nothing. Having arrived at the Tumgun Lookout there is a great view to the south with Tallebudgera Creek at the bottom of the headland then a stretch of sandy beach extending forever.

After lunch and another rain storm we visited the ocean again. Playing in the waves is great fun. Here’s the drill. You can be standing knee deep in the water when suddenly a wave whacks you in the back, side or face. You fall down and the wave carries you onto the sandy beach. So you get up, walk out toward the surf and wait for the next wave to knock you down. It is truly amazing where sand can get to. The fresh water showers along the beach help getting rid of some sand. We seem to have developed a routine visiting the waves breaking on the beach once a day. Today, Saturday, they were the biggest so far.

This is what they look like just before they turn you upside down.

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