We barely made the plane. The fact that it was an hour late taking off worked in our favour, giving us time to have a Krispy Crème donut and coffee, something I look forward to every time I go to the airport. Like Pavlov’s dog at the sound of a bell, you say ‘Sydney Airport’ to me and I start salivating in anticipation. There was also time to shop at Blue Illusion, one of my favourite boutiques. Fatal, but I managed to get away with buying one item ON SALE. Kit, my travelling companion went mad. Enough said.
After about an hour in the air, we were deposited into the steaming heat of Coolangatta. We secured our rental car but not without a bit of a hiccup. While packing the trunk I realised I’d left my carry-on bag at the Hertz rental desk. Lucky it was still there when I went to retrieve it.
The Gold Coast sounds exotic, even glamorous doesn’t it? Now I grant you some of the scenery is stunning, azure waters, golden beaches and breathtaking coastal views.
For some strange reason, I expected one place called ‘The Gold Coast’ full of high rises and fancy shops. It’s not like that, it’s a collection of townships hugging the coastline like one big strip mall from Coolangatta on the NSW/Queensland border through Mermaid Waters where we stayed, to just beyond the concrete jungle of Surfers’ Paradise. Not a large area but busy with surfers and theme parks all of which we avoided (the theme parks at least.)
We stayed with a friend, Dolly in her house abutting the canal, all mod cons, including a swimming pool which I used every day.
We dropped everything and headed to Pacific Fair, a large shopping complex down the road from our residence. Had lunch at Myers then went exploring. First port of call was to the bank to get a cheque to pay for my forthcoming NZ trip. Next port of call was the newsagent for postcards. Some of the shopping precinct is outdoors so when the rain started pelting down we had to run for it. In the Crocs shop I bought some sandals (just to keep my daughter happy. She’s been on about me getting some Crocs ever since the trip to Bangalow.)
The next day, while our host worked, Kit and I drove to the Spit for a very early lunch. I ate a crab sandwich, Kit fish and chips. A lot of cars were parked there and I expected to see people fishing but there was hardly any one. Where was everybody?
The mystery was partly solved when a small boat sped up and stopped near the jetty. Surf boards started hurtling through the air like missiles. They hit the water at the same time as their owners (a miracle no one was clonked on the head) who paddled to rescue them and bring them onshore. I asked one of the surfers where they’d been.
‘Off Stradbroke.’ He pointed to the body of land across from the Spit, the southern tip of Stradbroke Island. I was interested because someone I know lives there. We briefly toyed with the idea of going there but decided to head inland to Tamborine Mountain instead.
It is pretty country, winding roads up hills and down. An hour or so into the ride, we rounded a bend and saw a sign, ‘The Polish Place.’ By its location I could see there would be stunning views, a good place for a toilet stop and a coffee.
What a magical stop. We found out from the owner the place is famous, has won many awards, offers villa type accommodation and serves Polish type meals. We opted to sit inside. Good job we did. The minute we sat down the heavens opened and the poor Japanese customers eating al fresco on the terrace got soaked. The view was completely obliterated. I’ve discovered that Queensland rain comes out of nowhere, absolutely pelts down for about twenty minutes then disappears as quickly as it comes. By the time we left, the valley and surrounding hills had reappeared.
I decided to go for the Polish coffee, Kit the Polish hot chocolate which came in a glass with the spoon standing up in it. That’s how she ate it, with a spoon, it was so thick. The coffee was the strongest I’ve ever had, took me ages to drink, could only manage half of it. Boy those Poles must be made of strong stuff if they drink that every day.
The dishes on the table on the terrace were a magnet to a band of Lorikeets who proceeded to clean up the leftovers. It didn’t take long before they came in to us. One cleaned up Kit’s hot chocolate very efficiently. Their favourite seemed to be the sugar packets. They’d peck and tear to make a hole in the paper then eat it all up in no time. It was better than a cabaret.
Talking of cabarets. We moved on from there, back down the mountain to Pacific Fair. I’d ordered cheap tickets to see ‘Burlesque’ via the internet, three of them. Unfortunately, our host couldn’t make it because of a dental emergency. They don’t give refunds on this deal but I managed to sell the third ticket to a woman behind us in the queue. The film was so so, a vehicle for Cher and Christine Aguilera. Some of the dialogue was enough to make me squirm but the musical numbers were okay.
The next day while Kit visited work colleagues, I took a walk with Dolly in Burleigh Heads National Park. Not a long walk, it was too hot for that. After picnicking she drove me along the coast, stopping at various points to take in the spectacular views. There is a memorial to all who perished in a ship that was bombed in 1943 by the Japanese just off Coolangatta, including one to the nurses who perished. It was AHS Centaur, a hospital ship. Of the 332 medical personnel and civilian crew aboard, 268 were killed.
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| Dolly at the Nurses Memorial |
The next day was very leisurely, didn’t leave the house until the evening when we ate at the Burleigh Bears Rugby League Club. My salmon was delicious as was the lemon/lime tart to follow. No one won a meat tray or any cash in the raffle but we had a good time anyway.
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| Coolangatta Lighthouse |
We left Coolangatta on Saturday in 30 degree heat (it had never wavered for five days) and arrived in Sydney in 30 degree heat. It was like we never left…except for the traffic, the noise, the dust…
Only today, Monday, has it turned cooler. Only today do I feel like doing anything, like writing this blog for instance. I notice on preview the videos (my first attempt in blogs) are a bit blurry. Some of you receiving this blog as an email may not be able to open them. Bear with me as I try to improve my technique!
