Queensland 2009 Diary

Day 1

Monday 21/9/09 - Flew with Tiger leaving Melbourne 1/2 an hour late at about 11:15. Arrived to a mild, sunny day in Queensland. Met at the airport by Daryl of Gold Coast Family Car Hire. He drove us to their depot then provided us with a nice Magna. We drove to Burleigh Beach Tower and set ourselves up in 13E. Great view north along the coast a little obscured by the next building, and another view west which was a new experience. Had tea at Burleigh Life Saving Club. First impressions were not good, but the dining on the balcony was pretty good. Walked around the shops in the evening.

Day 2

Tuesday 22/9/09 - Anna and Brad went for a walk around the Burleigh Heads National Park. It is set on a hill in a rain forest. A number of scrub turkeys were scratching around the leaf litter and were not shy at all. Later we all had a swim in smallish surf. Anna and Grace went shopping and Nick and Anna shopped in the afternoon. Had fish and chips in the unit for tea. Grace and Nick had Cold Rock Ice Cream for dessert. A few spots of rain in the evening but otherwise a fine day.

Day 3

Wednesday 23/9/09 - Woke to another fine day, but news of a dust storm on the way. Hazy to the north and west. Anna and Brad took another circuit around the rain forest before breakfast. Had a swim in the morning and for Brad's birthday lunch went to Burleigh North Life Saving Club. All except Anna had Burleigh Burgers (previously known as Buster Burgers). The dust storm was quite amazing, cutting visibility down to about 100 metres. Made the news all over the country although Sydney copped it worse than us. Nick and Brad worked out in the gym and we all had a swim later. Tea was a low-key affair in the unit.

Day 4

Thursday 24/9/09 - Moving day. Packed our stuff and headed off at 10:00. Took the kids around the rain forest walk and then drove to Coolangatta for lunch. Drove back towards Broadbeach and checked in to the the Talisman. What a great location! The unit is superb with views up and down the coast. Had a swim in the surf - which was better than the surf at Coolangatta. Grace cooked tea - pizzas. Watched "A Quantum of Solice" before a sound night's sleep.

Day 5

Friday - 25/9/09 - Swam in the morning. Best surf so far. A short time in the pool before heading back to our unit to have lunch. Another swim in the afternoon then Brad went for a run to Q1 and return. Nick cooked chicken burgers for tea on the BBQ. After tea we walked around the Broadbeach eatery area. Later on drove to Surfer's Paradise. Checked out the night market then the dolly girls lining up to go to the clubs.

Day 6

Saturday - 26/9/09. Another fine day. Anna started the day with an early morning walk. We were all a little bit pink from yesterday spent on the beach so we planned to be in the sun a bit less today. Went to the beach. The surf wasn't too bad but a strong cross current. Returned to the pool and then back to the unit for lunch. Watched St. Kilda lose to Geelong in the grand final. As the day progressed, the weather got more hazy and the north wind strengthened. Brad went for a run and workout in the park. Had chicken and chips for tea. After tea we visited opera in the park at Kurrawa Park. During the opera,the wind change to come from the west and brought another dust storm. Not as bad as last week but significant reduction in visibility.

Day 7

Sunday 27/9/09 - Anna had an early start and walked to Northcliffe Life Saving Club which is on the way to Surfer's Paradise. Grace arranged for her friend Sarah to visit who was staying at Runaway Bay. Beach in the morning and pool in the afternoon. Late in the afternoon we headed off to Coolangatta to visit the Hazelbanks. A surprise was in store - Lindy Berlotti was coming too. Brad picked her up in Palm Springs and brought her and her family to the BBQ in Coolangatta. A fairly cool evening but very pleasant sitting on the 17th floor veranda.

Day 8

Monday 28/9/09 - Another magnificent day but with a cool S/W wind. Surf a good shape but a fair bit of time between waves. Hired a bike for 3 days. Brad rode to the Gold Coast Seaway which connects the Broadwater to the ocean at the the tip of The Spit. Anna, Nick and Grace swam in the pool. In the afternoon took a cruise of the Gold Coast waterways with Wyndham Cruises. Spectacular homes and marinas on the shore accompanied by squillion dollar boats on the water. Had tea at Sages Restaurant as recommended by the man from Gold Coast Family Car Hire. Excellent food and at a 40% discount.

Day 9

Tuesday 29/9/09 - Perfect morning. Anna rode to Miami Beach early. Brad later rode to South Nobby at the southern end of Miami Beach. All of us went for a swim in the surf which was a moderate swell with a slight off-shore. Saw a whale frolicking about three kilometres out. Grace met up with Sarah on the beach. We retired to the pool then had a late lunch. In the afternoon we walked to Pacific Fair. On our return to the Talisman, Grace rode to the Q1 building. Pizza and yum cha style tea. After tea Nick rode to Surfers Paradise and Anna and Brad walked along the beach near Boulevard Towers.

Day 10

Wednesday 30/9/09 - Our last day. Another perfect start to the day - probably the warmest so far. Anna rode to Main Beach. The roads were busy with trucks setting up barriers for the Indy Car Races in October. Brad rode inland to explore the suburbs of Rio Vista, Bundall and Benowa. We then all went to the beach again. Surf not so good this morning with long gaps between decent waves. Back to the pool before lunch. After lunch, because it was our last day, we were determined to have our last swim in the surf. It was sunny but there was a fairly good breeze coming from the north. The surf wasn't big and it was chopped up by the breeze, but we had the best time together. Brad had to take the bike back to the shop by 5 pm so we had to leave. Off to the Kurrawa Life Saving Club for tea on the balcony. It's very busy so we were glad we booked. Had our last walk on the beach and back to the apartment to start packing.

Day 11

Thursday – 1/10/09. Anna got up early to photograph the sunrise and then went for her last walk along the beach. It was the warmest morning so far – of course. Drove to Gold Coast Family Car Rentals in Burleigh. Darrell drove us to the airport. The flight left on time and we arrived in Melbourne at about 1 p.m. The temperature was about 10 degrees cooler than in Queensland. Sophie and Steph were glad to see us. As a treat for Steph for looking after the house and the dog, we went to The Brighton Deli for tea.

Overview

This is the first time we have been to the Gold Coast in September. It was noticeably cooler and less humid than in April. The water temperature was about 5 degrees cooler than April. The Gold Coast often has a breeze and that was noticeable this time because of the combination of low humidity and lower temperatures, the chill factor has a greater effect. We probably won't go back to Burleigh Heads. The highway noise was quite noticeable even on the 13th floor. Maybe if we went a little way further north on the boulevard. We did enjoy the walks around the National Park. The Talisman is the best accommodation we've stayed at in the Gold Coast. We had the 11th floor north-east facing suite (apartment 34). The only problem we had were noisy downstairs neighbours on the last night, even if they did turn the music down at 11 p.m. It has a great view south, not so good north, but it was interesting having a view towards the north-west as well. A great trip.