Australia 3.1

Our third trip to Australia in January and February this year was all about seeing son Stephan and his family for the first time since 2022, while using the opportunity to see more of Australia – a huge country we are getting to know in small instalments.

The ‘instalment’ this time around was based on a suggestion by Stephan that we meet the family in Sydney and do a slow road trip up the east coast to Brisbane, where we would catch a flight to Mackay in Queensland, their new home town. That appealed to us, as it meant spending quality time with the family while our grandkids had school holidays and Stephan was on leave, at the same time seeing a part of Australia that we had not visited before.

We had left Sydney behind and enjoyed two days each at Caves Beach and Nambucca Heads – next stop Gold Coast

Sunday – Nambucca Heads to Gold Coast

Time to head further north today, but not before enjoying a breakfast at Wharf Café which overlooks the estuary. The rain had almost subsided and allowed us to load the cars and leave by checkout time.

Breakfast done, we started on the route to Gold Coast and were soon back on the Pacific highway, this time in sunny conditions which made the drive a lot more comfortable. As in other parts of Australia that we have driven, we passed through long stretches lined with tall trees on both sides, which is always pleasing to the eye.

We stuck to the highway all the way to Byron Bay where we diverted to drive through the town and stop for refreshments and a look at the beach. Byron Bay is known for its beautiful coastal scenery, its famous surf breaks and for being a spot favoured by celebrities – it struck us as being similar in character to our Garden Route towns such as Plettenberg Bay and Knysna.

Back on the highway, a notable feature are the ‘bridges to nowhere’ that the road passes under at fairly regular intervals – bridges that seem to end either side of the highway with no visible approach road crossing over.

We saw similar bridges in Canada so I guessed that their purpose was the same ie to provide a safe crossing point for wildlife of all kinds, without having to set foot on the road at all.

The principle behind these structures is the provision of ecological connectivity between the areas occupied by various wildlife on either side of the highway. They are used by everything from marsupials and reptiles to frogs and birds, saving countless wildlife from becoming roadkill.

Approaching our destination of Gold Coast, the proliferation of tall modern buildings made it clear that we were entering a large city with spread-out residential areas.

Our home for the three nights was set on a hill in Burleigh Heads, overlooking Burleigh Beach and set among tall trees and bush – the house appeared quite modest at first glance but was furnished and equipped in modern fashion with a large kitchen and living area as well as a spacious deck. Downstairs were more bedrooms and a living room which the kids immediately took a liking to.

Being in in a new time zone in Queensland (which does not observe daylight saving in summer), we had lost an hour so had about an hour of daylight left to relax on the deck. Naturally I spent most of that hour scanning the surrounding trees for birdlife and gazing into the sky where a number of what looked like swallows were making the most of the time before sunset.

Triplist –

Birds added:

Good old House Sparrow at one of the stops

Swamp Harrier flying over the road in an area with wetlands bordering the highway

Pied Currawong in the large trees around the house

White-breasted Woodswallow high up above the house

Monday – Gold Coast : Sea World

Stephan had booked tickets for a visit to Sea World and we set off along a busy route lined with tall apartment buildings and hotels which told a story of a popular place for holidays and plenty of wealth. Our hearts sank when we saw the exceptionally large, full parking area – expected I suppose but still… I dropped Gerda off near the entrance, parked far away and walked back to join the queue at the entrance.

Inside, the foyer was buzzing with activity and people – after a tea and a snack we walked along paths filled with more people and flanking expansive outdoor pools which we bypassed for the time being – the dolphin show was scheduled to start soon and we didn’t want to miss it.

We made it in good time after a longish walk with throngs of people and found a good spot to sit and enjoy the show – which was very well done and a highlight of the day.

Heading back, we found a table at the main area for a burger lunch, after which we slowly made our way back to the exit, leaving the family to do the rides, while we took in the Shark tank and Manta ray pools on the way back.

At the house we flopped onto the bed for a recovery snooze followed by some outside time on the deck before the rest of the family returned, exhilarated after doing several of the spectacular rides on offer.

Tuesday – Gold Coast : Surprise Low and a Spectacular High

The Low

Well it had to happen sometime – no proper road trip ever runs smoothly all of the way….

We were having a relaxed morning after yesterday’s activities when a knock on the door changed things – it was a plumber informing us that the sewer from the property was overflowing and running into the neighbour’s yard below, apparently into their swimming pool! He suggested we would not be able to flush toilets or open taps until the problem was sorted out, which could only happen with the owner’s cooperation. That was not forthcoming so we would have to vacate the house a day early!

We set about finding alternative accommodation while we packed, which we eventually found in an apartment complex not too far away. Meriton Apartments turned out to be quite smart, upmarket in fact and apart from the cost it was a good move, albeit just for one night. Gerda and I checked in while the rest were having a beach swim, and I popped down to the pool for a refreshing swim.

The High

Soon it was time to set off for the Outback Spectacular evening show at a venue on the way to Brisbane, which was true to its name and made up for the drama and disappointment of the day so far.

The show had it all …… and more as the images hopefully show –

The show started and while the story was being told, a meal was served at our seats, which had a continuous table in front. We watched in awe as a team of young waiters served up about 2000 meals in a short space of time and we tucked into the delicious food accompanied by a glass of wine – this is the way to do it!

We all enjoyed the show thoroughly, with horses, cattle, a dog and various vehicles adding to the spectacle, all synced with an outstanding projection of images on the back wall and on the floor of the arena and woven around a story of the outback

There didn’t seem to be any way of topping what had been done so far – until a helicopter entered the arena! I mumbled something about ‘Good grief it’s a flipping helicopter!’ or words to that effect, as the helicopter, a real one tethered to a steel beam running below the roof, did a circuit of the arena and helped ‘rustle’ the cattle back to their pens – truly spectacular!

And as if that wasn’t enough, a cloudburst with real water fell across the arena (not the seating area) and was followed by a digitally created waterfall and river flowing through the sandy floor of the arena. We left with embedded memories …… and a complimentary straw hat!

Triplist –

Birds added (before we vacated the house)

Pacific Swift amongst swallows and swifts soaring above the house

A curious Grey Butcherbird appearing on the deck and popping out into the open to give us the once over

The Gold Coast had proved to be memorable for many reasons – all that remained of our road trip was the short stretch to Brisbane.