From Gold Coast to Sunshine Coast –gotta love Queensland!

We finally reached the Gold Coast to the joy of my parents and got to see my brother and his family for the first time in 3 years, very obvious when we saw the height of our nephews! They introduced the boys to the latest craze, indoor trampoline centres, which Ollie found “awesome because you can bounce off everything including the walls and even into foam pits.”

Being spoilt by Nan & Pop!

After spending a week just chillin’ at Mum & Dad’s house we caught up with my other best friend from my school days, and her family, the Schnitzerlings. We had a lovely dinner in their gorgeous Brisbane home and the boys made the most of their pool as it’s quite hot and steamy here still in QLD. I’d forgotten how humid it can get and even Cam is struggling a bit.

BIG SPIDER!

Then it was off to the Sunshine Coast for 3 weeks of beautiful sheltered beaches, cool afternoon breezes and boating Walker style. It has always been Ben’s wish to own a boat one day and with some research on Gumtree.com we found a great one for sale here near Glass House Mountain (another stunning spot). So we are now the proud owners of a Quintrex Escape 430 runabout.   Taking it out for the first time was a bit nerve-wracking – made even more difficult by an unexpected squall blowing in as we were launching, but a café stop for coffee n’ milkshakes, and the weather front blowing itself out, and we were back on the water. We even managed to pull onto a beach on Bribie Island and have a spot of lunch, under the watchful eyes of a very large spider! We are all loving the boat and it’s given us all a new skill to learn – something we set out to do as part of this trip – in particular Ben who had to go on a course and take his boat licence exam. He would never forgive me if I don’t say here that he easily passed the practical and got 98% on his written test!

If only the bureaucratic bit was as easy! Buying and registering cars and boats here is not for the impatient. Australia loves a good form to fill in, usually accompanied by 2 more with pretty much identical questions. I am still not sure why they need to know what colour Ben’s complexion is to register a trailer?? I thought ‘bronzed but stubbly’ was a good answer – apparently not – but hey-ho, it’s all part of the ‘cultural experience’.

Ollie’s photo of a Water dragon.

The cost of our accommodation here on the Sunshine Coast is extraordinarily reasonable for a large 3- bedroom apartment with ‘almost’ sea views at Kings Bay Apts (travelling off-peak has advantages). And it makes a good temporary home as we take a breather from travelling and catch up on schoolwork, with an afternoon swim in the pool being a great motivator for the boys.

Kings Beach itself is lovely, with vast rock-pools for Ollie to poke about in, filled with crabs, sea slugs and shells.   And the local Tackle Shop is doing a roaring trade now we are in town. Who knew how much ‘stuff’ you just gotta have! So far none of the catches have been big enough to eat, but that’s not what fishing is really all about – or so Ben tells me.

But even if we are not catching fish, I did bring home the bacon, so to speak, when I won the meat raffle at the local social club with my Mum.   For the non-Australians, this is an Aussie tradition here – meat as raffle prizes – and who wouldn’t love a nice tray of T-bone steaks to take home in the taxi? They certainly put a smile on Ben’s face, and they were delicious on the BBQ the next day too.

We are here for another two weeks of RnR then we are heading south again on our next big road trip.