Flip Out

 These all running, all climbing and all bouncing places are springing up like mushrooms in Winter. No matter which one you go to they are always packed. This is a new venue for us and whoever built this string of warehouses must love these guys as they have bought out the whole row.  This place is huge and the whole thing was covered in kids. You used to just bounce around. There is more neon here than Times Square.  Asher and Estelle were all over it for two hours. There was a section that required helmets but these two need to grow some more. A good place on a wet school holiday.

Wangi Falls

 We swam in this one 32 yar ago however the volume of water pumping into the pool was deemed too much for safe swimming this time around due to the lingering wet season. There was a second reason which you can see briefly at the end of the clip. Two large crocodile traps were in place just in case. The trap stank from an old pig leg used to lure them in. One of the indicators for crocs is a bouy that floats and bobs on the water. It is a large plasticine marker which crocs just have to investigate and when they clamp on it there are teeth marks left behind.

There must be a lot of three legged pigs running around

Goldie Coast

 We have exited, removed ourselves and returned to 16° however you can sense the weather switch has been flicked here and it is perfect daylight at 6:30pm. There are blossoms in Willie that have exploded as well as a rose bush out back that is ready to pop. We had one of the best weather weeks in QLD.  You never know what you are going to get. The house in Mermaid is the perfect knock down and rebuild site in the best street backing onto the beach. The houses either side are three and four stories with a pool in the backyard and no-one was in them.  The flight back was delayed due to a passenger who changed their mind about flying so we all waited 40 minutes while their bag was dug out of the hold. No phasements. 

Nippers nipping

Potential Nipper

Burleigh view

Public House

Bike Track Revisited

 Evie and Charlie are speed demons when it comes to their bikes. We got them onto the bike trail we used last week and they disappear into the distance before you no it. Add in the beautiful people, the electric bikes and the scooters, it makes for an interesting ride. We stopped lots for whale watching however I think the locals are now are now a bit blasé as far as whales go. Fifty yar ago whales were scarce and now they are everywhere.

Mermaid for a Day

 With the beach right out the back door then what else might entertain the grandies. After a 6:00am start we were on the beach at 9:00. There was lots of splashing about and diging of holes and plenty of yacht races and surf ski races going passed. And if that wasn't enough the neverending whale show was right there. 

Mermaid 

SideWays Crab Walk

 We have managed the first full grandie beach day. The beaches here are wide with hard hitting surf. Out the back door there is a flag patrol setup so there is no problemo in the water. There is also a small park we walked to just break it up a bit and then to finish off it was back to the beach for some wave running ie get as close to the water then run back before your feet get wet.

Blueys sideways crab walk

Mermaids

Charlie in the hole

North Burleigh Club

 We had to eat out on the last night here so squeezed our way into the LifeSavers Club at North Burleigh. This has a large eating hall similar to any other rugger club or RSL you might try. Not to forget the pokies, the upstairs restuarant and every sport known shown on large screens.  The food was average but at least the swimming club has a million dollar business backing them. We witnessed a full on rescue in front of us with a quad buggie tearing thru sand amid screaming from the waves. The Saver got on his board and picked up two teenage girls. My meal payment at work. 

pool walk

Broad Beach

 We took the bikes as far as Broad Beach where we found some good shade under casuarinas. The bikes worked ok however the oncoming bike traffic on the narrow lane was scary. These were massive electric bikes indistinguishable from motor bikes and just as fast. A boy was killed last week in Tallebudgera having come off one of these. I am  typing this here on the 10th floor balcony. There have been at least four whale breachings and numerous tail slappings. On our way back we called into the Mermaid house. It just so happened that the grandies arrived there just as we were passing. We will move into this house tomorrow.

Surfers has lost it's sand but it is being pumped

Towards Burleigh

Mikes Bikes

 We have switched bikes to the Fixies and rode back to the National Park this morning..This time we walked the circuit around to Echo Beach far away in time and also Tallebudgera. The lizards and bush turkeys are rife here. The Fixies ride ok, however with foot breaks and a weighed down front basket, I have to slowly navigate the crowds. Here the path is 95% beautiful people while back home the seaview walk is 95% dog walkers. We have taken the views and the whales. Whales are everywhere. 

Beautiful People

A Lizardous area

Tallebudgera

Those Limeys

 We had geared up for lunch on the beach, a  few cans, sandwiches, potatoe chips and 20 questions. It was all crammed in to my back pack. We only had 1500m to walk North to a rock outcrop which was blocking the Northern breeze. There were Lime help yourself bikes on the pavement. So Debbie installed the app, scanned our bikes and we were off after 15 minutes. It was about the same time to get to the beach spot. The app  said no you can't stop here, even though there were other bikes.  We moved three times to where other bikes were waiting. This has doubled the ride time and the clock is still ticking. We got to the right parking zone however the ride continued to tick even when we were not moving. We found a phone number where eventually the bikes were powered down but now out to an hours usage times 2. The bill said $27 but they switched it to negative. Hooray.  After lunch on the beach we walked to  Mikes bikes where we got two bikes for $50 for 24 hours.  I think we were limed and slimed.

Limey

below Schamburg Rock

tomorrow's ride

Burleigh Park

 We are a 15 minute walk from the Burleigh Village. There is a national park with walks on the bluff above the town. We ambled up to the first lookout with a view all the way back to Surfers. The bike track is busy and we will keep on the lookout for hire bikes. There is always the Lime bikes. The beach is also busy around the lifesavers area, given school holidays. We will pick a spot less busy.

On the High Side

 We are on the 10th floor here and the view is forever. I can see scrapers all the way to Coolangatta and the other way to Surfers. We found the local bottleo and super market as well as the bike hire place. Travel days are hard days so we are eating in tonight as there is a full on kitchen apartment up here. The last time we saw this view was for the Gold Coast 600 car race in 2011 and we were 20 stories up that  time. There is one higher level to us here and that is the roof where we had the best view. 

balcony view

roof top art

beach balance

Hurley Burleigh

 It was a travel day for us and it wasn't that far but it took all day. Started with a ferry ride back across to Brisbane and again we missed out on getting the whooly dhooly boat. They kept stopping because whales were getting in the way. How in convenient.

We tried in vane to get someone from the car hire place to pick us up from the jetty. The car place is 2km from the jetty. We rang up twice. I was told once upon a time that if a customer asked for something then you bent over backwards to try to do it. That must have been a fairy tale. So we got the ferry crew to stow our bags, emphasising that on no circumstance are they to end up back on the island. Then we walked the 2km to get the car and drive it back to the ferry. It was 30° while all this was happening. The drive to Burleigh Heads was slow with traffic but got there for a late lunch at the Bakery in a Paddock.

not really a paddock

Palm Tree Artist

 A free afternoon with pencils, paper, a four pack and potatoe chips. We did not go as far as the water world of wrecks but instead sat under a tree.  We observed the many different photo sessions being had at the next tree. The next tree was more popular than our tree. Our tree just had shade but the next tree had panache. We did go a cross there for  our own photo but waited until the queue died down.

The photo tree

the mighty pencil

The Desert

 After our egg and bacon roll we started out on the Desert Walk, which also included the high point lookout. Good views could be seen along the beach to the wrecking yard. It seems these hulks  are grouped into a curve when you see them from above. Although the hordes have gone from the resort, the wreck beach is still busy with boats and cars. We continued onto the desert dunes where board riders were attempting to slide. From our room and back it was a 5km circuit with stops and a swim on the return leg. 

wreck beach

Dune Riders

Rub on Tan

 Debbie is trying a different skin treatment on this trip. She has been hanging out too much with youngsters like Molly. I applied the fuzzy spray with a cloth glove and let it set overnight. We did not do it in the morning, as the effect with sun block may have been distorted. Anyway, the embalming shell has cracked open this morning revealing a slightly browner look. How long will this last?

Fast Food Feast

 Not really feast but really fast. The eateries here remind us of the Disney approach. There are cafeteria style tables stretching for at least 300 metres, both inside and out, among five named locations, including one sit down restuarant, which we will try tonight. It also seems to be a sprawling place with an Asian menu. It has to be this way as everyone gets a flashing disk to speed the self collection of meals and keep the queues down. There are 300 staff here, attentive and like an army of bees, keeping it all working.

evening view from the Grill

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Daylight Reveal

 We had a reasonable sleep but awoke to find a cruise ship hanging around off shore. Now the foot is using the other shoe. Not to be a two faced cruiser but those hoards of cruisers are crowding us. This place seems to be a mini seaside Disney. If its not the jet skis, four wheel drivers, heli riders, para riders, beach segways then the quad bikes will run you down. Nevertheless it is warm, it is swimming. WE know our way around now. Where the lunch sandwich is, the bottle shop and the cheaper breakfast. This arvo it is snorkel or bust.

not our cruiser

pelican city

Coffee Martini

 I have been wanting to make some of these drinks myself instead of paying $22 for one in a coffee palace or other such establishment.  The cold pressed variety in cans come in four packs but there are a number of companies out there all of which seem to have a slightly different version.  I found a recipe to go shopping by and thought I had all the ingredients.  My other problem was getting the measures right as I was estimating mils from an overly large container.  I had previously prepared two espressos from my machine and placed them in the fridge.  However it turns out I need maple syrup as well.  So I tried combining vodka, kahlua, coffee and ice with incorrect measures and no syrup.  Needless to say it wasn't quite right. I will have to get onto our Canadian friends to send over some maple syrup.  

I made a discovery

 You could tell the out of towners had arrived trying to make the most of a soaked playground while spending time before takeoff.  We also stayed for lunch at the local Ball Court hotel in Sunbury, which was historic and also enormous.  I feel like we have been driving in another country for three days, except the names are all classic Victorian Towns and not that far away.  In fact I can see Mt Macedon from our balcony. I have often wondered what that large hill was in the distance.  It was a tour all right with towns like Riddell's Creek, Digger's Rest and Bacchus Marsh all thrown in.