When thinking of holiday destinations around the globe, a few beachy getaways come to mind: the Bahamas, Hawaii, Bora Bora. Somewhere in the deep pacific.
When thinking of great red plains, farms and highly dangerous wildlife, we think of Australia.
But there's so much more than that on offer.
Touch down onto the Gold Coast, in sunny Queensland (or Brisbane if you're a more foreign traveller). The airport is named Coolangatta, which sounds a little more exotic than you're used to, but in the native aboriginal language, it literally means 'splendid view'. A sign of things to come, perhaps.
You make your way through the small, bare-bones, barely-international airport. You hail a cab, get in, and tell him where you're staying. Somewhere in Surfers Paradise.
On the way there, you travel along the beachside Gold Coast Highway. It's a long road, running parallel to the miles of golden sand along the coastline. You drive past dinky little cafes, surf shops, sleazy motels, and many, many hipster bars. Everyone you see is smiling.
Approximately thirty minutes later, you enter Surfers. A suburb of the GC which is host to the hotspot's many annual tourists. This is where you find your hotels, ranging anywhere from two to five stars. You notice the international icons first; Marriott, Hilton. You then see the Gold Coast's most prized possession towering above the rest (pun intended). Q1, the skyscraper that touches the clouds, 770 feet high. This is where you're staying.
But that's not what you came here for -- there's nothing that foreign or exotic about your pristine accommodation block, although it does have a balcony that looms over the pacific ocean.
You're here for everything the coast has to offer.
First thing's first, the beach. You read TripAdvisor, and it seems that everybody is telling you to go to somewhere called 'Burleigh Heads'. You oblige, and hop on the bus. It takes you back down the Gold Coast Highway you've become familiar with. You get off at Burleigh Heads and thank the driver... And you're swept away. Long stretches of sand, backed by grass, and a mountainous headland to the south. You lazily stroll onto the beach, set your towel down and recline onto the sand, taking in the Aussie heat.
You close your eyes and bask in the sunlight, until you wake up half an hour later. Lucky you had sunscreen on.
You get up and walk over to the headlands, and find a path that takes you through.
You hear a myriad of animal calls, from the various wildlife that call your holiday destination home. You walk through the shaded bush on the path, locals smile at you as they bike past. Coming out of the shrub you gaze upon Tallebudgera Creek, where dozens of locals are paddle-boarding around the shallows. This is where the creek meets the Pacific, and where locals and fish come to play. You hire a paddle-board for a $20 note, hop on it for a couple of hours and explore the creek.
The next day, you decide to hit the theme parks that the Gold Coast is famous for.
There are a few on the menu; Warner Bros. Movie World, Dreamworld, Seaworld.
You take the trip down the highway to Oxenford, where you are soon met by the expansive Movie World. It's owned by Warner Bros. and Aquaman is filming next door. Inside you find Superheros everywhere, from every corner of the D.C. Universe. Every attraction has a superhero theme to it. Hours are spent screaming, crying, laughing. Smiling.
Next was Seaworld, where you swim with dolphins, and enjoy the seal shows. I even went on a few of the rides they had on offer, and took the cable car up the mountain.
Last but not least, Dreamworld. You experience one of the craziest, most intense rides you've ever seen. You're thinking you've got high blood pressure now.
Retiring back to Q1, a beacon of light during the hustle and bustle of a Gold Coast friday night, you slip into your robe and slippers, set the TV on, and daze off.
Who knows what day three will bring?
If this post does well, more coming soon.
Had no clue there were so many themeparks there. Thought you were talking about Disney at first - this is pretty neat.
Thanks for yur good posts, I followed you!
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Well written