GOLDEN DAYS
GOLDEN DAYS
We picked up the hire car in Brisbane, a nice white Toyota Corolla. At first we struggled to get our large suitcases in, but a little jiggling around soon sorted out the problem. We had intended to take the coast road out of Brisbane, but the girls in the car hire office seemed to think that we had to go on the freeway. They had no thoughts as to how we might achieve our wishes. Instead, we had to rely on the GPS. After a few minutes of discussion,we relented and set out on our way. The freeway was like driving up to Birmingham on the M40 only much brighter but not seeing much of the local countryside.
After about an hour, we stopped at a service station for some refreshments. Linda asked if they had any road maps and was met with a blank stare.
'Nobody has road maps, all you need is your GPS,' came the reply.
We got back in the car and that was when we found out we had a dodgy GPS. It had trouble getting a signal. After a while, the GPS came back to life, but we realised two things. (1) We couldn't trust the GPS and (2) without any road maps we would need to stay on the freeway to reach our destination, which was the Gold Coast.
The freeway was being upgraded and subject to roadworks most of the way, which meant 80 kmph (around 50 mph) max. Very boring.
However, we arrived at the Mercure Gold Coast Hotel, which was booked for 2 nights and where we were given our requested room with a golf course view. The golf course, though, didn't belong to Mercure and we were unable to book a game for the next day, which was Saturday, because it was members day. We wandered into the bar for a casual lunch and saw the pool, bathed in bright sunshine. We didn't dawdle over lunch. Into our room, into our swimmers and into the pool. It was like stepping into a warm bath (see picture right). We needed to find loungers together where I could be in the shade and Linda could be in the sun. I had got sun blisters on my back through standing chatting too long in the pool when we were in Port Douglas, so I needed to be careful.
The Gold Coast is typified by the number of high rise hotels and apartment blocks right next to the beach which is why we were staying out of town a little. We had thought we would drive up to Surfer's Paradise, but that was probably a bit 18-35 but as we drove into Broad Beach it looked and sounded more user friendly for us. We parked at the local surf club and wandered around a small area called Oracle Boulevard which was brilliant and partly pedestrianised and there were many restaurants from which we could take our choice.
We chose 'The Cuban' where we met a waitress from Wolverhampton - very Cuban! The choices were excellent. David chose 'Hemingway's Salmon' and Linda ate the 'Santiago Sizzle plate' full of Cuban spices.We dined well happily people watching.
Next day, we decided to drive out of the hotel again, in search of breakfast. We were told about the local market at Carrara. There were a hive of shops, selling anything you could want, but mainly Christmas products. There were several places where you could get a full English, sorry Australian. We chose one near a market stall which sold clothes, toys and Christmas goods and where the stallholder also did haircuts. She had 20 years experience, apparently. I needed my beard trimmed so we went to the breakfast bar nearest to the barber. It wasn't the best breakfast we ever had. I also wanted a banana and the woman doing the cooking thought it was funny that anyone should want a banana. After breakfast, I had my beard trimmed. She did quite a good job, under my instruction of course. I gave her a one dollar tip, bringing the overall cost up to $A5. (Linda - very good job). Mount Tamborine (a local National Park) sounded interesting and we thought we should get great views at the top, especially as it was a caldera formed by volcanic action. Off we set up the steep winding mountain road. However, although we had not come across any of the bush fires rampaging around Australia, clearly there had been some around Mount Tamborine, because there were no views due to the smoke.
We drove to the top and came to the Tamborine Mountain Heritage Centre, containing some old buildings, such as the Pioneer Hall and Fashion House, General Store, Slab Cottage and Tractor Shed that existed when the area was originally populated. We met two of the volunteers who worked there, Carmel O'Neill (president) and John Kitney (an IT teacher to IT experts who was putting the Heritage Centre online). It was a wonderful place, full of history. Reminded us of the Chiltern Open Air Museum.
On the way down, we stopped off at the Fox and Hounds (see picture right), an English pub that had literally been transported brick by brick from Tunbridge Wells. In the main bar area, there were football scarves of every English team imaginable, even Rochdale Town, Watford, Crawley and Bognor Regis, although sadly not one from the Bournemouth Cherries. The beers sold were also English, rather than Australian. I had a Greene King IPA and could have had an Old Speckled Hen or an Abbot Ale. There was even a London double decker parked outside. When we got back to the hotel, it was back to the pool. Whilst there, we decided to stay an extra night so we could play golf.
That night we went back to the restaurants at Oracle Boulevard. We were going to try another place, but there was a Mexican entertainer (see picture left) near the Cuban restaurant so we went back there, not something we normally do, We enjoyed the food again and another chat with the Wolverhampton waitress.
We like eating breakfasts in local cafes and we went to the shopping centre next to the Carrara market. Coffee was excellent. We weren't playing golf until 11.30 so there was plenty of time to go back to the hotel and change into our golf attire - we had brought our golf shoes with us! Given the very dry weather, the ground was hard and the golf balls bounced a long way. The greens were very fast but the main hole of any note was the last, a par 5 which was over 500 yards around a lake, into the wind and with a final shot over an inlet onto the green. Not a hole to be taken lightly.
Back in the clubhouse, we chatted with four blokes who only played occasionally and who held us up for part of the round. We discussed our route and said that we were on our way south towards Byron Bay. We were warned not to go there, but instead go to Yamba, a much nicer place (they were right).
Decisions, decisions, where to eat that night. Back to Oracle Boulevard, but surely not the Cuban, again? Oracle Boulevard, yes, but this time to Mamasan, an Asian/Japanese fusion restaurant (see picture right). The food was great and it was just across the street from The Cuban (see picture left).
We left the Gold Coast driving once more to Broad Beach and taking the coast road (we made it!).
We picked up the hire car in Brisbane, a nice white Toyota Corolla. At first we struggled to get our large suitcases in, but a little jiggling around soon sorted out the problem. We had intended to take the coast road out of Brisbane, but the girls in the car hire office seemed to think that we had to go on the freeway. They had no thoughts as to how we might achieve our wishes. Instead, we had to rely on the GPS. After a few minutes of discussion,we relented and set out on our way. The freeway was like driving up to Birmingham on the M40 only much brighter but not seeing much of the local countryside.
After about an hour, we stopped at a service station for some refreshments. Linda asked if they had any road maps and was met with a blank stare.
'Nobody has road maps, all you need is your GPS,' came the reply.
We got back in the car and that was when we found out we had a dodgy GPS. It had trouble getting a signal. After a while, the GPS came back to life, but we realised two things. (1) We couldn't trust the GPS and (2) without any road maps we would need to stay on the freeway to reach our destination, which was the Gold Coast.
The freeway was being upgraded and subject to roadworks most of the way, which meant 80 kmph (around 50 mph) max. Very boring.However, we arrived at the Mercure Gold Coast Hotel, which was booked for 2 nights and where we were given our requested room with a golf course view. The golf course, though, didn't belong to Mercure and we were unable to book a game for the next day, which was Saturday, because it was members day. We wandered into the bar for a casual lunch and saw the pool, bathed in bright sunshine. We didn't dawdle over lunch. Into our room, into our swimmers and into the pool. It was like stepping into a warm bath (see picture right). We needed to find loungers together where I could be in the shade and Linda could be in the sun. I had got sun blisters on my back through standing chatting too long in the pool when we were in Port Douglas, so I needed to be careful.
The Gold Coast is typified by the number of high rise hotels and apartment blocks right next to the beach which is why we were staying out of town a little. We had thought we would drive up to Surfer's Paradise, but that was probably a bit 18-35 but as we drove into Broad Beach it looked and sounded more user friendly for us. We parked at the local surf club and wandered around a small area called Oracle Boulevard which was brilliant and partly pedestrianised and there were many restaurants from which we could take our choice.
We chose 'The Cuban' where we met a waitress from Wolverhampton - very Cuban! The choices were excellent. David chose 'Hemingway's Salmon' and Linda ate the 'Santiago Sizzle plate' full of Cuban spices.We dined well happily people watching.
Next day, we decided to drive out of the hotel again, in search of breakfast. We were told about the local market at Carrara. There were a hive of shops, selling anything you could want, but mainly Christmas products. There were several places where you could get a full English, sorry Australian. We chose one near a market stall which sold clothes, toys and Christmas goods and where the stallholder also did haircuts. She had 20 years experience, apparently. I needed my beard trimmed so we went to the breakfast bar nearest to the barber. It wasn't the best breakfast we ever had. I also wanted a banana and the woman doing the cooking thought it was funny that anyone should want a banana. After breakfast, I had my beard trimmed. She did quite a good job, under my instruction of course. I gave her a one dollar tip, bringing the overall cost up to $A5. (Linda - very good job). Mount Tamborine (a local National Park) sounded interesting and we thought we should get great views at the top, especially as it was a caldera formed by volcanic action. Off we set up the steep winding mountain road. However, although we had not come across any of the bush fires rampaging around Australia, clearly there had been some around Mount Tamborine, because there were no views due to the smoke.
We drove to the top and came to the Tamborine Mountain Heritage Centre, containing some old buildings, such as the Pioneer Hall and Fashion House, General Store, Slab Cottage and Tractor Shed that existed when the area was originally populated. We met two of the volunteers who worked there, Carmel O'Neill (president) and John Kitney (an IT teacher to IT experts who was putting the Heritage Centre online). It was a wonderful place, full of history. Reminded us of the Chiltern Open Air Museum.
On the way down, we stopped off at the Fox and Hounds (see picture right), an English pub that had literally been transported brick by brick from Tunbridge Wells. In the main bar area, there were football scarves of every English team imaginable, even Rochdale Town, Watford, Crawley and Bognor Regis, although sadly not one from the Bournemouth Cherries. The beers sold were also English, rather than Australian. I had a Greene King IPA and could have had an Old Speckled Hen or an Abbot Ale. There was even a London double decker parked outside. When we got back to the hotel, it was back to the pool. Whilst there, we decided to stay an extra night so we could play golf.
That night we went back to the restaurants at Oracle Boulevard. We were going to try another place, but there was a Mexican entertainer (see picture left) near the Cuban restaurant so we went back there, not something we normally do, We enjoyed the food again and another chat with the Wolverhampton waitress.We like eating breakfasts in local cafes and we went to the shopping centre next to the Carrara market. Coffee was excellent. We weren't playing golf until 11.30 so there was plenty of time to go back to the hotel and change into our golf attire - we had brought our golf shoes with us! Given the very dry weather, the ground was hard and the golf balls bounced a long way. The greens were very fast but the main hole of any note was the last, a par 5 which was over 500 yards around a lake, into the wind and with a final shot over an inlet onto the green. Not a hole to be taken lightly.
Back in the clubhouse, we chatted with four blokes who only played occasionally and who held us up for part of the round. We discussed our route and said that we were on our way south towards Byron Bay. We were warned not to go there, but instead go to Yamba, a much nicer place (they were right).Decisions, decisions, where to eat that night. Back to Oracle Boulevard, but surely not the Cuban, again? Oracle Boulevard, yes, but this time to Mamasan, an Asian/Japanese fusion restaurant (see picture right). The food was great and it was just across the street from The Cuban (see picture left).
We left the Gold Coast driving once more to Broad Beach and taking the coast road (we made it!).
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