Hello from Down Under!
I’m seriously loving the weather in Gold Coast. When we first arrived, all of us were wrapped up in 3 layers of clothes and still shivering while all the Aussies were strolling around in their t-shirts and shorts. It took us about a day to acclimatize and by the second day, we are equally badass. Ok, maybe not shorts but down to just one layer.
Given that I only had 2 hours to search for accommodation, it was quite a miracle that we got a really nice lodge at Ashmore Palms Holiday Village for like A$110 per night. The service was brilliant – they let us check in early at 9am and gave us a complimentary upgrade to a 2-bedroom unit.
It’s very kid-friendly, with 2 huge playgrounds, a pool and a whole bunch of kids activities like balloon sculpting and macaw meet and greets.
We usually drive when we’re in Australia but this time we thought we’d skip the car rental and try the public Surfside buses instead. That turned out to be a terrible idea. Each bus trip cost like $15 (for 3 adults) and it went round the suburbs so a trip that would usually take 15 minutes by car took about an hour by bus. Plus we had to walk almost 1km out to the nearest bus stop so by the time we arrived at the stop, the kids were already exhausted. Also, some stops didn’t have any shelter, which meant that we had to wait in the sun for 10-15 minutes.
After the arduous journey out, we decided to take a cab on the way back – which only cost us $20 and 15 minutes. Total facepalm. After that, we caved and rented a car for $30 a day.
When you’re in Gold Coast, one of the places you absolutely have to go to is Surfer’s Paradise.
We got there just in time to catch the golden light and OMG, the view was magnificent. The kids saw it from afar and started running towards the water, while we stood completely amazed by the view. I don’t know how else to describe it, except that it was like walking on a sheet of gold.
These pictures of the beach are almost straight out of camera, with minimal edits in Lightroom.
We’ll be at the theme parks the next couple of days. Be back with more updates!
Kless July 9, 2012 at 9:43 am
We took surflines everywhere we went and they were great! =D We were okay with long rides, I guess. And with terrible topo skills, self-driving was not an option. =D
Daphne July 10, 2012 at 8:58 pm
Haha we’re terrible at bus maps and changing at the different stops, found it much easier to drive with the GPS directions. Maybe when the kids are bigger we’ll try the bus again. :)
lexyyyy July 9, 2012 at 10:33 am
love that pic with truett sticking his tongue out. glad you guys are having fun and going to have more!
Daphne July 10, 2012 at 8:59 pm
Thanks! Will be posting more updates soon :)
Sar Jane July 9, 2012 at 6:27 pm
Welcome to Queensland Dafne. It’s a great place to be.
PS: I’m a local and I’m still rugged up tight. It’s cold!
Sar Jane July 9, 2012 at 6:28 pm
Sorry … Daphne :)
Daphne July 10, 2012 at 9:00 pm
It’s really nice in the afternoons when the sun is out! The nights are rather cold though…
Sherlyn July 9, 2012 at 9:35 pm
Wow, the pics look good! Enjoy the rest of the holiday!
Sherlyn´s last post ..Nursery must-haves
Daphne July 10, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Thanks Sherlyn!
Jaq July 9, 2012 at 9:56 pm
Hey Daph, I loves the last 4 pics.
Daphne July 10, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Thanks Jaq! The beach is amazing I think you’ll love it!
Momo July 9, 2012 at 10:27 pm
Thanks babe! You saved me 2 hrs of planning. Hahah. Keep your travel blogs coming!!
Daphne July 10, 2012 at 9:03 pm
Hahaha more than happy to share! I’m sure your kids will have a blast here – drop me an email if you’re planning a trip I’ll send over the detailed research heh
Summer July 10, 2012 at 4:07 am
Gorgeous pics! I went to Australia for my grad trip after graduated from SCI. =) Yes, Surfers’ paradise is awesome! I did my first surfing there! =) Looking forward to your next update!
Daphne July 10, 2012 at 9:04 pm
Brilliant place for a grad trip! Would have loved to try surfing but it’s too cold and I’m too pregnant. Will try it the next time for sure!
为食主义 July 10, 2012 at 10:18 pm
omg those beach photos are breathtaking!! And mummy knows how to pick photogenic colours for the kids =)