Jan 31, 2007

Surfer's Paradise

Surfers Paradise Skyline This afternoon we made our way to Surfer's Paradise. A while ago on the Gold Coast Council's website I was looking for dog-friendly beaches, and there was one here, so with some trepidation on my part (not knowing if it would just be a pile of rocks) we set off down the Pacific Highway and straight into a traffic jam.

It took us a couple of hours to get there, which was a pity, because about three quarters of an hour of that was spent at a snail's pace. Then my eyes started to sting, then sting like blazes, and Nicole had to take over driving while my poor red orbs recovered from whatever it was that was bothering them.

Still as we drew near we oooohed at Dreamworld on the left hand side, I aaaahed (but not so loudly, you couldn't really see it) at Movie World, and we drove straight past our exit onto the Gold Coast motorway. No worries though, we got off at the next exit and that was just as good... only we ran straight into some roadworks.

Soon though we were in Southport and making a right turn down the Esplanade then across the Gold Coast bridge, as the multicoloured skyscrapers of Surfers Paradise rose above us like the laser towers on the Death Star.

Oooooh! Sea World on the left hand side! Aaaaaah! Massive car park on the right hand side! Is that for the beach we're going to?

We got out of the car and walked about fifty yards to the beach. Nicole didn't believe it was there because it looked like the path we were walking up went straight out onto a harbour pier. But no! there is the beach stretching away from us, perfect sand, young surfer types frolicking in the shallows, people walking - with dogs - and the high-rise Surfer's Paradise skyline in the distance.

So down to the beach we went, in the surf we frolicked. The currents were fairly strong and the swell unpredictable. At one point I was looking in the wrong direction when a wave got me and soaked my shorts through. Eloise and the dogs were similarly caught unawares.

We got out buckets and spades and made little sandcastles.

Matilda annoyed picknickers.

The sun went down and we went into town to find a chip shop, but no luck. We got a pizza back in Bris instead. Which was nice.

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