Gold Coast

Our long weekend away at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. 

I'd heard mixed comments about the Gold Coast ranging from 'it's paradise' to 'tacky teen hang out' but went with an open mind and a suitcase full of swimwear.  Maybe it's because we're expats and haven't visited many coastal spots, or because it was only our second weekend away, either way, I was definitely leaning towards the positive end of those comments. 

The QT hotel was a good start. Greeted in reception with a drinks table serving iced tea and lemonade; The promise of a dip in the hot tub and pool; Flip-flops (thongs) in the room instead of slippers; and a welcome surf board platter of chocs and macaroons.

We were located towards the northern end of Surfers Paradise beach so a short walk away from the hub and therefore away from the hustle and bustle. Waves were big and, paying attention to the flags and in view of the lifeguard tower, we spent time jumping them and trying to stay on our feet. 

We experienced the two extremes of entertainment - the theme park and the places to go for free, spending time at the beach and the Rockpools play park. 

The Rockpools was a fantastic area for the kids and we could've spent every day there.
When we arrived there was a small festival in the grass area with free bouncy castles, stalls and information stands. The wet play area was a long strip of land with various shallow pools, fountains and a lifeguard. Next to it is a cafe and toilet/shower block.

The other side of the green there is a giant shaded jumping area.

Next to that is the playground.
It was circled by a track on which you could cycle the fixed bikes round. If you brought your own bikes or scooters you could tackle the little bike course.  All of these activities run parallel to the shoreline. Out in the bay there is a giant inflatable course. There's also a disabled wheelchair swing. 

There were several theme parks to choose from: Seaworld; Warner Bros Movie World; Magic Mountain; Wet nWild; For our big family day out we chose to go to Dreamworld, which included Whitewater World.  Check out our Dreamworld adventure here. 

On our last afternoon we jumped on the Quack-r-Duck Tours which was a way to spend our last couple of hours before heading to the airport that didn't involve getting wet, sandy or shopping. It was an interesting tour by a funny driver who drove us parallel to Main Beach, past Seaworld and out onto Broadwater, around all the multi-million$ homes of Paradise Waters and back onto the temporary V8 Supercar race track.  My son got to drive for a bit and steered us across Broadwater without bumping into any other boats. 

Gold Coast is a good holiday destination. We only saw a small percent of the area and would happily go back for a weeks holiday. I can't see us living there. There seemed to be a good work/life balance judging from all the people we spoke to there (mainly hotel staff and taxi drivers). Most of which hadn't grown up in the Gold Coast but had moved there for the sunshine and more laid back life. 

Tiger Island at Dreamworld

 Fun in the waves

Beach Vs Buildings

The area where Pirates of the Caribbean is filmed

Amsterdam School Trips

Apple Picking
A short coach journey led us to the orchard for apple picking. We learnt how to look for the heart when you cut an apple in half and then got to pick a carrier bag full and weigh them.

At home I made my first apple cake which actually tasted pretty good, especially as I was translating the instructions as I went.



Ice Skating in the Rain
Ice Skating is a firm favourite in Amsterdam with outdoor rinks open from around November to February time. Usually a lot of fun, Unfortunately, on the day of our school trip it not only rained non stop but it was freezing cold. The ice was slushy and wet and extra slippery. Kids were falling over and getting soaked before getting near the ice. There were tears and soggy socks.

Wet Seaside Fun
Another rainy and windy trip but it didn't stop the kids having fun running along the beach searching for shells and jellyfish. A round of hot chocolate was added to the itinerary when fingers started to go blue.

Circus Tricks
The big winner in the chart of school trips. Fun and indoors! Kids learned how to walk the tightrope (and I got to have a go too), balance on giant balls, spin plates, juggle, ride clown bikes etc. with a bit of yoga to wind down. I saw every single child laugh during this trip, even the more shy children seemed to come out of their shell. It was wonderful to watch.

Hand holding

So we're now at that stage with my 7 year old that he'll voluntarily hold my hand walking to school, until we can see the school gates at which point he drops my hand (and my heart). Yet when I pick him up, he'll happily hold my hand walking out through the playground. Plus he knows he won't get a snack unless I have a greeting hug first! Why the before and after school change of heart?

Painted Macaroon dish

My best friend has mastered the art of baking macaroons so when I found this macaroon dish I brought it for her. I wanted her to think of me whenever she used it so decided to decorate it.
Luckily we still had some ceramic paint left from the kids 'mug decorating kit' which was ample.

The stick person was a bit of a mistake but I was pleased with how the macaroons looked. Just need the real think to taste now. 

Here's some she prepared earlier!

And these below, the first to be served in the new dish. They didn't last long.