Queensland's Gold Coast.

Miami Beach with Surfers Paradise in background.

Queensland's Gold Coast has 70 kilometres of beaches and 100,000 hectares of world heritage listed rainforest. If you then add every conceivable man-made attraction and thousands of hotel beds it is not hard to understand why it is the tourist Mecca of Australia.

Laurie and Carolyn live at Broadbeach Waters in a home that backs onto the Nerang River. We took a   walk along the promenade at Broadbeach on a gorgeous morning with the temperature topping 28c. It felt fairly humid and I was soon working up quite a sweat without actually working very hard.

Of those 70 kilometres of beaches; there are those ideal for walking, others with more secluded bays, and those boasting world-famous surf breaks. The Gold Coast provides something for everyone. This morning at Broadbeach the surf was quite strong and only a few folk were actually in the water. Most were like ourselves walking, whilst others jogged, cycled or roller-bladed.

Our moderate exercise over we retired to take a leisurely coffee and watch the world go by...fantastic. Back at Chez Daniel we were able to take a dip in the pool and relax by watching the different craft that use the Nerang River, a waterway that connects various parts of the community to the ocean. At nearby Surfers Paradise a large yacht basin can be found alongside the swish hotels and restaurants. It would be pleasant to own one of those floating 'gin palaces' or even an inflatable dinghy! (Not a kayak maybe after my performance on Lake Macquarie).

A number of years ago whilst I was working in the travel business, I had helped arrange for a family to emigrate to Australia. Jan lives at nearby Logan City, a 40 minute or so journey north up the highway and I  had managed to visit her a couple of times on my previous trips.Jan is looking well and we spent an hour catching up on her life and that of her family. Jan has never looked back since coming to Australia and doesn't seem to hold it against me for my part in that!

Keeping people aware.

Come on in!

Yet more friends of Jonesy's, Michael and Sonja, that I had also met first in 2002 and then on my subsequent visits, also live nearby. On this day they were taking advantage of the splendid Autumn (yes, Autumn!) weather and had taken their son James swimming at Miami Beach. This is situated a few kilometres south of Broadbeach, so we drove back down the highway to rendezvous with them.

Just in case.

We enjoyed lunch with them at a small beach-front cafe before getting ourselves wet in that fabulous water. The beach is perfect for families and has a life-saving team on duty. These guys and girls do an incredible job and indicate where it is safe to bathe by erecting red and yellow flags. There was also a notice board indicating water temperature (24.5c today), conditions and the hours that the beach is patrolled.

Today we were advised that there was a sweep from left to right and to remain in waist deep water. The sandy bottom was fairly even and we enjoyed the waves as they crashed in, leaving you completely submersed one moment and then only up to you knees the next. As I did swim around it soon became noticeable that I was being swept to my right, and of more concern, into deeper water. Time to get my feet down and observe the life-guards warnings of staying in waist deep water.

It was lovely to meet up again with Michael, Sonja and James. Their daughter Elizabeth is shortly to have her first child, so best wishes on that event to the parents and grandparents to be.

Carolyn excelled once again with a great feast that evening that we took sitting out on the patio. Not even the mozzies bothered or spoilt the night. Whether it was the sun, swimming or the surfeit of great food but I was unable to last to the end of the 'Taggart' episode on television, retiring gracefully to my bed.

The Nerang River

Chez Daniel

Food's great here!

All welcome, even 'slippery'

Jonesy & Laurie

So impressed were with the cafe Picollo at Miami Beach the previous day that we decided to host Carolyn and Laurie for breakfast there the following morning.

Afterwards we took a drive to Emerald Lakes, a fashionable area close by that has a French and Italian quarter.

It was time to take our leave of these lovely people and make our way south back to spend the night with Stephen and Michele at Bangalow. Yet another wonderful meal produced by our hosts to set us up for our early start the next morning for the long trek back to Newcastle.

Carolyn & Me

Jan asking where's the tum gone?

Fabulous meal thank you

Emerald Lakes

Sur le pont.

The Italian Quarter (pounder!)

Sunrise over Bangalow

Early morning mist at Bangalow

We left Bangalow at 6.15am just as the sun was rising and were rewarded with a lovely vista across the fields and into the valley adjacent to Stephen and Michele's home. We took the Pacific Highway on our return journey as Jonesy had a meeting that evening that he couldn't afford to miss. It isn't as scenically challenged as you might expect and we made good time stopping for a quick breakfast the Newcastle side of Grafton.

Jonesy wanted to stop and check on the health of an old family friend, Marcie, who lives at Woolgoolga. We found Marcie well and spent a while chatting to her. Woolgoolga is infamous for its Indian population and has a large Sikh Temple.

Not far further south we passed through Coffs Harbour with its oversized banana proudly sitting at the side of the highway. The weather was beginning to cool by now and the previous blue sky was replaced by light and then dark grey clouds and rain.

By the time we reached the outskirts of Newcastle the rain had become heavy and the temperature had fallen to 18c from a high of 28.5c at the outset of our journey. All in all a great week away catching up with friends and seeing new territory at the same time.

Sikh Temple, Woolgoolga. 

In two weeks time I will be jetting back to the UK. Where has my three months gone to I'm thinking. Never mind, I must make the most of the time left.