My last weeks have been spent just north of the Gold Coast in a beautiful part of Australia and I've managed to cover much of the surrounding area. I've certainly been lucky with my time on the water, enjoying trips out in some beautiful boats and had an excellent teacher who introduced me to the world of knots - I am now proficient in the double sheet bend and the clove hitch! Motoring along the Broadwater between the mainland and South Stradbroke Island gave me the opportunity to view the 'Palazzo Versace' and, more impressively, its marina. What a fabulous collection of extremely expensive looking vessels.
Further down the coast, I'm not a particular fan of Surfers Paradise and I'm quite sure it lives up to its name of 'Australia's favourite playground', but it's definitely worth a visit if only to experience the bronzed Aussie lifesavers. I didn't realise quite how busy these guys are on a daily basis and the ocean seems so much more dangerous over here with rip tides and idiotic tourists. I became a temporary member of The Southport Surf Club for the day and enjoyed breakfast overlooking Main Beach while watching the TV cameras filming the latest rescues. A walk along the beach afterwards reminded me of the dangerous inhabitants of this country as I attempted to avoid the stingers littering the sand. I saw first hand the results of a brush with one of these jellyfish as a young bodyboarder was comforted by his dad after a particularly nasty sting.
From the stunning beaches associated with Oz, it' easy to forget there is so much more to see here. The National Parks are spectacular too and the treetop walk I took through Lamington was beautiful. Part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, it includes the most extensive areas of subtropical rainforest in the world. The temperature drops quite dramatically as you enter the rainforest and the only noises breaking the damp quiet come from the outstanding wildlife. The birds are so very different from back home, shocking colours and distinctive calls. Real creatures of habit, a huge flock of corellas flies over the house at exactly the same time every evening.
So my time in Australia is at an end, I know I will be back again and who knows, maybe even as a resident? The next stop is Auckland and my bags have been packed with extreme caution. I am keen to avoid the experience I had entering Oz - the wooden gifts I bought in Thailand and the dirt on my walking boots earned me a severe telling off from the customs officer although luckily I escaped the $500 fine and an extremely embarassing appearance on the hugely popular TV programme 'Border Police'.
So I look forward to my arrival in the land of the Maoris and my next adventures.
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