Every now and again on this journey we enjoy experiences that bring us new perspectives about life. Normally this happens when we see people living in ways that are different from what we’re used to. The past few weeks in Australia has been such a time, and particularly the past few days. We’ve been staying with our long time friends Colin and Lisa, and their two kids Jayden and Mia, who live out here in the Gold Coast. They’ve chosen this part of Australia for the quality of life and because, thanks to the good weather and countless outdoor recreational options, its perhaps the perfect place to raise a young family. Our advice to young orphans, if there are any reading these pages, is to seek adoption right here in the Gold Coast.
Colin wanted to show us first hand why the Gold Coast will always be his playground. He called up his buddy Jeff who owns the Sea Doo dealership in town and with typical Aussie style friendliness, Jeff lent us two brand new 240 horsepower rocketships (thanks JSW Powersports!). This is when we began our 100 mile loop around the huge intracoastal waterway which begins at the north side of Surfers Paradise and extends all the way up to Moreton Bay. The entire area feels designed for fun, with jet skiers, kite surfers, wake boarders, 4×4 off roaders, helicopter tours, hikers, snorkelers, sailors and fishermen all enjoying this huge area without any evidence of conflict or even feeling cramped. Combine this recreation with the extraordinary entertainment and nightlife options along the Gold Coast (particularly Surfers Paradise) and you start to realize perhaps you’ve found the secret to happiness on planet Earth: permanently relocate here.
The other reason we love this part of Australia is because of the financial crisis… or to be more accurate, the complete absence of any sign of one in this country. Every shop is open for business, each restaurant, bar, and club is packed most nights, luxury hotels are often fully booked, shopping mall parking lots are full, the waterways are buzzing with activity, income disparity is in a healthy range, and people everywhere are having fun and partying like its 1999. With all the 90’s style excess, you’d think the place was sitting on a ticking debt bomb, but surprisingly it’s not. The flowing money here comes from tourism and mineral exports combined with a fairly responsible government, not ballooning debt, meaning things might actually stay this way for a while.
Unfortunately we need to fight the temptation to stay and now need to get the wagon wheels rolling south towards Sydney. The coast has an endless selection of sights to see and the time we’ve allotted for road tripping is finite. Along the way we’ll be looking for reasons to dislike Australia, otherwise it might be difficult to find a reason to leave early next year.
Our sincere thanks to Colin and Lisa for making the past few days so special.. Cheers mates!
Oh to be young, healthy and adventurous again. Your observations and photographs are always a delight to receive and I appreciate being able to share (albeit vicariously) in your great adventure.
What happened to the photo of the wild turkey photo .. was the bird absconded by a Yank for Thanksgiving?
Glad to hear that you all are in Australian fun mode. If you spot an Australian teenager in Melbourne, with a 2003 baseball World Series cap, say hi for me. He was the only one on their boat who knew that the Yankees were not a football club. He won the cap. Never met anyone from that part of the world who was anything but wonderful. Then again ….they were sailors or musicians.