the land down under

My journal..

16.11.2014 (day 1)

Touch down. I felt a little nauseous from the long flight. My back was aching and I felt sleepy. It was an overnight flight yet I was unable to catch a ride to slumber land, and resorted to reading the Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus series) to try and pass the time. Well, it was budget airlines...

After a long wait in line through the arrivals, we walked through the sliding doors into the fresh morning air. At once I felt reinvigorated. The air was cool, and the sun warmed my skin.

We took a ride to the apex company where we met our mode of transport for the next 2 weeks - a Hyundai Imax. It was a huge car. Our next destination? The viscount towers on first avenue in Gold Coast. The first thing that caught my eye though was the ocean. A long stretch of sand lined the shoreline, dotted with various apartments like the one we were staying in. It was a nice little apartment (16), on the fifth floor though a little old upon further inspection. Still, it was comfortable enough. The balcony overlooked the wide expanse of turquoise water before us.

The day was still young so it was off to cararra market. I found it a little boring as window shopping wasnt in my list of interests. Some items on display at the various stalls were a little interesting though...

Famished. We headed off to a nearby shopping centre where we had lunch at the food court. Similar to what we have here in Singapore, except that each individual stall was a fast food restaurant e.g. Subway, KFC, MacDonalds. There was also a fast food restaurant selling wraps and tortillas so we decided to try that. The minced beef tortillas were delicious and of a generous portion. We stocked up our refrigerator with groceries from Coles, their local supermart, then headed back to our apartment. In the late afternoon we went down to the beach to explore. On our left we could see the distant apartment towers rising above low clouds. There was also a mist, and it was very windy. It gave a mysterious feel to the beach. (broadbeach). The beach stretched further than the eye could see, on both left and right of our apartment.

I was intrigued by a jellyfish washed up onto the beach. It was a blubber jellyfish as we found out upon later research. Apparently it was harmless but we did not want to take the risk. The water was icy cold and in less than 5 seconds my legs were numb from the cold. But it was a sort of refreshing kind of coldness and was a little addictive. The waves were strong, powerful and the water turbulent. Night came earlier than compared to Singapore. Around 6.30 the sun began to set. We headed back to the apartment and after a shower settled in to watch some movies on Foxtel. After night of entertainment and later a nice homecooked dinner, we turned in on nice comfortable beds.

17.11.14 (day 2)

A day of thrill and adventure. We found all of that at the Curumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Well, its name might not say much about thrill and excitement but it was there where we certainly found adventure! We walked into the wildlife sanctuary. There was a pelican feeding session and we headed off to see that first. It was interesting to see the Australian pelicans swallow the fish whole. There was also an eel feeding session. The eels would actually swim up onto land to snatch bites out of the fish the animal handlers used to feed them.
\
After that we headed straight for the Adventure Parc. Along the way, there were many animal enclosures featuring wildlife local to Australia like the Koala and kangaroos. We got the opportunity to pet the kangaroos in an enclosure. Then it was off to the parc. I was filled trepidation as we were briefed on our safety equipment and as we tried on the safety harness. The safety feature was such that we could go through the rope course without the need of any supervision! It made it even more thrilling. There were four courses. The green course, the Red course, the Croc shock (blue) and the black course. The Green course was the most basic, and was basically meant to help get us used and familiar with the safety system. We could do flying fox on our own as we had a a sort of pulley which would allow us to use the flying fox on our own! I managed the first 3 courses with ease. There was a Tarzan swing, in which we had to grab onto a thick rope and swing to the other side. It was certainly thrilling! There was also a station in which we had to crawl through a long tube. It was all very fun. At the croc shock course, there was a long flying fox which ran across what was supposed to be a crocodile enclosure. Unfortunately it was under renovation. So instead of snapping crocodiles beneath our feet, there were metal diggers. It was a bit disappointing though the thrill of the flying fox was still there. The courses were great though, as we were a lot closer to nature. Along the course, we spotted many birds roosting in the treetops, like a kookaburra, a native bird to Australia.

The black course...

Already the start was tough. We had raced through the first 3 courses and now only the black course remained. We began with a difficult climb up a wooden ladder probably meant for a giant. As the course went higher up into the treetops, the fear silently crept in...

I looked off the edge of the platform. A steep drop down. No way could I survive that fall. The only way? A thick rope which I could use to swing myself to the next platform. I prepared myself. Then jumped. The initial stage was frightening but once you were swinging and adrenaline kicked in, it was very much enjoyable. There was also a monkey bar segment, where we had to swing ourselves across, using handholds above our heads. Sounds easy? The problem was that our legs would be dangling in the air. I mustered all my courage and leaped for the first hoop. Grabbing tightly, I swung myself over. At the end of the course, my body was aching from exertion and my blood pumped with adrenaline. I had completed the most challenging course!

We then explored the various animal enclosures next, the echidnas, dingoes, various native birds, before heading off to the cafe outside the sanctuary for lunch. I was ravenous and polished off a plate of beef burger with fries with ease. We headed back in to go for the animal shows. There was a sheep sheering session. I had watched sheep sheering before, but it was especially interesting as the sheerer was a natural comedian. We then took a ride on a little train which went around the sanctuary. There was a maori show but we didnt go for it.

Then Lorikeet feeding time. The birds were all perched high in the trees, chattering away in the late afternoon. There was a miniature 'ferris wheel', but instead of cabins there were metal hoops which would allow one to put metal plates in them. One of the person in charge came out with a tray of a white frothy substances which we would use to feed the lorikeets. She put some on a plate which went onto the wheel and she spun it. A few bolder lorikeets dove straight for the food and immediately began filling their stomachs. Soon, others followed suit. We payed some money for a metal plate too and began feeding the lorikeets. They would perch on our hands, arms, shoulders and even our heads! It was a rather unique and prickly experience. Their claws were pretty sharp but it was fun all the same. Occasionally there would be what was called freak flights, where one bird would make a warning call signaling eminent danger, be it a bird of prey or a snake, and all the birds would take off in a flurry of wings, heading for the trees. It was an interesting sight, but after each freak flight, the birds would be more hesitant to come back to feed. After a while we had enough and drove back to our apartment. We had wrap for dinner. Later in the night, we moved into an apartment which we had originally booked. As it was being refurbished we had to stay in apartment 16 for a night. Our 'new' apartment 21 on the 6th floor was a much nicer than our old one. It was a nice surprise! The bath tub was a lot cleaner and we decided to use it the next time we took a shower! We turned in for night.

18.11.14 (day 3)
Movie World. As we neared the amusement park I sat on the edge of my seat filled with excitement. The Green Lantern Coaster towered above the car park, and I studied the track. Suddenly I felt hesitant. It looked safe enough... yet.

at the entrance...

We stepped through the doors to Warner Bros. Movie World. Suddenly the rides didn't seem like such a good idea. We headed for what seemed like the mildest ride. The Bat Wing. Our judgment failed us that day. The first 'victims' boarded the ride. There was a countdown and then the ride shot vertically up into the air at a crazy speed, the passengers screaming their lungs out. It then shot back down to the Earth before flying back up again. My stomach did flips and we decided to leave the queue. The next ride we tried was apparently for kids. It was a Road Runner coaster, but it helped get the adrenaline pumping . It was then time for a stunt racing show. I can still remember the scent of burning rubber as both motorcycles and cars did death defying stunts and showcased their skill with the wheel.

Stunt motorcycles

The Scooby Spooky Coaster was next. It was rather fun and thrilling and screaming certainly helped make it a lot more fun. There was a part where the coaster went backwards which made it scary yet fun.

Next up we readied ourselves to get soaked as we headed to the Wild West. Wee took the Wild West Adventure ride which was really thrilling. There was a white water rapids segment and the finale. A steep drop down to the bottom. Although we screamed our lungs out and got soaked in the process it was great fun.

While our adrenaline was still pumped we decided to go for the Green lantern Coaster. I was filled with trepidation as I looked at the track. Before my courage was swept away I quickly strapped myself in and prepared myself, my heart thumping. The first obstacle? A steeper than vertical drop down. As we moved along I began to enjoy myself even more. The corkscrews were great fun and I realised I enjoyed having myself get turned upside down! It was also the first time I experienced such a coaster, and it was a great experience.

We opted for something less thrilling next as we queued in line for the Rio 4D movie. It was quite cool as the seats would move and air filled with vapour was used as part of the special effects and the whole 4D experience too.

We did the Scooby coaster again not just cause it was fun but we had to get the adrenaline going before we could muster enough courage to go for the ride of our lives...

Superman Escapes. The wait was the worse, and the continuous safety announcement didn't help much. "On this ride you will experience up 4.2 positive G forces and 1 negative G force, do consider your ability to handle these extreme forces before boarding the MRT". I felt jittery yet excited. It couldn't be that bad... Only the initial drop would be bad and it would be only for a mere second...

"I'll get you out of this mess fast. Superman fast." We shot up the steep slope at a breakneck speed. All I remembered next was a brief pause at the top, and then an almost vertical drop downwards. The next few seconds was just excitement and thrill, before we came to a halt. The ride of my life.

Hall of Justice (Justice League ride)

Yet my personal favourite would be the Arkham Asylum - shock treatment ride. We did it after the new Justice League ride which in contrast to the Superman Escapes ride was kids stuff. It involved shooting red dot targets which were portrayed on screens or on props which we saw through 3D glasses.

Arkham Asylum was yet another new
experience for me as the ride had no floor. Instead, our legs would be dangling freely in the air. The ride involved many twists and instances in which we were upside down. Words cannot describe the excitement and thrill I experienced on this ride. I was actually a bit disappointed that it did not last longer! As we walked out my legs felt a little wobbly and light.

We headed off to have dinner. We had it at Hard Rock café which was beside a port. I didn't have much of an appetite though after the rides.

We headed home and to our beds.

19.11.14 (day 4)
Today we headed off to Sea World. They had rides there too like the Storm Coaster and Jet Ski rescue. Both of which were fun and thrilling yet nothing in comparison to what we had experienced the day before.

Penguins exhibit... (king and emperor penguins)

penguins exhibit

The main attraction for me there would be the sea life. There were animal shows which aimed at teaching the public the importance of conserving marine life, and the environment. The first animal show was a sealion show, where they showed the harms of overfishing. It was a rather interactive and interesting show and certainly caught my interest and made learning more fun. The sealions and were huge and had sleek bodies. I marveled at how gracefully they glided through the waters.

The next show that we went to was the dolphin show. It was amazing to see how intelligent these creatures were, as the trainers simply had to use hand gestures to direct the dolphins. There were many instances in which the dolphins leaped into the air doing stunts. It was a beautiful and stunning performance, as we watched the dolphins shoot out of the air in unison. The dolphins also propelled the trainers forward with their beaks and there was even one instance in which the dolphin propelled the trainer out of out water! It was an amazing to watch.

There was also a touch pool where we could touch the smooth bodies of the rays, starfish and sea cucumber.


Polar bear exhibit...

Aquarium....

The cage had people in them who were trying to feed the sharks!

Little blue penguins...

We decided to head back to the apartment early that day. The weather had turned gloomy too so we stayed at home watching TV. We had instant noodles for lunch (brought from S'pore) which was a nice change in diet. We had a good time at the beach later in the evening. It was the first time I actually went into the water, despite the cold. It was actually very refreshing. Unfortunately, the lens from my spectacles broke off and drifted off. I was a little distraught as it would affect my vision for the rest of the trip.


20.11.2014 (day 5)

After the few days of adrenaline rush, we headed off to catch a glimpse of the flora and fauna in Queensland by exploring their national parks. We woke early for the Southern Cross tour through the national parks. The vehicle of choice? A seeming van. In fact it was a fully operational 4 wheel drive! We had a rather friendly driver and tour guide called Chris who had a sense of humour too. He was familiar with the nature in Queensland too and spotted several to us. Along our drive to Mt Tambourine he pointed out a man made osprey nest! It was intriguing. We spent some time on the expressway before turning out onto an off road track deep into the national park. The drive up was rather thrilling as it included steep slopes with plenty of bumps and sheer drop offs. As we ascended the mountain, the air got cooler and the view more spectacular. There were plenty of wallabies as we headed up. Many of which were camouflaged. Fortunately for us our guide had a good eye! We stopped for team at the old church in a little town on the mountain. We had a sumptuous morning tea of scones topped with handmade jam and cream and a cup of hot coffee. We ate in the garden (see pic. on right) in the cool morning air. It was one of the most enjoyable meals I had. We headed off for a nice hike through the rainforest next. We spotted many birds in the treetops as well as on the forest floor! (Turkeys). We saw trapdoor spider's trapdoors in the soil as well. It was very interesting. At the end of the trail was a water fall. It was a bit disappointing though as it was during summer and the stream had been reduced to a trickle.

The weather up in the mountain was cool and nice. There was a tourist gallery walk too which was basically a street flanked by souvenir shops and wineries, chocolate shops, etc.






Lunch was great. We drove back down the mountain to a little estate owned by the tour. There we had a delicious lunch of BBQ steak with onions, a salad and drinks. Even after a heavy morning tea my stomach could still find some space for it! There was a creek nearby, and later after our meal we tried our hand at a boomerang. It was great fun!

We drove to Lammington national park next. What was I liked best about it was the boardwalk. Part of it was on the forest floor where we spotted many birds. There was a suspension bridge as well which went through the mid canopy. At one point along the suspension bridge segment there was a ladder which led to a platform high above the canopy! It was a bit scary climbing it as just thinking about falling was nerve wrecking. At the top though, the view was breathtaking. As we walked out, we spotted a pair of crimson Rosella's, native birds. They seemed inquisitive and friendly among us! They seemed to enjoy the attention we will were giving them.

On the boardwalk

Hollowed out tree!

Climbing the ladder to the higher platforms...

Suspension bridge

Friendly Crimson Rosella

We had a chance to feed the crimson rosella too as we exited the boardwalk. We carried a plate of sunflower seeds and the birds flocked to the food. They clung to our shirt, stood on our heads, hands, basically our whole body! It was an interesting experience.

scenic stop on the way down the mountain

It was a long drive back to the apartment and I was exhausted. We made a final stop where we could admire the scenery from the top of the mountain for the last time before we made our way down the winding road. The lookout overlooked the countryside and even the coast! It was breathtaking. We passed by lots of livestock along the way up and down as well - horses, cows, llamas.

Photo bombed!

A pizza dinner to top it off before we turned it.



21.11.2014 (day 6)

Early morning on broadbeach

One final stroll down broadbeach in the early morning before we said our goodbyes to goldcoast and our apartment...

Beachfront Viscount

We checked out and headed off to visit Ripley's believe it or not museum in surfer's paradise. We saw plenty of wacky cool interesting stuff there, like shrunken heads.. some were a little gruesome though. There was a rotating tunnel which was a nice illusion which resulted in the effect. There was also a laser maze where we had to get through the room without breaking any of the lasers. Next? A 3h long drive to Noosa Heads. I was a little sad to go as I had lots of fun there and we were unable to try the Wet and wild theme park.. maybe next time? You could call it a drastic change we experienced when we reached Noosa Heads. The neighbourhood our apartment was in was pretty quiet, much unlike the touristy atmosphere back in the goldcoast. After checking into our Noosa Outrigger Beach resort we decided to take a stroll along the street. The apartment was nice, 2 story and very spacious.

view from our house porch

Noosa River

Our apartment

We played in the Noosa River which was along a park, parallel to the street. The water and weather was a lot warmer, though the wind a lot stronger. We found the supermarket and had a sumptuous dinner outdoor at our front gate (fish and chips from a nearby stall, unfrozen pizza and orange juice from Coles in goldcoast). Quite a spread! The fish was delicious (batted fish and grilled fish)

We then turned in early for the night.

22.11.2014 (day 7)

We had a breakfast of beef sausages in the balcony, enjoying the cool morning breeze. We headed of off to the Eumundi market. It was kinda like an upsized version of the cararra market. There were people playing music, stalls selling various items... we bought some nuts there too which were very tasty. (salted caramel peanuts). The sun there was scorching, and the weather dry, but cool. There was also a guy which caught my attention. He was dressed like a native Australian i guess, and was helping to direct traffic to allow people to cross the road safely. It was rather interesting!

Noosa Main beach in the background

The start of the trail...

We then headed off to Noosa Heads National Park, for a hike. It was the highlight of the day for me. We had great fun climbing cliff faces at dolphin point and hell's gates, which were checkpoints along the way. Hell's gates was my favourite as it was basically a sheer drop off into the ocean. I peered over the ledge and saw a sea turtle too! A white bellied sea eagle circled above. The water was crystal clear and we could see the sand beneath the shallow waters, as well as rocks. At the start of the boardwalk we even spotted a wild koala! It certainly was a rare sight!

The koala hidden high in the trees....

Dolphin point

Sheer drop... Hell's gates

beehive

We took another trail back from Hell's gates, the tanglewood trail. We saw a different side of nature. Instead of the ocean and clear skies along the costal walk, we hiked through the hinterlands. It was not as scenic as the costal trail, though we managed to spot a bee's hive along the way. At the end of the trail, we emerged at the visitor's centre tired. We bought two large slurpees (coke + limefrost flavoured and peach). I felt reinvigorated.

Our final destination? A quick stop at Coles to pick up some food items for dinner before heading back to the apartment. We had a swim in the pool. To my surprise, the water was warm! Despite the cool weather.








We had a sumptious dinner of chicken in a thai sauce, rice , vegetables (lettuce) and omelette with onions, as we enjoyed the outdoors. Wild king parrots roosted in the trees and on our balcony.

Our friendly neighbours

23.11.2014 (day 8)

Noosa Main Beach

We woke early and headed off to Noosa Heads Main beach (after checking out). Had great fun playing in the ocean, riding the waves. This was the first time we actually played in the open ocean. The previous waters were too cold.

We then drove off to our next apartment at sunshine coast. (windward passage).

View from our apartment balcony

First thing we always do? Head off to the local supermarket to purchase more food. We then checked into our apartment, which was spacious, and had a view overlooking the sea from our balcony. It also had a cool elaborate security system. We didn't do much today, but laze about at our apartment, watching cartoon Network, and have lunch. We explored the neighbourhood in the evening and took short strolls along a boardwalk. We settled home for dinner.

One of the beaches along the boardwalk

Along the boardwalk

Night over the sunshine coast

 24.11.2014 (day 9)

The break of day

The entrance

We headed off to the Big Kart race track to try our hand at Go Karting. It was a great experience although it lasted only for 15min. We did the adult circuit which was full of sharp turns. As it was my first time at it, I felt a little nervous, yet brimming with excitement. I watched as other drivers sped down the track at breakneck speeds.

Our turn came. We donned the safety equipment which included a neck braise and a full face helmet. Thankfully we had no need for them during the whole experience. I stepped experimentally on the accelerator. The kart moved forward in jerky motion. I pushed a little harder and off the car shot down the race track. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins and a slight fear behind it, as I slowed around turns. At one point my car broke down for some reason and I had to get a replacement. Many a times I skidded round turns. It was part of the thrill I guess! As more racers hit the track, the competition got stronger. Sad to say we were hopelessly outmatched as many of the other racers zipped through the course with ease, barely slowing down at turns! It was a great 15 minute experience of speed, burnt rubber and fun.

refreshing drinks to end of!

We drove up the mountain to find the botanic Gardens, but to no avail. For some reason we just could not find it! We did take pictures of the rocky mountains on our way up though...

Rocky Mountains

Unique signs we spotted on the way up the mountain

Cattle...

We headed of to the Strawberry farm next, but to our dismay it was closed as the strawberries were out of season. 

Fortunately the Ginger Factory was opened. We went for a guided tour which showed us how Ginger was used in confectioneries. (drinks and food) It was all very interesting, as they showed us the process in a factory. We also purchased a few ginger items to bring back home! 

ginger factory

Ginger cordial

Ginger flavoured food items!

There was also a honey bee tour which we went for. We saw how the beekeepers kept and handled bees, and how honey was extracted from honey combs. We also learned some fun facts about bees and the hive. And of course, you couldn't leave out the free honey tasting. To my surprise, different honey made from different flower's nectar tasted differently! We tried Eucalyptus, Tasmanian leatherwood and iron bark honey. 

To end off the day, we headed across the road to the Macadamia nut factory. There was not much to look at but lots to taste and buy! There were macadamia nut nougats sold in huge blocks, a variety of flavoured macadamia nuts such as wasabi, BBQ, Hickory, sour cream, etc. They were all rather tasty!

Nougat

small macadamia factory observation area

Assortment of flavored macadamia nuts

We drove home and tucked into a meal of pasta for dinner.

25.11.2014 (day 10)

We had planned to start the day off at the Aqua Fun Park, but to our disappointment it was only opened on weekends. Instead, we headed off to the underwater world.It was quite interesting, as there was a diverse range of marine wildlife, including jellyfish. We spotted the blubber jellyfish, which was in fact the same one that we always saw washed up on the beaches. There were marine wildlife from the oceans and billabongs. What was cool was that at one of the animal talks one of the person giving the talks demonstrated the accuracy of the arrowfish! It spat water out and hit the insect straight on! Very cool...

 

There was an underwater glass tunnel, where there were rays, fish and sharks swimming above. It was very much like the one in Singapore. There also was a touch pool near the entrance of the underwater world. We could touch sea cucumbers and starfish. (similar to sea world though). 

Blubber jellyfish

Playful sealions

We had a sumptious lunch of steak at Hogs Breath Cafe (local cafe), near the wharf before heading back to our apartment. 

In the evening we headed to bulcock beach where we played in the water and rock pools. It was the beach we could see right from our balcony. We had thought of swimming across the water to the national park on the other side, but the current was too strong. Instead, we played in the rock pools, and had fun swimming against and with the current. We spotted several crabs in the rockpools and I even succeeded in catching one! 

caught it!

rockpools

Just as we were about to head home as the sky had turned orange, a pelican swam over to the shore. It was a beautiful sight with the sunset, and I had never see a wild pelican so close before! We headed home.

26.11.2014 (day 11)

A rather relaxed day. We spent most of the whole morning watching Cartoon Network and laughing away at the silly shows we were watching. We rented a DVD the 'Sentinel' from the reception, and played a few rounds of 'bang!'. After a sumptious lunch we watched the Sentinel while snacking on red velvet TimTam and Bulla mint chocochip icecream. 

In the late afternoon we headed off to golden beach for a bluewater kayak tour. I took a solo kayak and off we paddled down bell's creek, led by our guides (a woman and her son). The kayak was interesting as it had a rudder which allowed easier maneuvering. The water was calm, and we cruised down bell's creek leisurely while enjoying whatever nature had for us. We spotted several whispering kites, darters, comerants, and even raptor nests (Osprey roost). 

We returned home, and back to the Telli, leaning back into the sofa as we watched How to Train your dragon and batman the brave and the bold.

27.11.2014 (day 12)

We drove up to the Maleny Bootanic gardens once again and found it at last! We knew it couldnt have gone missing. It was like most botanic gardens, and we spent the morning enjoying the view and the flora. It was on the side of the mountain so we could see the Rocky Mountains from the gardens as well.







There was also an aviary there, where we saw many different species of birds all over the world. The macau's were brightly coloured and huge! They were extremely friendly and landed on our body many a times. One parakeet in particular enjoyed pecking our shoes. We were provided dusters to gently brush away the birds if they got too close and became a discomfort. The birds also found shiny objects rather interesting, and one even had the nerve to attempt to steal my sunglasses from my own face!

It was about afternoon when we drove back to the apartment. That evening we headed out to King's beach. It was great fun playing in the waves. The waves were powerful, and turbulent. We spotted many crabs too at rock pools. As we were about to leave, a friendly passerby warned us of an eminent hail storm. We hurried off to buy fish and chips and domminos pizza for dinner. By now the sky had turned dark as grey clouds loomed above. We closed the shutters and braced ourselves for the storm in trepidation... which never came for better or worse. It poured heavily though, but no hail to our disappointment.

Storm in the background

28.11.2014 (day 13)
We lazed about at home again, spending most of the morning and afternoon watching Gladiator and playing the card game 'Bang!' We headed out to Dicky beach for a stroll in the evening, and skipped stones in the ocean. It was quite fun. We spotted a shipwreck near the shore too. Further out at sea several daredevils were windsurfing in the strong winds.

Dicky's beach

We bought instant noodles from WoolWorths for dinner. I think we hit the jackpot when we found hot and spicy korean maggi and Tom yam flavoured noodles. Finally something spicy!

Ship wreck

29.11.2014 (day 14)

Aqua Fun Park

We headed off to the Aqua Fun park at around 10am. There were alot of people which I found quite a surprise! We were given yellow bands to wear which were to indicate our group. At the end of a time frame we had to end the fun. The start was a mad rush into the water as people raced to swim to the floats. Basically the aqua fun park was a giant floating playground. We had to run on the slippery rubber floats to get to the different fun areas. My favourites were the giant slide and the cliff. We had to rockclimb up to get to the huge steep slope, where we would slide down at breakneck speed before flying off into the water. It was fun! At the start it was freezing as the water was cold and there was a breeze. After a while of climbing, and hauling ourselves up from the water onto the the floats our bodies got heated up. The cliff was fun as it was about a 4m drop down. We stood at the top and just leaped into the water.

After our fun, we dried ourselves and headed to a little nougat making company where we sampled soft french nougats. They were delicous snacks! We even bought some home for Singapore. By then we were starving from the exertion after the Aqua Fun Park. We decided to to have lunch at Red Rooster, where we had a sumptious meal of 2 full roast chicken and drinks. The meat was so tender and juicy it was heavenly. We did some shopping before heading back to the apartment.

30.11.2014 (day 15)

We took a nice stroll in the early morning along bulcock beach and the boardwalk, before saying our last goodbyes to the Sunshine Coast. We packed up and drove off early to Brisbane.

BRISBANE

As we could only check into our apartment at 2pm, we walked along the Brisbane river to explore. We saw a huge beautiful bridge spanning across the river. The infrastructure was magnificent. We explored the city, and shopping centers, and had a good Japanese lunch. We headed back to our apartment. It was quite nice, and had a great view of the river. In the late afternoon we took a drive around the city. We explored and took pictures of the city. There was a bridge, where there was both a paedestrian and cycling path, with a view of the Birsbane wheel beside the brisbane river. Apparently Brisbane was hit by the hail storm a few days back. We did not see much damage caused by the hail though...

Brisbane River (from our balcony)

Evening was the highlight for me. I took a stroll with dad along the recently built new farm river walk. It was a kind of boardwalk which cut the river flanked by residences on one side and the city skyline. It was a wonderful stroll, with a beautiful view as the city began to light up. Along the walkway there were plenty of resting points with shelters, seats and water points. Cycling paths and walking paths were also available. As it got darker, lights on the bridge came up. We spotted several people touring along the top of the bridge too. It was a beautiful sight.

31.11.2014 (day 16)

It would have been nice if we could have spent one more day in Brisbane... yet before we knew it it was time to go. Our flight was early in the morning and we set off.

Goodbye Brisbane, Hello Singapore! As we headed back to home sweet home.