Australia Adventure: The final post

We woke up early in our cabin at the Kipara Rainforest Retreat and set off from Airlie Beach on a long, 13-hour drive to our hotel in Gold Coast. Of course, there were stops along the way but for the most part, my entire day was spent in the car, either driving, napping, eating, or keeping others awake.

The Pacific Coast Way (and randomly at one point, Australia Country Way,) is full of long stretches of road where you see nothing but cows, flat lands, and trees. It’s beautiful and looks similar to how I’ve always imagined the Texas countryside. (I am told it is similar, however, Australia’s sand and land are much redder.) But I think what struck me on this particular drive was just how dry the entire state of Queensland appeared. Every bridge that was supposed to take us over a body of water instead took us over land. This was true whether it was supposed to be a creek or a vast, rolling river. Additionally, there were areas where you could tell there had been wildfires; the fire lines clearly marked by trunks charred a dark black. A quick google helped verified what my eyes led me to believe: the area is struggling with drought, and has been for years.

And while it’s called the “Pacific Coast Way,” you should know the Bruce Highway spends very little time near the coast. Instead, you drive through a lot of small towns that remind me of wild west movie sets. We stopped in a few, and in one case ended up at a gas station with the scariest toilet in the world. (Seriously, it had no door!)

Something else this road has, which I found unusual, is trivia signs. Literally, there are signs that ask you questions, and later there are signs that give you answers on this road. They are designed to keep drivers awake and alert. And while I think it’s a great idea, it wasn’t executed particularly well: I think in total there were 2 questions on the whole 13-hour drive.

After our long road-trip, the girls and I arrived at our final hotel: another 5-star Sheraton Mirage Resort. This one was in Gold Coast, Australia, but between the major highway and massive amusement parks, I sort of felt like I was in Orlando, Florida.

Now, I would like to say I explored the resort even a little that night, but honestly, I went straight to sleep. It had been awhile since I had been in a car that long, and I was exhausted.

The next day was a short one since we had to catch a flight and had to work in Wellington the next day, but it was enough time to enjoy the resort, explore the area, and check out Brisbane.

To start off, we had a massive (and, as we later found out, expensive) breakfast buffet. It was some of the best food I had on the trip, and considering it was hotel food, that’s pretty impressive. (Or is it sad?) The buffet offered eggs any style you wanted, pancakes, ice cream, fresh honey, cheese and even a salad bar. It was so delicious that even just thinking about it my mouth is watering!

The one thing about staying in a 5-star resort when you’re on a 1-star budget: a lot of those kick-ass amenities are out of your price-range. Case in point: the above breakfast and the shops attached to the Sheraton in the “Mirage Marina” shopping centre. The mall itself is beautiful but is full of only designer brands (and a single newsagent,) so while it was fun to explore a little, it became apparent really quickly that I wasn’t buying anything. (And keep in mind, I did buy a nearly $100NZD dress in Cairns.)

To be fair, there were a couple of better-priced stores just outside the shopping centre, but by this point, I was over shopping and took the opportunity to really just enjoy the sun, and warm weather. I did this by wandering around the marina and dreaming of boat trips before returning to the resort to lounge by the pool. At some point in the day, I also stepped my feet into the Pacific Ocean for the first time, and while I realize this is something I could’ve done in the States or even New Zealand, it’s pretty funny that it took traveling to Australia for me to do this. (And because I know you’re thinking it, technically the other beaches on the trip were along the Coral Sea, and not the Pacific Ocean.)

Now, because the ladies I was with were bosses, we also managed to find time to stop in Brisbane before catching our flight. My glimpse of “Brizzy” was short, but incredibly sweet. Between driving through its city lights at night, and wandering its outdoor pedestrian-only Queen Street Mall, I fell in love. Brisbane seemingly offers everything I want: a city lifestyle, near the coast, and in a tropical climate. Honestly, I could stay in Australia forever. (Not to be dramatic or anything…)

I could end this post telling you that we spent too long shopping in Brisbane which led me to almost lose my kindle and almost miss my flight back to New Zealand, but honestly, since neither of those things happened, what is the point? Instead, I want to end this post expressing how grateful I am to have had 6 full days in a country I’ve always wanted to visit. And while waking up a day ahead of most of my friends and family has now become common-place, its experiences like this one that reminds me how lucky I am and how far I’ve traveled both literally and figuratively. As a child, I was too afraid to ask the fast food clerks for refills, and now I traveling the world alone, and constantly meeting and talking to new people. And I think that’s pretty cool.

Until next time, Australia.