We arrived on the Gold Coast on Friday and checked into the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort. Over our three days at the Sheraton, we spent most of our time lounging by the pool.
On Friday night, we had dinner across the street at Yot Deck (we loved the name). The guy playing acoustic guitar and singing was entertaining. Unfortunately Jane slammed her toes against the bottom of the table (no, she wasn’t dancing in her chair), but she is recovering.
Saturday started with plans for a boat outing, but unfortunately, the Freedom Boat Club marina canceled our trip due to strong winds.
That evening, we headed to the heart of the Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise. After a decent meal at an Italian restaurant, La Porchetta, we explored the lively area, filled with skyscrapers, bustling crowds, nightclubs, and street buskers.
We enjoyed a relaxing Sunday at the pool and beach. We also went for a bike ride on the beach path using Lime Bikes and capped off the day with dinner back in Surfers Paradise at Mr. Kojima.
On Monday morning, we drove north to Brisbane, dropped off the car, and checked into the Four Points Brisbane. From there, we began exploring the city with a walk to the South Bank Parklands. After a forgettable lunch, we visited the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art at the Gallery of Modern Art.
Following the museum visit, we rented Lime Bikes and rode along the riverside, through the botanical garden, and across a few bridges. Later, we strolled through downtown Brisbane, where I got a haircut at Two Brothers Barbershop. My barber, a young guy from Ecuador, had recently moved to Australia nine months ago.
That evening, we had dinner at Felons Brewing Company at Howard Smith Wharves, enjoying the pleasant riverfront walk to get there.
Today, we started our day at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, where we saw … wait for it … koalas. We also encountered plenty of kangaroos (most of them lounging in the shade), spent some time with an emu, and saw many other native Australian animals. The lorikeet bird feeding was a highlight, as was the raptor demonstration. The sheepdog show was fine, but it didn’t quite match the one we saw in New Zealand.
After Lone Pine, we took an Uber back to South Bank Parklands and had lunch at Zeus Greek Street food. From there, we visited the State Library of Queensland to see an exhibit on neon signs. To cool off, we took a ride on the City Cat Ferry, which gave us a great view from the winding river of Brisbane and a chance for me to doze off.
Tonight is our last night in Australia, as we fly to Bali tomorrow. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time here, especially in Melbourne and Sydney. Brisbane, as the host of the 2032 Summer Olympics, gives us a reason to consider returning.
Traveling Walters 