Sleeping is good. So is a shower. Really wonderful to wake up in a new place with a full battery. We are fully here after a couple of days — now we can be Ozians for the next ten days.
So, let me tell you about the Gold Coast area we are in — miles and miles and miles of Miami-like high-rises, and the houses of the mega-rich, woven with rivers on one side, islands on the other, all in the middle between the Pacific Ocean on that other side. You guessed it — water is king here, and laid back is the style.
Boats everywhere and houses befitting royalty, even kangaroos in a natural park. We were invited to boat with friends, six of us together flying along witnessing a whole different way of life from our accustomed Denver Dry. Boats aren’t quite the term — yachts, of course — large enough to host helicopters on upper decks, ski-doos, live-aboard accommodations for dozens, and geared up enough for total sophistication. We speed-boated between fingerlings of land, with elegant billionaire residences, and straight into a yachts-for-sale harbor with a fabulous restaurant as our destination. We suspect that there is big money here by the bucketful if the houses and yachts are any indication. Used vessels for sale in the millions of dollars were scattered about like so many Toyotas. Gigantic houses are being built everywhere.
George’s Paragon Sanctuary Cove, a twinkling hive of blue and white Greek foodiness was beyond the pale. We ate ‘bugs’, and different seafoods, ( called ‘live’ meaning fresh), pasta, and souvlaki in a restaurant that was originally fairly empty, although by the time we headed back to our little vessel, the place was seating nearly a full 500 hungry and garrulous guests. Highly recommended for your next trip.
Last night was the first FIFA women’s Australian World Cup semi-final. The shopping center across the street was filled with people in yellow wigs and costumes; people brought their chairs and set up an entire section of the place for a giant screen so that people could celebrate their team, the Matildas, together. It was a wild and happy energy infused with a sense of community. Unfortunately, the Matildas lost and didn’t play particularly well, but they lost to England, the mother country, so perchance it was a fierce but also loving confrontation.
The shopping center is a parade of groups — lots of head-scarfed women walking in family style, Asians, lots of Asians, who also live somewhat close by in Indochina. Rather large Australians, many in brightly colored pants. You may remember red pants intrigued us when in Italy several years ago — oh my the flamboyance of red pants! This is a paradise of sorts with the weather, sand, water, peace, and little sense of military presence. People here vacation a lot in Bali, close and cheap.
They don’t know from ‘Venti’ coffee here, and we aren’t drinking quite as much as usual, as a result. Habits change a bit to accommodate the environment. We notice that although our hotel doesn’t have recycling, the restaurants all seem to do takeaway with wooden, probably bamboo, utensils – what a great idea! Checks come with a small uptick in price for using a credit card each time, but taxes are not added, but built-in, so the bills look very different.
The birds- can I just say that they all seem to be related to Myna bird with loud, raucous laughs and caws, as though they all shared a joke. Can’t wait to see kangaroos up close — not yet though — we’ve been promised.
Yes, the water does swirl in the other direction. Brian, who drove us about, tells us that his health care and his pension come from the government, not his place of former employment, and he is very happy he lives here instead of in other places. He twinkles and smiles the contented grin of a happy 74-year-old man contented with his lot. We are off to try out the light rail, and see where it goes — should be interesting.
On this Thursday, Aug 17, G’day…