Day 8
The last day we were on the Gold Coast basically we ended up going to the Billabong and Rip Curl Outlet centre. They were quite large. As opposed to the prices of the Factory Outlet’s the prices at the Billabong and Rip Curl retail outlet’s was pretty extorsionist. I don’t know how they sell a t-shirt for $70 but maybe it’s got some special power. We were brought back down to earth with the Bunnings t-shirts which were $4. After not buying anything there we went along to wet and wild which was practically closed and so we decided to go and play some mini golf.
Mini Golf was quite fun. My first hole was a hole in one and I ended up 9+. Joy ended up 22+ so that was quite a good game for me!
We then got something to eat, went for a walk down the beach and packed everthing up for the plane flight in the morning.
May 13, 2005
Day 7
Ok, Definately started out as the most sunny day on record for our trip here. We got out of the door at around 10 I think and arrived at the Dreamworld at 10:20. We started off working out where everything was. We got a photo at the old style photo booth of ourselves, that was pretty cool, then we went on the ‘log ride’ where this thing shaped like a log goes down a ramp and splashes through water. That was pretty cool, I went through that a total of about three times. Then there was the ‘rapid river’ ride. The rapid river ride goes through a type of artificial river and your in this round thing which seats six people. That was lots of fun, you didn’t get as wet but it was good. I went through that about 7 times.
I also went on the roller coaster, the big one and man is it big, and it goes very fast as well, that was cool and also a type of ‘mine ride’ where you go through a mine, it’s like a mini roller coaster.
A very big highlight of the day was the tigers. The tigers were absolutely magnificent and huge! They all stood above the trainers and I got lots of really good video of all of the tigers doing different tricks and things, it is worth going to Dreamworld just to see the tigers.
It was very sunny today and the hottest day since we’ve been here which was very nice for the day that we chose to go to Dreamworld, through towards the end of the day it got overcast and eventually it rained on the way home, so it started out the hottest and ended up the coldest!
Apparently the weather is unseasonal and very wierd. We bought yet more souveniers at Dreamworld, a t-shirt and pendant thing and some new thongs for me and a few other things. All in all it’s got to be the most enjoyable day we’ve had simply because Dreamworld was so good. Tomorrow…it’s off to the Rip Curl Factory Outlet!
May 12, 2005
Day 6
Ok, Went to none other than Starbucks coffee today! Joy tried some wierd apple thing that was Caramel Apple cider which was basically like ‘having a liquid McDonalds Apple Pie with cinamen and whipped cream’ out of ten, she rated it…7, twas a very sweet drink. ‘Not something you would have every day, but for an occasion it was good’.
After getting out of the door at about 12:30 we went to a few shops which didn’t open till 5. I found a bakery and got a pie and a sausage roll, I ate the sausage roll and half the pie. Joy had a seafood basket and that was nice, I had about half of that. After the lunch we went to a place called Infinity, it’s a light show/psycadelic place. You would do it once and it was expensive. I wouldn’t pick it for a good place to go but if you like light shows and stuff, it was alright. We went through numerous rooms with mirrors and stuff everywhere and you couldn’t really know reality from anything else. Because of all the mirrors (they surrounded you on every side) you couldn’t tell whether there was an invisible door or a mirror in front of you! It was quite well done but you couldn’t take photos or video. One room we went though looked like it went down miles on either side and you went over a bridge, really good. Another room had dots and looked like space. Another one had what felt like a water bed on the bottom, quite interesting!
After going through there and out again we took a trip to Starbucks (above) after that we bought some starbucks merchandise and then went to warner bros and bought some other stuff.
Then we trecked to try and find the Ripley’s believe it or not place, took us a while but we eventually found it and went through. It was quite good, there were lots of things to read and I got lots of video there. After being there for about two hours we went and bought a pizza at a place a friend at o’reily’s suggested, twas quite nice. Went home, ate that and then has a vienna coffee 🙂 and some jelly and ice cream.
The photos I’ve uploaded after starting them 10 hours ago have just finished! Oh ADSL would be nice right about now!
Anyways, cruise on to http://gallery.genr8youth.com/ and have a look 🙂 (< no longer active)
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Day 5
Today we were out of the door at a bit better time, about 11 I think. We decided today that we would go to the Billabong factory outlet and have a look around a bit and see what we could find. We found some really nice clothes and I ended up buying two t-shirts and two pairs of trousers. We then went to another shop and I saw some really really cheap socks, so I bought them. I then went to IT warehouse and bought a memory (21 in 1) card reader to get some pics onto the computer which are currently uploading and can be found at this link, they should be done by the end of today! We then went to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and what an exrerience! First of all there was a chocolate factory there, so we went there and took some photos, then we went to the bee factory and bought some really nice honey. And then onto Currumbin. The animals and scenery were magnificent, there were interesting birds and a waterfall, a train, heaps of kangaroos, crocodiles, it was certainly worth it. Lunch there was pretty much finished by the time we arrived so wedges were on the menu. After spending about four hours in there, we left for home. On the way we got some green thai curry thing which was really nice but hot. When we got home we watched the simpsons and I got a very nice massage with some oils we bought at oreily’s and some vegetable oil. After that I was totally shot and just went straight to bed! I got lots of really nice video footage from Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.Day 4
Being out of the door at almost lunch time didn’t make it an efficient day! After a huge breakfast we travelled to harbour town to get a few things that I wanted to pick up and to also continue my search for a card reader to get some of these pics onto the computer. After finding the former we went to the O’Reily’s National Park place.
On the way we discovered that there was a billabong outlet centre where we could get some thongs and have a general look around. We couldn’t find it, but later (on the way back, in the dark mind you) we saw that we passed it on the way there 🙂 we will go tomorrow.
The drive up the mountain to O’Reily’s was painful. The worst road I’ve ever driven, a lot of the way there was just enough room for one and a half cars to fit so you had to drive really slowly. Compounding the problem were the corners, they were everywhere, around every corner was another one. I conceded that these weren’t going anywhere so we just kept going round them ‘as long as my watch keeps telling me we are getting higher’ I thought. The view was spectacular. If you’ve been to mount beauty in Victoria, think of the view of the mountains, double the height and triple the mountains! It was a sight. Once we finally arrived after what seemed like and, as it turns out, was two hours of driving, we went into the shop called, quite appropriately, O’Reily’s where countless tourists have no doubt spent they’re life savings for a pendant that proves that they spent two hours driving up death hill for a little pendant. I was talking to a girl there who happened to go to school with Joy and worked at O’Reily’s. She invited us back after out walk for a chat etc…(as it turns out the people who work up there also live up there so contact with the outside world is a little limited)…
As it turns out there was a nice walk called the ‘walk among the treetops’ or something that means the same thing and it was literally that. We were maybe 100 metres up on what seemed like a precarious rudimentry bridge but the view was certainly something.
After the walk we went to get a coffee and wait for Joy’s friend and her husband, I went to get some money from the car and while I was out Joy met some people from the US, one a doctor and one a risk manager for the stock market, we talked with them for about a half hour about diffrerent things and then Joy’s friend (miranda) arrived. After another interesting chat with them for what was probably 1 and a half hours, we parted company and trecked down the hill once again, which took just under 30, because it was dark, it was a lot easier to see car lights and so I could drive a little more confidently! On our way home we saw the Billabong warehouse..tomorrow…!
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Day 3
Ok, the third day was sunnier than the second, we decided to drive to Pacific Fair and go shopping. After spending about 1/2 an hour just in the disney shop we went around a bit more, the place is probably three or four times bigger than Marion shopping centre and has some nice shops. The car park is rather confusing with different levels and wierd one way sections and things. After walking around pacific fair, we decided to go to harbour town and have a look around.
Harbour Town is about three times bigger than SA’s and has some really nice shops, a huge Nike and Adidas shop! I bought some new shoes 🙂 and some shorts.
After agreeing to meet Joy at the Nike store I must have missed her. After taking advice from a friend, neither me or Joy had our phones, so I couldn’t contact her even from a phone box, and we both spent about one and a half hours wandering looking for eachother!
Tomorrow, it’s off to a national park and a computer store to get some pics onto this machine and test out the pool!
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Day 1 and 2
After leaving the Rendevous hotel and failing to find a good wireless signal to find out when our plane left, we decided to head off to the airport anyway. We arrived at the airport about 1 hour before our scheduled departure for Queensland. I ate for breakfast a nice pizza role thing and Joy had a ham and cheese crossiant. Finally our flight was ready to leave and, not having flown before I didn’t know what to expect.