At this stage, it would be customary to post that
we are settling in to a routine. However, thanks to Irmeet's irregular shift
pattern, no two weeks are ever the same. His rota incorporates regular leave
periods of 4 - 5 days. Therefore we have been able to spend time as a
family and go on our first two adventures.
Trip to Byron Bay and Surfer's Paradise
Our first adventure was to Byron Bay and Surfer's
Paradise. We decided to stay relatively local to Brisbane. Mainly because of
Alex’s inability to sit in a car for more than an hour before repeatedly saying
'I don't like fast roads'. Back home Alex has learnt that motorway signs are
blue, therefore he can immediately start complaining about being on a fast road
within seconds of joining one. In Australia, motorway signage is green,
prompting a new favourite repeated question 'Is this a fast road?’ Quickly followed
by ‘you’re tricking me’ and 'I don't
like fast roads'.
The drive to Byron Bay should be about 2 hours.
Therefore we stopped at Burleigh Heads for some breakfast and a wander around.
Burleigh is known for its surfing and the sea was full of children at surf
school. The beach was beautiful, however we did not stay long because of the
rain. Yes rain! I sat on the beach, wrapped myself up and thought 'It's just
like Cornwall'. I could have been at Newquay had the rain not been warm.
Burleigh Heads in the Rain
Looking towards Surfers Paradise
Our accommodation in Byron Bay was a little pink
hut a few hundred yards from the most beautiful beach. It had a nice little bar
on site, lovingly decorated with vintage, retro furniture. This was lost on
Alex, every time we went in he would complain loudly about the ‘broken’ or
‘old’ furniture. We were out of town, so the local beach was quiet. Alex loved
playing on the sand, however the surf was so strong that we could only have a
quick paddle.
Byron Bay itself was not what I expected. As
anticipated it was full of Backpackers in usual backpacker attire. However, it
was not as ‘hippyish’ as I thought it would be. The town centre was not that
impressive. I had hoped for better shops and interesting bars and cafes. In
fairness we may have missed that due to early bedtimes. However, the beaches
were all stunning and we spent a lovely morning on Tallow Beach. We also took a
trip up to the lighthouse and enjoyed some incredible views.
Views from Byron Bay Lighthouse
After two nights in Byron Bay we headed up to
Surfer’s Paradise, calling in at Brunswick Heads for some breakfast. It turns
out that Surfer’s Paradise might be paradise for hardcore surfers but not for
anyone else. The beach is very impressive with incredible surf. I got the
impression that I would instantly die if I stepped one foot in the sea.
However, the town is basically Blackpool in 30 degree plus heat. Therefore we had
a quick wander around and decided to give it a miss.
The next morning, rather than hang around in
Surfer’s Paradise we headed to Tamborine Mountain. The guidebook told us that
the drive up the mountain was quite treacherous. However, it was surprisingly
gentle in comparison to many European roads. We had a lovely day exploring the
area, visiting a cheese factory and a waterfall at Cedar Creek. However, the
highlight was Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk, a short elevated walkway at canopy
level. The walk was easily accessible for pushchair and Alex did not complain
once. We then headed back to Brisbane, pleased with our first adventure.
Pictures from Tamborine Mountain
Trip to Noosa and Fraser Island
Adventure No. 2 was to the Sunshine Coast and
Fraser Island. For the journey we decided to give Alex an iPad loaded with Ben
and Holly. I have always resisted doing this in the past, but we couldn’t bear
his complaints any longer. We decided to call at Australia Zoo on the way to
Noosa. However, our visit started with Alex throwing a tantrum because we dared
to take the iPad off him mid-episode. Once Alex had recovered from this gross
injustice we had a wonderful day. We had been warned that Australia Zoo is an
oppressive OTT shrine to Steve Irwin. However, it did not detract from the day.
The highlights were feeding the Kangaroo’s and patting a koala’s bottom. They
also had an animal show in the “crocoseum” (small stadium with a crocodile pool
at the centre). It made you feel uneasy watching the keepers provoke crocodiles
to make them ‘perform’. It was easy to get caught up in the spectacle of it.
You have to remember that the crocodiles at Australia Zoo were ‘problem crocs’
in the wild and would have been killed if they had not been transferred to the
zoo.
Crocs in the Crocoseum
Elliott croc in the Crocoseum
Kangaroo's and Koala's
How Elliott spent most of the day
After Australia Zoo we headed up towards Noosa. We
stayed outside of town at a place called Peregian Beach. I am so glad that we
did, our accommodation was amazing and a fraction of what it would have been in
Noosa. We spent the next day around Noosa Heads, including a fabulous few hours
on the beach building sandcastles. Alex loves the beach, however has a very
annoying habit of throwing himself in the sand when we are leaving so he needs
to be re-rinsed off in the sea. Later that evening we had seafood at a
restaurant in Peregian. If Alex goes to bed late he develops sleep-induced
hypomania, therefore he was exceptionally loud throughout dinner, talking to
everyone who would listen.
Alex on the Beach at Noosa
Noosa Heads
The following day we headed to the Noosa river. We
hired electric bikes, towing Alex and Elliott in a little buggy. Turns out that
electric bikes are very strange things! It took very little effort to cycle up
and down the riverbanks. I suppose it was a good thing due to the heat and
weight of the buggy. We spent the afternoon in the swimming pool and decided to
eat in Peregian again. Peregian had a lovely little town square surrounded by
restaurants. The place was buzzing with locals, all the children playing in the
square. It was lovely to see Alex play with the local kids. However, he quickly
did a face-plant fall. He burst into tears and was really hard to console. He
made a real mess of his nose and face.
The next day we headed up to Fraser Island. It took
ages due to the need for small children stops. We had decided to stay at one of
the few resorts on the island, Kingfisher Bay. We had a lovely evening at the
Jetty watching the sunset.
Prior to going to Fraser, we had long debates about
the pro’s and con’s of hiring a 4WD versus an organised tour. We had concerns
about both children managing the whole day tour. I also had concerns about
Elliott and the bumpy roads. Eventually we decided on the organised tour,
however I was still very apprehensive about it. We should not have worried, as
the tour guide, Peter, was amazing. Unlike many tour guides, he was genuinely
laugh out loud funny. He was very understanding with Elliott, letting us stay
in the air con whenever we needed to. He was also amazing with Alex, picking
him up to let him press buttons on the bus. Peter became Alex’s new best
friend. Alex asked him lots of questions, repeatedly. We saw all the major
sights on Fraser. My favourite was Eli Creek, floating down the Creek on a
rubber ring with Alex capsizing us on a regular basis. Alex and Irmeet also
took a short plane flight over Fraser, taking off and landing from the beach. I
will never forget the sheer joy on Alex’s face as he ran towards me after the
plane landed. We had an amazing day, Elliott slept for most of it. Turns out
that Fraser’s bumpy roads are notorious for sending children under 2 to sleep
instantly.
Photo's from the plane
The next day we chilled out at the resort before
the long drive back to Brisbane, calling at Eumundi for dinner on the way home.
In other developments
Cyclone Marcia hit the Queensland coast a few weeks
ago. It was a category 5 storm (the strongest) when it made landfall.
Thankfully, there were no fatalities, however many families have lost their
homes. The news coverage shows many houses ripped apart. The storm hit the
coast about 400 hundred kilometres north of Brisbane. However, Brisbane was
battered by heavy rainfall. Resulting in the cancellation of one of the Cricket
world cup matches at the Gabba. This was only the second time a world cup
cricket match has ever been cancelled. The first time, unsurprisingly, being at
the Oval decades ago. For us, this meant 48+ hours stuck in our tiny flat. We
watched multiple movies, thankfully Alex's favourite at the moment is the
brilliant ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’. Unfortunately, not even Dragons can
entertain Elliott. By the time the storm had passed we all had extreme cabin
fever.
Alex continues to injure himself on a regular
basis. The ‘Peregian face-plant’ is a particular highlight in the long list of
SAI’s (Significant Australia Injuries).
We have found a nursery for Alex one day a week. He
is not too keen on going, but seems to enjoy himself when he is there. On his
first day, they had a 'animal show'. He tells us that they saw a snake, some
spiders, lizards and a crocodile. I am dubious about the crocodile, but hey, we
are in Australia and you never know.
Elliott is growing up fast and we have started
weaning. In true Aussie style, one of his first weaning foods is avocado and it
is a big hit (not sure that beetroot is an appropriate weaning food).
Elliott has already learnt how to conspire with his
brother. Alex will repeatedly make loud and annoying noises in front of
Elliott. We tell Alex to be quiet, but Elliott is laughing hysterically at him.
Further observations on Australia
- Café’s
and Restaurants often share toilets with other businesses in the complex.
Therefore, Aussie toilets can be quite horrible.
- We
have spotted some brilliant, but quite racist, bumper stickers. The best being
“made with spanners not chopsticks” on a Holden (Vauxhall).
- There
are lots of mullets and dodgy tattoo’s in Queensland.
- Generally,
coffee here is far superior to back home. However, tea is rubbish.
