From Newcastle To The Gold Coast

We departed from Newcastle on Sunday morning and headed north for about 700k's to Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast. The drive was OK and we arrived at our destination about 5 pm where we planned to stay for 2 nights. It had been a hot day in southern Queensland with Brisbane temps around 37 degrees. We stayed with Det and Brenda, a couple we had met on our trip to Vietnam and China. They have become avid home brewers so we set about sampling their new brews.

The next day saw us have a look around Burleigh Heads beach. It is a very pretty place as this photo shows. Many walkers and joggers use the footpath along the beachfront. The surfers were just off the headland catching the waves. It was a great day to be in the water with temperatures into the low 30's.

A short drive later we arrived at the Burleigh Heads Surf Club and wandered inside. The ladies had a quick flutter on the pokies while Det and I headed to the bar for a quenching ale. As you can see from this photo, the view from the bar was great.

Actually the whole coastline along the Gold Coast is sensational with kilometre after kilometre of sandy surf beaches. The surf here is better than what we get on the Sunshine Coast. The shopping is better too with many large stores seeming to be right on your doorstep. However the Gold Coast is much bigger and busier than the Sunshine Coast and has more of a city feel to it. And it has a lot more traffic lights!

Later in the day we returned to Det and Brenda's home for a chat and a sit around. We continued to sample the various brews too. If it became a little too warm we could use their pool to cool off.



The next morning we returned to our home on the Sunshine Coast and an alcohol free day!