TRIP TO QUEENSLAND (29 MAY TO 7 JUNE 2009)When Mommy discovered that Emirates was offering Singapore-Brisbane return tickets for only S$430.00 all-in, she could hardly believe her eyes. She grabbed those tickets for the whole family before they were gone.
Mommy planned to take us all to Brisbane, Rainbow Beach, Fraser Island and the Gold Coast. She painstakingly pieced together our itinerary, booked our accommodation and hired a mini-bus for the whole family, but the unpredictable weather and a really unreliable vehicle rental company nearly ruined our trip, even before we set foot on Oz.
About a week and a half before our trip, Mother Nature wreaked havoc on South-East Queensland, bringing freak high tides and dumping so much rain so suddenly that there was widespread flooding, road closures and power outages. Things were looking quite bad, but there was nothing we could do, except pray that the high tides would recede and the sun would come out in time to bring cheer to our plans.
Just when the weather reports started to look rosier, Mommy received an e-mail from the vehicle rental company called Rolo (
http://www.rolo.com.au/) that we'd to pay an additional AUD150.00 to pick up the mini-bus from the airport after office hours. Before Mommy made the booking with Rolo, they had given Mommy a fee quote of the hire based on the dates and times of pick-up and return of the vehicle. Rolo knew full well that we'd be picking up and returning the vehicle late at night, but their fee quote had made no mention of an additional after hours fee. This additional fee was also not stated anywhere in Rolo's terms and conditions or their website when Mommy made the booking. All of a sudden, just 3 days before our trip, Rolo decided to tell us of this hefty additional charge (AUD150 to pick up after hours, and possibly another AUD150 to return after hours). Mommy wrote to Rolo to seek a waiver of this additional fee, and was told that the company would look into the matter and revert. Just one day before our flight, Rolo reverted to say that the additional fee was still payable. Then barely an hour after e-mailing us to say that, they suddenly e-mailed us again to say the vehicle was no longer available and that they'd refund the deposit they'd collected from us! The news dropped on Mommy like a ton of bricks. Only a mini-bus could ferry our whole family, and not many vehicle rental companies in Brisbane had mini-buses amongst their fleet. Where were we going to find an alternative mini-bus at such short notice?
After digesting the bad news, Daddy managed to get in touch with a different vehicle rental company minutes before they closed for the day. This second company told Daddy over the phone that they had a mini-bus available for hire, and that Daddy should send over his credit card particulars straight away to secure the booking. Daddy did as told, only to be met with an e-mail minutes later to say that they'd made a mistake and that the mini-bus was actually broken!
Daddy stayed up all night trying to look for an alternative, and eventually secured a booking with Europcar (
http://www.europcar.com.au/). Europcar really saved our trip, and we've no qualms about recommending them to anyone who wants to hire a vehicle in Oz. The Toyota Hiace mini-bus we got was a new-model vehicle, it was in pristine condition and their rates were reasonable. Their rates were not the lowest, but the company was reliable and we had no problems at all returning the vehicle at the airport late at night.
As it turns out, the weather was fine for most part of the trip, and Su Ann and I had an adventure of a lifetime. Here's what we did.
DAY ONE - 29 MAY 2009 (FRIDAY)1330 hrs: The usual travelling suspects (Grandpa Eddy, Grandma Nancy, Ah Gong, Ah Ma, Laoyi, Daddy, Mommy, Ning Che Che, Su Ann and I) had just collected our boarding passes from the Emirates counter. Emirates Flight No. EK432 to Brisbane was scheduled to take off at 1520 hrs. With some time to spare, we headed to the staff canteen at Terminal One for lunch.
1430 hrs: After lunch, we took a brisk walk to the boarding gate. The gate was a fair distance away from the customs checkpoint, and it was closing in 20 mins. As usual, no time for any duty free shopping!
1445 hrs: We were at the boarding gate, watching airplanes take off and land.
1515 hrs: Our flight was finally ready for boarding. Mommy, Ning Che Che and Su Ann sat up front where the bassinet seats were. Next to them was another Singaporean family with a toddler who was a month older than Su Ann. Su Ann had company! Grandpa Eddy, Grandma Nancy, Ah Gong and Daddy shared a row of seats further back. Ah Ma, Laoyi and I shared a row of seats adjacent to them. The flight was full.
1550 hrs: The take-off was delayed by 30 mins, but the Captain said the flight would be assisted by a very strong tailwind, so we'd be arriving in Brisbane a little earlier than anticipated. Su Ann was distracted by a bottle of milk during take-off and didn't shed a teardrop.
DAY TWO - 30 MAY 2009 (SATURDAY)0030 hrs: Su Ann and I enjoyed the 7 hr 30 mins long flight. We had good company, Emirates had plenty of goodies for the both of us, food and drinks were plentiful and the inflight entertainment system was top notch. Before we knew it, we had landed safely in Brisbane.
0140 hrs: There was some drama clearing customs at the airport though. Ah Ma had packed rice, instant noodles and 2 boxes of Prima Taste Hainanese Chicken Rice mix in her suitcase, but hadn't declared them to customs. When her suitcase went under the X-ray machine, Ah Ma was pulled aside and her bag searched. Customs wanted to fine Ah Ma AUD250 for the offence.
Fortunately, Mommy had declared "Baby Food" to customs, so Daddy explained to the customs officer that some of the baby food was in Ah Ma's suitcase because we were travelling together as a family. The customs officer let Ah Ma off with a stern warning.
Apparently, something similar happened to Grandma Nancy when she last travelled to Australia. Oh dear! Both my grandmas have been blacklisted by the Aussie government! We made them pose with the warning letter.
0150 hrs: Daddy hailed a Maxi-taxi to take our family to Hotel Ibis in downtown Brisbane.
0220 hrs: We had arrived at the hotel. The taxi fare was AUD51.30, which was reasonable for that time of the morning and for ferrying so many of us.
0230 hrs: The check-in process was swift and we were in our rooms within 10 mins. The hotel was a little dated, but clean. The room was spacious and each room had 2 double beds. Laoyi, Ah Ma, Ning Che Che and Su Ann shared one room, whilst Daddy Mommy, Ah Gong and I shared the interconnecting room. Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy had their own room. We paid an average of AUD165 per night per room, with buffet breakfast included.
0300 hrs: We washed up and went to bed, whilst Daddy and Mommy went on a food hunt.
Hotel Ibis was just a short distance away from Queen Street Mall, the heart of Brisbane. Daddy and Mommy discovered that, aside from the Conrad Treasury Casino, MacDonald's, Hungry Jacks (that's what Burger King is known as in Oz) and 7/11, no one else was serving food at that hour. Daddy joined the queue of intoxicated teenagers waiting for burgers and fries at Hungry Jack's.
0400 hrs: Bars and dance clubs must have shut their doors because the area around Queen Street Mall was filled with drunk teenagers talking, singing and puking their guts out. Not much else was happening at that hour in this city of 1.8 million people, so Daddy and Mommy returned to the hotel to catch some sleep.
0900 hrs: Rise and shine, and we were at the hotel's cafe for buffet breakfast. The food was terribly salty. The selection was the poorest we've seen at any of the buffet breakfast we've been to. We were in and out of there fairly quickly.
1000 hrs: Daddy's friend, Aunty Sam, had come to the hotel to meet us. Aunty Sam has 3 kids, but they were in school that morning, so she came alone... with a bag choked full of goodies for Su Ann and me. :)
Aunty Sam took Daddy to Europcar to pick up our rental mini-bus, whilst the rest of us walked to Queen Street Mall. Ah Gong bought some books for Su Ann and me. Mommy bought a lovely strawberry shortcake for Aunty Sam. The rest of us left the mall empty-handed, but we all had a good time window-shopping, watching the balloon man make animals out of colourful balloons, and watching a fashion show on the mall. The clean-up crew had done a good job of cleaning up all that stinky puke the rowdy teenagers had left behind just a few hours before, as we didn't encounter any traces of that.
1300 hrs: We were back at the hotel to check out of our rooms. As we had arrived really late the night before, the hotel had kindly agreed to extend our check-out time till 1300 hrs for free. Aunty Sam and Daddy were already at the hotel with our rental mini-bus.
1330 hrs: We bade farewell to Aunty Sam and were on our way to Sunshine Coast via the Bruce Highway. The mini-bus was perfect for our family. It had the right no. of seats for all of us and sufficient storage space for all our bags and pram.
1430 hrs: An hour out of Brisbane, Daddy turned off the highway at the Big Fish / Humble Pie Exit. There was a strawberry farm called Rolin Farms (
http://www.rolinfarms.com.au/) at Rutters Road, Elimbah where one could pick-your-own-strawberries from late May. After learning about the terrible storms which hit Sunshine Coast and destroyed millions of dollars for strawberry farmers, Mommy had e-mailed the farm to find out if it was open to the public but hadn't heard back. We kept our fingers crossed as Daddy turned into the carpark of the farm.
The farmer's wife greeted us. She welcomed us to visit the farm, but said the farm wasn't ready for pick-your-own yet, which triggered a collective sigh from our family.
We walked about the farm and I saw big, red, juicy strawberries hanging from their plants for the first time in my life. Strawberries are my favourite fruit and I usually eat about 10 a day. Naturally, I got very excited when I saw the strawberries and started running about the farm happily. Su Ann followed suit. She kept pointing and saying: "Berry. Berry. Berry."
Imagine our excitement when we saw Daddy walking towards us with a punnet for pick-your-own in his hand, together with Farmer Rob and his little daughter, Ashley. Whilst the rest of us were busy walking about the farm, Daddy befriended Farmer Rob, who eventually agreed to allow us to pick a few strawberries for the road.
We were the only visitors to the farm that afternoon. Farmer Rob took us on a personal tour of the farm, showing us the various species of strawberry plants, demonstrating how to use wooden carts to harvest the strawberries, telling us about the wildlife which ate his crop, the bait which he used to stop them, and the recent flood which caused him massive losses. His daughter, Ashley, showed us how to pick strawberries. No one spent more time picking and eating strawberries fresh off the plant than Ashley, as evidenced by her mud-crusted feet and mud-streaked happy face.
1545 hrs: All of us had an interesting afternoon at the farm. Farmer Rob's family waved us goodbye as we pulled out of his driveway with punnets of fresh strawberries, home-made strawberry jam and freshly-made strawberry ice-cream. The haul wasn't cheap, but the fresh strawberries were really sweet and Farmer Rob and his family made our day.
1700 hrs: After driving for about an hour, Daddy found it difficult to keep awake. He really needed his caffeine fix, so we stopped at a random rest-stop which served hot food and drinks. We ordered some food to share and enjoyed the meal on an outdoor porch which had a great view of hundreds of birds in the setting sun.
1745 hrs: Energised by his lamb chops and coffee, Daddy was ready to hit the road again. We piled into our mini-bus and off we went towards Rainbow Beach, a quiet settlement in Cooloola Coast with a population of about 900. The sun had set and we had to drive in darkness through a vast expanse of bushland to get to Rainbow Beach.
1845 hrs: We were finally at Rainbow Beach. The Golden Casket Newsagency & Supermarket (what a name!) directly across from our resort was closing in 15 mins, so we made a mad dash for bread, bottled water, and some snacks.
1900 hrs: Mommy had booked 2 units of 2-bedroom self-catering apartments at the Plantation Resort (
http://www.theplantationatrainbow.com.au/), but the reception was already closed. The reception had e-mailed Mommy with instructions on entering the premises after hours and we had no problems finding our apartments. In a word, the apartments were beautiful. Right at the top of the list of accommodation we've stayed at on all our travels.
The resort was newly opened, and everything in the apartments was brand new. The luxury units were very spacious and well laid out; plenty of room for Su Ann and I to roam about. The units were decked out with a fully-equipped kitchen, washer, dryer and LCD tvs. The resort had a lovely swimming pool and heated jacuzzi.
The resort was right by the beach, directly across from the town's main shopping belt, which consisted of 3 cafes, 1 post office, 1 bottle shop, 1 butchery, 1 bakery, 1 chemist, 1 surf shop, 1 hair salon, 1 internet cafe and 1 newsagency cum supermarket. Not much, but sufficient.
Grandpa Eddy, Grandma Nancy, Ah Gong, Ah Ma and I shared one apartment, whilst Daddy, Mommy, Laoyi, Ning Che Che and Su Ann shared the second apartment. The resort was going to be our home for the next 5 nights. My apartment was chosen as the "home base", where the meals were prepared and eaten.
The resort was offering a "pay for 3 nights and get 2 nights free" promotion. Mommy had paid AUD1784 for 2 units of 2-bedroom apartments for 5 nights. It worked out to be AUD89.20 per room per night for each of the 4 bedrooms we had. Superb value for money for the luxurious apartments.
1930 hrs: After unloading our bags, we headed out for dinner. We had passed a Chinese take-away restaurant called "Rainbow Woks" on the way into town, and thought that would be our best bet. We had a look at their menu, but the Westernised Chinese menu didn't sound appealing to us.
1940 hrs: Mommy decided to get burgers from one of the cafes across the road from our resort for Ning Che Che and herself. The rest of us followed Mommy to the cafe, starred at the menu for a really long time, then decided to head back to Rainbow Woks for fried rice and noodles. The last resort. We were all now very grateful to Ah Ma for sticking her neck out to smuggle the chicken abalone flavour instant noodles and 2 boxes of Hainanese chicken rice mix in her suitcase!
2030 hrs: Mommy and Ning Che Che had finished their burgers by the time the rest of us returned from Rainbow Woks. The restaurant was Aussie-owned, but the chef was actually from Jiangsu, China. He had a long chat in Mandarin with Ah Gong and Ah Ma. He claimed that he was an award-winning chef, but that his hands were tied by the limited ingredients available at Rainbow Beach. He tried his best, but the fried rice and noodles were merely oily and salty. The wok's fire was probably all wrong. The 3 packets of rice and noodles cost Daddy almost AUD50. We wouldn't be going back there again.
2130 hrs: After dinner, we had fresh strawberries for dessert, then went for a walk to the beach under the moonlight. The night sky was bursting with shining stars.
2200 hrs: Just like that, the day was over and it was time for bed.
DAY THREE - 31 MAY 2009 (SUNDAY)0800 hrs: I was up bright and early for toast and home-made strawberry jam. We were going to the Pumpkin Festival at Goomeri (
www.goomeri.org.au/pumpkinfest/) today!
0830 hrs: Mommy completed the necessary paperwork for check-in at the resort and we were off to Goomeri, a town so small that the resort's reception didn't even know where it was.
1020 hrs: It was about 150km from Rainbow Beach to Goomeri. It was an interesting drive into the rural outback, as the roads wound through horse and cattle farms. It was a chilly morning, and I noticed some horses wearing "jackets". We got to Goomeri just shy of 2 hours.
1030 hrs: We parked our mini-bus on the grass verge next to a gas station, and quickly made our way to the Heritage & Outback Street Parade. Farmers showed off their antique tractors and other farm implements at the parade. There were horsemen, whip crackers and not forgetting the giant pumpkin!
1100 hrs: After the parade, our family gathered at the Town Clock for the judging of the Pumpkin Pageant Competition. There were only a few contestants, and almost everyone won a prize.
We were the only Asians at the festival. A curious onlooker offered to take a picture of our whole family.
1115 hrs: There were about 200 outdoor stalls at the festival selling everything from vegetable peelers to essential oils. Much like a pasar malam in Singapore.
1130 hrs: Right at the end of the marketplace was the camel ride. It was AUD7 a ride on the camel and I really wanted to go on it. It was a rather short ride, but I enjoyed every minute of it. It was a funny feeling being rocked about so high. Getting off the camel was equally thrilling when the camel knelt down to a sitting position. I giggled non-stop from start to finish.
1145 hrs: We caught a little of the working collie dog demonstration. It was great that we could catch glimpses of outback life at this festival.
1200 hrs: Lunch time was approaching. We followed our noses to a stall selling hotdogs and chips. There was a long queue outside the stall, and our family grabbed the last of their hotdogs. The festival was from 0600 to 1800 hrs. Until we got to Oz, where shops were typically opened by 0600 hrs and closed by 1700 hrs, we didn't think anything other than a rooster would be awake at 0600 hrs!
1215 hrs: We stood by the Dreamtime Reptile's pit to have our lunch, so we could have prime standing spots when the show started at 1215 hrs. I was right up front and got to touch a snake for the first time ever! I wasn't afraid.
1230 hrs: We went through the rest of the 200 outdoor stalls, then returned to the mini-bus for some rest, as we waited for the highlight of the festival - the Great Australian Pumpkin Roll from the top of Policeman Hill at 1400 hrs.
1400 hrs: Thousands of people lined the streets to watch 350 rollers take turns rolling their pumpkins down the hill. Watching an assortment of pumpkins tumbling down the slope at top speed was such a laugh!
1445 hrs: We didn't stay to find out who the winner was. We left Goomeri before the bottleneck of vehicles getting out of town worsened.
1645 hrs: We were back at Rainbow Beach, after making a slight detour to look for a supermarket in Gympie without any success.
Gympie is a town about an hour away from Rainbow Beach with a population of about 11,000. As the town was substantially larger than Rainbow Beach, we thought the supermarket there would be more well-stocked. Unfortunately, it was Sunday and everything was closed in Gympie. We drove through the town twice, as we were driving to and from Goomeri, and both times we didn't see a single soul in sight. Perhaps everyone had gone to the festival... It was eerie nonetheless.
We ended up at IGA Supermarket at Rainbow Beach, which had a decent selection of groceries and was open on a Sunday. We bought 2 roast chicken, broccoli and frozen corn for dinner, and frozen mango yogurt for dessert.
Next to the IGA was a bottle shop which had cheap wines. Mommy bought a bottle of Jacob Creek's white as well as sparkling rose.
1745 hrs: Once we got back to the resort, Su Ann and I washed up, as Grandma Nancy, Laoyi and Ah Ma got dinner ready for everyone.
1900 hrs: We had a relaxing time tucking into roast chicken and recounting the events of the day at dinner.
2100 hrs: After our dessert of frozen mango yogurt and strawberries, the ladies cleaned, whilst the men relaxed.
DAY FOUR - 1 JUNE 2009 (MONDAY)0600 hrs: Daddy usually has a hard time getting out of bed early in the morning, so we were all shocked to find him at our doorstep at 0600 hrs with a treasure trove of freshly baked goodies from the bakery. With absolutely no nightlife at all in Rainbow Beach, one was forced to go to bed early, so rising early really wasn't a problem.
0630 hrs: After tucking into chocolate eclairs and blueberry turnovers, we climbed into our mini-bus for the drive to Tin Can Bay.
0700 hrs: Half an hour later we were at the bay and we could see 2 Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins already at the bay. The 2 dolphins were Mystique (an 18-year-old male dolphin) and his son, Harmony. Mystique and Harmony are wild dolphins who usually appear at the bay between 0700 to 0800 hrs.
0800 hrs: Our family was amongst the first to arrive at the bay. By 0800 hrs, there was quite a crowd at the bay, including a coachful of tourists. Ah Ma, Daddy and I were at the head of the queue for a bucket of fresh fish each to feed Mystique and Harmony. It was such a thrill handfeeding the dolphins! It really didn't matter that my hands stunk of fish afterwards!
0830 hrs: There wasn't much else to do in Tin Can Bay other than feeding the dolphins, fishing, boating and horseback riding. Daddy drove us to the horseriding centre, but it was closed because of equestrian influenza. We raced to the mini-bus the minute we saw the "flu" sign!
0900 hrs: The sun was out, so we hatched the idea of having a picnic on Carlo Sand Blow. We stopped at IGA Rainbow Beach to pick up some bread, butter, and 2 raw chicken for dinner tonight. Mommy bought another bottle of Jacob's Creek sparkling rose from the bottleshop next door.
0945 hrs: We had some roast chicken left from last night, so we returned to the Plantation Resort to make roast chicken sandwiches for our picnic.
1100 hrs: It was a short drive up Cooloola Drive to the carpark, and then a 600 m walk through a forest to Carlo Sand Blow, a massive expanse of sand covering over 15 hectares.
On a windy day, one could see sand grains being blown towards the steep western slope, only to tumble down the slope in a series of mini-avalanches. We didn't stand close enough to the western edge to witness the mini-avalanches, as there was a sign warning people of the instability of the edge and possibility of collapse.
From Carlo Sand Blow, one had a bird's eye view of the ocean and Coloured Sands of Rainbow Beach to the east, as well as Tin Can Bay and the Great Sandy Straits to the west. The view was breath-taking.
1130 hrs: None of us had seen anything quite like Carlo Sand Blow before, and we were awestruck by its natural beauty. It was very quiet up on the Sand Blow, and we had the whole place to ourselves. Su Ann and I ran loose on the soft sand.
We were about to unpack and settle down for our picnic on a slice of paradise when the rain spoilt our fun.
1230 hrs: We ran to the carpark as quickly as we could, and had our sandwiches at our apartment instead.
1330 hrs: After lunch, Daddy and Mommy sorted out the paperwork for hiring a 4WD for the next 2 days at the Rainbow Beach Adventure Centre (
http://www.adventurecentre.com.au/). They also went to the rangers' office to obtain the vehicle access permit for Fraser Island. They promised to take Su Ann and me to the beach when they got back.
1500 hrs: Daddy and Mommy were back. Su Ann and I were already all set to go to the beach. Everyone else decided to come along, so the entire family trooped down to the beach.
When we got there, we were disappointed to find most of the beach had been swallowed up by high tide. Su Ann and I only got to play on the beach for a short while before the tide forced us to retreat.
1545 hrs: Daddy took me to the resort's pool and jacuzzi instead, where I had a splashing good time.
1700 hrs: Grandma Nancy, Laoyi and Ah Ma busied themselves in the kitchen. They were cooking Hainanese chicken rice for dinner tonight. Ah... bliss!
1930 hrs: Dinner was ready! The adults dived in on the dark soy sauce, chopped ginger and, of course, the all important chilli sauce. Everyone was very satisfied with the meal, and there was just the right amount of chicken left for making sandwiches for our picnic on Fraser Island the next day.
2030 hrs: Mommy briefed everyone on our day trip to Fraser Island the next day. At 123km in length and 22km at its widest point, Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island. It's eastern beach is the island's main highway. As we'd be travelling on the beach highway, it was crucial that we kept watch on the tide times. Low tide would be at 1013 hrs, and high tide would be at 1657 hrs the following day. The Adventure Centre advised us to get off the beach highway by 1400 hrs, to avoid being washed away by the tide.
The plan was to pick up the rental 4WD when the Adventure Centre opened at 0700 hrs and make it to the island by barge as soon as possible. We wanted to visit Eli Creek, Maheno Wreck and Lake McKenzie for the day. As we had a tight schedule to keep to, Mommy assigned tasks to everyone so everything could work like clockwork.
Grandpa Eddy, Grandma Nancy and Laoyi would be in charge of our food and drinks supply. Daddy would be our driver, and Mommy our navigator. Ah Ma would be in charge of me! She had to make sure that I got up on time and watch me like a hawk so the dingoes wouldn't gobble me up. It was dingo mating season this time of the year, so there was increased dingo activity on the island. The dingos have been known to attack people. Su Ann was Ning Che Che's responsibility and Ah Gong would be our camera-man.
It was Daddy and Mommy's second trip to Fraser Island, so they knew what to expect. As for the rest of us, we got increasingly excited about our day-trip as the briefing went on.
2100 hrs: It was time to retire to bed, as we had yet another early start the next day.
DAY FIVE - 2 JUNE 2009 (TUESDAY)0700 hrs: Daddy was already at the Adventure Centre to pick up our 4WD. The rest of us waited for him at the lobby of our resort. Grandpa Eddy, Grandma Nancy and Laoyi had made plenty of Hainanese chicken sandwiches for everyone, and they'd packed drinking water, cookies and fruit as well. Ah Ma and Ning Che Che had packed swimming gear, sand bucket and spades for Su Ann and me. Ah Gong had all his camera equipment with him. Mommy clutched the map of Fraser Island and checked her watch anxiously as the minutes ticked by and Daddy wasn't back yet. We needed to get to the island pronto to cover the route she'd planned.
0730 hrs: Finally, Daddy was back with our Toyota Landcruiser! Greg of the Adventure Centre had taken Daddy on a test drive which had taken longer than expected. We quickly climbed into our vehicle and off we went to Inskip Point to catch the Manta Ray Barge (
http://www.fraserislandbarge.com.au/). Return barge tickets cost AUD90.
0750 hrs: We were at Inskip Point, but we could see that the Manta Ray Barge was already on the other side of the straits.
0815 hrs: Ours was the only vehicle on board the Manta Ray Barge. Aside from our family, there was a lone fisherman heading to Fraser Island to surf cast. The barge waited for more customers but none came. It was probably low season, as Mommy remembered having to queue to get on the barge back in April 2003.
0830 hrs: The barge was making its way over to Hook Point on Fraser Island. It was a short 10-min journey.
0845 hrs: The tide was on its way out, so we took the beach highway round Hook Point to the 75mile long straight. It was exhilarating watching the waves crash onto shore as we drove along the beach highway. Shortly after arriving on the island, we spotted large predatory birds hovering in the sky above us, smaller birds feeding by the sea, and dingoes.
The beach highway near Hook Point was punctuated by a number of creeks running out to sea. Each time Mommy spotted a creek, she'd yell: "Creek!", so we could all brace for the bump and splash.
At around the area of Happy Valley, rocks which used to be buried under several feet of sand were exposed by Cyclone Hamish back in March 2009. The exposed rocks made traversing the beach highway a little tricky, but Daddy, an experienced offroader, found no difficulty there.
0930 hrs: The 80km ride to Eli Creek was a fun one, and everyone was all smiles. Eli Creek is the largest creek on the eastern beach. It is fed by a natural aquifer (water table) several kms inland. It produces up to 80 million litres of water each day. Since it takes up to 100 years for water to be filtered through sand, it is theorised that, by the time the water reaches the mouth of Eli Creek, this water would be hundreds of years old.
We waded through the ancient, superclear freshwater of Eli Creek to get to the boardwalk. In the hot summer months, people would be swimming and floating down the creek, but it's winter now and the water was just too cold for any of that.
We walked along the boardwalk and watched freshwater fish dart about. Su Ann and I had a little fun playing by the creek.
1015 hrs: We climbed back into our vehicle for a 6km ride to the site of the Maheno Wreck. The MV Maheno was driven ashore during a cyclone in 1935. The rusted hunk of metal was the first shipwreck I'd encountered in my life.
1045 hrs: We started our drive southwards on the eastern beach. We traversed the rocky section with caution then turned inland at Cornwells Smith Road.
Inland roads are narrow, one-way and extremely bumpy. Daddy tried to travel as slowly as he could, but the bumps were too much for Su Ann to handle. She cried so much that Ah Gong thought she'd suffered whiplash or worse. She kept pointing to the vehicle door and screaming: "Open! Open! Open!" She really wanted to get out of the vehicle, so the ride could end. I didn't like the bumpy ride either.
1115 hrs: Several kms inland we came across a lookout point with a carpark. Daddy quickly turned into the carpark, so we could try to calm Su Ann down. There was not much of a view at this lookout point, but I was fascinated by a big family of toadstools near the carpark.
1130 hrs: We got back into the vehicle when Su Ann stopped crying. Mommy's original plan had us at Lake McKenzie by 1130 hrs, but we still had a long way more to travel on inland roads before we could get to the lake.
As we ventured deeper and deeper inland on the one-way track, we got increasingly concerned that we'd not make it out to the beach highway before the tide came in. We had no supplies for spending the night at Fraser Island. Daddy and Mommy, who'd camped on the island before, knew how cold it could get in the middle of the night. We also had insufficient food and water to last us past lunch. The atmosphere in the 4WD became pretty tense as everyone silently accessed the situation in their minds. It didn't help that Su Ann burst into tears again, and worse still, our vehicle got stuck in a rut!
1200 hrs: Daddy tried to get our vehicle out of the rut, but the clutch was not functioning properly. The track we were on was also very narrow, with a mud wall on one side and a sharp drop into the rainforest on the side. We hadn't seen another vehicle for the last one hour. Help certainly wasn't going to come any time soon. Everyone in the vehicle was frigid with fear.
1210 hrs: Finally, our vehicle was free to move on again! The last 10 mins brought cold sweat to everyone. Daddy tried to calm everyone down by saying that the beauty of Lake McKenzie would be well worth the trip, but no one was listening. We were too busy trying to cope with the terrible bumps and Su Ann's cries.
1230 hrs: Into the carpark of Lake McKenzie our vehicle turned. Mommy estimated that we'd need another hour or so on inland roads before we could make it out onto the beach highway at Eurong. From Eurong, it would be another 14km on the beach before we could get to the first inland access point to Hook Point to catch the barge, and we needed to be off the beach by 1400 hrs. Mommy gave us 15 mins to see Lake McKenzie before we'd to start our journey on bumpy roads again.
1235 hrs: Lake McKenzie was stunning. We were all blown away by how electric blue the freshwater lake was, and how white and fine the pure silica sand was. The beauty of the lake lit up everyone's faces and, for a moment, we forgot about the harrowing journey we'd just been through and were about to embark on again.
It was surprisingly quiet at the lake. Su Ann and I splashed about happily in the clear, blue water. Su Ann kept patting the water on her face, and tasting it.
1245 hrs: We all got back into our vehicle. Mommy's original plan was for us to have our picnic at Lake McKenzie, but that was clearly not possible anymore.
1340 hrs: Daddy drove as quickly as he could on inland roads to Eurong. The bumps were dreadful, but everyone suffered in silence (except Su Ann, who made her discomfort known extremely vocally). We all knew how crucial it was for us to get onto the beach as quickly as possible. Grandpa Eddy, who was seated right at the back of the vehicle (typically, the bumpiest part), spent half the ride in the air! The jolts hurt Grandma Nancy's back, and she clung so hard onto the seat to steady herself that her arm was sore too.
When we eventually arrived at Eurong, we breathed a collective sigh of relief. But the adventure was far from over. We had 15 mins left to cover 14km on the beach to get to the first inland access point before the tide rendered the beach highway inaccessible.
1350 hrs: Daddy drove past the mouth of the first inland access road. Mommy begged him to take the inland access road, but Daddy insisted on taking the second and final inland access road instead to save time. The final inland access road was 7km away, and we had 10 mins left before the tide shut the beach highway off from traffic.
1355 hrs: Excellent! We could see the final inland access road coming up! We were safe... or were we?
It suddenly became apparent to us that there was trouble ahead. Three vehicles carrying 20 odd backpackers had become stuck. They couldn't go up the soft, sandy slope to get onto the final inland access road.
Daddy got out of our vehicle to access the situation. The backpackers were desperately packing down the sand and laying wooden planks on the slope. But they were laying the planks the wrong way! Daddy put things right and had a word with the backpackers. They asked Daddy to go up the slope first.
1400 hrs: Daddy reversed our vehicle as far as he could. We turned back and saw the waves licking our vehicle. Daddy stepped hard on the accelerator and tried to run us up the slope, but we got stuck. We moved our vehicle out of the way so another vehicle could have a go at the slope. The other vehicle got stuck as well.
1405 hrs: Daddy ordered us out of the vehicle. It was too late for us to turn back to the first inland access point. He would try to run the lighter vehicle up. And... he did it!!!
All the backpackers joined us in clapping and cheering. We ran up the slope as quickly as we could, to get out of the way of another vehicle which was trying to run its way up. The other driver managed to go up the slope as well!
1410 hrs: Daddy yelled at us to get back into the vehicle, so we wouldn't get hit by vehicles charging up the slope. We didn't stay to find out if the rest made it out of the beach ok.
The inland road to Hook Point was corrugated, but it was nowhere near the bumpiness we'd experienced earlier. Everyone was relieved that we'd be getting off the island soon.
1435 hrs: We were on the beach at Hook Point, waiting for the Manta Ray Barge to pick us up. It dawned on us that we'd missed lunch, so Grandma Nancy quickly passed the sandwiches round. We polished off the sandwiches hungrily, keeping a lookout for dingoes in the process. The area around Hook Point was known for dingo activity.
Only Ning Che Che didn't have anything to eat. She was car-sick from the ride, and wanted to throw up.
1445 hrs: The Manta Ray Barge was here to take us back to Rainbow Beach. Daddy found out from the backpackers in the vehicle behind us that the last 2 vehicles didn't make it up the slope at the final inland access point. Those people would probably have to spend the night on the island and pray that their vehicles don't get washed away or damaged by the tide.
1500 hrs: We had landed at Inskip Point.
1520 hrs: Daddy dropped us back to the resort, so everyone could recuperate from the rather rough day we'd had. Ning Che Che was still feeling ill.
Daddy would head over to the rangers' office for some advice on our itinerary for the following day. Mommy's original plan was for us to return to Fraser Island to visit Indian Head and Champagne Pools, but after today, no one (except Ah Ma) seemed keen to return to the island so soon.
1550 hrs: Daddy was back from the rangers' office. The rangers had advised Daddy to visit Double Island Point instead. They said there was a good chance one could spot migrating whales, pods of dolphins or hammerhead sharks from Double Island Point at this time of the year.
To get to Double Island Point, we would have to travel by 4WD on a hard-packed mud track for about 45 mins, then turn left onto Teewah Beach for a few minutes. Double Island Point would be right at the end of Teewah Beach. The rangers couldn't tell Daddy if the hard-packed mud track would be more or less bumpy than Fraser Island's inland roads. We would also have to watch the tides for Teewah Beach. Low tide would be at 1053 hrs, and high tide would be at 1745 hrs the following day. This meant we had till 1445 hrs to get off Teewah Beach.
It all sounded easy enough, but none of us had travelled to Double Island Point before, so no one really knew what to expect. Buoyed by the prospect of seeing migrating whales, Daddy and Mommy decided that it would be best to go along with the rangers' advice to skip a second day-trip to Fraser Island.
1600 hrs: Ning Che Che remained at the resort, whilst the rest of us went to IGA for groceries. We bought bread, a tray of eggs, and a can of tuna, so we could make sandwiches for tomorrow's outing.
1630 hrs: We saw an advertisement near the IGA for a Thai restaurant and thought we'd investigate. We followed the sign to Carlo Point, but the restaurant was closed.
Some people were fishing at Carlo Point, so we stayed to watch a while.
1655 hrs: Daddy and Mommy bought a AUD9 bottle of white from the bottleshop opposite our resort and picked up a large lemon meringue pie from the bakery for just AUD6.50.
1700 hrs: Ah Ma and Daddy took me swimming in the resort's pool and a soak in the jacuzzi. The water therapy was perfect for washing away the stresses of the day!
1900 hrs: Dinner was ready. We were having instant chicken abalone noodle with egg and vegetables for dinner tonight. Mommy took away battered cod n chips from the cafe across the road and I nicked some of her grub.
2000 hrs: We had lemon meringue pie for dessert. The pie looked yummy, but tasted like congealed dishwashing liquid. No one asked for a second helping. :(
Grandma Nancy staged a brief strike at the after-dinner briefing. Our Food & Drinks IC refused to join us on the trip to Double Island Point. She wanted to stay put at the resort the next day. Luckily, we managed to persuade her to change her mind.
2100 hrs: Exhausted, everyone went to bed.
DAY SIX - 3 JUNE 2009 (WEDNESDAY) 0730 hrs: We timed our departure from the resort such that we'd have optimum time at Double Island Point and Teewah Beach. Mommy made sure Su Ann and I had our swimming gear, sand buckets and spades with us, and off we went for another day of adventure in our 4WD!
0745 hrs: We found Freshwater Road, a 4WD track just outside Rainbow Beach. Shortly after the turn-off, the bumps began. Not as pronounced as the previous day, but we were bounced about nonetheless.
The road wound through a forest, and we could see the rays of the morning sun beaming through the thick foliage. Some of the trees were really tall, and their trunks hollow, probably from termites feeding on the wood. We saw some birds in the forest, but didn't spot any other animals. Wild animals were probably watching us, as not many vehicles came through this way.
0845 hrs: Just before the turn-off to Teewah Beach, there was a rest-stop. We took a break there, and listened to the sea.
0900 hrs: Travelling on Teewah Beach was similar to driving on the eastern beach of Fraser Island. Right at the end of the beach was the lighthouse of Double Island Point on a steep hill. We parked our vehicle on the beach and took a slow walk up to the lighthouse.
The trek uphill was roughly 1.1km. It was an enjoyable walk as the views were wonderful and there were some interesting plants along the way.
0940 hrs: Ah Ma and Mommy got to the lighthouse first. They starred at a dark object at sea a fair distance away, and started screaming: "Hurry!!! Hurry!!! Whale!!! Whale!!!" Everyone got very excited and charged up the hill.
A group of gardeners shot us a bemused look. They pointed to the dark object and said: "That's Wolf Rock", spoiling our fun. When the waves crashed onto the rock, the splash resembled water coming out of a whale's blowhole. Thus the mistaken identity. :(
1015 hrs: We spent a few minutes at the lighthouse taking in the wonderful sea view, and trying our best to spot for marine life, but didn't see any. The lighthouse keeper told us he'd seen some whales earlier in the morning. He looked through his binoculars for us, but didn't spot any marine life either. Just our luck!
1045 hrs: The walk downhill was a lot quicker. We saw a really big lizard on a tree along the way.
By the time we got to the base, we were famished. We devoured the egg and tuna sandwiches which our Food & Drinks Committee had prepared.
1100 hrs: After eating, I picked seashells from the seashore. :)
1130 hrs: I was having loads of fun when the drizzle brought an abrupt end to my fun. Daddy chased us into the vehicle and we drove to the rest-stop along Freshwater Road to wait for the rain to stop.
1145 hrs: We were waiting at the rest-stop when Grandma Nancy met with an unfortunate accident. She was trying to close her umbrella when one end of her umbrella sprung onto her eye. She screamed in pain, and for a moment, we thought she had blinded herself. Fortunately, her vision was not impaired, and she only suffered a black eye.
1200 hrs: The rain stopped briefly for Su Ann and I to have some time on Teewah Beach with our buckets and spade. Daddy picked a spot next to Little Freshwater Creek to park the vehicle, so Su Ann and I could splash about the creek and poke about the sand. It was an excellent spot!
1220 hrs: Just when we were having lots of fun, the rain had to come again. :( Su Ann and I were plucked abruptly from the beach. We screamed blue murder, but the adults wouldn't let us play in the rain. Mommy promised to take us to Rainbow Beach for us to continue our sandplay once the rain stopped.
1330 hrs: Daddy dropped us off at our resort, then went to return the 4WD to the Adventure Centre. The sun was out at Rainbow Beach, so Su Ann and I could play on the beach.
1530 hrs: We had been rushing about the last few days. It was nice to finally have a chance to spend a lazy afternoon on the beach and at the resort.
1900 hrs: Roast chicken from IGA and rice for dinner again! *Yawn* It was our last night on Rainbow Beach, and we were looking forward to the Gold Coast, where there'd be more food choices.
2030 hrs: We were leaving early the next morning, so the adults made sure that we were all packed up before they went to bed.
DAY SEVEN - 4 JUNE 2009 (THURSDAY)0730 hrs: Daddy wanted a break from all that driving, so Mommy handled the first leg of the drive today. Mommy downed a cup of coffee and took to the wheel.
0915 hrs: Mommy got us to a strawberry farm at Palmview in Sunshine Coast in one piece. *Phew*
The farm was called Strawberry Fields (
http://www.strawberryfields.com.au/) and it was professionally set up for the tourist market. The farm had a coach parking bay, cafe, shop, playground and even 2 orange trees. It was beautifully presented, but what it lacked was the homely feel of Rolin Farms and, more importantly, ripe strawberries. Strawberry Fields said their farm was ready for pick-your-own, but most of their strawberries were still green!
0940 hrs: We moved on to Rolin Farms instead. This time, Daddy did the driving.
1020 hrs: We were at Rolin Farms. Farmer Rob's wife greeted us again.
We must have picked all the ripe ones 5 days back because the strawberries in the fields today were still unripe. It was fortunate that we had the opportunity to pick our own a few days ago.
We bought a few boxes of fresh strawberries and strawberry ice-cream, then bade Farmer Rob and his wife farewell. Ashley was in school today.
1030 hrs: Daddy continued the drive to the Gold Coast.
Mommy's plan was for us to stop at Harbourtown Shopping Centre (
http://www.harbourtownshopping.com.au/) at the corner of Gold Coast Highway and Oxley Drive for lunch and our first real dose of retail therapy since arriving in Oz.
1245 hrs: We got a little lost on our way to Harbourtown, but a kind lady pointed us in the right direction. We got to Harbourtown just in time for lunch.
1300 hrs: Everyone craved Asian, but I wanted pasta. Daddy and Mommy accompanied me to a pasta restaurant, whilst the rest settled for noodles at a place called Noodles Now.
The noodles at Noodles Now were as expensive as our pasta. On the whole, eating out in Oz was costly and the food not that great. Mommy's spaghetti marinara gave her food poisoning several hours later.
1345 hrs: The shopaholics amongst us - Grandma Nancy, Laoyi and Ah Ma, unleased their pent-up addiction at Harbourtown, sweeping through each store like a hurricane.
Su Ann had a good time too. She got a new pair of sunglasses, and there were plenty of those automated toy car rides at Harbourtown to amuse her.
1745 hrs: After a whole afternoon, they were still not done. We had to tear them away from the shopping centre to check into our hotel.
1805 hrs: We had booked to stay at the Holiday Inn Surfers' Paradise. The hotel was rather old, but was refurbished in recent years. The hotel was in a good location, being close to the beach and Cavill Avenue, the heart of Surfers' Paradise. We were quite satisfied with our pick of accommodation.
1830 hrs: We chucked our bags in the rooms, then hurried off to Pacific Fair Shopping Centre (
http://www.pacificfair.com.au/). Thursday was the only day of the week that Pacific Fair extended its opening hours to 2100 hrs. Grandma Nancy, Laoyi and Ah Ma were in luck.
1850 hrs: Mommy had read online that tourists could register at the Information Counter for discounts at Pacific Fair. We were each given a leaflet which served as a discount voucher for the various outlets in the mall. With that, we went to the food court for dinner.
It was the first food court we'd encountered in Oz. Somehow the concept of food court dining hasn't taken off here yet.
1945 hrs: We gave the shopaholics an hour to check out the stores, whilst the rest of us walked around aimlessly. We came across a pet store which had really cute kittens and puppies, as well as a weird Mexican walking fish.
2100 hrs: We returned to the hotel when all the shops had closed. It had been a long day, and the bed looked really inviting.
DAY EIGHT - 5 JUNE 2009 (FRIDAY)0830 hrs: We had paid AUD209 per standard room for the first night, which included buffet breakfast and buffet seafood dinner. I'd been eating toast with strawberry jam from Rolin Farms for the last 5 days, so the buffet breakfast was a nice change. The spread was much better than that at the Hotel Ibis in Brisbane, but still didn't have the wow factor. We'd been utterly spoilt by hotels like the Pullman Bangkok King Power, which really cater to every taste.
0930 hrs: After breakfast, Ah Gong, Mommy and Ning Che Che took Su Ann and me to the beach. The rest went shopping again! *Boring* Why they would choose shopping over playing on the beach was beyond me!
1000 hrs: I loved the beach at Surfers' Paradise. The beach was very broad, so there was plenty of sand to play with at all times of the day. We didn't have to watch the tide or traffic closely like on Rainbow Beach or on Teewah Beach, but there were far fewer seashells to pick.
1230 hrs: It was time to return to the hotel, as we had to get ready for our whale watching cruise with Whales in Paradise (
http://www.whalesinparadise.com.au/). Whale watching season had just begun on the Gold Coast, so we'd arrived here at the right time.
1310 hrs: We strolled to the meeting point for the cruise, which was just a few blocks away from our hotel. Ning Che Che and Su Ann remained at the hotel, as the cruise company didn't allow kids below 3 yrs old to join in the cruise. Good thing they didn't come along or we wouldn't have known what to do if seasickness had gripped Su Ann.
1330 hrs: Boarding was supposed to commence at 1330 hrs, but the crew couldn't get the boat ready on time. They made everyone wait out in the blazing hot sun without any shade. Coming from the equator, we should be very used to the sun, but we found the sun out here much hotter. It really burnt.
1350 hrs: There was a large crowd of people waiting to board the boat, and everyone got very agitated, but the crew refused to let anyone onto the boat without sorting out the payment first. The cruise wasn't very well organized at all.
1400 hrs: With everyone on board, the Mahi Mahi departed from the harbour. She sailed down the canal past the multi-million homes of the rich and famous. Many of the houses had yachts moored out front, but one house even had its own helipad and chopper. Impressive!
1430 hrs: It took a while for the Mahi Mahi to reach open seas, and when she did, the choppy waters made us wish we had stayed home. Ah Ma and Mommy had already popped motion sickness pills before leaving the hotel, but the seas were so rough they swallowed the backup ginger pills on board the Mahi Mahi as well.
Grandma Nancy didn't take any pills, which was a costly mistake. She threw up so much that she couldn't even get up to see the whales when the mammals finally showed up.
1545 hrs: The crew spotted the dorsal fin of a whale, and everyone (except Grandma Nancy) scrambled to the starboard side of the Mahi Mahi. Quite a few others were seasick too, but they could still clutch their vomit bag, puke and whale-watch all the same. Poor Grandma Nancy was the worst affected of the lot. She just couldn't get up.
The Mahi Mahi followed alongside the whale as it swam. After a while, it was really easy to spot the footprint of a whale. We didn't see any tail slapping, but it was still a thrill to see the dorsal fin of a whale in the wild so close to our boat swimming and blowing water from its blowhole. At one point, we even saw 2 whales - mother and calf.
1615 hrs: It was time to turn back to the Gold Coast.
1730 hrs: The trip back was a lot more enjoyable, as the seas were calmer. We spotted dolphins in the wild and witnessed a magnificent sunset out at sea. Grandma Nancy felt much better by the time we arrived at the harbour.
1830 hrs: Our night at the hotel was inclusive of buffet seafood dinner at the hotel's cafe. We hadn't eaten anything since breakfast this morning, so were famished. Grandma Nancy took a shower and was all ready to attack the buffet spread.
Unfortunately, the seafood was very disappointing. The restaurant boiled all their fresh prawns, crab and crayfish in brine, so everything tasted of nothing but salt, but that didn't stop Ah Ma from piling her plate. As for me, they had pizza, chicken drumstick, pasta and ice-cream, so I was happy!
2000 hrs: We thought we'd be spending the entire evening at the buffet, but ended up leaving much earlier than expected. It wasn't a bad thing as there was a Friday night market on the Esplanade which we wanted to check out.
2130 hrs: We checked out the stalls along the Esplanade and took a walk around Cavill Avenue until our lids wouldn't stay open anymore. Ah Ma almost fell over as she suddenly nodded off whilst walking!
DAY NINE - 6 JUNE 2009 (SATURDAY)0930 hrs: Our flight out of Brisbane was at 0245 hrs on 7 June 2009, and we had to return our rented mini-bus to the airport by 2330 hrs on 6 June 2009. Mommy paid for us to keep one room at the hotel, till we were ready to head to the airport.
The room to be kept was Grandpa Eddy and Grandma Nancy's room on the 18th floor of the hotel. The rest of us checked out of our rooms and moved our things into their room. The view on the 18th floor was much better than our 8th floor rooms.
1000 hrs: Mommy had read about a weekend market on the Gold Coast called Carrara Markets (www.carraramarkets.com.au) and she wanted to take us there. We got a little lost on our way there, and ended up at Pacific Fair Shopping Centre once again.
1020 hrs: Everyone agreed to have brunch at Pacific Fair instead. There was a Chinese food stall called Cathay Oriental at the food court which caught Ah Ma's eye. Pay AUD12.50 for a styrofoam plate and you could pile as much food as you liked from the buffet spread onto the plate. You were only allowed one chance at the spread. Ah Ma spent a good 20 mins arranging and re-arranging the food on her plate. She managed to pile enough food to feed 3 mouths - Laoyi, Ah Gong and herself! Talk about kiasu! We were surprised that the owner of the stall didn't stop her... or issue her a warning letter like the Aussie customs did...
1115 hrs: We were done with brunch and had received directions to Carrara Markets. We were going to look for the market again.
1130 hrs: We found the market, and couldn't believe we'd missed it the first time.
Carrara Markets had an interesting array of stalls. We bought some t-shirts, sunglasses, and I even went on a pony ride for AUD5.
The highlight of the market though was a musician called Matty James (www.mattjames.com.au) performing right at the centre of the market. The unique blend of guitar, drums and didgeridoo filled the air, giving the market a wonderful feel. Daddy was so impressed with the sound that he bought 3 CDs from Matty James.
1315 hrs: We had to rush back to the hotel, as we had a lot more plans for this afternoon. Everyone had something which they wanted to do, so we all went our separate ways.
1330 hrs: Ah Gong, Mommy and Ning Che Che took Su Ann and me to the beach one last time. Grandpa Eddy went off for a steak. Grandma Nancy, Laoyi and Ah Ma went shopping. And Daddy went to look at some boating and fishing equipment.
It was sad when it was time for me to say goodbye to the beach. Ah Gong took a picture of our goodbye shadow, and I scrawled "bye bye" on the beach.
1545 hrs: We agreed to meet back at the hotel at 1500 hrs, but Daddy was late. Mommy's plan was for us to drive to the Natural Bridge Section of Springbrook National Park to see the waterfall and glow worms in the cave, come back for dinner, then head to the airport. The drive to Natural Bridge would take roughly an hour and a half.
1715 hrs: The winding path up to Natural Bridge was an interesting one. Some sections were very narrow, and only passable by one vehicle at a time. We were behind time in leaving the hotel, so the sky was already dark by the time we arrived at our destination.
The evening air in the hinterlands was chilly, especially since it was winter at the moment. Grandpa Eddy, Grandma Nancy and Laoyi didn't relish the idea of walking 1km through the forest in the cold and dark. They decided to remain in the vehicle. The rest of us proceeded into the forest with our torches.
1745 hrs: We walked as quickly as we could. It was a shame we got to the waterfall so late, as the tumbling water would have made a lovely picture in the day. It was a romantic spot, and a couple was busy locking lips in front of the falls.
1755 hrs: The glow worms looked like luminous green dots. They lived in a cave behind the waterfall.
1830 hrs: Daddy led the way back to our vehicle. He spotted a big snake on the trail, but didn't say anything to us till we got back to the vehicle. Good thing he didn't alarm us unnecessarily, or we wouldn't have made it back to the vehicle at all!
1945 hrs: Daddy went a lot faster going downhill, so we got back to Surfers' Paradise quicker than we thought.
Grandpa Eddy suggested that we have dinner at the Clock Hotel (www.clockhotel.com.au), a short stroll from our hotel. They had a AUD9.95 Recession Buster menu with Angus Beef steak, chicken schnitzel, fish n chips and pasta.
The Recession Buster menu was obviously popular, as all the tables were taken when we got there. It was a self-service restaurant, where we'd to look for our own empty tables, order and pay at the cashier, and collect the food from the kitchen ourselves. The portions were generous for the price. The food was not bad too, but Daddy fell ill after eating a medium rare steak. Second food poisoning case since we got here.
2115 hrs: After dinner, we returned to the hotel to pack up our belongings. Ten of us were squashed into one room. The room was teeming with activity and every inch of space was in use.
2145 hrs: We checked out of the Holiday Inn Surfers' Paradise and Daddy drove us to Brisbane International Airport.
2300 hrs: Su Ann and I were fast asleep when we arrived at the airport. Mommy sorted out the check-in for everyone, and Daddy sorted out the return of the rental mini-bus.
2330 hrs: Emirates flight no. EK433 was due to take off at 0245 hrs, so we had a few hours to kill. Mommy found a corner with a few comfy sofas for the family, and we fell asleep there.
DAY TEN - 7 JUNE 2009 (SUNDAY)
0245 hrs: Our flight took off on time. Su Ann surprised us by staying asleep during take-off, and spending the next few hours soundly asleep in her bassinet. When she eventually awoke, she was well-behaved.
0830 hrs: When it was time to land, Su Ann fussed a little because cabin pressure hurt her ears. It wasn't long before the Captain brought us safely to the ground, and Su Ann's cries stopped. All in all, it was a pleasant flight home and we all feel more encouraged to take Su Ann further afield.
