I was up at like 5 this morning after a relatively good sleep. The problem with Queensland is that due to the fact it is an hour behind New South Wales, but just north, means that the day is effectively the same just with about a 5am sunrise and 7pm ish sunset. New South Wales was the same just with lighter evenings. Due the fact everyone was sleep at this time I left my phone on charge in our dorms en suite bathroom and sat on my bed reading things like my bible, by that I mean my lonely planet guide!
Today I booked a jet boating session which went all round the islands in the major river mouth near the Southport area of the Gold Coast. Prior to leaving I went to the shopping area for some free WiFi and breakfast, before heading back to the hostel. As I was staying in the Surfers area of the Gold Coast the company operated a free pick up service, which arrived late. One thing I haven't mentioned about the Gold Coast is the fact they are currently constructing a new tramway system which is due to completed by April. This has meant there has been a lot of roadwork's, and there has been a lot of confusion between me and the cars at times because of the poor traffic light system.
I finally arrived at the main terminal about a 15 minute drive away for a 10 o clock start. It was here they told us you might get a bit wet... that was to be an understatement! Leaving the terminal, we soon exited the slow water area where our driver put his foot down, doing the odd sharp turn close to these posts and also finishing on a 360 turn. After many soakings we were told that was just the warm up, as he continued with all these slick turns and waves in the water for us.
Upon reaching the other side, getting views of the rainforest, we went for a look round these houses on these manmade islands. We were shown one house worth $26 million which had a titanium roof to absorb lightning strikes and also a desalination plant to convert salt water into fresh water for their indoor waterfall! We were also shown this massive yacht which was given to a girl for her 16th birthday! Even the empty plot of land was worth $2 million! Oh the rich life.
It was then back into the full flow of things, this time doing 360 turns in both directions, and also riding the waves created by other boats. He even created these massive waves with our boat before speeding into them creating a massive tidal wave in the boat. Upon return I was literally soaked from head to toe! I probably should have taken a towel but it was so warm I dried off very quickly.
It was then back to Surfers after a lift back by the company, where I had another frozen coke on the beach before my bus to Brisbane at 1.10. The bus arrived late, and once boarding my seat was next to this old woman who told me lots of stuff about the local area. En route out we passed the commonwealth games aquatics centre and many theme parks. By about half 2 we arrived in Brisbane, and despite being unable to look up my Base hostel location prior I thought I saw it on the way in. It turned out there were 3 Base hostels in Brisbane when I arrived, and I was at the wrong one!
After finding my hostel shortly after, dumping my stuff in the process, I headed out for the lonely planets guided tour of the city like I did when I arrived in Sydney. Passing many historic buildings and parks, I was soon presented with views of the city skyline as I followed this boardwalk beside the river. It was then through the botanic gardens and university, getting views of kangaroo point where they do outdoor rock climbing. After crossing the river I walked through the ecologically diverse South Bank park, which led me to the artificial Streets beach which had lots of little pools, sand and amusements. A short look round the market took me back over the river, getting more views of the city skyline in the process to the main shopping area. The tour finished at the old bell tower and city hall. All in all the couple hours doing this tour gave me a real insight to the city with the aid of the blurb in the lonely planet guide.
Before going back to the hostel I went via travel bugs to book the next part of the tour, although once again they tried to sell me something completely different. I wanted to book a cattle ranch stay in the outback, whereas they were trying to make me take surfing lessons. I managed to book an outback tour in the end! After returning to the hostel and having a good chat with these danish girls, and a quick skype session, I headed out to down the pub for the football.
Prior to arriving I got a kebab, before arriving in anticipation to see lots of red and white. The pub I went to was called the Pig n Whistle and sold a good range of beer, although it was $9 a pint! In the end there were just two of us to watch the disappointing game, although it was nice to talk to someone who really knew his stuff about the club and had been to many games. It was then back to the hostel by about 1, and I was swiftly in bed!
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