Miami, Queensland, Australia - Day 2
Saturday, Janaury 25, 2025
Last night was our first night in Australia, and I’m happy to report we all slept pretty well! None of us could stay awake past 8:00pm last night; we were exhausted from three days of travel across the globe. Andi and I slept though the night until about 3:00am, and Tory and Aden slept until 5:00am.
Since we were awake early, the four of us decided to go for a walk along the beach boardwalk. Maybe it wouldn’t be so hot if we enjoyed the outdoors shortly after sunrise? We joked we should capture this moment because Tory was willingly awake at 5:45am.
Andi and I were shocked how many people had the same idea. Australia is definitely an ‘early to rise’ culture. The boardwalk was packed with people running, walking, and biking. Even at 6:00am, the power of the sun was still intense. We followed the paved footpath next to the beach for a little over a mile from our spot on Burleigh Beach to Nobby Beach. Along the way, we stopped at North Burleigh Lookout to admire the beautiful view.
Andi and I were impressed with all the amenities along the trail. There were countless water bottle refill stations and spigots for dogs to drink. We passed several benches, playgrounds, bbq stations, and bathroom facilities. On the beach, lifeguards busied themselves by setting up their lifeguard stations and marking where it was safe to swim. All of the outdoor spaces were immaculately clean and best of all, being utilized.
Our walk led us to BSKT Cafe. Somewhere along the way, Tory turned hot and angry. To be fair, it was hot outside and less than 24 hours being here, the swing in temperature did feel extreme. Plus, we’re all still jet-lagged. Andi offered to buy Tory a smoothie or a coffee drink at the cafe, but she insisted we return to our condo ASAP. So, we ordered cold beverages at the cafe and started to walk back.
Andi and I couldn’t get over how physically fit everyone in Australia seems to be. Maybe it was the crowd at 6:00am, but all the people we saw on the boardwalk had flat bellies and muscles for days. Australia seems to be a very active culture. They also wear very little clothing … maybe it’s the heat?
On the walk back, I suggested we stop into Cole’s grocery store to grab a few more food items. 7:00am was the perfect time to come to the grocery store and browse as there were hardly any people in the store. We bought steak and chicken satay for future meals, green beans, carrots, butter, cream cheese, crackers, and a few snack foods.
All the registers at this grocery store are self check-out, and they’re the annoying kind with a weighted bagging area. It’s a balancing act to fit all of our purchases in the tiny holding area. “Don’t touch!” Andi and I cautioned Aden a few times, otherwise the register would flag our purchase and the clerk would have to come over and reset it.
The four of us walked back to our condo with our groceries. Andi and Aden grilled the steak we’d just bought for breakfast while Tory and I ate fruit and yogurt. Mariner Shores has several flat-top BBQ stations throughout the property for guests to use.
After breakfast, the four of us hung around our condo for a while. It was only 9:00am; today felt like the longest day ever.
Even though our condo has a dryer, I realized it’s faster to air-dry our clothing outside. I washed all of our travel clothes and hung them to dry on the outdoor patio. It’s such a treat having a washing machine in our unit! A laundry basket, too! Andi laughed at my excitement, and said we must have some pretty low expectations while traveling. It’s true that we’re used to “making due” with few amenities.
Andi said he wanted to go to the mall to buy a new pair of headphones, and asked if any of us wanted to tag along. Aden and I decided to stay back, and Tory offered to go with Andi. They took an Uber to the Robina Town Centre where they discovered a huge shopping area. Andi said the area was beautiful and so well kept; it put Mall of America to shame.
Inside the mall, Andi and Tory purchased new AirPods for Andi, and a new SIM card for Tory’s phone so she can text her friends back home. There were various sections in the mall, one called “The Kitchens” with dozens of restaurants and food stalls. Andi and Tory had a coffee and a smoothie, and really enjoyed their time together.
Also in the mall were Target and KMart retail stores. Andi said it was interesting because Australia’s Target wasn’t anything like Target stores in the United States. It was designed like a warehouse store. KMart, on the other hand, was merchandised more stylishly. In Australia, KMarts are the place to shop.
What’s wild about traveling in Australia is that we can buy all the same things we can find in the United States. Andi forgot his AirPods — no problem; there’s an Apple Store here. He also forgot his Kindle (ha!), so he had one delivered from Target the first night we arrived. We’re definitely spoiling ourselves by traveling in a country so similar to the US, but it also feels really nice and easy. Our family’s travel lifestyle is often more mentally exhausting than physical, but that’s not the case when visiting Australia.
While Andi and Tory were at the shopping mall, Aden and I hung by the pool at Mariner Shores. He swam while I caught up on some blogging, we lounged around by the pool, and then played a game of mini golf together. It was 80 degrees and overcast this afternoon, and an enjoyable temperature to be outside.
Andi bought an Amazon Fire TV Stick during his shopping trip, so he spent some time setting it up on the television after he and Tory returned to the condo.
There’s a fitness center on the Mariner Shores property, so Andi and I decided to check it out. Unfortunately, the air-conditioning in that room is activated by movement, and it was clear that no one else staying at this property is using the gym facilities. Fair to say that Andi and I worked up a decent sweat inside the gym this afternoon. The room was hot and the equipment dusty.
Aden begged Andi to go boogie boarding when we returned from the gym, so we checked out a couple of boards from the Mariner Shores’ front desk, and the four of us walked across the street to Burleigh Beach for a sunset swim. The ocean waves at Burleigh Beach are powerful, but safe for swimmers and surfers. Lifeguards are present along the beach, and a flag system is used to mark safe areas for swimming.
We didn’t see many people in the water this evening, so Andi spoke to the lifeguard on duty before entering the water. He told Andi it was OK to “go out for a quick one, but the water was turning unstable.” I could tell Andi wasn’t super thrilled about bodyboarding this evening, but Aden was so excited. The pair ventured into the water, pushing past the waves. Together, they rode several waves to shore and were tumbled a few times in the process.
The sunset was gorgeous tonight on the beach, and there were hardly any people around to enjoy it. The wind had picked up some, and the air was cool by the water.
With red eyes and saltwater-soaked hair, Aden said he was ready to go back to the condo. The four of us walked across the street for home.
Andi and Aden showered, and then we ordered a rotisserie chicken, fries, and beet salad for dinner from a place called Fat Chicken on Uber Eats. We watched an episode of Fuller House together on Netflix before turning in for the night.
Overall, we’re all feeling pretty energized during the day, but jet-lagged and ready for sleep by 8pm. Today was a great first day on Australia’s Gold Coast. Can’t wait to see more.
