Miami, Queensland, Australia - Day 3

Sunday, January 26, 2025

Today is Australia Day! This holiday is similar to Independence Day (Fourth of July) in the United States, and commemorates the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and raising of the British Union Jack flag on the continent. Australia Day is a time when Aussies gather at public events, socialize at the beach, barbecue together, and watch fireworks.

By comparison, Australia Day celebrations on the Gold Coast didn’t seem as over-the-top as United States celebrations. I only saw one person wearing an Australia flag shirt; otherwise, no one was dressed in patriotic colors. I did see a few Australian flags flying on beachgoer’s sun tents. The biggest difference I noticed was that all stores and businesses were open regular hours this weekend. We saw several signs noting a 10-15% surcharge for “holiday pricing.”

Reminiscent of Wisconsin’s Labor Day holiday and end-of-summer calendar, Australian kids go back to school on Tuesday. Australia Day is Sunday, Monday is the observed federal holiday, and Tuesday is the start of the school year.

One of the many regular events happening this morning was the Sunday Farmer’s Market at HOTA (Home of the Arts) in Surfer’s Paradise. Andi learned about the market from his Uber driver yesterday who encouraged us to get there early by 7:00am to beat the crowds and the heat. Andi ran his plan by the kids last night, but Tory was still asleep at 6:30am this morning. I hated to wake her; fear of poking the bear because she’s not a morning person, and also because she probably needed the sleep. Nevertheless, I nudged her awake and reminded her that Dad asked to leave for the farmer’s market by now.

“Ugh, I don’t even want to go” she growled, as she got up to get dressed and do her make-up.

Andi, Aden, and I patiently waited around for the next hour until Tory was ready to go.

By 8:00am, the four of us were in an Uber & on our way to Surfer’s Paradise — a popular beach and shopping district about 20 minutes north of our condo. All of our Uber drivers have been so friendly, offering advice and recommendations for the area. In general, the locals we’ve met seem very proud of their state and want to help make sure we enjoy our visit.

The Uber driver dropped us off at the entrance of the HOTA market. Vendors there offered a variety of fresh produce, holistic products, and merchandise for sale. There were also dozens of food vendors and live music on the grassy lawn near Evandale Lake.

It was an absolutely idyllic scene. The four of us found a spot in the shade and listened to music while Andi and Aden shared a plate of Tibetan dumplings and Tory enjoyed a strawberry and Nutella crepe. The sun was hot, but there was a nice breeze coming off the water. In the distance, several kids jumped from a giant green platform into the water. This was a great place for people watching.

After a while, the four of us walked along the footpath following the water. Several families were pushing strollers or following their little kids on bicycles. Others were picnicking in the grass or playing catch with a ball. Perfect Sunday vibes.

“I love it here,” the four of us kept saying to each other as we walked. Seriously, Australia is amazing so far! People are friendly, the food scene is delicious, it’s easy to get around, and there’s tons to do — at least where we are located on the Gold Coast. Perhaps our only complaint is that it is really hot, but Andi and I love it & I think the kids are acclimating.

We looped back to the entrance of the market, purchasing an passion fruit icy pole (aka: popsicle) and a passion fruit juice on our way out. Andi wasn’t a fan, but Aden and I loved them.

Next, Andi and I really wanted to check out Surfer’s Paradise but Tory was ready to be done. “I’m nearing the end of my outside time,” she warned us several times throughout our farmer’s market walk. Andi tried to convince her otherwise, but there was no changing her mind.

“First, I do need to return this Amazon Fire TV Stick,” he told the kids. Australia’s version of an electronics store called JB High-Fi was a quick 15-minute walk away. Neither of the kids were very happy about walking, but they didn’t have a choice.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick Andi bought at the mall yesterday was broken, and JB High-Fi happily exchanged it for a new one. A classic case of same same, but different: “Please do not queue here. Instead, line up in the qrail.”

The what?

Ah, the stanchions at the register.

By the time Andi finished his electronics exchange, Tory was downright grumpy. Andi tried once more to persuade the kids to visit the beach at Surfer’s Paradise, but they were having none of it. So, he called an Uber and we made the 20 minute trek back to our condo on Burleigh Beach.

Andi and I were still in the mood to explore, so we asked the kids once more if they’d be interested in going for a walk around Burleigh Beach. Both Tory and Aden declined. So, Andi and I decided we’d go for a walk by ourselves. It was warm outside today (80 degrees and sunny), but not nearly as hot and humid as the first day we arrived.

We decided to follow the beach footpath south toward the town of Burleigh Heads. It was fun to see so many locals celebrating Australia Day. Lots of BBQs, beach goers, and people eating in restaurants.

Andi and I walked about a mile and a half to the entrance of Burleigh Heads National Park (locally known as “The Point), and decided to continue into the park following the ocean view track. There was no payment to get in; just a turn-style to signify the nature preserve. The cement pathway was mostly shaded by trees and followed the water’s edge. The views were spectacular, and reminded Andi and I a lot of Hawaii.

On the other side of Burleigh Heads National Park was Tallebudgera Creek (or Tally, as the locals call it), a sparkling turquoise-blue tidal estuary connecting to the Pacific Ocean. There were loads of people swimming in the calm waters of the creek, and at least 30 people lined up on a bridge overpass jumping into the water below.

By this point, Andi and I’d walked about 3 miles and were hot and hungry. There weren’t as many restaurants on this side of the Burleigh Heads National Park, so we continued walking over the bridge (and through the cliff jumpers) to the Tallebudgera Surf Club for lunch. This restaurant is similar to the restaurant where we ate on our first afternoon in Australia. There are 11 of these life saving clubs along Gold Coast beaches which are non-profit community organizations promoting water safety and surf rescue services for the local beaches. Each life savings club has a restaurant inside, and all proceeds support surf rescue purchases.

Like the last surf club we dined at, this restaurant was open-air with huge windows overlooking the ocean. Andi and I found a table amongst the busy crowd, and ordered from the limited bar menu. We both selected fish tacos and a bowl of warm olives for our meal. I tried the popular non-alcoholic Lemon, Lime, and Bitters and Andi ordered a refreshing raspberry lemonade.

Now, for the long walk back to our condo on Burleigh Beach. Andi suggested we rent Lime bikes or take an Uber, but we ended up walking the four miles back the way we came.

Back at our condo, we found Tory and Aden in the same spots we left them — staring at their iPhones. We encouraged them to put on their swimming suits so we could go to the pool together.

We had the whole pool area to ourselves. Tory and Aden played together in the pool while I blogged and Andi read in a lounge sofa. Our legs were tired from our 9-mile walk today, it was hard not to fall sleep!

For dinner, Andi grilled chicken skewers on one of the many bbq grilling stations on the Mariner Shores property. We’ve been eating on our condo sofa while watching Fuller House and Tory and Aden think that’s so cool.

I was so exhausted tonight I could hardly keep my eyes open. “I’m going to bed,” I announced shortly after dinner.

“It’s only 7:55pm,” Andi responded with one eyebrow raised.

I literally couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. A 9-mile walk today + jet-lag = early bedtime. The rest of the family followed suit around 8:00pm.

We’re staying on Burleigh Beach until Friday, so we’ve got several more days to explore this area. Our walk today helped the logistics of where we’re located on the Gold Coast make sense in my brain. There’s so much to see and do here, Andi and I need to sit down and make a plan for the rest of the week. More experiences to come from Queensland.