Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Our family has been on the Gold Coast of Australia for almost a week now, and have nicely settled into a new routine. Surprisingly, the jet-lag hasn’t affected us much at all. All four of us slept through the night right away and are up most mornings between 5:00am - 7:00am.

This morning, Andi worked and I blogged. Then, I used the Mariner Shores fitness center and went for a two-mile walk on the ocean boardwalk. Having this oceanside footpath across the street from our condo building has been my favorite thing about this area. It’s so wonderful to have the opportunity to walk outside everyday.

When I returned from my workout, it was time to do school with Tory and Aden. They were both up and dressed for the day. We did Math, Language Arts, and they each wrote entries in their travel journals. I don’t correct grammar or give much direction for their journals as I want them to practice writing freely about their experiences. I laughed when I read over Tory’s journal entry about our time at art museums in Brisbane yesterday.

Andi took the liberty of ordering Uber Eats for lunch. He picked a place called Finn Poke for he and I — we each got the Cooked Chook bowl with chicken, edamame, rocket arugula, bean sprouts, and red onion. It was delicious and so fresh, but we could have easily shared one meal! The portion size was huge.

Aden really wanted Macca’s for lunch — the nickname for McDonald’s in Australia — but Tory refused to eat there. She wanted a burrito from a Mexican restaurant. So, Andi ended up placing three different food orders to appease us all. Later, he said that was ridiculous & he wouldn’t do that again.

Our plan this afternoon was to check out Tallebudgera Beach (known locally as Tally Beach) — a crystal-clear estuary near Burleigh Heads National Park. It was only 4 miles away from our place at Mariner Shores, but we’d likely have to Uber so that we could bring beach towels and boogie boards.

Already at Noon, it was so hot and steamy outside; the idea of sweating on the beach after I’d just showered for the day didn’t seem very desirable at the moment. Andi suggested that he’d go get a haircut and then we’d go to the beach later this afternoon.

The barbershop was quite an experience for Andi. The place didn’t take appointments, so there was a heap of men sitting inside the shop waiting for a cut. When it was Andi’s turn, the barber took one look at his thick beard and said, “Why’d you come down here with all that hair?!” Andi asked him to trim his hair and his beard much shorter than he usually wears it.

Andi said the barber and men gathered in the shop were wow’d by his stories of ice fishing and hunting back home in Wisconsin. Strict gun laws in Australia means there is no wild game hunting here. Obviously, with year-round warm temperatures, there’s no frozen lakes for fishing either.

By 2:00pm, Aden and I were going stir-crazy sitting around inside our condo unit, so we decided to go down to the resort’s pool. Tory said she’d join us down there a while later.

“We could take an Uber to go to the beach,” I thought to myself, “Or, we could stay at this nice pool with comfy couches and lounge chairs.” I laid in the sun and read a book called, The Dry, by Jane Harper. It’s a murder-mystery based in Australia, and I’m really enjoying it.

Aden ditched me at the pool for video games in the arcade room, but Andi joined me there after his haircut. The two of us relaxed in the water and beside the pool for the rest of the afternoon. Eventually, Tory joined us at the pool, too.

In the end, we didn’t go to Tally Beach. I felt a bit of guilt about not experiencing the estuary while we’re in the area, but hanging out by the pool this afternoon was easy & relaxing. Sometimes, it’s OK for us to slow down, too.

But, let’s face it — Andi and I can only lay around for so long before we’re itching for something to do. Around 5:00pm, we decided to go for a sunset walk along the boardwalk. Tory and Aden declined our invitation to join us, so it was just Andi and I. We had a lovely time together walking, talking, and taking in the views.

One of the best things about traveling as a family is the amount of quality time we spend together: one-on-one time with each of the kids, time as a couple for Andi and I, and activities where all four of us are together. We’ve spent more QT together this past week than we had in months back home.

The weather was absolutely perfect during our evening stroll. As the sun went down, we saw several families on the beach taking family pictures, lots of runners & walkers, and local Aussies hanging out at the BBQs having drinks and food together. One girl passed us wearing a 1996 Nebraska Football National Championship t-shirt. “Go Big Red!” Andi shouted to her as she passed, but the girl didn’t acknowledge him.

“See, further proof of my theory that you meet Huskers fans wherever you are in the world,” I told Andi.

We happened to see the same girl walk past us again on our return route. “Excuse me,” Andi said to the girl, “do you happen to be from Nebraska?”

“What?” the girl looked absolutely startled and confused.

“Your shirt. Are you a Huskers fan?” Andi asked her.

“Oh, no, I thrifted this,” the girl responded.

Haha! Leave it to Andi to strike up a conversation with a stranger. I wish I had that throwback t-shirt. I told Andi, I would have bought it from her right then & there since the tee clearly meant nothing to that girl.

Back at the condo, Andi grilled hamburgers for our dinner. All of the grills were occupied at 7:00pm this evening so it took a while to complete. A group of travelers from Sydney were sitting near the grill having dinner and invited Andi to sit down and join them while he cooked. Andi said they were the friendliest people. They gave him a few travel tips for Tasmania.

Andi and I ate our burgers with leftover salad from lunch, plus fresh cantaloupe (called rockmelon in Australia). The fruit is so flavorful & delicious here; we can’t get enough. Aden and Tory had cucumbers, carrots, and cantaloupe with their burgers.

Tomorrow is our final day in the Burleigh Beach area of the Gold Coast. We’ve loved visiting this area, and will be sad to move on this Friday.