Thru the eyes of Road Warrior Stefany
Surfer’s Paradise is in the heart of the Gold Coast – a cluster of towns that make up an immensely popular travel destination for Aussies and foreigners alike. The best way to describe it is that it’s the love child of Orlando and Miami. With the amusement parks, the forest, the beach and the nightlife there is something for everyone.
That evening we decided to check out the nightlife. There’s a variety to choose from, but with the guidance of Jess we were pointed in the right direction. We started at a little Irish pub called Waxy’s and ended the night at the dance club Vanity. It was an extremely fun night.
The following morning we had an early morning in order to fit in all the exciting activities. We started our day with Ed from Mountain Trek Adventures. He was an amazing guide with a Steve Irwin aura who loved introducing visitors to the wildlife of Australia. Springbrook National Park was our destination of the day. It sits west of Surfer’s Paradise and is home to some of the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve ever seen. Purlingbrook Falls was our first stop. As one of Australia’s largest waterfalls, it was a sight to behold. Ed took us to 2 vantage points in order to get the full experience. We started by hiking to an overlook that allowed us to see Purlingbrook from top to (almost) bottom. As had been our luck for the trip thus far, it was an overcast/rainy day so clouds were impeding some of our view of the valley and falls. However, it was still a spectacular sight. From the overlook, we hiked to where the brook feeds into the fall. It was amazing to see what a little brook can turn into only 200 feet further downstream.
At this point we’d been hiking for about an hour, so Ed set up some morning tea for the group. Usually when I hear “morning tea,” I envision tea with cheese and crackers. Ed’s interpretation was much different. We had a smorgasbord of crackers, cheese, fruit, cakes, cookies, juice, wine and tea. It was more food than any of us could ever hope to eat in the allotted time. As we ate, Ed regaled us with tales of his adventures throughout Oz and the world.
After our morning tea, we continued our journey onto Twin Falls. The plan was to take a swim in the pool that was beneath the falls. Problem was that with all the cloudiness and rain, it was a very cold day and we had to hike to the falls and back. Sadly, I’ve learned over the years that my asthma only acts up when I’m cold and wet (it’s made for some interesting workouts), so I opted not to join the group in the swim. Those who wanted to swim threw on their bathing suits and we were on our way.
The hike to the falls was great. We went through caves, climbed over tree roots and even saw a blue crayfish. Due to the rain he had crawled out of the brook and under tree root on the trail. Ed channeled Steve Irwin and picked him up so that we could have a closer look. I was half expecting him to say “Crikey!” as he talked to us about the little guy. The crayfish was blue with red and off-white spots and looked like a hybrid of a shrimp and a lobster. His pinchers were so flexible that he almost reached Ed’s hand, which was by his tail. Amazing little creature! After our Animal Channel moment, Ed returned him to his hiding spot and we continued on.
To reach the pool of Twin Falls, you must first cross some stepping-stones behind the falls. I’ve always wanted to walk behind a waterfall and now I had the opportunity to walk behind 2. Absolutely surreal! On the other side of the falls, Ed explained that those choosing to swim had to jump of the bolder into the water. I cheered Edna, Adri and the rest of the group on as they each jumped in and swam towards the falls. Once they got out they needed to warm up and Ed had the solution. He packed a few bottles of red wine in his backpack and offered them to those who took the plunge. Luckily we were all friends because he forgot the cups. ☺
After warming up a bit, we hiked back to the truck and then headed to the hotel for our afternoon activities. Adri, Edna, Katrin and I were signed up for flights in a Tiger Moth plane. For those who don’t know, Tiger Moths are open cockpit planes that first came onto the scene during the 1940’s. They were used during the war and known for there maneuvering capabilities. So for my flight I took full advantage of those capabilities and opted to have the pilot perform aerobatics.
The hangar was modest, in the middle of a cow field. We actually had to avoid cow patties as we walked to the planes. As planes took off from a grass runway, I slowly lost sight of the cows below and only saw the coastline ahead of me. It was exhilarating to feel the wind in my face as we flew threw the clouds. Then with a tap on my shoulder and quick thumbs up, the pilot began the aerobatics routine right over beach. We started with a few loops, a few barrel rolls and ended with a death spiral – where the pilot turns the engine off, we spiral towards Earth and then after a few spins the pilot starts the engine again. It was fantastic! Like the ultimate roller coaster. Of course I wasn’t satisfied with just 1 set of aerobatics, so after about 5 minutes of recovery we completed a 2nd set and headed back to the hanger. As I bounded out of the plane, I could feel the adrenaline rushing thru my body. It took me hours to come off the high.
That evening we headed out to a cabaret dinner show at a place called Dracula’s. It’s a gothic themed venue. You enter by walking thru casket, ascending a grand staircase and hopping on the ghost train to arrive at the theatre. The show itself takes place between courses and after dessert. They performed contemporary and popular music with a gothic twist. The highlight of the evening was the black-light, singing puppets. It was an extremely interesting way to end the show. After that we headed out to a dance club called Sin City to enjoy ladies night. All in all a great day!
Tomorrow: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and Bryon Bay
