Making new memories with old Melbourne mates

Gold Coast (specifically Bonogin- which sound suspiciously like bogan) with our good mates, Bretty and Ally Burrows, as well as a day trip to Brisbane to see some more good friends, Sarah and Ben.

Tuesday 3rd May - Saturday 14th May

We were lucky enough to be invited to stay with Bretty and Ally, our old mates from Melbourne who'd moved up to the Gold Coast Hinterlands 7 years ago. We'd been planning on coming up to see them in April 2020 (but the dreaded COVID ruined our plans) so it was great to finally get to their place and spend time with them and their fun loving kids, Ryder, Zanthe and Billie, and their huge Great Dane, Duke. As well as spending a good deal of time catching up on the last 7 years and enjoying a few quiet drinks we:

- enjoyed watching an immediate friendship strike up between Jackson and Ryder (the boys spent every available minute at the house fishing at the creek that runs past the back of their property or terrorising the poor fish in the fountain in the backyard!)

- were treated to a Mexican inspired feast by Ally, then a seafood feast for Mother's Day (complete with homebaked cake and brownie from Bretty Crocker) 

- watched Ryder play footy and win best on field (well technically Emilia and I sat in the car as it was raining too much for us)

- had a great night out at Miami Markeeta (an indoor food hall with an array of food stalls and live music). It was such a great atmosphere and we had a really fun night out.

- spent a day at the picturesque Tallebudgera Creek, swimming, snorkelling, fishing and admiring the view (Daniel actually caught a mud crab, much to the delight of the boys) 

- had coffee while watching the kids search through the millions of shells at the Burleigh Heads Rock Pools

- visited the Southport area and wandered along (and fished) off the pier (whilst watching and listening to the rollercoasters at Sea World)

- did the rainforest walks at Burleigh Heads National Park

- had dinner out at a local pub

- celebrated Zanthe's 6th birthday with a birthday breakfast pancake feast on the morning we left

We felt so welcome and it was a treat to have our own room (and own bathroom). We thoroughly enjoyed seeing Bretty, Ally and the kids and are very grateful to them for their hospitality. We had a fabulous time on the Gold Coast and came away with lots of happy memories (and a few extra kilos!).

Billie and Zanthe loved having an older 'sister'.

Jackson enjoyed watching Ryder play footy and win 'best on ground'.

At Miami Marketta

Tallebudgera Creek

The boys all tried their luck fishing but Daniel was the only one who caught anything (and that was a mud crab with his hands)

Emilia joined in the fishing too

Emilia found two identical shells with small holes in them at Burleigh Heads Rock Pools (they are now hanging off her sleepers as her new shell earrings)

Fishing (again) of Southport pier

Bretty Crocker did some baking for the mums for Mother's Day!!

Before cake, we feasted on fresh mud crab- very spoilt

The view toward Surfer's Paradise from Burleigh Heads National Park (as you can see it was another stormy day!)

Burleigh Heads NP - gorgeous rainforest walk

Duke, their Great Dane, fell in love with Daniel (and the feelings were reciprocated).

Emilia and Billie

The pancake feast for Zanthe's birthday

Saying goodbye (it was 7am so don't mind the puffy eyes, none of us had even had a coffee yet!).

On Friday we went up to Brisbane to catch up with Sarah, Ben, Xavier and Aiden (they'd moved to Brisbane in January). It was another day of wet and wild weather but we still managed to have a great day at Howard Smiths Wharves. We had lunch at Felons Brewery, followed by gelati then we wandered along the Brisbane River (watching all the flood debris floating down) before it began bucketing down and we all had to run for our cars (which were parked a good 15 minute walk away!). It was lovely catching up and getting a taste of their new life in Brisbane.