Although there are very few places in the world I wouldn’t want to go…Australia was never very high on my list.  It wasn’t anything personal to Australia or Australians but I had a preconceived notion of it not being very exotic, extremely arid and very rural.  Of course, I had seen pictures of Sydney and heard about the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef but it didn’t strike me as a place that I was inspired to go.  Boy was I surprised when I arrived in Brisbane and a vast array of beauty and adventure was awaiting me.

Sunshine Coast
I went to the Sunshine Coast first.  Noosa Beach is a cute, quaint little beach community with lots of shops, restaurants and bars. I started my day by getting acquainted with the coastline with a Harley ride…a very “American” thing to do I thought but since it was my first Harley ride it was exciting.  The weather was not quite cooperating with us and although the actual temperature was warm it was raining and at some points coming down hard making a Harley ride not very ideal.
Once we arrived at the beach the weather had cleared up and the beach was filled with people enjoying their day.   I walked in the sand along the water line watching the sexy people tan their already bronzed bodies, the kids play and the tourist try to protect themselves with loads of zinc.  I then made my way up to the main street and checked out the local shopping…tons of swim and surf stores selling mostly Cazies, the local word for bikinis, and tourist regalia.
The next day I went on a Camel Safari ride down 40mile beach with some backpackers from France and Canada.  I was shocked at two things that day.  First, I had no idea that Australia had more camels then anywhere else and they actually export their camels to Arabian countries. Second, I was struck how amazingly beautiful the beach was and yet it felt so undiscovered.  It was hands down one of the nicest beaches I have seen with the least amount of people!
I had never been on a camel before but oddly it was one of the things on my bucket list…I guess I can check that off!  Who knew I would check camel ride off my list in Australia!!!  The camel ride was a very slow and soft a very smooth ride much smoother than riding a horse.  The scariest part of the ride is when the camel stands or sits…I boarded and deboarded the camel while it was in a seated position so while it is in the process of standing or sitting you need to hold on tight!!!

Gold Coast
Doing aerobatics in an open cockpit WWII style plane was something I had always wanted to do.  Yes…another thing checked off my bucket list!!!  Although I think of myself as a daredevil, I got a little nervous the first time the engine cut out and we began to do flips and turns.  It was an adrenaline rush to say the least!!!!  It was so much fun and although we were 5000 feet in the air the crew on the ground could hear my screams from the ground below.  After the craziness was over the plane gave me a more serene ride to see the beautiful Australian coastline specifically Surfers Paradise.
Ever heard of the famous Gold Coast Meter Maids?  They are hot girls that walk around clad in gold bikinis and add tokens to the meters of cars that are about to expire.  They “rescue” people from parking tickets.  I got the honor of being a Meter Maid for the day and not only did I have a lot of fun but I also made a lot of new friends!  Possible career opportunity?
The next day, a few of my new Meter Maid friends took me to Moreton Island were we went ATV’ing down the beach and down a really steep hill, then four wheeling out to the dessert to go sand tobogganing down a 70 foot sand dune and then to cool down with a snorkel around 16 shipwrecks.  While in the water we saw a sea cow or better known as a Dugong.
I loved Surfers Paradise.  It is 100% beach culture!  People say it is like the Australian version of Miami but since I have never been to Miami I will have to take their word for it.  There was so much to do in this area that I knew right then that I must come back to Australia!
Before leaving the Gold Coast there was one more thing I had to do…find a koala and a kangaroo.  Since you have to be in more rural areas to see either one of these creatures I opted for the wildlife sanctuary.  Here I got to hold a koala bear, feed the kangaroo, chase the emus’ and see the world’s largest known crocodile!!!

Sydney
Aww…Sydney, the city life.  The landmark opera house, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the marina, the shopping, restaurants and nightlife, Sydney really has it all.  City life is great but of course I’m all about the beach.  The first beach I went to was Burleigh beach and native Aboriginals greeted me.  They performed their welcoming dance and taught me some of their culture including the meaning of their body paint markings, dance moves and how to throw a boomerang.  It was a true Australian cultural experience.
I met up with a local celebrity, Luke Van Dyke.  He took me to Bondi Beach where I learned another famous Australian beach sport…Frisbee.  Let’s just say I’m not very good at it but it was fun trying.  Then we had a picnic on the beach with some of the local favorite snacks…meat pies, Vegemite, Shapes and Tim Tams.  There is a very special thing that can be done in Sydney that I haven’t seen anywhere else, you can actually climb all the way to the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge.  Being the thrill seeker that I am, I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by!!!  So Luke and I climbed it!  It takes a little while to get to the top but the birds eye view from the summit (465 feet) is well worth it!  I enjoyed it so much I thought; “I wouldn’t mind being a bridge climb tour guide one day!”
Next was Manly Beach.  There just happened to be a huge Lifesaving Carnival going on that day and Luke took me to check it out.  They have all sorts of competitions that trained lifeguards compete in for medals and bragging rights.  Surfboat competitions, paddling, kayaking, running in the sand, rescue missions and the coveted Iron Man contest, which encompasses several of the disciplines into one race.  It was a cool event on a very hot day!  Record temperatures were around 41 degrees Celsius or 105.8 f.  So to cool off Luke gave me a surf lesson.  I’m no Kelly Slater but I had a great time trying!!!  It is something I would like to do a lot more of.  It was extra thrilling for me because of my fear of sharks and knowing that Australian waters are known for their shark life.
Let’s not forget about the nightlife!!  Sydney is teaming with bars and clubs and I made sure to hit a few while I was in town.  The Ivy club is a multilevel nightclub with different venues on each floor including the top, which is at the pool.  Famous DJ’s spin their tunes, bikini clad cocktail waitresses, sexy people in and out of the pool and the place was packed!!!  Let’s just say, it was a late night.

Vocabulary
Cazy= bikini
Swimmer= bathing suit
Un Co= uncoordinated
Lemonade= Sprite
Tomato Sauce= Ketchup
Barbi= Barbeque
Prawns= Shrimp

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