Gold Coast – 1 June to 6 June 2006

Jarod has never liked to travel on a long flight. We tried very hard to get him to visit USA last year as a nice way to conclude his preschool years before embarking on his primary school journey. However, the flight time put him off and he did not want to go.

So, this year, after much persuasion, Jarod finally agreed to visit Gold Coast, Queensland- Australia’s premier holiday destination with 70km of golden surf beaches and 300 days of sunshine each year! We planned to visit in June, which is winter time in Australia when the weather is cool.

 

Day 1 – Hello Gold Coast!

We departed Singapore for Brisbane on SQ255 on 1 June. It was a night flight but we did not catch much sleep. Jarod was watching movies and playing games throughout the flight. We arrived at Brisbane Airport in the morning and proceeded to Hertz counter to collect our car. We had a Nissan Maxima (It is known as the Nissan Cefiro in Singapore). We drove to Gold Coast which is about 1 hour away and arrived at Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa.

Located at the heart of Surfers Paradise, Marriott is highly accessible from the various Gold Coast attractions and popular restaurants. We checked-in and were assigned a high floor room with ocean view. Our room also came with complimentary buffet breakfast.

These are the views from our room by day.

 

… and by night.

Our comfortable room comes with 2 Double Beds.

 

We then headed over to George’s Paragon Seafood Restaurant for lunch. There is a 1/2 price menu for lunch. The seafood was fresh and tasty. After lunch, we walked around Surfers Paradise and stopped at supermarket for some drinks and snacks. By now, Jarod was getting very tired. We went back to the hotel and slept through, skipping dinner.

We lost all our valuable pictures from Day 1 to Day 4 due to our defective SD card. We have learnt our lesson the hard way from this trip that we should always copy and back up our SD card no matter how tired we are.

Day 2 – Dreamworld

Jarod chose to visit Dreamworld, Australia’s largest theme park today. We were first greeted by the Worlds of Wiggly Fun. Wiggles World is packed full of wiggly wonderful rides and attractions and also appearances of Wiggles’ special friends. Jarod was not a big fan of Wiggles and we moved on after takes some rides.

Next, we moved on to the World of Thrills – home to some of the tallest, fastest and most exciting rides in the world. Jarod did not meet the height requirements and did not spend much time there.

There were also several shows within Dreamworld. We caught the Oakley Creek Farm Show which gives an introduction to life in the Australian outback. The most memorable being the watching how to shear a sheep, quicker than you can crack a whip. Jarod collected some sheep’s wool after the presentation.

You could also learn how to and throw a boomerang. There was a demonstration on how to make Billy Tea – Australia’s  favourite strong bush cuppa, brewed in a billy can. We were also shown how to make traditional Australian damper. Damper bread was a staple of early Australian settlers. The dough was cooked directly on the coals of open fire. We were glad that we caught this show as we did not schedule for a farm visit.

We headed next to the Worlds of Wildlife where we get to experience Australian native wildlife – lorikeets, wombats, kangaroos in their natural surrounds. There are many animal exhibits and interactive wildlife presentations. A visit to Australia is not complete till you meet and cuddle a koala. There were koalas aplenty and we posed for a picture with a koala – the only one we had from Dreamworld. We also visited the Tiger Island, home to the rare and majestic gold and white Bengal Tigers. You could get up close and personal with these creatures at one of the daily live shows.

The last world we visited was Nickelodeon Central which houses characters including Spongebob Squarepants, Dora The Explorer and Jimmy Neutron. We took some rides and watched Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick on a journey under the sea – a live show. As Jarod did not seem interested with the other attractions here, we left Dreamworld.

We had wanted to bring Jarod to Kingston Park Raceway where kids karting were available. We could not find go karting for kids in Singapore so this was a great opportunity for Jarod to get behind the wheels for a full throttle experience. When we arrived, we found out that although Jarod met the height requirement, he did not for the age and could only ride in dual karts for 5 to 7 years driven by an adult. He needed to be 8 to drive the Rookie Kart which has a maximum speed of 18kph. We took a look at the 200m Indy Track with banked corners and bumpers making it safe for young drivers and ZA decided to register his age as 8.

We purchased the Power Pack which entitles him to 3 x five minute kart session. We could feel Jarod’s excitement as he tried on his helmet. As he zoomed down the long straits, his face lit up and soon, his confidence grew as he began to master the Indy Track’s curves. Jarod was longing for more as he finished his 3 sessions of thrilling high speed fun. We promised him that we would return.

We went to Peter’s Fish Market for dinner. ZA and I had dined here on our last trip and it was good. At Peter’s Fish Market, you could either dine al fresco by the waters or have it take-away. the fresh seafood are cooked to order. You could choose prawns, lobster mornay, shucked oysters, Morton bay bugs and the different fish. Then you can choose to have your seafood battered, crumbed or grilled and lastly the seasoning – lemon pepper, cajun, garlic or chilli. We ordered Fish & Chips and King Prawns for take-away and dined in front of our TV.

Day 3 – Sea World

Today is our Seaworld day. Sea World is a place to learn more about marine life and experience a whole world of amazing shows and attractions.

We came face to face with a Polar Bear and visited Polar Bear Shores – an amazing exhibit with near-natural Artic environment. We also got up close and personal with the ocean’s most feared predators at the Shark Bay. There were sharks, stingrays and a range of exotic tropical fish from spectacular above and below water viewing areas. We also visited Dolphin Cove, which features natural sandy bottom lagoons built for dolphins. Here, we caught the popular Dolphin Cove Show as we delighted in their elegant grace and charmed by their hilarious character. The Dugong Discovery took us on an educational journey into the world of dugong, a marine creature whose numbers are declining. We had great fun at the Quest for the Golden Seal Show as we joined in the comedians for a hilarious adventure with his sea lion.

There were several entertaining shows with our favourite being Waterski WipeOut. This is an energetic show set in the ‘Golden Era’ of Surfers Paradise which took us back in time to the 1960s.  The fun packed presentation showcased impressive stunts, slalom skiing, wakeboarding, iconic multi-level pyramid and aqua ballet to catchy tunes and colourful costumes.

We rode the Bermuda Triangle, a themed indoor flume ride which featured a volcano with spitting fireballs on the exterior. We began with a slow journey towards the smaller of the two volcanoes.  We went through a series of small drops and flowed around several show scenes with special effect before finally descending the final drop as we exit the second, larger volcano. After we disembarked, we purchased the on-ride photo taken during the final drop of the ride. We were glad we made this purchase as this is the only photo we have from Sea World.

Just as we were done with Sea World, we received a call from the hotel concierge. He managed to get us tickets to the Australian Outback Spectacular! We had wanted to do this but did not pre-book our tickets only to arrive Gold Coast to find out that they were fully booked. The staff at the concierge was very nice, who attempted to see if they were any cancellations and got us our 3 precious tickets. Set is a giant 1000 seat indoor arena, the show has a cast of larger than life characters, amazing animals and spectacular scenes featuring wild horses, stampeding cattle, bush vehicles, even a helicopter and superb horsemanship. During the pre-show, you could get up close and personal with the horses and even pat them. The 1.5 hour dinner show came with a 3 course Aussie BBQ dinner which consisted of a salad, a BBQ eye fillet steak, traditional baked Pavlova and free flow drinks. We were split into two groups and given stockmen’s hats with different head bands. The show is filled with Outback music, drama and action as we cheered for our stockmen to bring home the prizes. We did indeed have a spectacular time!

Day 4 – Carrara Markets & Kingston Park Raceway

We visited Carrara Markets, Queensland’s biggest and best permanent market with over 500 stalls full of bargain which is only open on weekends.There were interesting array of stalls – Fruit and Vegetables, Bakery, Butchery, Fish Shop, Plants. Clothing, Shoes, Flowers, Pets, Furniture and Handicrafts.

Jarod was getting restless at the markets and we left after purchasing some souvenirs. He was looking forward to going back Kingston Park Raceway. When we arrived, it was packed with the weekend crowd but he was adamant to get behind the wheels. We purchased the Adrenalin pack this time which came with 5 x five minute kart session. As he was more experienced this time round, he successfully overtake many other kart drivers. Still, he could not get enough of this and wanted to return again!

We visited Cav’s Butchery & Steakhouse, an award winning hacienda-style restaurant in Labrodor, Gold Coast for dinner. the specialty of Cav’s Steakhouse are its cooked to perfection steaks. We arrived for an early dinner and were seated immediately. The restaurant has a welcoming and relaxed setting. We were then shown the refrigerated meat counter lined with various aged meats – T-Bone, Export Rib Fillet, Medallion Eye Fillet and King Rump and other succulent cuts. You choose the exact piece of meat you want and how you want it to be cooked. Jarod was so fascinated and he picked the largest piece of meat. We also ordered Famous Rump Sausage for our side dish. Our steaks were delivered to our table and they were of excellent quality and melted in our mouths. Kids get a complimentary ice cream as dessert. There is also a play area for children, great for parents to engage in conversation. We enjoyed the dining experience.

Day 5 – Warner Bros. Movie World

We visited Warner Bros. Movie World – Hollywood on the Gold Coast today. This is a popular movie theme park with movie-themed rides and attractions. The blockbuster attractions then were from Scooby-Doo, Police Academy and Looney Tunes. We particularly enjoyed the Police Academy Stunt Show, a slapstick comedy stunt show based on the series of Police Academy. The show began with 2 characters finding recruits from the audience as part of the show.  During the show, there were series of car stunts and a few slapstick stunts like a police officer hoisted up the flag pole and  falling on the floor. The show ends with a climatic explosion with a huge rooftop blaze where we could feel the radiating heat and a police car being flipped over. Although the show came across as being lame as compared to the more sophisticated modern stunt shows, we thoroughly enjoyed the senseless entertainment. We managed to get a photo with the cast too.

Jarod had never liked to go on a roller coaster nor fond of taking pictures with characters. On this trip, we managed to persuade him to try the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster. Although this appeared to be an innocent kids’ coaster, we soon found out it was the scariest and spookiest ride Jarod has ever gone on. This is an unique coaster which simulates the Scooby-Doo carton where we rode on a ghost train and zoomed around the mansion. Halfway through, our car entered a lift and was lifted up, at which point, it dropped backwards and got a lot faster and had numerous drops. We survived the ride and took pictures with the Scooby-Doo characters! It certainly was an achievement to do both which Jarod was not keen to do.

To reward Jarod for his brave attempt at the coaster, we stepped into Charlie and The Chocolate Factory Candy Store. Once we stepped in, it was a chocolates and lollies galore, just like the lolly shop in the movie. Jarod found the Wonka Bar, just like the movie, complete with Golden Ticket inside. He could not believe it as he thought Wonka Bars were fictional. He bought several bars to bring back to Singapore and even reminded me to be careful in handling his precious purchase.

We also stopped by The Music Man Ice-Cream Palour. Themed to the 1962 Warner Bros. film ‘The usic Man’, it captures the excitement of the circus with its colouful floss and exotic ice cream flavours. Jarod chose a rainbow coloured Cotton Candy flavour on cone and it was delicious! Mmmmmmmmmmm. Sadly, this ice cream parlour has since been taken over by Ben & Jerry’s.

Soon, it was time for The All Star Parade. We bought a drink as we sat at the Main street. This street show involved characters like Batman and Catwoman, Shrek and Princess Fiona, Scooby-Doo and the various Loony Tunes characters. ZA particularly liked Austin Powers who also appeared at the parade. The characters were really enthusiastic in acting out their roles.

We also did the Looney Tune River ride and Road Runner Rollercoaster. However, we skipped several thrill rides like Batman Adventure, Superman Escape Roller Coaster and Lethal Weapon.

We also caught the DreamWorks Shrek 4D Adventure at the Roxy Theatre 4D Magic which transported us to the ogre world filled with hair-raising, eye-popping and butt-busting effects.

Just as we were about to leave Movie World, we caught sight of ‘Be a Hi-5 Star’ Studio whereby you can star in your own Hi-5 DVD. Jarod watched Hi-5 throughout his growing up years and would loved to try this. However, the park was closing and could not accommodate us. We went to the Guest Services who arranged for us to come back the next morning for the recording without the need to purchase park admission tickets.

We went to Cav’s Butchery& Steakhouse for dinner, our second time in this trip. The steaks were as succulent as tender as ever. We went back to our hotel and took in the serene night scene before calling it a day, embracing us for a long day filled with activities tomorrow.

Day 6 – Our Final Day Down Under

This is our final day of our trip. We will be boarding a night flight home. After enjoying our sumptuous buffet breakfast spread, we took a walk at the hotel compound. This is indeed a nice hotel with an unique spectacular saltwater lagoon where you can swim and snorkel with an array of colourful, tropical fish. A pity we did not have time for this.

We set off for Movie World and were ushered to ‘Be a Hi-5 Star’ Studio. There were 3 songs from which Jarod could choose from. Jarod chose to star in ‘Hi-5 Base To Outer Space’. He was given a shimmering vest to put on and were told to stay within the drawn box on the floor at all times. He got himself ready and the recording started. Jarod followed the guide video on screen in front but was very conscious of the box and kept looking down to make sure he stayed within. At the end of it, we were given the DVD. It was a fun experience for Jarod. With this, we concluded our visit to all the 3 worlds in Gold Coast.

Hi-5 Base To Outer Space – Starring Jarod!

We went back to George’s Paragon Seafood Restaurant for lunch, but we went to the one in Sanctuary Cove instead. It is a waterfront restaurant overlooking The Marina. Jarod ordered a steak, ZA had the lobster and I had the seafood platter. The food is beautifully presented, fresh and delicious. The half price lunch menu is certainly of great value!

   

We skipped dessert at George’s Paragon in anticipation of cakes. Our next stop was The Cheesecake Shop. I first had a slice of the rich, delicious cheesecake when my customer bought them from across the causeway. I had since been hooked and exhausted everyone heading to Kuala Lumpur to get them for me, although it is no longer around. I was naturally very excited to visit the shop myself. Just ogling from the well presented wide range of cakes on display sent me to seventh heaven. We ordered an American Cheesecake and a Carrot Cake for our enjoyment when we get back to Singapore.

Our last activity before we head to Brisbane Airport is none other than the Kingston Park Raceway. Being a weekday, it was rather empty and we purchased the Xtreme Pack which comes with 7 x five minute kart session. To Jarod’s delight, the staff put him on the Monte Carlo track which was usually reserved for the Formula Kart (minimum age of 11 year old). Jarod zoomed around the corners, showing off his racing prowess. The staff had also allowed him to go on a 10 minute session instead, which meant he could complete 10 to 12 laps each session. Jarod was still reeling in excitement after he completed all the sessions. Although the Xtreme Pack also came with some amusement rides, Jarod was not interested in them at all. One last surprise awaited him. We purchased a gift certificate which the staff presented to him. He was beaming with delight and felt proud of his achievement, oblivious of the fact. We promised him that we would look for Go Karting facility for kids nearer home.

 

 

All good things must come to an end. We headed to Brisbane Airport and boarded our flight home. Although we lost most of all photos, we had a memorable trip.