How is it that summer is officially over? It's too bad Sydney had a wet summer this year so I didn't get to enjoy the sun much. But then again, in a good way, people are not going out much which helps with the pandemic. It's 2021 I'm hoping the situation around the world gets better. I've got it lucky living in a country that handled the pandemic well while others.. not so much.
Anyway I'm bored so I thought I'd share my trip to Queensland state with M last December 2019. We spent the Christmas week in Gold Coast, the place known for beaches, themed parks and family friendly attractions. We flew free using our Virgin Australia mileage points and I got upgraded to business class! Loved the meal and service!
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| I'll take free upgrade to business class any time :) Too bad M did not but she did seat close to the business class section! |
We stayed at Baronnet apartments which is a stone's throw away from Surfer's paradise, Gold Coast's main tourist hub!
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| Loved the view from our balcony! |
There are a lot of restaurants and shops in Surfer's Paradise definitely a haven for surfers, beach bums and shoppers alike. Got my sun kissed skin here in a week!
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| Did you spot the mistletoe? |
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| White Christmas in Australia means sand between your toes! We found Santa in southern hemisphere wearing summer clothes in a beach shack! |
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| We had a chance to watch "Carols on the beach" to give you that christmasy feel. |
We also met with our friend, E who lives in Brisbane. We had our catch up and she gave us the city tour. My officemate kept saying Brisvegas instead of Brisbane. I had to look it up in urban dictionary why it earned that nickname. Short explanation, coined from Las Vegas but to mock it as Brisbane lacks the sophisticated night life and cultural scene back then. So back then, they actually meant the opposite of Las Vegas which is quite derogatory...
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| Similar to Martin Place in Sydney? |
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| Cutie reindeer hat in the city |
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| Had delish yumcha with E. |
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| Loving the hot weather! |
We visited some themed parks as well. We went to Seaworld and Warner Brothers Studios. Unfortunately I find them quite underwhelming. Especially if you've been to Orlando's themed parks. I found the rides quite outdated. I hope they do update them. I did enjoy the mini games wherein we won some stuffed toys. I also like the DC heroes parade.
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| M at Bat mobile - Gotham City |
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| Me offering Bugs to Joker |
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| Won this giant hat too |
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| Superman is so handsome in real life! |
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| Penguins of Madagascar |
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| Watched a highly entertaining sea-lion show |
We stayed for 5 days including Christmas eve wherein I called my family. Nothing beats being with your family on Christmas eve, but what can I do if I live halfway around the world?
On our way back both of us got free upgrade to business class again! This was the 26th, Christmas wasn't over for us.
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| Thank you Virgin Australia for the free business class upgrades. :) |
Overall I preferred Cairns and Port Douglas over Surfer's Paradise. I like that the trees, beach temperature (including it's cyclones and humid weather)! are similar to PH. Beach temp in Gold Coast is similar to Sydney which is cold so I wasn't into getting soaked.
We'll be flying to Tasmania on October (for free again thanks to my mileage!) with Virgin Australia so looking forward to that. This flight was supposed to be last July 2019 but due to Covid, it had to be rescheduled. Luckily, Australia has had zero cases (no community transmission as our borders are closed and tight quarantine rules) so domestic travel is allowed. Hoping to see the Aurora Australis on October. :)
PS. I've caught up with my travels on my blog! Milestone.
