Gold Coast, Australia Ride

[belgarathc]

Hi,

 

I was in Brisbane for work but managed to drop by the Gold Coast for the weekend. Rented a Sym 150cc scooter for a scary AUD 120 for 24 hrs and covered about 300km.

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/000%20Gold%20Coast%20Route.JPG

Route covered - Surfers Paradise, Tamborine Mountains, O Reilly, Spring Brook

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/012%20Vibe%20Hotel%20at%20Gold%20Coast.jpg

Stayed at Vibe Hotel for 2 nights

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/012%20View%20from%20Vibe%20Hotel%20Balcony.jpg

View of Nerang River from Vibe Hotel's balcony

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/016%20Layers.jpg

Woke up early for sunrise at Surfers Paradise

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/017%20Rented%20a%20Sym%20150cc%20scooter%20at%20120AUD%20for%2024%20hrs.jpg

Rented a scooter from Moped City, a short walk from Vibe Hotel

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/017%20Many%20roundabouts%20over%20here.jpg

With a simple road map and clear signage, it's easy to navigate. I noticed many roundabouts in Queensland.

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/018%20Santuary%20Cove%20-%20where%20the%20rich%20stays.jpg

Santuary Cove for the rich

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/019%20En%20Route%20to%20Tamborine%20Mountains.jpg

En route to Tamborine Mountains

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/023%20Glow%20Worms%20Cave%20-%20Very%20pretty%20sight%20inside.jpg

Visited Glow Worms Cave. Even though the cave is man-made, the larvae glows like stars in the darkened cave. It is a beautiful sight.

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/022.%20Is%20this%20a%20tree%20frog.jpg

A small frog, is it called a tree frog?

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/021%20Quick%20takeway%20lunch.jpg

Takeaway. One of the cheapest coke I had in Australia - AUD 1.00.

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/024%20Too%20much%20time%20on%20hand.jpg

Too much time on hand

Edited March 27, 2010 by belgarathc

[belgarathc]

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/026%20Western%20route%20of%20Witches%20Falls%20trek%20was%20closed.jpg

The western track to Witches Falls was blocked. But an Australian family went ahead anyway and I followed.

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/027%20Spotted%20something%20.jpg

Noticed something?

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/028%20Very%20big%20lizard.jpg

Now that's a very huge lizard

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/030%20Wild%20mushrooms.jpg

Wild mushrooms

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/031%20Small%20snake.jpg

A small snake. We also came across a brown snake.

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/032%20Swamp%20-%20Leeches%20aplenty.jpg

This is why the track was blocked. Leeches aplenty and some got onto our shoes. We headed back. I continued the other track to Witches Falls and was rewarded by a rather small waterfall.

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/033%20Visted%20Curtis%20Falls.jpg

Next, I visited Curtis Falls. Tracks are clearly marked.

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/034%20Curtis%20Falls.jpg

Curtis Falls

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/035%20Viewpoint%20en%20route%20to%20O%20Reilly%20Plateau%20.jpg

Viewpoint on Tamborine Mountains

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/036%20One%20way%20road%20to%20O%20Reilly.jpg

Took the one way road to O Reilly.

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/037%20Road%20hoggers%20.jpg

Road hogs

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/038%20Different%20vegetations%20at%20different%20parts%20of%20the%20mountains.jpg

You see different types of vegetation at different elevation

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/039%20O%20Reilly%20Booyong%20Walk.jpg

Took the O Reilly Booyong Walk

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/040%20Tree%20top%20walk.jpg

Which includes a tree top walk on suspended bridges

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/041%20Green%20mountains%20botanical%20gardens.jpg

Green mountains botanical gardens

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/042%20Plants%20and%20flowers%20at%20the%20botanical%20gardens.jpg

Edited March 27, 2010 by belgarathc

[belgarathc]

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/043%20Morning%20view.jpg

Met up with my colleagues in late evening and visited Conrad Jupiters for dinner and its casino. Woke up early the next day and took a morning shot before going for a quick morning ride.

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/044%20Left%20hotel%20at%20530am.jpg

Viewpoint on the way to Spring Brook National Park

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/046%20Obligatory%20flower%20shot.jpg

Obligatory flower shot

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/047%20Peaceful%20road%20up%20the%20mountain.jpg

Peaceful road up the mountain

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/048%20Walk%20to%20Purling%20Brook%20Falls.jpg

2 tracks to Purling Brook Falls

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/049%20Purling%20Brook%20Falls%20.jpg

Purling Brook Falls

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/050%20Purling%20Brook%20Falls.jpg

Purling Brook Falls

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/052%20Nice%20winding%20roads.jpg

Nice winding roads

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/053%20Small%20kangeroo%20or%20wallaby.jpg

Be careful not to hit these animals (Wallaby?) dashing across the roads

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/051%20Clear%20signage%20in%20the%20national%20park.jpg

Clear signage. At Hardys lookout, I hardly see anything. The view was blocked by overgrowth.

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/054%20Best%20of%20all%20view%20points.jpg

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/056%20Huge%20trees.jpg

Headed for Best of all Lookout

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/055%20Scenery%20from%20viewpoint.jpg

Scenery from Best of all Lookout

[belgarathc]

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/059%20Q1%20tower.jpg

Paid ~AUD20 to visit Q1 tower which boasts splendid views over Gold Coast

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/060%20View%20of%20Gold%20Coast%20.jpg

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/061%20Surfers%20Paradise.jpg

View of Gold Coast

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/062%20Took%20a%20walk%20along%20the%20beach.jpg

Headed for the beach

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/063%20Beach%20view.jpg

Beach view

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/064%20More%20beach%20view.jpg

More beach view

 

http://adventurevacationtrip.com/photos/201003/065%20Time%20to%20go%20home.jpg

Time to go!

Edited March 27, 2010 by belgarathc

[SW9000]

So nice the places you've visited.

 

I was looking to plan a 2-weeks riding trip in Down Under too.

But the bike rental price of SGD$150 upwards per day is a killer.

Gotta wait and see if any of my buddies wants to drive instead.

[belgarathc]

For 2 weeks rental, you might be able to get a much better deal (e.g. http://www.garnersmotorcycles.com.au/road_bikes.htm).

 

Yah, renting a car is cheaper than a motorcycle.

[SW9000]

Thanks very much for the link.

[belgarathc]

Thanks to FB666Y, I remember bookmarking the link from one of his trips

[gunshead]

oh no

u again

 

colombo to luzon now brisbane

 

fuyooohhh

 

well done with report and photos

[Azahari]

upz for the trip and pics