Gold Coast, Queensland.........

 Looking out from our condo at Broad Beach

I have one more place to show you from my recent visit to Australia following the sub-Antarctic Islands. Here's a look at the amazing Gold Coast and Broad Beach in Queensland, just south of Brisbane. After our stay in the rainforest with Michelle and Mark here, we were invited to visit Paula's delightful friends, Carole and Graham on the beach.

Carole, stylish and elegant, cooked an amazing dinner for us - I swear I gained 5 lbs. that night alone!  The following day she, and charming Graham, arrived in their off-road vehicle and drove us to see more of the scenic countryside and rainforest hinterland.  In the above pic you can just make out the distant ocean, and tops of the beachfront high-rise buildings, from the higher areas we visited.

Descending from those high hillsides, we could see the building where we were staying in a very modern condo, it's the taller of the two strange shaped towers in the center.

Loved seeing more rainforest, and having lunch in a lodge where those adorable pademelons were munching and hopping outside the window.......................

Many people were hanging out here because Hang Gliding was the big sport - imagine flying over such beautiful countryside with just the air currents propelling you.

Have you ever been Hang Gliding - do tell us about it if you were that brave!

On our return to the beach, we stopped for afternoon tea in a picnic area and, while Carole surprised us with the most delicious homemade cake ever - think apricots, ginger and marmalade - Graham set up the little stove and proceeded to 'boil the billy' (Australian for 'put the kettle on')and made the best cup of tea..........complete with swinging the 'billy' in circles - you Aussies reading this will know what I mean!

That evening we all 'dressed to the nines' and walked to RockSalt, an amazing restaurant near the beach, with excellent food and service. In the above pic taken from our condo balcony, you can glimpse the beach as the sun goes down..........another wonderful day in Australia before we headed home the next morning.

I really loved Australia and the delightful people I met during my much too short visit. 

If only it wasn't so far away!