The flight from Auckland to Brisbane was WORSE! Shortly after boarding, both dad and I felt bad. We ate breakfast, but neither of us enjoyed it. Dad's tummy was growling and cramping from weird food and too many hours sitting. My head was aching and I couldn't get comfortable. The three hour flight seemed like thirty.
As soon as we landed in Brisbane, I took Excedrin. Head better by the time we cleared customs. Dad still not feeling well.
Tanya met us at the lower level just outside inspection. We weren't stopped at all; just sailed through.
After we were all loaded into the car, Tanya took us to the Adventist school where Eryn and Aidan were waiting for us to pick them up. They were so excited to see us. What gentle and loving children they are.
We all went back to Mike and Tanya's to drop off the bags, then headed off to the local mall for groceries.
Oh......and..... NO TACO BELL. The only serious drawback the country has in my humble opinion.
The mall was three stories with three stories of parking around the outside. Very nice because you didn't have to walk far to get in the mall, no matter where you parked
Oh, the exchange rate was about $.70 US to $1.00 AU. I can totally dig that kind of discount!
After getting the groceries, we walked to the food court and sat down. The kids needed food, but dad and I weren't ready for more fast food. Dad was in pain and fading. I have much energy either. After the kids ate their "chips" (french fries to us Yanks), we took dad back to their house to rest. Tanya gave him something for his tummy and he laid down to rest for awhile. Really, he needs sleep.
Mike came home at the same time as we got back from the stores. He had taken half the day off, and was keen to show us around. He kept talking about a place called "Surfer's Paradise".
Surfer's Paradise. High rise apartments overlooking white beach and azure blue sea for miles. It's like Santa Cruz except clean and warm. Like Santa Barbara, but not crowded. All rolled into one gleaming place in the sun. I LOVE IT!
We parked a block from the beach and walked down. Tanya thought it was cold because of the breeze, but I was comfortable in my swimsuit. She didn't want to swim so she stayed with the shoes and clothes & kids toys. Mike and I waded in. The water was cool, but felt perfect after a minute. The waves are great for easy body surfing or using a boogie board. I tried both. What a RUSH!
I started out without the board. I really didn't think I could surf, but I caught the second wave I tried. Luck, but a real blast when it worked.
Surfer's is about an hour south of Brisbane and a tourist area. The locals mostly avoid it in favor of more deserted beaches in the area. I couldn't believe that, because it wasn't crowded AT ALL by California beach standards.
The boogie board was even more fun than body surfing. I kept at it until I could hardly stagger out of the water. The effort and the perfect water temperature just washed the jet lag away and cleared my head. I felt wonderful. This is what a vacation means!
By 5:30pm, we headed back to Brisbane to check on dad and get some food. Dad was better. He slept and was able to eat a piece of toast at dinner. The rest of us had toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches.