Most of Australia’s Pacific Coast could be described as a surfer’s paradise, given the seemingly never ending stretches of golden sandy bay with wave after crashing wave. However, Surfer’s Paradise is the actual name given to a beach front district in the city of Gold Coast, the next stop on our road trip (see the welcoming gate below).
I’m not a surfer, though I do enjoy jumping in the waves and swimming in the relatively warm sea, when the occasionally vicious currents and riptides here allow. All along the Pacific Coast, however, there is no shortage of people who do.
Take these diehard souls pictured at Noosa, walking their boards barefoot to the sand…
…and waiting patiently on the rocks for that perfect swell.
On the way here, we stopped off at Byron Bay, the upmarket surfing and wellness haven that is famously home to Chris Hemsworth, well known for playing Thor in Marvel’s Avengers.
We stayed a night and hung out for an evening amongst the beachfront bars and cafes. We enjoyed the surf vibe, though we didn’t bump into Chris. Maybe he was off on filming duties in Hollywood. Or possibly Asgard 😉
Back to the Gold Coast, and our latest foodie experience, amongst the skyscrapers that line the golden sands. O Bagel, in the Broadbeach area of the city where we are based, came highly recommended, and certainly lived up to its billing.
The bagels were freshly baked, and came with various coatings and flavours. The texture was just the right combination of soft and chewy.
I chose an everything bagel, generously filled with home made egg salad, wood smoked ham, swiss cheese, crunchy lettuce and smoky tomato relish. It tasted great, taken down to our picnic lunch stop at the beach.
Musical choice this time around comes from an Aussie indie band that I have featured before, and who I saw play live over in the UK supporting Queens of the Stone Age back in November. I like the fact that they have a good punk sound, while (as anyone who has seen their videos on You Tube will know) do not take themselves too seriously.
They are from Queensland, so it seems right to play them while here on their home turf. This is The Chats, with their ode to chicken schnitty, parmi and all other great Australian pub fare: Pub Feed.
A Different Kitchen 