Brisbane & The Gold Coast
Australian’s say the Gold Coast is similar to Las Vegas. However, the popular vacation spot is not quite as wild as Las Vegas. We stayed in Surfers Paradise. The location is known its beautiful white sand beach and hot nightlife. Surfers Paradise reminded me of an up and coming, Miami more than Las Vegas.
We stayed at the Surfers Paradise Backpackers Resort Hostel. We reserved a room fit for all of us with a private bathroom. The set up worked out very well for the five of us. There was a courtyard in the center of the hostel with a volleyball/basketball court where all the backpackers would gather to socialize. The communal kitchen was located right next to our room. We used the kitchen almost every night to save some money.
The very odd and inconvenient part about this hostel was outside alcohol was not allowed. There was a bar located within the hostel making outside alcohol illegal and cause for the hostel to kick you out. So keep this in mind.
Day 7 – Friday, November 13
On Friday we drove to Brisbane to visit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. We heard from local Australians that this was the best place to hold a Koala. There was everything you could possibly want to see at this sanctuary. Kangaroos, Fruit Bats, Dingo’s, Emus, Tasmanian Devils, a Platypus, Wallabies, Kookaburras, a Wombat and more! At the sanctuary, you can even pay to hold a koala and feed the kangaroos. This was one of the best days spent in Australia with all the different critters. It is really hard to see a Koala or Kangaroo in its natural habitat so if this is your mission to see these unique animals during your stay in Australia, make sure to stop at this wonderful sanctuary.
Day 8 – Saturday, November 14
We did the big crazy, Backpackers Night Out. All the backpacking hostels in the area gather on a party bus and go bar hopping every Saturday night.
Personally, I thought it was a waste of time. The bars all had the same generic pop music that made my head explode. All they played was Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift. Without the horrid music playlist, I think it would have been a better time. I still met some great people at this event but I would have had a better time if the music wasn’t so crummy.
Day 9 – Sunday, November 15
The next day we wandered the city. We took the train to the mall to check out the shops and then walked around the shops alongside the beach. As the day went on our feet could not handle any more walking so we decided to rent some electric bikes. We rode them around the city alongside the beach. It was the perfect way to see all of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast.
That night we decided to go out to eat. With Australia being so close to Thailand, Japan, China, etc. We knew that we had to go out for some authentic Asian food. We decided to go out for Thai food. The restaurant we went to was licensed so you can bring your own wine. We grabbed a large bottle of Shiraz at the liquor store and spent the night taste testing some of the best Thai dishes I have ever had.
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