The second instalment of my visit back home to the Gold Coast was a chance to spend quality time with my parents. It was fantastic that Dad and Mum could take some time off to do so and with Australia Day being a public holiday that meant my brother could also join us (for a day at least) when we went to take in some of the Gold Coast’s natural wonders.

All my days visiting back home were amazing but I did treasure the quiet times I spent with my family. Like spending a day shopping with my Mum (she was so cute and sweet when we were trying on clothes) and rocking it out on the Nintendo Wii on Rockstar with Dad (he really laughed when I was singing along). I really loved those moments.

One of the memorable moments for me was when Dad took us on this mega long giant drive to find this fish and chips shop (PKG) that he remembered from a very long time ago. Not in itself anything that sounds very funny but the journey to get there was a calamity of wrong turns and wrong guesses which we all found absolutely hilarious – probably because my Mum likes to say if she goes out with Dad she always goes hungry! Guess you had to be there! Anyway, we were rewarded in the end with a lovely late lunch.

From there Dad also took us to this lovely view point. Although the rain and subsequent flooding in Brisbane wasn’t very welcome for its extremity, the rain certainly gave nature a nice boost colour-wise. Last time I was home it had been very dry and everything was brown. What a change!

As I said on On Australia Day we decided to take a picnic up to Lamington National Park, or more specifically O’Reilly’s Rainforest. It was a nice day for it and plenty of other families had the same idea! It’s a bit of a drive but I think worth the effort to commune with nature. I was lucky to be a passenger so I could gaze out at the gorgeous greenery on the drive around. Dad has always wanted to live out in the bush, or away from the built up areas at least, and on a day like the day we had I could completely understand the quiet and the peace you would feel if you did. However on a longer term basis I think I’d miss the hustle and bustle and convenience of living centrally …

At O’Reilly’s they have this Tree Top Walk – it’s not very long (180 metres) or very high (15 metres on average) but it is a nice way to walk through a rainforest. Ok, it’s maybe a little bit high 😉

The walk consists mostly of suspension bridge- so those who are a bit unsteady at heights should be warned. There is also a point where there are observation decks, one on top of each other, and when you climb to the very top (you can only have a couple of people climbing at any one point in time) you will emerge out of the tree tops and feel like you’re on top of the world. Its only 30 metres above ground but certainly feels a lot taller than that.

Whilst in the area we stopped off at the Natural Arch in Springbrook National Park. Okay, it was another fairly long drive but only because of mountains you can’t just drive through! The Natural Arch or Natural Bridge is famous not only for its falls (the crazy will actually jump down from a height) and rock pools …

… but also for …the glow worms! They were tiny but really obvious once the sun started to dip. I tried to capture them on camera but it was really really difficult!

Another thing I loved was the eating. Oh my. Dad and Mum did their best to really stuff me with food when I was at home. Whilst I do appreciate that many products, whether it be food, restaurants, clothing, toys, equipment etc. are now widely available globally I also do like the fact that some products still stay local. And although this does mean that I miss indulging in them when I’m away in the UK when I do get to have them it is all the sweeter. Two of my favourite items include the simple cheese and bacon roll (which admittedly you get variants over here in Europe but its just not the same) and my Dad’s fantastic fried ice cream. Yes, Dad did get a bit carried away with the size of the fried ice cream … not that I was complaining 😉

Oh … and let’s not forget THE best ice cream/ice block in the world – The Golden Gaytime. Seriously.The.Best.Ice.Cream.Ever.

Mum took us to her hotel’s new restaurant – The Bazaar. Priced at a hefty £65 – it was just as well we were dining with an employee discount! The concept behind The Bazaar was to refresh the concept of traditional buffet with a market-style feel. Most foods are cooked fresh on order, and you can see the raw foods (such as the cool room of meats), the fridges of fresh produce, etc with the chefs out in the open and at your disposal. Food ranges from Oriental to Western. The salads are gorgeous and refreshing and there is a very generous and varied dessert selection. An interesting concept – time will tell how successful it will be.

Before I headed off to Brisbane for the weekend Dad made me pancakes … whether they were supposed to be butterflies or hearts – it was still sweet!