The Gold Coast

Hello from a new Australian State!

Alana and I flew up to Queensland a few days ago to enjoy where it is to be said "Beautiful one day, perfect the next". We had to rent a car - a challenge since they drive on the right side of the car and the left side of the road here... Alana did well, except she tends to hug the left side of the lane, putting me in danger...

On our way to our hostel in Surfer's Paradise, we stopped off in Palm Beach - all the beaches here have sand that is soft enough to feel like flour on your feet... While the water is not warm, you do not go numb ever like in our California beaches. And they are very pretty with the tourquoise color leading into the deep blue. Again, the hole in the O-zone layer here beats down on a person a lot, but sunblock has been doing its job for us!

We drove up to Brisbane one day and spent time in their Parklands after driving through the buisness district. The Parklands are a part of the city along the river which has become a pubic park. There are shops, restuarants, gardens, and man made beaches. These "beaches" are truly swimming pools with sand leading into them - it was so nice to swim in the warm, clear water, before we relaxed out in the sun. If I am making you jealous, I apologize :)

Today, we drove South to Byron Bay. This bay is in the state of New South Wales, the same as Sydney. The drive here was beautiful as we drove through green mountains, trees, and overpasses made of cobblestone - think a mixture of Ireland and New Zealand... While it was overcast here, we made the hike to thier lighthouse, which took us around the mountain and through the costal rainforest, all along the coast. It was like a dream come true to be hiking along a cobblestone path with the ocean as our view. Each new view captured our hearts and amazed us even more than the one before. Our path took us to the most eastern point of the Australian mainland! Once we got back to the beach and were headed along the sand to the town, it started raining like I have never seen before! Think hurricane weather! After taking shelter in the bathroom for a bit, we made the trip to our hostel... it added to the adventure :)

I wish there was so much more time to truly allow you know how blessed I feel to be able to see and experience these wonders of this country. But know that I truly feed off all your words and emails. As I walk God's beautiful creation, I can't stop thanking Him for each one of you, and this amazing gift I have to be here!

Until next time!