EXPLORING GOLD COAST

After our wonderful and peaceful ride this morning in the hot air balloon there was more to see of Gold Coast.

There is a scenic viewpoint on the top of one of the highest points in the area, overlooking the valley below. As we came to the area, para-gliders and cliff jumpers were prepping their launches. With so many pilots in tow, you can image the interest from our group. The main instructor took the time to explain the thermals, winds and distances they are able to travel – it was quite impressive. Of course we couldn’t leave the area without seeing a launch!

After the scenic viewpoint, we made our way to the Sky Walk, an 8 year old pathway that winds through the rain forest canopy and ground levels. You heard me right, rain forest! Amid the regular forest that lines these mountains is a rain forest, probably one of the driest in the world, but with all the same fauna and interesting wildlife you can expect in other rain forests around the world.

We built up an appetite after walking the canopy and enjoyed a wine tasting at Heritage Wines before lunch. The whole building has a unique history. It was actually an old church from down town Gold Coast that the owners moved to the mountain top for scenic views. Every part of the building had a unique story – chairs from a cruise ship, beams from a casino, a bar from a bank – all from Gold Coast!


An afternoon nap was in store for all of us after our 4:00am departure this morning so it was back to the Palazzo Versace for some down time. 











always time for a little facetime back home

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HOW FAR HAVE WE COME?

Image
We left Boeing Field in Seattle on August 19 and arrived in Sydney, Australia, on September 12. We have flown more than 10,000 nautical miles KBFI PANC 321 ° (NW) 305 ° (NW) 1,256 nm PANC UHMA 298 ° (NW) 281 ° (W) 899 nm UHMA UHMM 261 ° (W) 260 ° (W) 803 nm UHMM UHSS 203 ° (SW) 214 ° (SW) 833 nm UHSS RJNA 203 ° (SW) 213 ° (SW) 745 nm RJNA RCSS 237 ° (SW) 244 ° (SW) 1,004 nm RCSS RPMD 167 ° (S) 171 ° (S) 1,098 nm RPMD WABB 128 ° (SE) 129 ° (SE) 801 nm WABB AYMD 113 ° (SE) 111 ° (E) 629 nm AYMD YBCS 180 ° (S) 175 ° (S) 698 nm YBCS YBCG 149 ° (SE) 142 ° (SE) 800 nm YBCG YSSY 199 ° (S) 187 ° (S) 367 nm
Read more

ARE THERE KANGAROOS ON KANGAROO ISLAND?

Image
After settling in at the Ocean Lodge and a quick bite to eat, we launched on our quest for Kangaroos in the wild. We weren't sure what to expect, how many would we be able to see - this was a first visit for me and all the members of our group. Boy did it not disappoint... Here they are!  Our first spotting of the kangaroos, hundreds of them! They outnumber people who inhabit the island. They spend their days grazing the grass in the open fields. They are everywhere   When standing they are the size of a small adult.  This one has a joey in her belly, or a baby kangaroo! Australians call any baby marsupial a joey. A female kangaroo can be in charge of three babies at a time - an embryo in the body, a joey in the pouch and a baby outside of the pouch.  
Read more

OFF TO THE MALDIVES IN THE INDIAN OCEAN

Image
This is the second shortest flight of the journey, shy of 500 nm a piece of cake. But with slot on arrival because of a single run way ( a second one is under construction to be open in 2018). I made changes after the briefing to the pilot and the changes contributed to an additional excess traffic to the airport. Peter and I left last from Mattala and we were told that we were #10 on the approach , to Hold at ARDIV and expected a landing clearance at 8:23 Z. After 5 hold circuit , a botched approach ( due to a ballon on the runway......) we landed at 8:54Z This was a great opportunity for many photos of the magnificent sea surrounding the Maldives. our flight path  polka dots from the sky Male, Maldives The point of view of Peter on the happenings for our arrival into the Maldives: All, We are very excited, today is the day we fly to the Maldives! Kno
Read more