From Byron Bay via Hastings Point to the Gold Coast

11-1-2010 (Thursday)

We checked our early from the caravan park and parked our van on the public parking on main beach.
The sun was shining (like most of the time) and we had a wonderful morning at the beach. The beach at Byron Bay is really good.
At noon we had lunch, we set up our chairs at the front of our van overlooking the beach and ocean. Was great and felt really how camping should be: free!

We drove up to Cape Byron, the far east point of Australia. A headland next to the ton of Byron Bay. The cape has a lighthouse with a magnificent view. Things like this we do as Japanes or Americans do Europe in two weeks. One of us gets out of the car makes pictures and of we go. It’s no way we offload the kids have a look or walk and load again.

We did some shopping in Byron Bay and set off to Hastings Point, only a 30 minute drive. At Hastingspoint we arrived at North Star Holiday Resort, a 5 star caravan park. We have an ensuite here as well. We checked the swimming pool, also Sharai went down the waterslides.
She develops so fast.
The interesting thing about the caravan parks is that they also have permanent residents in cabins mostly retirees that moved to a coastal park. The big 4 and 5 star parks have whole sections of this permanent residents cabins.
The big parks also rent out cabins, in the 4 and 5 star parks this can be very luxurious cabins with spa, bbq, 2 bedrooms, multiple TV’s. A good option to stay in instead of a hotel or motel. We will see after we move on up north without the van if we stay in these cabins, the parks with it’s pools and playgrounds are great for them..

Today we booked 10 days Noosa Heads, starting 22nd of February. We booked a 2 bedrooms seafront apartment in a place called Maison Noosa.

12-1-2010 (Friday)

The kids played at a very cool indoor playground on the caravan park even when is was already 28c in the morning.
We left the park after one day to move up to the Gold Coast. Somewhere just before Surfers Paradise we bought 2 pairs of new sunglasses for Sharon and Ruben, a Ray Ban and Oakley. We drove on to our campsite on Main Beach. The park is perfectly situated in Main Beach, a 30 minute walk to Surfers and a 15 minute walk to Versace Palace and 30 minute to Sea World.

Sharai slept in the early afternoon and Zeb and Ruben checked out the swimming pool. After Sharai woke up we went to see the beach and walked to Mirage Marine shopping mall. A nice walk along the beach.
It’s like Miami here. We feel at home in these surroundings.

We wanted to get an ice cream for the kids and then sit down for coffee. We ended up at the poolside of the Versace palace (hotel). Did we know the pool is for hotel guest only. The kids played on the artificial beach in the pool and we had a good cappuccino in Versace porcelain.
What a nice hotel!! We checked out the rates to see if we want to stay there one night, we will see.


We checked out some restaurants in the marina and walked back ‘home’. We had hamburgers by Ruben and the kids played with some other kids in the playground.
The kids and Sharon rented Madagascar 2 for the evening. Ruben went to see the cricket.

We will stay here at least 4 days, we want to visit 3 of the main theme parks in Gold Coast. Sea World, Movie World and Wet ‘nd Wild.