Gold Coast to Tangalooma

We made it to the Gold Coast after 3 days of long motor sailing. We were trying hard to get to Brisbane for Kathleen’s birthday. We spent a couple of days recovering before moving on. Kathleen, Michael and Jake all came up to visit us while on the Gold Coast the boys spent one night before heading home. Kathleen stayed for a couple then Amy and I went home overnight with her when she went to work.

There is a great park on the foreshore that everyone was having a great time playing in. No one can resist the air cushion pillow.

Who is going to win Amy or Ian

 

How high will Jake bounce

Ian moved the boat to Brisbane by himself while I went home to sort out some stuff and take back things that we really don't need on the boat. We all met him at the piles in Brisbane which is right in front of the botanical gardens. Michael and Jake came up also which was nice surprise for Kathleen as she didn't think she would Michael for a couple of weeks as she is going to Melbourne. For her birthday we decided to go to Tangalooma in Moreton Bay. Ian and I got up at 4am so we could spend a few hours in the sand dunes and snorkeling around the wrecks. It took about 5 hours to get out to Tangalooma.

What a bunch of posers

The first thing the kids wanted to do was climb the sand dunes the dunes are really steep and it took me ages to get to the top but the views are amazing.

Add caption

Jake you need to jump higher

Some of the kids wanted a race to the bottom of the dune I must say there is no way I was going to be part of it. I think it was only Amy who didn't trip and end up taking a few rolls on the way down. Towards the bottom The kids all had fun leap frogging over each other and making it as hard as possible for the jumper.

Daniel Tumbling down

After a play in the sand it was time to cool and rinse off with a snorkel. About 10 ships have sunk here to create an artificial reef and anchorage. We were looking around them for a while, we saw many different fish and were having a great time until our birthday girl decided to cut open her big toe on something.

What a mess!!! and on your birthday too

After cleaning up her toe and getting out bits of shell, coral or what ever it was we went over to the resort for a look around. It did bleed a bit but Kathleen was a brave girl but she didn't trust her dad to help clean her toe.
The snorkeling was not done yet Kathleen had not had enough so with a dressing in place we hit the water yet again. This was a much better snorkel with finding a turtle, wobbygong sharks and shovel nose sharks. The current was running pretty hard by this time and Ian stayed in the dingy only getting out for a quick look when we found a big wobbygong.

Daniel with the turtle that he found.

Kathleen with her fishy friends

 

Amy the snorkeling princess

Michael took his snorkel off for a face shot going through one of the wrecks.

After a great day it time to go back to Brisbane as Michael has to go to work tomorrow and Jake had Uni. They didn't leave until 1030pm and had a long drive back home but they did sleep most of the way back to Brisbane and took it in turns driving home. Ian made everyone some yummy fried rice once we made it to the drive and everyone enjoyed the lights of Brisbane up the river and the bridges.

The Gateway Bridge

Not far from the piles where we are now staying