Gold Coast - Part 1

The Gold Coast has always been my favorite city in Australia. My first visit here 3 years ago was absolutely eventful  and why wouldn't it? The city has it all - miles and miles of pristine beaches, theme parks, great shopping and accommodations to the magnificent hinterlands and rainforests. We have toured the hinterlands for a couple of days already so it is time to head to the city. The editor had booked a couple of separate activities for himself.



30 kms drive from Surfers Paradise to the WRX Experience



 Yes its just for him because rally driving and V8 racing is not my thing. It was nice sunny Tuesday and he has booked the WRX rally extreme drive for 16 laps. I had fun being in the audience since I was busy taking pictures of the action. Here are some good shoots.




Absorbing all the instructions.






This is the editor's instructor.

He looks like he's having second thoughts c",)

Off he goes.

 









...And he finished as the best driver of the day. wohoo!

Two days after the editor did the WRX rally, its time for the V8 experience at the Holden Performance Driving Centre located at Norwell. The centre is a 41-km drive from Surfers Paradise in the middle of endless sugarcane plantations. The editor did 12 laps and set a record! How is that? Maybe the spedometer was not that accurate.

The Holden Driving Centre is 42 kms from Surfers Paradise.



Holden Driving Centre



A huge trailer used to transport the V8 cars.

this is the track

the suit

the car






Buckle up!






 

 



the editor was disappointed it was over

We was awarded a USB where a video of his performace was recorded.

Best speed was 130kph



on the 7th lap he got his best time which is 1:19:34



Mount Tamborine

 October 24, 2011 was a nice fine day so we decided to explore Mount Tamborine which is only around 10 kms from where we are camping at Canungra. Dubbed as "The Green Behind the Gold", Tamborine Mountain is a volcanic plateau set within the Gold Coast Hinterland. From Tamborine Mountain you can get great views out over the splendid surrounding scenery, as well as out over the Gold Coast, to Brisbane and Mount Warning. 


Mount Tamborine is around 35 kms to Surfers Paradise.



 Mt. Tamborine is a popular destination mainly because it has many beautiful tourist attractions ranging from 9 national parks, gorgeous waterfalls, gardens, winery and vineyards. Our first stop when we got there was the rainforest skywalk which is one of the must-sees.The walkway is a stable, high-tech steel structure enabling visitors to explore the forrest in a safe and secure way with a birdseye view. It is a 40 metre long span soaring 30 metres above the valley, with spectacular views over the creek and the rainforest canopies below.

Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk

This is about 30 metres high.

I was tempting the editor to follow me at the cantilever
so he can see the view but he doesn't.
He is acrophobic - has fear of heights!

Carved by nature





After a long walk exploring the skywalk we drove almost 4 kms to Cedar Creek Falls. There are 3 other waterfalls around town but after the steep and winding walk to see Cedar Creek Falls we thought we had had enough. The track was not very good and I think its not safe to go there. (what a lame excuse) On the way, we also dropped by Thunderbird Park where you can mine thunder eggs (but we did not do this). We just checked out the park and had a look around.

The park has camping sites, lodges and has heaps of adventure
activites like thunder egg fossicking, Tarzan swing and laser skirmish.

Cedar Creek Falls



A show-off going for a dive.

That would hurt i think.

It is never easy to go up.

There are still plenty of walking tracks leading through magnificent subtropical rainforest with several picnic and BBQs areas available to the public. A number of wineries and vineyards are also in the area for those that enjoy wine or would like to sample the local produce. We went to a winery after the visit to the falls but not to taste wine or see the winery. We were after the Glow Worm Cave. Yes it is a cave with glowing worms all over the walls and it is in a vineyard. It is cold inside the cave as Glow Worms require very specific environmental conditions year round. For $11 per adult you can enjoy a 30-minute tour of the cave and learn about these amazing tiny creatures. Unfortunately cameras are prohibited inside the cave but Mr. Google has several so have a look at the pictures below.

These is how it looks like inside the cave with the worms hanging on the walls.

 

Life Cycle of Glow Worms.



This is the entrance to the Glow Worm Cave.



Canungra

This is the route we took from Kilcoy to Somerset Dam then Canungra.

Canungra is a country town which is our next stop after Kilcoy. Being a popular destination for short drives from the Gold Coast and Brisbane we decided to stay for a week at the town's showgrounds. Canungra, also called the "Valley of the Owls", is situated in the Gold Coast Hinterland, 35 kilometres west of the Gold Coast and 90 kilometres south of Brisbane. From Kilcoy we drove around 176 kms straight to Canungra. The slopes around Canungra are steep and forested with some cleared farmlands and rural homes in the flatter valley areas.
   

We need to shift the bus twice because of
the bullriding on the weekend.

It is a busy little town which seemed very popular to tourist especially bikers and paragliders. When we arrived at the showgrounds there are many campers around with big, long tubes on their vehicles. The caretaker said those were gliders and there is a competition going on for the week. Canungra Hang Gliding club is apparently one of the biggest in Australia. Also, a twilight bullriding was to be held at the showgrounds on the weekend that we are camping there. We were just in time to witness all these and more! Have a look at the pictures from the twilight bullride.

While waiting for the bullride, we were entertained by this trial bike driver.

This driver is really trained to perform this amazing stunt.

I wonder how many times he fell before mastering this stunt.

I think trial driving is a piece of cake for bullriders. Would you agree?

Just look at this particular bull.







  
As I've mention earlier, Canungra Hang Gliding Club is the biggest in the region. Because of the town's usual weather conditions gliders fly pretty much all year round (according to the club's website). They have international competitions every spring for paraglider and hang glider pilots. Pilots climb up to 10,000 feet and fly across country as far as Dalby and Warwick. We were able to witness parts of the competition at their Mt. Tamborine launch site. If you feel like flying on a glider, visit http://www.chgc.asn.au/ and join the club. Check out some interesting pictures from the launch site.
 

 

Assembling the gliders.











Ready for take off!?!

 

Up!

Up!

... and away!