I have dreamed for many years of visiting the beaches of Australia, and yesterday I got my chance.
About a 2-hour drive from my home base in Allora, Queensland, the Gold Coast is a combination of exquisite white sand beaches, warm turquoise water and more skyscrapers than I’ve ever seen outside a major city.
I’m not a crowded beach type of girl, so I was delighted to discover that The Spit, part of Main Beach, was described as “uncrowded.” The description was wonderfully apt.
Although there were crowds to the left and the right, The Spit was virtually empty and my friend and I happily spread our towels and stretched out for a snooze in the hot sunshine. It was pure bliss. I couldn’t keep from smiling as I closed my eyes and drifted off to the sound of waves crashing and wind rustling the sea grasses on the dunes above us.
Before too long I was roasting! Off I went for a dip in the water, trying to quell fears of possible sharks, water snakes and lethal jellyfish I’d read about. My Aussie friends chuckled at such notions and assured me that the beaches are watched vigilantly by qualified lifeguards, and at the first sign of shark fin or jelly fish, they call everyone ashore. Since the water was being enjoyed by little kids and the elderly in addition to daring surfers, I set my fears aside and waded in. I’m so glad I did. The water was warm and refreshing, the waves perfect for riding and bobbing along. I felt like a little girl again, getting knocked off my feet now and then, rogue waves leaving me sputtering and laughing. It was great!
Do you like going to the beach? What is the best beach you’ve ever been to?
The best beach I have ever been too has yet to be discovered but I have been to many lovely beaches in Greece, Jamaica, Mexico, England, Cuba, Ontario and even here in the Okanagan.I am glad you are having a great time!!!!
oh krista! you know that is a tough one! “the” best beach! i guess the good news is, we have choices! the best beach is A beach, as long as the wind isn’t blowing sand all over you. so glad it’s drying out for you. what a wonderful trip!
I am not a beach gal. Probably why I haven’t been to any except Sylvan Lake in Alberta. That may change if I ever get to a real beach!
Beautiful… you’ve obviously been busy as we haven’t heard from you much!
🙂
Valerie
I could never pick a fave, I have soooo many! Thanks for taking me to Oz for a couple of minutes, I miss it terribly!!!
Oh good lord… YES PLEASE
When we lived at Main Beach we often walked the spit area. Mostly we swan at the bottom of our street where the lifeguards manned tower 39.
Glad your enjoying our yummy shores Krista, there is nothing like a day roasting off on an Aussie beach & playing in the surf. There are SO MANY Aussie beaches its hard to pick one but it wasn’t until I started on my travels o/s that I realised we have the best beaches on earth 🙂 So happy your enjoying Oz 🙂
I’m so jealous!! I want to be on those white sandy beaches again! Enjoy every bit of Oz!
Definitely Los Roques Archipelago in Venezuela: http://www.venezuelatuya.com/losroques/indexeng.htm
So glad to see you’re having such a marvelous time Krista!! 🙂
Hanakapa’i Beach on the island of Kaua’i was quite nice. We watched the sun set and then camped just off the beach. It’s about a 2 hour hike in from the trail head on the Na Pali Coast Trail, so it stays pretty empty a lot of the time.
Did you know that Bondi Beach in Sydney has it’s own TV show? We watched some of it when we were there.
What a wonderful day Krista! So happy to hear that you got to have your dream come true…& from the looks of that beach, you have very good reason to rave about it :)!
Thanks for bringing us along with you…I can just imagine myself spread out in the sun – what joy!
So pleased you got sunshine and summer weather to see the Gold Coast! Would you believe I’ve never been there?
I love going to the beach and spend a lot of time there. We’re very lucky in Sydney to have such good beaches. I have a few favourites around the world, a stretch of sand in Moorea and another in Bora Bora, the private beach of the Negresco Hotel in Nice, the public one in Cannes, the hot sands of a private beach in Dubai… Just give me a beach and sunshine and I’m very happy! 🙂
Ciao and best wishes for 2011, I am back at last catching up on so much that I missed while I was away from the blogsphere! Thankyou for comments you left on News From Italy while I was absent.
I have enjoyed catching up on your travels in Germany, The Netherlands and now Fiji and Australia.
Lucky you being in Australia at the moment and safely high away from the flooding which I hope has not spoilt your trip. What photos although of course the ones of the floods were sad to see.
That top picture is amazing, it looks like the beach in “Lost”. Hope you’re having a wonderful time.
Best beach-Bay of Fires, Tasmania-so wonderful we got married there ! Krista I’m so glad I got to meet you this past year, I love following your blog and I have passed on a Stylish Blogger Award to you via mine. Can’t wait for your next post.
The spit is where my son has chosen for his beach wedding in June. Bryan and walked there often when we lived at Main Beach on the Gold Coast.
Best beach – Henry’s beach in Santa Barbara. Just love it.