Sunday, 27.5.2018:

G'DAY STRAYA: I had a full day in Australia ahead of me! And yes, we're still not yet in Japan. The day started super well, as the Crowne Plaza serves breakfast in the revolving restaurant at the top every Sunday! Although the place was pretty crowded, the breakfast was OK and the view fantastic:



Afterwards I went to my room and checked out the view from my balcony – and what a beautiful day it was!





I checked out at 10 and drove to the beach near the city center (just 4-5 minutes from the Crowne Plaza by car). I parked my red lightning (aka Holden SV6) in a garage and walked to the beach:











What a day, especially as it should normally be a bit cooler with the winter starting and everything. I walked around the beach a bit and relaxed for an hour – before I headed back to my car. I wanted to check out some nice view points south of Surfers Paradise to take some photos. While the first view point was super easy to access...



…the second one was just too crowded to get any parking space. I can understand it though – who wouldn't want to go to the beach on such a beautiful Sunday? It still was worth the trip though, and with an empty stomach I headed back to Surfers. I wanted to check out the Fish'n'Chips place I ate at back in 2011, and luckily I found it. Even though the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club doesn't look too fancy from the outside, the fish was really good – and the beach view a nice added bonus.





At that point it was already 2PM, and I still wanted to check out a different side of the Gold Coast. Spring Brook National Park is just under an hour away, so I headed there to breathe in some nature and check out the rain forest (definitely recommended). The drive was super short, and after arriving I checked out the Natural Bridge Section first:



It's just a 10-minute hike from the parking lot to a beautiful waterfall that falls into a cave through a hole in the ceiling:







The hiking loop leads upwards again afterwards, where you can see the whole thing from above:





Afterwards I headed further into the park, and the atmosphere was just perfect. The warm evening sun, the scenery around me and the wind in your face – this is something you just never forget, and this is why we travel. Awesome!





I wanted to check out one last view point with another waterfall...



...but had to head out again afterwards as it was getting late (and dark). I started my drive back to Brisbane, as my flight would leave from there early the next morning. After another hour in my car I arrived in Brisbane and checked into my hotel for the night. 'The Point' had good reviews and free parking, and it definitely was a great value for the money.





I went to bed soon after another long but awesome day!