The Gold Coast is the most iconic image of the Australian coastline and also of Brisbane.
You with its skyscrapers, beach boys and surfers paradise. In the common imagination Brisbane is mistaken for the Gold Coast, but in reality Brisbane is so much more.
The Gold Coast is located about 70 kilometres south of Brissie. To get there it's really very easy, you get on the motorway, the M3 which then becomes the M1, straight on and within an hour you're there.
The first time we went to the Gold Coast we were a bit disappointed, but it wasn't all its fault really.
We landed at 5 a.m., took the car in the direction of our studio, put on our suits and went to pick up some friends who were waiting for us to go to the Gold Coast. All without having slept or eaten.
Nevertheless, we were all excited to go to the famous Gold Coast. We had heard so much about it and couldn't wait to see it, dive into the sea and enjoy the skyline.
When we arrived at Surfer Paradise the sky instead of blue, was grey, it looked like fog. The skyscrapers could barely be seen and the sun was not yellow, but orange. It was the smoke from the inland fires that the wind had dragged up the coast.
It may have been that we were sleepy, it may have been that smoke and the sultry heat, but the Gold Coast was not what I expected.
We gave it a second chance.
We returned after ten days and everything looked different. The sky was finally free of smoke, we were awake and alert and we took our time to discover it, kilometre after kilometre.
The Gold Coast from north to south
This time we came to the Gold Coast starting from its southernmost point, Paradise Point. M1 exit no. 57. Leaving the straight, anonymous and boring motorway, we were catapulted into the world of excess. Huge villas, silver skyscrapers, green parks that looked like the gardens of Versailles and amusement parks of all kinds. There was everything, beyond imaginable. And of course there were lots of people.
People walking their dogs, girls on skates California style, lifeguard towers decorated with colourful balloons and inviting waves. We stopped at almost every entrance to the sea, each one was different and from each one you had a different view of the skyscrapers.
Of course, there was no shortage of swimming. The ocean here is warm, much warmer than in Perth and it is fun to play with the waves. I love jumping them, diving with them, being embraced by the ocean. A little less so when the high wave comes, making me bounce back, fall, spin around and end up with five kilos of sand in my swimming costume.
Taking the road along the ocean is the best option. Avoid taking the Gold Coast Hwy, it's cold and boring. We followed the Esplenade to the southernmost point, where the skyscrapers end and the Quennslander-style villas begin.
Mick Schamburg Park Lookout
One of the most fascinating places is Mick Shamburg Park. Here you will find a walkway of wooden beams from which you have a spectacular view of the Gold Coast. On one side the skyscrapers, which look like so many Lego bricks stacked on top of each other. On the other, the tranquillity of Burleigh Beach, the locals' beach, far from the theme parks or luxury mega-hotels. And if you are hot, here you will find wind, so much wind that you cannot wait to get back to the beach.
Right on the lookout we met a couple from Bangkok who, seeing us with our camera equipment, asked if we would do a photo shoot for them. So for an hour we took photos of the two of them sitting, then hugging. And again him kissing her, her kissing him. It was fun to see their poses. I usually don't like to photograph people (my friends know this) but they were so nice and cute, with their funny faces, their smiles that never found rest, that it wasn't difficult to photograph them. They seemed used to these plastic poses.
I realise every time that walking around with a camera around my neck and tripod is like walking around with a 'business card' stamped on your forehead. People give you space, move aside to have their photo taken, look admiringly at the pictures and remain silent as if waiting for a miracle to happen. Well, miracle may be too much, but photography really is something magical, magic for the person taking the photo and magic for the beholder.
After our impromptu photoshoot, we continued our exploration of the coast, arriving as far as Burleigh Hill.
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Hotels in Hope Island, Queensland:
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Bureligh Hill
This place is famous for the stunning views, it's one of those Instagram spots, although I preferred the Mick Shamburg. From Burleigh Hill the coast looks like a 'comma'. A white comma between the deep blue ocean and the green bushes that frame the long beach. Unfortunately the fires were still active and in the afternoon the wind turned, carrying the smoke back towards the coast. I could also smell the burning, an acrid smell, very intense, a smell that hurts not so much the lungs as the heart.
From the photo you can see the smoke advancing until it hides the skyscrapers.
I was so intent on watching the smoke in the distance that I didn't notice a giant lizard ten centimetres away from me. It's an Australian Water Dragon, beautiful, green, yellow and black in colour and with a lively eye, ready to grab the first 'fly' that passes by her. And next to her the ever-present Australian White Ibis, a really ugly ibis. White body and wrinkled black neck. In and around Brisbane it is ubiquitous. It is to Brisbane as pigeons are to Venice!
The smoke around Brisbane is nothing compared to the fires that are ravaging the south of the continent.
In Italy (from what I am told) they keep broadcasting images of burning forests, koalas in distress and kangaroos running from the flames. The subject of fires has always been present in Australia. It is the first thing I learnt as soon as I set foot on the Continent Down Under.
This year is more tragic because of a dry spring (with very little rain), strong winds and heat that was already above seasonal averages in October. But these are not the causes, as some say, they are just factors fuelling the fires.
The causes? Essentially one, man. Sometimes through error, sometimes through stupidity, sometimes because he underestimates the force of the wind and heat. The fact is that today hectares and hectares of forests are destroyed. And with them houses, people and animals.
It is hard to explain the feeling of helplessness I feel when I see the apocalyptic scenes of the fires and their devastation. I experienced it in Perth a month ago, and it is really scary, it is awesome to see fire at work. It hurts my heart.
Scenic Rim Region
Leaving the coast behind, an area completely different from the Gold Coast is the Scenic Rim.
The colours are different, here the hazel of the arid fields prevails. The air temperature is different, here it is much warmer, even the wind is sultry, we are too far away to be cooled by the ocean. Different people. On the Scenic Rim we met few tourists, mostly locals going about their daily lives.
Ipswich
The first town we visited was Ipswich. Really pretty and full of historic buildings and 'ghosts'. Yeah, who would have thought. We stopped for coffee, the usual watered-down drink, and heard a lady talking about 'hauntedplaces'. I tried to put my ear towards her to 'eavesdrop' better and realised that she was talking about a church in the city that is said to be haunted by spirits. I liked that, so I got up and went to her for more information.
St Mary's Church
It is St Mary's Church, the cathedral in the historic city centre, which is said to be haunted by souls. The old lady tells me that some priests have heard voices coming from inside and also the organ playing at night while the church was closed. It is said, so she says, that the spirit of a priest who helped build the church and who is now buried in the cemetery next door, does not want to leave, that he stays there to take care of his church again.
We went there immediately. St Mary's Church is very beautiful, tall and slender. Reading the inscriptions of its history on the inside, I was proud to be Italian: the Church, built in 1850, is from a design by Andrea Stombuco, an architect who was born in Italy and moved to Australia in the late 19th century.
Patriotism aside, as soon as I entered the church I tried to listen carefully to every noise, and voice. I tried to figure out where this ghost was, but he was probably either sleeping or gone on holiday. No voices, no soul in distress.
Texas in Queensland
Picking up the car we continued south. And here I felt like I was back in Texas. Huge expanses of gold, white palisades, beautiful horses and cowboys. My head really spun, I didn't know where I was anymore.
At one point, 'stop the car,' I said to Frank. I had seen a very old petrol pump, too pretty not to stop for at least a second.
We proceed and 'stop'. Frank snorts, 'if we keep going like this we'll need two days'. He turns back, 'I saw that they sell sacks of potatoes, I could use them tonight to make you gnocchi'. Knowing that Frank loves my gnocchi, he couldn't say no to me. We go round the back, see the coloured sacks and ... I go to read the sign "Fresh Alpaca Poop 3$" (Fresh Alpaca Poop). I start laughing, go back to Frank laughing and tell him 'webetter have pasta tonight'!
Aratula
We arrive in Aratula where, as usual, we go to the tourist information office. Apart from the fact that I have the 'mania' to go to information offices, it was also indispensable at this time, given the fire situation. As we descended southwards, we began to smell something burning. The sky was getting greyer and greyer. In fact, the lady (elderly as usual) at the office alerted us not to proceed south, the roads are closed due to forest fires and the poor air quality.
Meanwhile the outside air temperature was roasting us. We drove to Moogerah Dam, but from too much heat we did not even get out of the car. Just opening the car door made our heads spin. It was like a hair dryer at 80 degrees.
All of a sudden it started raining. The rain lasted just three minutes, enough to make the atmosphere even more sultry.
I changed direction, heading back north. But before returning home, I stop to say goodbye to my Koala friends.
In Queensland there are several centres where you can see Koalas. Actually there are lots of 'beware of koalas' signs along the roads. There are even green 'koala crossing' areas. But we have never actually seen one.
One of the best known places to see koalas is the Pine Koala Sanctuary, a few kilometres outside Brisbane. But it's a zoo, and I can't see the animals in cages, sorry.
Instead, I discovered that there was a shelter for abandoned or sick koalas. So we headed right for the centre: the Daisy Hill Koala Centre.
The centre is funny, it sits on top of a hill right in the centre of the town of Daisy Hill. It is nestled in a forest of tall eucalyptus trees, where you can have a classic picnic or go on long hikes. Here you will find the Koala Refuge, open daily from 9am to 4pm, admission free.
It is a must-see place if you love koalas, because not only can you see koalas of different ages, but you can find out a lot about their nature. There are not many koalas at the lodge, but each one has a name. The smallest koala is Jordan, only three years old, bright-eyed and, like all children, curious, of course, during the two hours when he is not sleeping. We only saw one 'almost awake', it was a female.
I discovered right here how to recognise the male koala from the female.
The adult male koala is much larger than the female, has a bigger nose and has a black stripe in the front white chest. This black stripe is used by males to mark their territory, in fact they rub it on tree branches leaving a distinctive scent. Females, on the other hand, have an all-white chest and a pouch, where the baby remains for the first six months.
The average lifespan of a koala is about 12 years, although females live a little longer, up to 18 years. Who knows why we females live longer than males!?
I won't bore you with the history of koalas, they really are incredibly sweet animals, except when they get angry!
South of Brisbane - from the Gold Coast to Inland
These are some of the places you shouldn't miss if you're in Brisbane and want to visit a few places in a day.
My advice is not to limit yourself to just the Gold Coast, which while fascinating, doesn't give you an idea of what Queensland is all about. Abandon the golden beaches of the Gold Coast and immerse yourself in nature. Among the hills and cypress trees, eucalyptus groves and stilt houses.
I love the sea, water is my natural element. But I was happy to visit the south-west of Brissie, not just stopping at the touristy Gold Coast, but getting into the heart of life in one of the Australian states I adore most.
Queensland is a concentration of the world. It has California in the Gold Coast, Texas in the inland plains. The tropical colours of Cairns. Brazil on the York Peninsula. Not forgetting the magnificence of the world's largest coral reef.
Brisbane's interior is rich in farms, historic villages and bucolic landscapes. To be in Aratula or Surfers Paradise is to be in two opposite worlds. Peace, tranquillity and silence on one side; chaos, tourists and noise on the other.
To get to know Brisbane you need to get drunk on lights and rest your head. Lulled by the sea breeze and clinging to your chair from the heat. Experience the Gold Coast and discover the Scenic Rim. It's all about discovering the South Brisbane Region.
If you're in Brisbane, take a look at what to visit in Brisbane?
