After three weeks in Brisbane a road trip down the east coast finally started. On the day I jumped out of the bed and felt like a child on Christmas day (at least how imagine it) and couldn’t wait to get in the car and get going. After a 9 month long wait I could my adventure persona was definitely back to life. 

Nothing was preplanned, me and Lea decided to take each day as it comes with our signature logo being “no pressure”. Our first stop was just 30 minutes from Brisbane: Gold coast. Although close to one another physically the vibe and sceneries are far apart. But first a quick stop at paradise point, a cozy  local spot with families and birthday festivities all around a nice beach. 

While continuing further down the road we could spot Surfers paradise from afar. 

According to google maps there was an island close by so we followed our gut feeling and ended up in Southport. We were expecting a nice beach but instead got pleasantly surprised by a nice walk up to a lighthouse.

Shortly after walking along the soft sand on the beach I quickly realized this was in fact a dog beach.  The hounds were all over the place, running around, playing, fighting, barking and not a single one on a leash! For those who don’t know me, I rarely trust dogs (having been bitten twice) so I found it impossible to relax. But you know what, I’m happy the dogs get beach time too!

We only drove through busy Surfers paradise and ended up crossing the border over to New south wales leaving Queensland behind. Coolangatta is the first official spot beyond the state line. We arrived perfect for the sunset and watched the reddish sun go down from Snapper point.

The night was spent at hotel komune. Unbenounced to us our sleeping spot of choice happened to be the definition of a party hostel. Even though it was a Sunday,  music was blasting until 2 in the morning at the attached bar/club. Their “5 drinks for 10 dollars” is an attractive deal bringing loads of people who couldn’t care less about those having an early night. Our roommate was also an interesting story. A woman in her fifties but looking about half her age, complaining about the noise then telling us she’s been staying at the hostel for the past 15(!) years. She was also preaching all about her youth secret which happens to be having no kids. Thanks for the info! 

Second day, we went over to Burleigh heads! The reason we didn’t spend the night there was due to there being no hostels at all. Burleigh heads is the typical tourist  strip with fancy hotels only. Anyway, we went to the national park and once again enjoyed the views 🙂

Breathtaking hike in Burleigh heads

After our little hike  we had a picnic with another beautiful view!

One thing I found a bit disturbing though is the bush fires going on. What looks like a thick midst is actually smoke blowing in from the fires. You can even smell the strong scent of smoke especially at night..

Next up, hippie town Nimbin, Coffs harbour and Yamba