Gold Coast: Winter Getaway

In the winter months, everyone's thoughts seem to turn to holidays. What could be better than relaxing somewhere in the sun, rather than working somewhere in the cold? It's almost as though, to survive the cold and grey, we need a goal of warmth and light to work towards. Even if it's just a temporary sojourn.

Low tide at Surfer's Paradise Beach

This year, my parents and I met for a June long weekend in the Gold Coast. Uncharacteristically, the region was experiencing fairly consistent rainfall - so it wasn't exactly the sunny paradise we'd anticipated. Nonetheless, the temperature was a solid 10 degrees warmer than in Melbourne, so I was still happy. And, as it turns out, moody weather makes for better beach photos.

We mainly wandered between Surfer's Paradise, Broadbeach and the Nerang River, at one point ascending the popular SkyPoint building to visit its observation deck.

Inviting walkway to Surfer's Paradise Beach

View towards Surfer's Paradise Beach from our holiday apartment

Sun breaking through the clouds

Solitary runner

Surfer's seagulls congregating at night

Seagulls and shadows in the sand

Lifeguard hut on the Esplanade

Edward Hopper-esque

Nerang River

View over the Nerang to Surfer's

Looking north towards Main Beach from SkyPoint

Tourists

Looking south towards Broadbeach from SkyPoint
(Nerang River on the right)

Moody beachy reflections

Tourists on Surfer's Paradise Beach at low tide

Hana

Want Melbourne Patron blog posts delivered straight to your inbox? Click the "Subscribe" button at the top of this page and follow the simple instructions. Magic! Hana Restaurant A seafood tribute to Hawaii in Melbourne - with cocktails One day in the middle of Melbourne winter, I went looking for Hairy Canary. I remembered a long, dark venue with cocktails, somewhere on Lt Collins. In its place, I found Hana (212 Lt Collins Street, Melbourne), a new restaurant I'd read about but hadn't realised it had replaced the long-standing Canary. I was intrigued, because HALLELUJAH, here was a new restaurant in Melbourne that was NOT yet another fried/slow-cooked/smoked/overdone tribute to Americana. Though technically still American, Hana celebrates and proffers the exotic flavours of Hawaii. Which basically means a lot of fish. Which is good. Because fish is good for you. And delicious. So anyway, cut forward a few weeks to when my equally-foodie-friend is...

The Lui Bar

In my opinion, some places are simply better experienced than described. This post features many photos which hardly do The Lui Bar (Level 55, Rialto Towers, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne) justice, because no matter how many pictures I show you or words I write about it, there is just nothing like viewing Melbourne from 55 floors up, handcrafted cocktail in hand, listening to jazz. Albert Park Lake and beyond, from The Lui Bar The Lui Bar stems off Shannon Bennett 's revered restaurant Vue De Monde , the degustation meal of which is absolutely on my bucket list. The restaurant was moved to the Rialto site in 2011, and its adjoining bar has also been making waves ever since. Iconic in location, the venue not only occupies the top level of what was, in 1986, the tallest building in Melbourne and the Southern Hemisphere at 251 metres, but offers spectacular city views of up to 60 kilometres on a clear day. Even the Eureka Tower , currently Melbourne's tallest buil...

Flower Drum

In a hospitality scene as ever-changing as Melbourne's, it's impressive when any venue manages to continue trading for longer than a few years. To be given the label 'institution' or 'iconic' is high praise indeed, since it is so hard to come by. Some might say Pellegrini's is a Melbourne institution ( I don't love it myself ), or perhaps The European , or a classic music venue like the Palais Theatre or the Espy . Rarer yet is an Asian restaurant afforded the title of a Melbourne 'institution'. And yet this is a badge that Flower Drum (17 Market Lane, Melbourne) has retained since its debut 40 years ago. Flower Drum (also a traditional Chinese dance) was opened in 1975 by Gilbert Lau at a site on Little Bourke Street, aiming to bring quality Cantonese food to the Australian masses. Ten years later it moved to its current home, and head chef Anthony Lui was appointed. Lui remains head chef today, and in 2003 also became part-owner along ...

Melbourne Patron

Search This Blog