Surfers Paradise

Early this morning we went to Toastmasters, with the theme of Steve Irwin, as it was Steve Irwin Day.   There were many recollections of Steve Irwin and his legacy for the protection of wildlife in Australia.    

We also spent time relaxing, in our new swim wear, at the swimming pool..      

Looking glamorous after our Toastmasters' meeting.

We were impressed with this male cycad, with its two flowers!

Then it was off to Surfers Paradise, which was filled with tourists and specialist shops.  

All that is left of the old Surfers Paradise Hotel is this name plate.

Now it is a shopping centre with a tower block behind it.    The days of sitting in the beer garden for hours, whilst sipping extra cold beer, is long gone.    It was demolished in 1983.  

Relaxing on a seat on the main street of Surfers Paradise.

The food shops are still there.   We did not try the hamburgers to see if they were as good as they were in 1966.  

The beach is still the same, although much reduced after the huge storm of 1966.    There were tourists everywhere on the streets, but not on the beach.    This is unlike the South of France where you have difficulty finding a spot to sit down on the beach.

You turn around from the beach and there are the high rise buildings, but not as bad as parts of France or Spain.

The meter maids are still there, but now they charge to have your photo taken with them.  A commercial enterprise.  Walter short cut the system by photocopying the back of the meter maids, thereby avoiding having to pay any money.    The original meter maids were employed by the Council to put money into the meters to stop people from getting parking tickets.

The foreshore - the sign is still the same, but no parking areas and no meters.

It is nearly time for the school leavers to come up to Surfers Paradise and let their hair down (so as to speak) so they have put up barricades for crowd control.  

A short visit to the area called Surfers Paradise, which is now quite different from the rest of the Gold Coast.    We managed to spend lots of money in the shops.   What's new!