We anchored for one night in the river, and then moved to the marina where we felt incredibly humbled, surrounded by very large yachts. After getting Destiny snugged in to her berth we took a stroll down the boardwalk and along the beach into the surf club where we ordered lunch and watched Tiger Woods play golf at a tournament somewhere in Australia on the big screen. Even here, the cameras follow him as though he is the only one on the golf course.
Afterward, we walked further along the boardwalk passing trendy shops, attractive restaurants and hotels, constantly commenting that it reminded us of a mini Miami. Yes, this is definitely a very nice, and expensive place to play. The beaches are beautiful and inviting and although the surf looked frighteningly powerful, the water was chock full of swimmers and surfers. There were warnings on the message boards to watch for "bluebottles", which are little jellyfish type creatures that are referred to as the Pacific Man-o-war. The beach was littered with them but it didn't stop the bathers. It did stop us. So we walked and enjoyed the lovely weather and sights.
That night Endangered Species and Wind Pony arrived as I was getting some laundry done. We agreed to meet them at the yacht club for sundowners and then meet for dinner at – of all places – the Hogs Breath Saloon. They wanted a little flavor from home and we got it as we dined on succulent prime rib.
Saturday, Scott and Muriel Spencer drove up from Brisbane to visit us for a night. They took us to an awesome café called Thai Seasons. The tables are set up on an outdoor slab, which was once home to a shop that burned to the ground and the empty space is now used as additional dining area for Thai Seasons. It is rumored that the café had something to do with the fire – hmmm. The café itself is tiny but there must have been 100 diners packed into tables and chairs and a long queue to get in, with another long line of people awaiting take-out. The food is incredibly good and moderately priced. This place is definitely the spot!
Sunday morning we took Scott and Muriel out for a dinghy ride along the river, through the canals where opulent homes and sprawling waterfront estates sat like lonely monuments. Scott grew up here and told us that as a boy this was his playground, but back then it was primarily comprised of mangroves and sand beaches. The river and canals were his swimming holes, but are now swimming with bull sharks. Even since moving to Brisbane, this continues to be their family vacation playground. It was nice to be here with friends who know the lay of the land. Afterward we had a nice day at the beach, took a long walk, lunched at the surf club and then they left to return home.
Monday, Frank and I said goodbye to lovely Mooloolaba and continued south on a long one-day sail to Scarborough.
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