I took the earliest flight in from Melbourne, at 6:30am. It was 2 degrees when I left, and when I arrived in the Gold Coast, I was greeted by perfect 20 degree sunny weather. Took the coach to the hotel, located right on Surfers Paradise. After handling everything I needed to do, I took a nap, and then went out to recon the place.
The group arrived the next morning, I followed the chartered coach to the airport and gathered the group. They were all in the 20s, thus, I knew it was gonna be a fun group. We stopped by Maccas for b'fast, then proceeded to Paradise Country Farm for a tour of Australian farms. I doubt the group liked the tour though, since they don't really understand english. :/
We went to Movie World the next day, and it was awesome. A few from the group decided to follow me around. The first thing I took them to was the "Lethal Weapon". It was an amazing ride. My fav, right in front of "Superman Escape" and "Batwing Spaceshot". I bought a few stuff from the stores after that. We had a blast in Movie World. Oh, and Catwoman is freaking hawt. ;)
We headed to "Catch a Crab" tour the next day. The group really enjoyed the boat cruise and food. Fresh crab, oysters, calamari, and fish. Very, very good food. After that, some wanted to check out the casino, so I arranged for them to be dropped off on the way back and they took a cab back later.
Nightlife was not part of the itinerary for the group, however, since they couldn't speak english, I felt responsible for making sure they had a good time at night, and didn't go back to Malaysia with the wrong impression of Gold Coast nightlife. Thus, I organized a party tour for them with Plan B Party Tours (make sure to check it out if you're ever there). They gave me a good rate and I told the group about it. 22 out of the 24 decided to come. They really had a good night. :)
They left the next morning on the 8:20am flight. Everyone made it on time for the coach. They had mentioned that they didn't want Maccas for breakfast again, so I arranged breakfast for them at the airport. Everything was smooth and easy. Warm goodbyes and waves were exchanged from the security checkpoint. I then realized that it was not just a group I took care of, but that we all had become friends.
I had the rest of the day by myself as my flight back to Melbourne was at 9:15pm. I chilled at Surfers Paradise, walked around, and explored even more. Ended up chilling by the beach, soaking up the sun, enjoying the breeze.
Surfers Paradise is Paradise indeed. Its name is justified. Prices were very reasonable, partying was cheaper than Melbourne, people were very friendly, girls were hawt, weather was perfect. They party everyday in Surfers and the music was awesome. The song that I came back with it stuck in my head was Turbulence by Laidback Luke, Steve Aoki, and Lil Jon. Epic, epic party song. :) When I left, I must admit I was a little sad. The Gold Coast reminded me of home. The laid-back, chilled, everyone-have-a-good-time feel. All in all, it was a great experience. I definitely will go back there for a real holiday trip. :)
take care,
~daN~
