Early Morning
Roadtrip Gold Coast, Queensland. Australia
Australia has
thousands of kilometers of road linking countless bucket-list destinations and
every type of scenery you can imagine, and in Queensland there’s a roadie route
to suit every traveler. We take plenty of road trips and over the years we have
worked out that leaving home early morning best suits us. From the glistening
coastline to the cool hinterland hills, to wine country and rolling
countryside, we have had some epic adventures. It’s been on and off raining all
week, but we took a chance it cleared overnight for a quick rundown to the Gold
Coast. Clouds were hovering but it looked like gamble paid off.
Our first stop
was the 5km long Southport Spit, relatively undeveloped for now, sandy isthmus
starting at Main Beach and finishing at the seaway where Broadwater meets the
Pacific Ocean. Home to Sea World, 5 Star Resorts and some of the Gold Coast's
best dining and shopping the Seaway at The Spit has been voted as the best
place to fish on the Gold Coast with anglers reeling in year round hauls of
yellowtail, kingfish, whitehead and flathead. It's a pretty arduous place to
fish with strong currents and rocky conditions. The Sand Pumping Jetty is
another local favourite with the Summer and Spring being especially fruitful.
The Southport Spit
is a Dog Beach, and is located on the very north-most tip of the Gold Coast.
Dog lovers have a couple of options here; they can either hang out in a sizeable
cove on the Broadwater, or they are welcome to roam the sands on the tip of
Southport. This is one of the best dog beaches on the Gold Coast, so to help narrow
things down, be on the lookout for Muriel Henchman Avenue. This is where the
dog-friendly area begins.
Location: Muriel
Henchman Dr. to Seaway Wall, Seaworld Dr., Southport
After Shari (our
pup) had a good run and meet all the local dogs we headed to the sleepy banks
of Budds Beach for Breakfast at Bumbles. This café is a gorgeous place for a
quick breakfast and coffee and one of our favorites to drop into. The
atmosphere is so friendly and inviting; you can't help but linger here. The breakfast
menu offers classics (like Granola, corn cakes and bacon and eggs), something
special (like Ricotta hot cakes and smoked ocean trout) and dishes for under twelve’s
(pancakes, and bacon, eggs and toast). Many come to Bumbles for the range of
delicious cakes and sweets, which are in the window to greet you as you walk
in.
Bumbles Cafe, at
21 River Drive, Surfers Paradise, overlooks Budds Beach and has a distinctively
coastal vibe with its bright and quirky decor.
From Breakfast
we took the coastal road though Surfers Paradise onto Miami to Pizzey Park. Pizzey Park is
an off leash dog park in Mermaid Waters and one of Shari’s (or pup) favourite
places to run. Pizzey Park provides a welcome alternative to the dog friendly
beaches on the coast. It is forested and has a freshwater lake along with a
fenced in agility area for your dogs to enjoy. There is also a walking circuit
around the lake where you can join your pup in their exercise.
Pizzey Park is
located 24 Pizzey Dr, Mermaid Waters
Just around the
corner we dropped into Ambarella Fine Foods. This enclave of gourmand food and
drinks ensures an authentic paddock to plate experience with every visit. This
place blew us always when we found it by accident. While down the coast before
we head home we sometimes drop in and spent a pleasant time browsing the
butcher, deli, fishmonger plus poking around the gourmet groceries. Shopping at
Ambarella feels like you are shopping at the Gold Coast markets, except this
market-style supermarket is all under one roof.
Ambarella Fine
Foods is located 1 Santa Maria Court, Burleigh Waters
Tony and Kim
Outdoor Adventures acknowledge and pay respects to the people of the Yugambeh
language region of the Gold Coast and all their descendants both past and
present. We also acknowledge the many Aboriginal people from other regions as
well as Torres Strait and South Sea Islander people who now live in the local
area and have made an important contribution to the community.
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