Steppin off the rock

On Saturday, 30th June David and I flew out to BrisVegas to assist with Duane starting at the Gold Coast Institute of TAFE. He didn't want us to go so he flew out on Tuesday 3rd July!! Nonetheless, by the end of the ten days I believe he had found us useful!

 Saturday night at the Chiffley on Queen Street, and a Sunday morning stroll found an exhibition of latin dancing happening in the Mall.

 Chel's joined us and we spent a wonderful couple of hours cruising the Mall and people watching.

 Always an incredibly enjoyable pastime for me. I love watching humanity.

 A visit to the Queen Street Flea Market where we had tremendous fun. Talk about What's one man's trash is another man's treasure!  I decided that I could probably hold my very own Flea Market with all of my hoardings. But how would I let them go?

 Chel's and Dids' wondering where on earth I'd gotten to

 Photographing suitcases of course. 

 We then found a gorgeous little Chinese eating house. The menu was a huge book, filled with beautiful pictures. I thought it would make a great gift for some of Dids greedy little friends!

 Refuelling before the serious shopping starts.

 Thomas joined us in the evening and we all went to Gilhouley's for dinner.

 He and Chel's had alot to say. Nothing worth listening to of course. He was off to Dubai the next morning, and then on to Ireland.

 Chel's and I visited the Queensland Art Gallery and saw an exhibition of paintings loaned from the Prado, the famous Art Gallery in Madrid, Spain, which I have been privileged to visit on several occasions.

Won't mention the time that I was lectured by the Policia for falling asleep on a park bench outside the Prado! Oh dear. Oh well.

 Then an exhibition by contemporary women of Australia.  This was magnificent. There was a display ~ and these photos certainly don't do it justice ~ of a tree made out of multi coloured pieces of wool, wrapped around this and that. You could walk through the trunk. There were notebooks and letters attached; granny's shawl; a baby's cover. Stunningly amazing. If I miss out on anything living on NI, it's the opportunity to go to Art Galleries and Theatres. 

 This was the first trip that Dids and I had been on together for fourteen years. We'll have to do it more often. Chel's and I can go to the Galleries and he and Duane can escort each other around BrisVegas!

 Me posing beside the river as we come out of the Gallery. Chelsea of course had stopped to talk to an old man sitting on a park bench and his little dog!

 I was delighted to find a Croc's store that was displaying some shoes for Dids. At least a metre long. Much laughter enjoyed ~ by Chel and I anyway

 We had stayed in the apartment of a wonderful friend, but spent the last two nights at Jupiter's Casino. Such fun, and a wonderful room. Here's three out of my four precious ones, standing on the balcony

 ...and this is the view!

 I stood outside on the balcony and just clicked in a 360

 extreme right..

 .. moving left ..

.. and some more ..

.. and continuing, round to the Jupiter's sign on the Casino wall

  Chel's doing the return favour. Ta Baby

 

Dids checking out the view of Surfer's Paradise and comparing it to two islands and Emily Bay. Hi tal Norf'k winet haens daun!

I'm on the balcony, now taking internal photos

I have a fascination of hotel rooms, and quite like this one

which, had we spent more time in it, we could have relaxed in the loung! Unfortunately we were driving round and round like flies in a bottle, getting things to set Duane up and things Chelsea needed. Oh yeah. Did I mention our shopping?

Then caught the monorail from Jupitor's to Surfer's Shopping Centre - where the real fun begain. What shoes?

Dids took the kids to The Hog's Breath Cafe  for dinner and then Chel insisted we walked along the Marina. Dids and I got a quarter of the way and decided it was too darned cold, so I took a photo of Dids with the lights of Surfers and the Marina in the background ~ and got back into the car

Dids and the handy little camry. Huge boot. Which we needed every minute of every day

The Gold Coast Institute of TAFE where Duane will be spending the next year or so, taken from the top of Australia Fair Shopping Centre, which I got to know so well

Leaving the apartment ~ huge thanks to the owner ~ and Dids all rugged up. Pretty darn chilly in BrisVegas in July

Sweet Humma shouted us a coffee, so we had breakfast and took a snap to show her just how much we enjoyed it!

En daas daa. Fantastic to see you Chels. Hopefully, we'll see you again pretty soon.