Big
List of things not really needed (so far) whilst in Australia.
Sun cream. Swim wear. Sun hats. Shorts. Dresses. Sun glasses. Flip flops.
We're hoping that that will change for our final weekend in Australia. The signs are good. Weather apps and reporters alike talk of a hot weekend. Will I soon be complaining of the heat? Probably, knowing me.
Last night was determined to show no hint of finer things to come. The winds blew and the rain hammered all night. And then, when we had packed up ready to leave, the sun came out. We said goodbye to the slightly alternative/eccentric, arty, friendly owner of our air bnb and were on our way in our little car again.
It was an easy journey straight to Brisbane today, where we would be reuniting with my cousin, Joy, and this time, her husband, Ron, who has returned from the high seas.
We decided to complicate our journey by going via Tamborine Mountain.
We had no idea what it was like, we just liked it's name. Please note there is no U in tamborine. At no point were we threatened by tambourines or any other percussion instrument, come to that. In that respect, at least, we were safe. The biggest threat to our saftey was trying to coax a hopelessly underpowered Hyundai up the relentlessly steep incline for a few miles to reach the top.
Perhaps it's driving a small car which underlines the impression that there are many aspects of Australia that are very big. Australia is pretty big for a start. After flying and driving on it for a month, we will have covered a little bit of the bottom right-hand corner. Then there are the cars. A great many cars are called 'Utes'. These are what we would call pick-ups. They usually have four doors and a back seat but then a big open space behind, useful for suitcases, bikes, fridges, ladders, fullsize snooker tables etc. Mind you, their lorries are another story. They are pretty well never as short as ours and often twice the length or longer. I imagine reversing a double articulated vehicle is a bit of a no no. But I do like seeing their lorry cabs. Enormous creations with the motor stuck out the front, not tucked away under the driver's seat. These creations stir my ancient yearning to be a lorry driver...
Then there are the beards. I suppose they, like everything else in Australia, have the opportunity to spread out and enjoy the ample space. We have witnessed some truly impressive beardage which you could probably lose a possum in for a few days.
Tamborine mountain was big too. When the car eventually panted and wheezed its way to the top, we found an entire town up there. You could, it seems, spend your entire life up there, as the infrastructure boasted schools, libraries, emergency services, shops and - as luck would have it - coffee shops. We went to a coffee shop which was called Tamborine Mountain coffee shop, imagining that we would get some views. It was a lovely place but no big views across the hinterland. I asked a waiter where the top of the mountain was and she replied, rather incredulously, that we were on it. To be fair, when I asked where you could get the views, she was very helpful - as they always are.
Ten minutes later, we were drinking in impressive views to the west, which showed distant mountain ranges and rims of volcanoes past. We wished we could have stopped on the way up, though, because we glimpsed incredible views to the east including the high rises of Gold Coast and ultimately, the sea.
And so to Brisbane, thus completing our loop which has taken in parts of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. We dropped our car off, glad to get it back in one piece with no more dents or scratches to add to its already considerable repertoire, and Ron and Joy picked us up.
That marks the end of the unknown and it was good to walk the coast with Joy (and joy) as the light faded and return for dinner and pool.
This time, I 'took on' Ron at pool. No amount of bravado, bluster or posturing prevailed. I lost all three games. My mission is to beat him just once before our time is up.
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