SeaWorld …No 4 and the last Theme Park of this short holiday !
We set off for a 10 am entry to the SeaWorld Theme Park and took a ride in the Cable Car around the area to get a feel for it then onto the magical Dolphin Show and I’ve been around this ole world a bit and without exception this is THE best show I have had the pleasure to witness !! Next was a spin on the overhead monorail train .Jayne and Paul opted to go on the STORM ride whilst we child minded.Next was our turn to do the Log Flume in a Viking Boat and I still enjoy these rides !Through out the park various sea creature shows were held and lots of Pool touch areas for kids
From Wikipedia
Park history
Sea World is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, and theme park located on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It includes rides, animal exhibits and other attractions, and promotes conservation through education and through the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife.Sea World was founded by Keith Williams in 1958. It was originally known as the Surfers Paradise Ski Gardens, which presented “water ski shows that combined comedy, aqua ballet and action”. In 1971, the Surfers Paradise Ski Gardens moved to land on the Spit. Major dredging works were required to build the new ski lake. A year later, the Surfers Paradise Ski Gardens became known as Sea World with the introduction of dolphins, marine displays, a replica of the Endeavour, a swimming pool, licensed restaurant and gift shop. Extra additions over the next decade included the purchasing of competitor marine park, Marineland, and the transfer of animals and exhibits to Sea World as well as the addition of more shops and food outlets.
Wet n Wild Theme Park 3
Still surving the round of parks and this particular one is probably more suited to teenagers and young people,whilst I have no problem using water slides I do have aproblem going up all the steps.For kids there are a couple of well used features around to keep them happy.My daughter and her husband made full use of Grandparent skills as they opted to ride the more scary water tubes and slides !!Fod (as in all Surfers Paradise Parks is on the dear side BUT never the less we still indulged.We have ONE more park to sample tomorrow and that is IT !! Grankids Will and Charlie had a great time getting soaked !!
From Wikipedia
Wet’n’Wild Gold Coast opened on 30 September 1984 as Cade’s County Waterpark. The Herringe group of companies developed the park at a cost of A$18 million. The name was later changed to Cade’s County Wet’n’Wild, then simply Wet’n’Wild in 1987 after a licensing agreement was reached with chain of Wet ‘n Wild water parks overseas.Under ownership of Village Roadshow Theme Parks, the park changed its name to Wet’n’Wild Water World to match the related Sea World and Warner Bros. Movie World theme parks. In 2013, to distinguish the park from Wet’n’Wild Sydney, the park’s name was changed to Wet’n’Wild Gold Coast.
Movieworld Theme Park No 2
2 Theme Parks down 2 to go !! Today we visited the Movieworld Park approx 16 kms out of our hotel area in Surfers Paradise ! We managed to get lost in our hotel car park before heading off !The Park is themed around Warner Bros characters including Super heroes and Villains.Kids rides were very good for the young uns BUT the adult rides were so scary !! We tried a few and it will be the last time ever I personally do these rides !! Full on is the only way to describe the day as we never stopped walking.Shows included a great motorbike/car stunt event,4D theatre was around Lost Island with the effects and 3D glasses making the film more believable
From Wikipedia
Warner Bros. Movie World can be divided into four broad sections: Main Street, Kids’ WB Fun Zone, a wild west area and a DC Comics superhero hub.Main Street serves as the main entrance path for the park.It features many attractions that are based around movies and filmmaking including the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster and Hollywood Stunt Driver.The area is also home to a vast array of shows including the All Star Parade, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs – The 4D Experience, Marilyn tribute, Scooby-Doo Disco Discovery and Batman – Shadows of Gotham.Kids’ WB Fun Zone is the park’s children’s area themed after the Looney Tunes cartoons featured on Kids’ WB Australia.[44] It is located in the northern portion of the park and can be accessed via Main Street.Kids’ WB Fun Zone features a number of rides specifically designed for children including the Looney Tunes Carousel, Speedy Gonzales Tijuana Taxis and Yosemite Sam’s Railroad. The area is also home to a Vekoma Junior Coaster named the Road Runner Rollercoaster.A wild west themed area is located in the southern portion of the park.Its main attraction is the Hopkins Rides water ride named Wild West Falls Adventure Ride.A large show stage houses the Looney Tunes – What’s Up Rock? show while the Western Town Show Down show is performed outside.A DC Comics superhero hub is the final section of the park and is located towards the front of the park off Main Street. The area is home to three roller coasters (Arkham Asylum – Shock Therapy,Green Lantern Coaster and Superman Escape)
A Day in Surfers Paradise Queensland
Kids and grankids have gone off for the day SO me n Annie went for a stroll onto the Surfers Esplanade and we were treated to a sand sculpture exhibition and competition.Some of the exhibits were magnificent with sand builders coming from around the World.The fun doesn’t stop there, everyone is welcome to get in on the action with heaps of activities for families and children. Free daily sand sculpting workshops will run from 10am to 5pm every hour, as well as sand art and sand bottle making activities for a small fee.Plus, don’t miss the main attraction; a massive collaborative work that pits Australia against The World, as two teams battle it out over 4 days to sculpt the most popular piece in their interpretation of the main theme.Scantily clad meter maids were out in force and were lovely to see,the beach was in full swing with family’s having great fun all under the watchful eye of the famous Australian lifeguards that protect beaches all around this great country of ours .Surfers is situated around 350 kms from our home in Hervey Bay Some of the novelty shops are great to wander around,Annie was mesmerized by a CONDOM shop most shops are open on this Sunday and their are lots of eateries and pubs and I enjoyed looking at places including Draculas Den and Ripleys Believe it or Not ( bringing back memories of when I was a welder in Blackpool my home town when I was commissioned to construct and erect a Churchyard railing to go around some “strange” Tombstones !! Happy Days)
Annie is getting very competent at photography and those below are a tribute to her
Surfers Paradise Queensland & Theme Park No 1
We have travelled the 70 km South to Surfers and after getting lost (which is normal for me !) we are in our 18th floor hotel room Rest of the family is 9 floors below us and I have to say Hotel organization is terrible !! We booked 5 months ago and yet they put us floors away from each other ! Annie is currently discussing with management all things wrong in our rooms !! Never the less the views are spectacular and overlook the Ocean.Prior to this we spent the day at our first of FOUR Theme Parks DREAMWORLD.The day was full on and went all too quickly,granson Will was adventurous and took his ole grandad on a few ridesThe Log Flumewas great but a soaking came with it !! Food is of the fast variety and there is lots to do with all kinds of scary and not so scary rides !! I Loved the circular trai simply because I could sit and relax !! Roaming around the park was a variety of birds and giant lizards…
From Wikepedia
Dreamworld is a large theme park situated on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is currently. Australia’s largest theme park with over 40 rides and attractions including five roller coasters.The park is made up of several themed lands: Ocean Parade, DreamWorks Experience, Wiggles World, Gold Rush Country, Rocky Hollow, Tiger Island and the Dreamworld Corroboree. These lands have a collection of rides, animal exhibits, shows, food outlets and merchandise shops.Dreamworld is well known as the location of the Australian Big Brother House since the program began in Australia in 2001. In December 2006, Dreamworld expanded its offerings by openingWhiteWater World next door.On several occasions during the year, Dreamworld remains open after dark. This event, known as Screamworld, includes all of the thrill rides and a selection of children’s rides.
Before we left Brisbane we caught up with Nephew Jamie and his lovely wife Sheila
Brisbane Queensland
Although Brisbane is on a 3 hour drive from our home in Hervey Bay THIS is the first ever visit for us! We have met up with my daughter Jayne and her husband Paul along with our 2 Grand children Will (5) and Charlie (10 months) Although we have been here just one day I swear I have shrunk 6 inches with all the crippling walking !! The hotel (Festival Oaks Tower) is magnificent and the staff are very accommodating !! Our day of arrival was mostly spent at a unique sandy beach with chlorine water and lots of play areas for kids this feature is MAN made and built alongside the Brisbane river.All this is overseen by life guards perched on special made towers.Daytime Brisbane is buzzing in the CBD and littered with cafes that all serve great quality foods .Evening was spent with the family catching up on past news etc plus afew beers Day 2 was initially started by us walking miles looking for the free river ferry BUT the heat and walking became too much and we caught a Taxi to the Brisbane Planetarium and true to form,the Taxi driver got lost !! Still charged us tho for the trip !! Luck was changing and we arrived for a magnificent ceiling show of our stars and the universe.Will was enthralled with it all BUT had to asked tokeep quiet as his delight was heard by the rest of the audience. We had a quick break and in the cafe was treated to a large lizard underneath our table snoozing !! Returning by bus ( a LOT cheaper than Taxi) we arrived back at the hotel,donned bathers and jumped into the Spa followed by a swim in the excellent wet area provided by the hotel on the 4th floor !! The area was ideal even a BBQ was provided and for the more adventurous a fully equipped Gym ( I gave this a miss !!)Days end we baby sat the grankids while Daughter and husband had some private quality time doing a pub crawl
and a little on Brisbane from Wikipedia
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland, and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane’s metropolitan area has a population of 2.2 million and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred on Brisbane, encompasses a population of more than 3 million.The Brisbane central business district stands on the original European settlement and is situated inside a bend of the Brisbane River, approximately 23 kilometres (14 miles) from its mouth at Moreton Bay. The metropolitan area extends in all directions along the floodplain of the Brisbane River valley between the bay and the Great Dividing Range. While the metropolitan area is governed by several municipalities, a large portion of central Brisbane is governed by the Brisbane City Council, which is by far Australia’s largest Local Government Area by population. The demonym of Brisbane is Brisbanite. Brisbane is named after the river on which it sits, which in turn was named after Scotsman Sir Thomas Brisbane, the Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825. The first European settlement in Queensland was a penal colony at Redcliffe, 28 kilometres (17 mi) north of the Brisbane central business district, in 1824. That settlement was soon abandoned and moved to North Quay in 1825. Free settlers were permitted from 1842. Brisbane was chosen as the capital when Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony from New South Wales in 1859. The city played a central role in the Allied campaign during World War II as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur. Brisbane has hosted many large cultural and sporting events, including the 1982 Commonwealth Games, World Expo ’88 and the final Goodwill Games in 2001. As of 2008, Brisbane is classified as a Global city
Me and Fraser Coast Community FM Radio
The idea for a community radio or TV station was being bandied around in the late eighties by the likes of Henry Gay and other local personalities of the time.Eventually, someone placed an advertisement in the paper seeking expressions of interest to form a community radio station. I think it was Rob Bilson (from BBQ’s Galore), or Henry Gay who placed the ad and that resulted in the inaugural meeting which occured at the Neighbourhood Centre in mid 1991. From memory, Rob Bilson, Henry Gay, Janette Reakes and myself in attendance. There may have been one or two others but I don’t remember who they could be.I believe a few experimental transmissions were made before we gained a licence to test broadcast in August 1992. Those test transmissions occurred from a tiny section of an old building on the corner of Nissan St and Boat Harbour Drive (now Fraser Shores) with very basic equipment which was either on loan, donated or acquired by means we won’t mention. Weekend radio was born and (from memory) the late Hedley Hollingsworth, Mr Tudman, Graeme Ellis, Henry Gay, Kiley West and yours truly started gracing the airwaves under the technical guidance of the late Frank Dowse. The temporary broadcaster became known as Fraser Coast Community Radio and shortly thereafter became an incorporated body The station continued to grow in stature and many well known local personalities found themselves involved in one way or another. It was the pending development of Fraser Shores however that saw a hiccup in the system and the station became homeless for the first time. Thankfully Torbay came to the rescue with a temporary home and then, to give us a more permanent feeling, Mayor Fred K. suggested that we share a building with them, still in Torbay and directly opposite Council Chambers.Weekend test transmissions continued until December 1997 when the ABA granted a full time temporary licence. The station’s full licence was finally granted in September 1999.Haunted by the lack of a permanent home the station had two more temporary addresses. The latter became extremely temporary being destroyed by fire and leaving the station without a home and off the air for over a year until the council came to the rescue by providing our current site at 30 Halcro Street. Fraser Coast FM 107.5 has always prided itself in the belief that the station is a valuable part of the community. Run totally by volunteers, it strives to provide ongoing entertainment whilst, at the same time, give support to all community groups and events, local and Australian talent, as well as offer a live source of information on day to day happenings within the region. The station’s standing within the community was very evident by the tremendous support provided by the people of the Fraser Coast who rallied to help put Fraser Coast FM 107.5 back on air after the loss of everything in a devastating fire.Over time Fraser Coast FM 107.5 has become an integral part of our community with a volunteer base of dedicated members determined to provide a valuable and needed service within the bounds of the Fraser Coast.
Who,d a thowt it !!
Started work for St Vincent de Paul recently (only 1 day a week) and Annie does 2 days a week (she has been there for a while)and I am amazed at the amount of stuff that is given to this charitable organization !! Some of it is new and takings per year are very high.Although I known about St Vincents ( Vinnies) I didn’t realise it was Catholic
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Born: April 24, 1581, Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Landes, France
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Died: September 27, 1660, Paris, France
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St. Vincent de Paul was a priest of the Catholic Church who dedicated himself to serving the poor. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. He was canonized in 1737.SO the next time you throw rubbish away? give the good stuff to St Vinnies
2013 Reviewed
WOW !! what a fantastic year and it has gone oh so very quickly ! The year started with floods all around this area with Bundaberg getting swamped with exceptionally heavy rainfall (around 100kms from where we are and although we had the rain NO flooding due to excellent drainage) on a positive we had a visit from Anns son Adam and his lovely wife Issy and hopefully they enjoyed the stay (they opted for sleeping in the motorhome in order to get a “feel” for future camper investments) February we head of around Australia once more with the added very pleasant visit to my daughters home in Perth WAand she surprised us all with our new granson Charlie ! Annie caught up with her daughters and son and was also introduced to her new daughters partnerAlong the way we crossed the Nullabor and played the 1365 km long 18 hole golf course .We saw all kinds of animals on our travels and a very unusual sight of cows dissecting an old rotting cow carcass ! We called into one of our favourite places Exmouth Ranges and stayed a couple of weeks ,even had my fishing rod stolen by a wayward fish !! probably in the middle of the Indian Ocean by now !! I had cause to use Karrathas emergency Hospital because of a HUGE boil that developed under my eye (staff were fantastic) On this trip we decided to tow our car and initially it was a veritable pain “hooking” it up !! Now we are experts ! All places visited are explained in more detail on my previous Blogs.After we arrived back it didn,t take long to get itchy feet so we have now joined The Suncoasters motorhome group ( it is mandatory for 3 visits before membership) and we are now fully fledged members and have been given the task of organizing a meeting for June 2014,should be an interesting challenge Meetings are held 3rd week in every month and gets us away for a few days (the group are great pals now) Anns brother John came for a visit from Adeaide and stayed a weekkgiving us a chance to visit Fraser Island (just a short ferry trip) August we once again signed for a trip into the heart of Australia via the Strzlecki Track to Birdsville ( for the annual horse races) and would last around 8 weeks .We had lotsa minor problems with most trekkers having burst tyres,we didn,t ! BUT had a Turbo Hose blow and cost around $800 to fix!we would NOY have missed this brilliant trip tho and once again met some great people ( and the odd miserable one !) The ambience around open camp fires etc was something to remember. After being home for a couple of weeks we went off to an annual Motorhome Rally in Narrabri,I appeared on stage with Elvis,Annie and myself won separate Yabbi races and have Cups to remind us ! (Rallies are held twice in a year and average around 1200 vehicles in attendance) Once again after being at home we left for our Xmas and New year Cruise via Beijing,Vietnam,Cambodia,Thailand and finally Singapore having a great time and meeting up with a great group of people .Altogether 2013 was Fantastic and hopefully 2014 will be as good
Watch me play Didgeridoo
Geoffs Life After Work ! 