Earlier in the year, only a few days after our Adelaide trip, we were off again and this time we were flying to Queensland to catch up with a few friends. It was a super quick four night venture with us spending two nights with Luke’s childhood best friend and his wife (as we missed their wedding while we were in Europe!) and then two nights with some friends Luke made while playing WoW, and ended up being our wedding photographer – (because he is bloody brilliant!)

After a million delays leaving Melbourne, we finally landed at Coolangatta Airport at around 11pm, and then it was the fun task of running after our friends’ car as they drove through the airport as the traffic was insane. We were all unbelievably tired so it was a quick shower and then bed as the next day was a busy one with us doing a roadtrip to hit a few spots. 

First stop on our road trip was driving from Nerang to Cabarita Beach to see where they grew up, and then a quick stop at Hastings Point to check out the amazing views. Then, we were on a hunt to find where Crystal Castle was as I have wanted to go there for some years but have never had the time or headed that far south when in Queensland before. After we arrived we saw that it was $35 EACH to enter so Nicole and I went in and as the boys aren’t into crystals, they went on a hunt for a waterfall that was a few kms away – I will post more about Crystal Castle in another post, think it deserves one just for itself!   

After a relaxing wander through the Crystal Castle grounds, and sipping on a few kombuchas waiting for the guys to get back to pick us up, we heading towards Byron Bay – another bucket list item! 

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On the way, we stopped at ‘The Farm’ which is apparently a place everyone visits when going to Byron Bay and was a cute little farm with pigs, chickens, bee hives and a cafe. 

Soon we were back on the road and were met with ridiculous traffic as we headed in to Byron Bay – maybe they all were there as the Hemsworth brothers were all in town?! – and after driving around the streets, we headed towards Cape Byron Lighthouse. 

If you do venture to Byron Bay, this is a must visit – and again, this will all be included in a lot more detail in a future post  – and take the walk to the most easterly point of Australia, it is a fair hike but worth it! 

After fighting through traffic to get back out of Byron, we headed back to Nerang to play some board games and pre-drinks before dinner at Emerald Lakes Golf Course in Carrara. Dinner was spot on, drinks were great and the view over the course at night was magical. 

The next morning, we quickly went for a quick breakfast at Elk Espresso in Broadbeach and then we were off to catch the train to Brisbane at 10am as Luke was playing cricket with his other mate and a few of his friends. The train to Brisbane was very easy to access, and was a quick 1 hour trip on clean and open carriages. If on the Gold Coast and need a way to get to Brisbane, I would highly recommend the train! 

Once we arrived, we were picked up and quickly taken back to our mates house so Luke could get changed and as Luke and Richie left, Yen and I headed to the outlets for a spot of shopping! 

That night we all went to a fantastic Turkish restaurant, Caravanserai and went with the recommendation of the Sublime Platter for Two and WOW! One of the best meals I have ever had, the food was incredible, and the homemade Turkish Lemonade was next level. If in Brisbane, this is a must visit! 

The next morning, Luke and I were up early to catch a bus in to Brisbane CBD to kill some time during the day as our friends were both working. We managed to walk along the Brisbane River, visit the Queensland Museum and see a few exhibits, checked out Southbank, the Wheel of Brisbane and much, much more! 

After a bus ride home, for our final night, we were treated to amazing freshly made bread, and a delicious roast. The next day, we managed to fit in a trip out to the famous Yatala Pies before we were to head back home (with even more delays!) for a couple of nights before our next trip to Mt Gambier. I will be posting upcoming blogs covering Crystal Castle, Byron Bay and Brisbane in more details over the next few weeks, so stay tuned for those!