Australian Adventure: Week 46, June 4-10, 2023

We have had a busy week exploring the Gold Coast with Paisley!

On Sunday, Webster and Paisley did a surf lesson at Currumbin Alley on the Gold Coast. They both rocked it and looked like professionals out on the waves! Afterwards, we got a true Aussie lunch at the beachfront sausage sizzle supporting the surf live saving club.

On Monday, we started our morning at Bam Bam Bakehouse with a delicious breakfast!

Then, we walked along the beach in Surfers Paradise looking for shells.

Then, we went to another beach to catch some surf!

Later that night, we spent some time at the casino! Paisley won $10 in free credit and cashed out with $9! Woohoo!

On Tuesday, Paisley and Webster spent the day at Warner Brothers Movie World theme park. Movie World is Australia's biggest theme park with rides, slides & experiences featuring movie stars and DC Super Heroes.

I spent the day writing my last (and final!) exam.

On Wednesday, we celebrated my birthday at Australia Zoo! We spent the day listening to keeper talks, walking around the zoo, and soaking up the sunshine.

Later that night, we met up with some friends in Brisbane for our weekly trivia game at Saccharomyces Beer Cafe. It was a great way to end my big day!

On Thursday, we had a quiet day with lots of time at the beach. Webster went surfing, we laid in the sand and enjoyed the sunshine.

In the afternoon, we had fun playing “fun world” Putt-Putt with characters like Humpty Dumpty, Minions, and a unicorn.

On Friday, we went to the iconic Byron Bay! Byron Bay is a coastal town in the southeastern Australian state of New South Wales. It’s a popular holiday destination, known for its beaches and surfing. Between June and November, humpback whales can be spotted from headland viewpoints as they migrate North for the summer. We started our morning at The Farm, a locally owned farm-to-table experience with organic homemade food. We had a great breakfast, and then walked around the farm.

Afterwards we headed up to Cape Byron Lighthouse to spot humpback whales. We were lucky to see ten pods of whales swimming along the shore. It was quite the show they were putting on, splashing, and making lots of noise.

We spent the afternoon lounging on the beach in Byron, reading, throwing a frisbee around, and swimming in the blue water.

On Saturday, we had lunch at Two Yolks - the best rated burger restaurant in Burleigh Heads. It was delicious!

Then, in the afternoon, we spent some time at the beach. Of course, Webster went surfing!

That night, we had Carter and Sam over to celebrate my birthday with a dinner of appetizers! It was a great end to the celebration of Katie :)

This week we are heading out for a snorkelling day-trip, Paisley is going to Sydney, and we are going to a Brisbane Lions AFL game. Thanks for following along with the blog - see you next week!

A Note From Katie - My Birthday Fundraiser When I was in grade eleven I had the opportunity to travel to Kenya on a mission trip. It was the experience of a lifetime that reinforced my love for education. When I was there we spent our time with the community building a school and understanding local culture. This summer, Webster and I are returning to Kenya. We will be visiting a local school run by my 2014 trip group leader. Tobi is providing life changing education for 110 students. For my birthday this year, I am asking for donations to support the community at Encheshoroi Dreamers Academy in Kenya. I will use any funds donated to buy what the school needs most right now: -Books -Pencils -Pens -Chalk -Soccer Balls -Basketballs -Volleyballs I was going to launch a GoFundMe but that means 3% + $0.30 processing fee will be taken from each donation. In this case, where every dollar makes a difference, I would appreciate monetary donations that I can use to purchase the supplies needed. I would be happy to share photos of receipts and the supplies I purchase. I wish I could take in-kind donations, but unless you’re in Brisbane, that might be hard to coordinate. Please send me a message if you would like to donate and we can make a plan together. Thanks everyone!