My latest trip to the sun washed cities of the Gold Coast and Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, taught me that people are at the heart of your every visit to every place.
They are, in many ways, the ones who breathe life into a place so you can taste a little more of life.
People are the ones who get a place running again after devastating floods. Robert Friedler of Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary told me that the sanctuary was inundated by 13 meters of water when a flood washed over sections of Brisbane.
“Three enclosures — the koala, wombat and reptiles — were shut due to damage. The cafe also had an inch of water,” he told The Jakarta Post.
However, sanctuary staff took the animals to higher ground and spent weeks cleaning and rebuilding the parts that were affected by the flood, he said.
Thanks to this work, the sanctuary has reopened its doors so you can hug a koala, hand feed the kangaroos and, for the less squeamish, hold up a baby crocodile to feel its amazingly soft underside.
People are also the ones who put creativity and energy in turning a wild rainforest into a place where you can walk between and above ancient trees.
The Tamborine Rain Forest Skywalk was born after the Moore family erected 30-meter cantilevers to support a 40-meter-long bridge that snakes through the trees on Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast’s hinterland.
With these sturdy steel bridges, you can now walk among 8-meter-high deciduous figs and giant strangler vines. The neat, spacious and graveled paths on the slopes make it easy for parents to push their toddlers in strollers for a cool outing in nature, just like the family I met along the way.
“The rainforest should be fun and interesting. We try to present it that way. When people enjoy it, conservation and respect for it will follow,” Skywalk general manager Brendan Moore said.
People and their personalities can also define a place. Michael Ward is proof of that. Michael, who would make a good Santa Claus with his wild, white beard, runs the Tamborine Mountain Distillery with his family.
He greeted me with a buoyant hello when I arrived and spoke jovially about the homemade, award-winning liquors, vodkas and various other drinks he crafted.
Michael’s wife Alla concocted the recipes for these drinks, which taste wonderfully like the fruits they were made of, like the Lemon Myrtle Leaf Vodka. She also hand painted some of the bottles with floral motifs, turning each into a collector’s item.
Another place that exemplifies how people bring a worthy place into existence is the Skypoint observation deck — with 1,303 tons of glass and aluminum — perched atop the 77th and 78th floors of the Q1 Building in Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast’s suburb famous for its beach culture.
Skypoint is fully enclosed with glass panels so you can view Surfers Paradise in its breathtaking entirety, from the scintillating blue waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing on the beach to the posh villas that line the waterfront.
Natasha McNamara, Skypoint's PR executive, said that the best time to visit is during sunset. This is when the sun casts orange hues as it sinks beyond the horizon. Sunset is also when Skypoint kicks up its entertainment a notch, especially on weekends.
“As the sun sets over the Gold Coast, each Friday and Saturday from 8 p.m. SkyPoint transitions from a fabulous day venue into a chic bar with smooth beats spun by local and international DJs,” Natasha said.
Ardent Leisure group, which runs Skypoint, also runs Dreamworld recreation park, where you can get adrenaline shooting through your veins, including those in your head, with their rides.
“Dreamworld has a number of record breaking rides. One is the Giant Drop — the tallest vertical free-fall ride in the world. We also have the Tower of Terror II, which is amongst the world’s top five fastest rides,” Natasha said.
In the Tower of Terror you will be strapped to a car that shoots 100 meters skyward up a J-shaped ramp to send you hurtling back down 161 kilometers per hour into a 206 meter tunnel.
People and the work they do far from the sight of visitors also make a noteworthy difference. Jamie Giddens, the publicity and promotions executive of Seaworld, told me that all their staff and animal handlers were certified animal husbandry and marine scientists.
“This is why we have one of the best breeding programs of anywhere in the world,” he said.
A knowledgeable staff is not only good for the animals but also the visitors. I had a good time watching the fish detective show and the dolphin show, where the animals charmed me with their antics while their handlers filled me in on the threats like illegal fishing that these animals face in the wild.
However, a kind of fishing that will not hurt any animal can be found at Tweed River with the Catch-a Crab tour operators. Before I went fishing I had to find some bait by going yabbie pumping. Yabbie pumping means that you have to wade waist deep near mangroves to pump up wet sand where the yabbies, a species of tiny, nearly transparent shrimp, live. Given my skills, I caught one yabbie and a few smaller fish.
Another place where operators share their love for nature with guests is Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island. Tangalooma is a one and a half hour catamaran ride from Brisbane, but is worlds apart from the bustling capital city. For one, there are hardly any vehicles as the island is made of nothing but sand.
Once again, it is the staff who love nature that will leave you with a love for nature. Marine biologists will accompany you on tours such as whale watching.
Bird’s view: The Tamborine Rain Forest Skywalk snakes through the trees on Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast’s hinterland.Courtesy of Tamborine Forest Skywalk“This ensures that all people who partake in these activities gain a full understanding of the environment they are in,” Tangalooma Island director David James said.
Tangalooma organizes whale watching cruises during whale season from June to November. Unfortunately, I came during the wrong season, but I did get to feed wild dolphins that came close to shore at night. It was the first time I heard the cries of dolphins coupled with crashing waves, sounds which resonated in my soul.
After all, these fine mammals represent the human spirit in abo-riginal folklore.
Tangalooma wrapped up my Australian vacation, as it was time to go back to Jakarta.
As sad as it was to leave, I learned the importance of losing yourself in your vacation and letting yourself enjoy what the hustle of city life does not allow you to.
It is also the best way to show appreciation to those who work hard to make your visit a memorable one. Because, like what the dolphins symbolize, we too need balance in life.
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