Broadbeach

We almost made it to 4:00 AM today. Almost. It meant we had plenty of time to pack and get organized before we took off for the Gold Coast. Before we left, we had time to wander around the Roma Parklands. According to the signs, it is the world largest metropolitian subtropical park. I can vouch that there is not one larger in Des Moines. It was a very beautiful park with nice walking trails, water features, and lots and lots of tropical looking plants. Unfortunatly there was no playground, but we did get some steam run off Molly before jumping on the shuttle.

The ride from Brisbane to Broadbeach was like any interstate drive on the wrong side of the road. As we approached Surfers

Paradise, the driver started pointing out the

rides at the various amusement parks. Surfers Paradise was the first stop and everyone but us got off there. Broadbeach is just a short stroll down the beach from Surfers Paradise, but it seems to be very distinct community. Surfers Paradise was full of tourist shops, night clubs, and fast food places. Broadbeach seems to have more upscale restuarants and shopping and is less dense. Appearantly, this

is where Australian families holiday.

The Meriton is a very ultra modern highrise of serviced apartments. Our room, 2511, is huge and very Euro modern. There is a full kitchen, two baths, two bedrooms, an eating area, and living room. The best part is a wrap-around deck that looks off to the mountains, but also has a partial view of the beach. We could get very used to this.

After getting settled in, we walked over to the convention center and formally register for the Games and then picked up some snacks, wine, cheese, and crackers. After a dip in the pool and some wine and cheese, we were all ready for bed. We did not see a platypus today.