Rainbow Bay Surf Club

29/06/201729/06/2017

Surf Life Saving Clubs are an iconic landmark scattered around the Australian coast line.

In Queensland some of the best locations to eat over looking the surf are in surf clubs.

By far my favourite is Rainbow Bay Surf Club which over looks the infamous Snapper Rocks. Snapper, as it is known by locals, hosts the annual World Surf League Quicksilver Pro and Roxy Pro.

The QuickSilver Pro has been drawing the world’s best surfers for years, and my all time fav Kelly Slater carves up the waves only meters in front of you! Definitely worth going down to watch if you are around Late February, early March.

At other times of the year, it is still worth drifting down to the southern end of the Gold Coast to have lunch at the Rainbow Bay Surf Club.

The food at this surf club is OK. It’s a kin to a good counter meal. Most the surf clubs are similar. Rainbow does offer lunch time specials so for a reasonable price you can grab a beer and feed, or wine and feed overlooking one of Australia’s most amazing ocean views from which to eat above.

These are “clubs” but visitors are welcome. You will be asked to sign in on arrival or join, which is a nominal fee of around $5.

The Best 24 hours visiting Fishhouse, Rainbow Bay & Kiva Spa

25/04/201625/04/2016

The last 24 hours have been superb. So relaxing, so decadent and wonderfully fun.

My friend came to stay with me last week and seeing as we have both been working a lot we decided to have a mini holiday.

We headed off for an amazing dinner at my GC fav: Fishhouse in Burleigh Heads. From the minute you enter the service and experience is everything you would hope for in a five star restaurant.

Bread made fresh, clean wines and an extensive list and the BEST seafood in town.

I settled on my favourite seafood, scallops, for entree and a fish I had never heard of for dinner. I will have to go back and write a full review as this doesn’t do it justice!

A lazy sleep in, then off to Rainbow Bay Surf Club for remarkable views and an excellent $10 lunch! I had sea trout, chips and salad and my friend has whiting, chips and salad. A great meal and worth it just for the views.

To finish off a magnificent short break, we head to the Kiva Spa in Mullumbimby.

Timid at first (neither of us had been there before) we pushed through our anxieties and were greeted by a romantic escape that felt like a week.

We both agreed our massages were the best – leaving us in a semi comatosed state, and then we drifted around the bath house, in and out of hot tubs, plunge pool, steam room and the magnificent fire sauna. I couldn’t take photos (cameras not allowed) but the memories you take from your trip are all that are needed.

We needed to “earth” ourselves before driving back to reality so headed to the Mullum pub. Or correctly the Middle Pub.

Middle Pub Mullum — Photos of early Mullumbimby

Established in 1904 the pub has a lot of character and interesting things to look at. Period photos of the last turn of the centre, beautiful stainless glass images and funky furniture. The wine went down even better.

Truly relaxing and a wonderful way to round of a min 24 hour holiday on the Gold Coast.

The Quicksilver Pro on the Gold Coast

21/03/201621/03/2016

With squeals of delight I tell my friends tonight if they want to catch up this weekend (and I hope they do), I will be planted down at Snapper Rocks watching the Quicksilver Pro Surfing Competition.

In my mind, one of the best spectator, must-see-events of any sporting or outdoor event.

You literally stand in thigh deep water as the best surfers in the world surf past you (on one of the best breaks in the world). It all comes together for me as a happy blurr. I haven’t missed a year and each year I adore and respect it more than the year before.

This year it feels over in a heart beat and I am so glad that I make the decision to go down every day regardless and start work late.

Quciky pro — Matt Wilkinson at Quicksilver Pro (Heat)

Aside from the final day, the weather was perfect and the waves sublime.

These are some pictures of years gone past….