Wide Eyed Wander-Ment

Under the radar Gold Coast Style

knoxknoxrocks — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 07:59:00 GMT

I'm sitting at my favorite morning spot in Mermaid beach. A lot has happened since Brisbane:

Donna and Jace tour of Brizzie

chest pain

amazing tour guide in donna. Te city is unlike any other i have ever seen. Oeople can swim and rock climb aling the canal at lunch. It's like brizzies are living in a botanical garden full time. Even on rainy day its..gorgeous.

chest buggin out

and then:

fresh juice and Breakie(breakfast) fish and chips, meat pie a lot of laughing and kindness

chest pain

started on second day here and progressively got worse as i overtook the Gold Coast by riding 14 miles on bike and running many miles. Back from

Briz and then straight to doctor in mall. Yes mall. Very nice digs i might add and everyone in the office was at least 70 and damn fit looking.

doctor- is it my heart- dont think so- ECG to check-

nurse- get topless- dont mind if i do-cultural anthropology-life story collected- she knows someone in lubbock....

ecg all good

doctor- youll live

me- hooray- hug

antiinflamatory prescribed for chest inflamation

and we're back..Donna and Jace waiting outside , we hug and cheer..

back to ocean

Spending time with D and J and carving out SILENCE for myself.

Surf ride run

Social. Wander . Surf ride run. Wander .

Donna ran Two miles with me yesterday and we had coffee at Hedges.

Glen made the worlds best frothy coffee,

donna cooks for us. Keeps us in good health with her lovely traveling medicine cabinet.

Being silent, centering, listening to the ocean. Powering down the electronics.........

Run, Market... Train to Brizzie

knoxknoxrocks — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 12:16:00 GMT

Woke up 430am

ran

purchased orange pinapple, passionfruit bevrage . The maker of saidbeverage desnt surf anymore but her brother is the 5th ranked long board surfer out of New Zealand. She said her surfing days ended when she witnessed a shark lurking nearby.

went to the outdoor market...played cigar box guitar, chatted with a woman who hadmakes ironing board covers, yeah. Can you believe it. Sooo lovely she was. I loved hearing the phrase "a lot of em down here are prudish"

walked the beach to home

packed backpack left suitcase with glen til my return

caught a bus and now on the train to Brisbane.

used a payphone to call donna ....total timewarp daling her, to let her know ill be an hour later than expected.

a sampling of the Amazing Race, but waaay more laid back.

Brisbane here i come. Surfers, ill be back in 2 days to bask in your beauty.

Off the grid

knoxknoxrocks — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 06:56:00 GMT

sunrise beach sunny sides

cloudy with a bit of rain. Meditated to malcom h.

i want to be quiet and will disconnect from grid...

Catch you later...

Peddle peddle

knoxknoxrocks — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 15:48:00 GMT

Rode about 14 miles along the coast and took in the sites. Wiped out....see pics..nap time.

Day 5 Gobsmacked in Paradise and red headband

knoxknoxrocks — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 06:01:00 GMT

Its 6am and im awake and full of wonder. Sitting on the edge of my bed. Ive been to the beach many times in my life and have always thought its a great place to visit but not developed that urge to stay. i have friends from coastal towns from California to Florida and never really could completely understand their passion, desire and addiction to the ocean. After all, im a water shoe wearer at all cost. Uptight about the what ifs in just a lake or large body of water. Even when i swam un a race off the coast of St. Croix, i was in a rush to exit the sea. but here in the gold coast it is next to impossible to not catch the vibe. Now dont get me wrong. Im not at the "lets get pruned up all day n the water" stage but collectively all that surrounds me; accents, laid back attitudes, sun, sand, and easy going people DRAWS ME IN. i can say with certainty ...I WANT THIS. It IS good for me mentally and physically and spiritually, MC. I am present.

I miss Beni and will probably have to start work with the Prime Minister on easing up animal importation requirements on red head pups.

In this pace there is not the madness, or pressure of professional achievement or sales at all cost, its liberating.

And noone cares if my grammar or spelling is incorrect...that was for you JM.

AND i can freely wear a red bandana in the streets with no worry of getting judged or admonished or even shot at. Do you know how long i have wanted to run the streets with a breeze in my curls and say "look at me and my red bandana, world"? Its been ashamed and withdrawn in my drawer for months.

Later...

Annnd we're back...cant we stay forever

knoxknoxrocks — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 21:29:00 GMT

Aussie Slang

Give it a burl : try it, have a go

Whacker, whacka : Idiot; somebody who talks drivel; somebody with whom you have little patience; a dickhead

Gobsmacked : surprised, astounded

glen is teachng me aussie surf terms like " he whacked that wave" and he is " going off!" Both are interjections to a positive occurance in this contet.

Surfing Part Two: I whacked the white wash again over and over. I decided to rent a long board for a few hours as my surf instructor recommended during my first lesson. He suggested that i do it while another class is in session so i can hang next to them. I really wanted to get settled in to the feel of the ocean and the board. I began by going into the wake and working out my form. After about the twelfth pass, and exhaustion setting in, the instructor called me over to give me some advice. He said to take a break in between two or three passes and my body would be less tired. It was definitely what i needed to hear. Being an out of shape, out of practice swimmer was contributing to my waning stamina. I felt frustration and saltwater start to weigh on me. So thankfully i heeded his advice and reclined in the sand next to my board.

Enter Japanese photo shoot

while chillin next to the water, a Japanese woman in a dress and scarf approached me to take her picture by the ocean. I snapped one shot and then she began to,twirl and laugh and wave her scarf in front of her. It was on.....i was part of a full blown photo,shoot. She fake laughed as if her lover was behind the camera capturing her in an intimate casual moment. I then proceeded to switch her camera to video mode. I started recording and then ( im laughing at this memory) quickly moved closer to her as she smiled and flipped her pagmina in the air, looking around at the ocean. This lady was a STAR of her own charming beach memory. Once it was captured i handed her back her camera and she thanked me profusely. imgrabbed my board and headed back into the water but this time, not only was i refreshed, but the lady was now watching me. She waved me to go out to the ocean and had her camera in a ready position to capture the ....greatest surfing action shot of ALL TIME...i stood with my head held high and laughed almost to tears as i headed into,the blue. Once i found a good spot, i turned toward the beach and waited for my little mountain of water to carry me away into a hang that would be a 12. This woman was about o see something AMAZING. The wake gradually came toward me, i leaned forward and felt the push And with all the strength i could muster, i jumped onto the board, wobbled onto my knees and flopped right into water face first. It was all relatively seemless. Wonder what her subtitles read at that moment...

rest of day went:

Bike shop, juice and baklava

coffee shop w internet

fat nap

Wonton soup with Glen

shopping at Big W for a hairdryer.

Red bandana tomorrow

Gooood night

Sunrise, Coffee and paper mâché vaginas....its not even 9am...

knoxknoxrocks — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 09:01:00 GMT

Nutshell, as i digest a sandwich before heading out:

520 sunscreen application 30 spf

540 sunrise on ocean

Sun sals to get in tune( yes yogi friends, i did chataranga flip it up to tha backside-yoga) -local wet dog attacked me with love in the bendie over position. Owners apologize and i just laugh and want to kidnap said pup ...Made me miss Beni Knox

sunscreen application 30 spf

ran 2 miles down each to Hedges cafe for cappuccino, sounds impressive right, had no idea it was so far - powdered chocolate on top and Liver cleanse juice

Pete, one of the owners, explains the surf condition section in the newspaper to me and Ohn-nnee(name is slightly aLtered as to somewhat hide identity) and i chat for a bit about what we have been up to and then ever so casually, without a beat, tells me she was inspired in a dream to make a paper mache vagina.

She made one yesterday, she was inspired to do art and .....who can blame her, Vaginas are works of art AND in my opinion much better looking than the rod knob. Anywayyyyyy....

fast forward one minute later and i am the first to commission one said Vagina for my art collection. It should be ready saturday.

And then......

Ran/walked two miles back and on way watched school children running-for curriculum. The people here almost all look like professional athletes and a few are. The children actually look like they are in training as well.. Little adults in Nikes and tri gear.

Stay tuned my dear amazing friends and family....

Day 4----NO PLAN IS THE BEST PLAN

knoxknoxrocks — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 04:34:00 GMT

Woke up at 4am and my body is nice and sore from biking all over the area. Im also pleasantly sun soaked but not crispy thanks to high powered sunscreen. The sun is quite penetrating down here and people are extra careful to cover up due to high rate of cancer. They sell many floppy hats for men and woman alike to protect from that scenario.

Todays itinerary......go with the flow. Maybeeee....surf, coffee, bike, laugh, hug, handshake. I get this little lump in my throat and get a bit choked up at the kindness of strangers here. Its going to be a great day. The birds outside are calling ....

Day three bonus trak

knoxknoxrocks — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 16:07:00 GMT

After breakfast rode bike to mall to look for a rashie/ wet shirt for surfing. The friendly sales beauty helped me find a shirt and we spent a good twenty minutes talking about Aussie vs Usa culture tidbits. I ffound out that minimum wage is around$20 per hour and that tipping is rarely necessary. Headed on to find a bike shop. Asked around and ended up in this back alley where I met John who owns his own bike shop/coffee bar. He happily adjusted the seat on my bike with no charge(he said it was my lucky day since he is in a good mood) gave me a tour of the place (pics to come) and then we talked tattoos. He recommended a shop a few steps down from his shop. I gave him a hug and headed down to Back Alley Tattoo and met a Kiwi named Tamu. Cool and FRIENDLY guy. I found art booked an appt for two weeks from now and rode home.

2 hour nap , back to mall to purchase rashie chat chat chat with Aussie sales, talked about Australia, the economy, The O.C., The Hills and cosmetic surgery. and then went upstairs to a investigate the Australian dentist. Yes a dentist in the mall. Found out that a teeth cleaning costs a fourth the price of a US cleaning. I miss Beni and must find a way to sneak her into the country. Everyone is very gregariuos and kind for the most part n the Gold Coast area. I'm chillin at Starbucks now enjoying the people watching.....Ken gave me the rundown on what I must see and do.

Day three in full effect..

knoxknoxrocks — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 07:46:00 GMT

Awoke at 3am and its now almost 8. At my new favorite local spot, Cafe on Hedges In Mermaid Beach. Locally owned and all organic. I was just told that Mermaid beach and Surfers P are like the LA of Australia . Everyone works out and there are quite a few toned and bronzed bodies. I can't complain . I'm not one of them and actually feeling the workout from yesterday as I try to cut my bacon . Soreee and sun soaked . Ahhhh... I am looking forward to this beautiful day. Rode a bike down here and may go a few more miles to the next surf town.

Day 2

knoxknoxrocks — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Nutshell...Sunrise 5am

25 min beach run in one glorious southerly direction.

Breakfast at local cafe avocado egg croissant. Atchia, the barista, schools me on best local hangs and tattoo shop in Burleigh

40 min walk along beach back to apartment.

Change into wet gear and head to first surf lesson.

hang ten for 1.6 ....seconds and feel like a rockstar. Shane is a great instructor and Katie and Breighton are fun to learn with.

Two hours later walk the beach a few kilometers back to one base where Glen, my AirBNB host, let's me know that there is homemade pasta bolognaise in the fridge for my consumption.

Eat a pbj and pass out for thirty.

hop on bike and head to Woolworths in the local mall to get water, shampoo and a shaver

the indoor outdoor shopping center is quite different than our American malls. Outside are many cafes and restaurants, then walk in and see clothing shops and a meat market, a bakery , the chemist and finally, Woolworths. Woolworths is a grocery store and reminds me of a smaller version of Kroger With half as many options. It's refreshing to see items in smaller portion sizes and less variety bombardment. The grocery says to me "hey we have just enougH here for you. We don't need to bribe you to suck you in"

back to Glen's for good conversation on surfing terminology and Aussie and American slang.

To top it all off Glen asks me if I eat pancakes......he then proceeds to make them from scratch and he tells me he typically eats it with ice cream and maple syrup. He pulls out homemade strawberry Jam and we chat and laugh and clean our plates.

Off to bed.

Photos: Oz 2013

knoxknoxrocks — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 02:45:00 GMT

Click

Day one from Brisbane to SP

knoxknoxrocks — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 01:43:00 GMT

First time blogging...so bare with me friends..............After a day of travel all i can say is...It's been an adventure so far. Soooo long flight, landed at Brisbane airport and it was away we go...... First order of business.I needed to get in contact with my new Air Bnb host and get to the beach as fast as possible.....After saying goodbye to Donna, my amazing Aussie friend I searched for Airport Internet. It was shoddy and couldnt get connected on my ipad and then when I paid to use their kiosk Internet it was so slowww. After wandering the levels of the airport to find a sim card, i hopped onto second kiosk and I finally got online. Luckily my house host had sent me train info and bus routes to lead me to my destination via the airbnb website so I jumped on the Gold Coast train and sailed down toward my destination. Very relaxing ride although i was looking at my map most of the time to make sure i was heading in the right direction. the ride was about an hour and a half, not too bad....Hopped off the train and then ran to the bus numbered 745 and hopped on. I asked the driver if my fare from the rail worked also for the bus and he told me casually to have a seat. Eventually the bus driver politely let me know my stop was coming up, which was so nice and when i went to pay for my ride he said its on him. I promptly shook his hand hopped off and found my next and last bus and met Margie, bus driver, from New Zealand, who literally drove the bus directly across the street from where i thought I was staying to help me out. Soo nice. Side note: (She had just gone to a funeral in New Zealand and has SIX children) Handshake....jumped off bus, found the correct property and then met my new landlord for the week..What a nice guy, He immediately made me a h breakfast sandwich and we chatted for a while. He showed me around the apartment and we then walked through the back gate to the beach...it was then that I knew I was in heaven. He proceeded to jump into the ocean for a quick dip and then We headed back to the apartment, (which we share) and I powered through and unpacked then went back to the beach, only a few steps away, and wandered. I lied on a towel for a few minutes, felt the sand between my toes and stared at the coastline and then.....couldn't sit still and proceeded to walk a half kilometer down the beach. from where i thought I was staying to help me out. Soo nice. (She had just gone to a funeral in New Zealand and we started chatting, she has SIX children) I got to reception, my new landlord was contacted and met me out front. What a nice guy, He made me a homemade breakfast sandwich and we chatted for a while. He showed me around the apartment and we then walked through the back gate to the beach and I knew I was in heaven. We headed back to the apartment, which we share and I powered through and unpacked then went back to the beach, only a few steps away, and wandered. I lied on a towel for a few minutes, felt the sand between my toes and stared at the coastline and then.....couldn't sit still and proceeded to walk a half kilometer down the beach. I saw a surf instructor from the place Glen, my host, recommended and he told me how much and when and today I'm going to have my first lesson at 10am.....brrrrr it's going to be cold! I headed and glen armed up the tires on his bike and I went to the local shopping center, wandered the aisles of my first Aussie grocery store, Woolworths, bought a few things and headed home. Riding on the opposite side of the road s a trip. I said a few prayers and took the Main Street and the lovely pedestrian path back home. I made a peanut butter jelly wrap and English breakfast tea and then passed out. I slept for a few hours then woke up to the smell of onions cooking in a pan and Glen laughing with his Adonis next door neighbors(ill send pics), you have to see these ripped young guys...I then fell back to sleep so hard. It's 2:30 am now and listening to wild birds outside my window..my first surfing lesson begins in SEVEN hours!!!! Pics to come soon