On the Coast – Over 55 Issue 31 I September/October 2019 | Page 29

O’Reilly from a nearby guesthouse, who
went looking for the aircraft believing it
had failed to cross the border.
Not far from O’Reilly’s is St Bernard’s,
a charming old pub. Psst! Seniors, do ask
about the secret trail out the back of the
pub to the waterfall. And Eagle Valley
Heights Resort is the best place to see the
city from the hinterland. It’s really just a
pub with pokies and a restaurant but the
views make it a worthwhile pitstop.
However, our main destination in the
hinterland is the world-famous Botanical
Gardens (free entry). These breathtaking
gardens house a cornucopia of tropical
plants, all enclosed by Bangalow palms
and shimmying bamboo. The gardens
are run by fabulous volunteers – mostly
seniors. Here we chin-wag with Dawn
Hooper, a retired secretary. Dawn
volunteers twice weekly and absolutely
loves it. (Psst! Dawn says seniors should
avoid visiting on Thursday mornings as
the gardens are noisy with leaf blowers
and petrol hedgers. We are there on
Thursday.) There seems to be a real
camaraderie with the volunteers as we
later meet Sandy Robinson, another
retiree maintaining the gardens who
loves all the crew. Seniors will enjoy the
easy flat walk for most of the gardens.
There is no cafe at the gardens but we
note scattered picnic tables for thrifty
lunchtime visitors. Mrs Pictures loves the
cool microclimate, making it pleasant to
walk around if you are not enamoured
of the humidity. If you have the
grandchildren, find the Sooty Owl Walk,
with lots of fun hands-on adventures
for the little ones. Here I stop to play the
thong-a-phone: a series of long pipes like
a church organ, which you slap with two
thongs. (If the Scots have the bagpipes,
surely this is the Aussie national
instrument.) As we emerge from the
tropical foliage like David Attenborough
in floppy hats, we agree that this garden
is indeed a national treasure. So if you
love gardens - like us - we do recommend
a visit while on the Gold Coast.
That evening we point the Mazda
east. With the Mercure so conveniently
located between the strip and the
hinterland, we are in Main Beach in
minutes. Here we dine at Mecca Bah, a
Moroccan style upmarket restaurant (for
us, at least). It’s one of these restaurants
with nary a bottle of wine under $50
but has a fun atmosphere, with delicious
North African delights with spicy a mix
Fast Facts
Seniors, it’s time for
your Wintervention
Escape the humdrum of winter and
brighten up your days by booking the
perfect winter escape with Mercure Gold
Coast Resort. For a limited time, enjoy
$25 off each night plus get a delicious
breakfast for just $1 (which is exactly
what Brian and Val did).
You might be craving some sun and warmth,
shopping (Pacific Fair), amazing food & drink,
or a romantic getaway or visit the Gold Coast
Hinterland. Psst! This offer applies to over 180
participating AccorHotels across Australia,
New Zealand, Fiji & French Polynesia.
TIP: $1 breakfast will be able to be booked after selecting the chosen room type
and the “WINTER OFFER” rate prior to confirming the booking at any of the
participating hotels across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
www.mercuregoldcoastresort.com.au/en/gold-coast-special-offers.html
Botanic Gardens
of Middle Eastern treats. In 20 mins we
are back at the Mercure.
The following day we breakfast at the
same little cafe on the beach at Surfers
that we discovered last time we were
here. It overlooks the white ribbon of
beach that is Surfers Paradise. Breakfast
for two under $20. Through a curtain
of sea mist, we down toe-curling lattes
while smelling that bracing ozone scent
of the Pacific.
Post bacon, we visit the charming
hinterland village of Canungra. Here we
lunch at a cafe called the Hub. I enjoy a
BLT – even more bacon (can you ever get
enough bacon?) before walking off the
kilos around the village. There is a senior-
friendly tramway tunnel walk here and a
charming old hotel. I contemplate a drink
but I’m not a fan of lunchtime drinks
when driving so stick to the lemonade.
On our descent to the Gold Coast proper,
we pass a number of novelty themed
pubs: Polish, German and an English pub
called the Fox and Hound, in the middle
of the bush no less, complete with a
bright red double-decker bus.
On our final day, we simply enjoy the
tranquillity of the resort facilities. In the
afternoon we indulge in the resort’s high
tea: $35 p.p. It’s so quiet and peaceful,
ideal for seniors wishing to eschew the
schoolie-infused white noise of ‘the strip’.
As we check-out of the Mercure, a golfer
passes us towing a quiver of irons. He
waves a gloved hand and smiles. If only
my back wasn’t cactus, I think.
So on your next visit to surfers
paradise, why not explore the ‘green
behind the gold’?
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER – ISSUE 31
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