Weekends in March

Another blog post that I started weeks ago, and wanted to publish at the end of March - we're two weeks into April now, but better late than never! 

In the weeks following the cyclone excitement, life mostly returned to normal. We returned to school, after-school activities resumed, and the weather settled into what I think is almost normal for this time of year—warm and humid, with a mix of sunny and rainy days. There has apparently been more rain than normal, though at least it's still been warm out. The humidity is definitely something that's going to take some getting used to. There were days when our floors were wet because it was so humid, and that is not something I've experienced before.

About a week after the cyclone—well, ex-cyclone, really, as it was downgraded to a tropical low storm before it hit land—we decided to check out our nearest beach, Main Beach. Unfortunately, this is the beach that was hardest hit, and it looks like it will take the longest to recover and reopen. The amount of sand that was swallowed up by the sea is just incredible. Where there once was a glorious expanse of nearly white sand gently sloping down towards the waves, there are now sand cliffs that drop about three meters from the coastline to the water. It’s so sad! The sand, now sitting offshore in sandbanks, is expected to be naturally replenished over time, but that could take months—or even years. I came across this great article that explains the process and shows some impressive before-and-after photos.

This photo was the current condition of the beach. It's not that easy to see in the photo, but the edge of the soft sand is a 3m drop to the beach below... where it used to be a gradual decline of beautiful sand down to the beach. 

We did manage a pleasant walk along Main Beach during our visit, even though the kids were, as usual, complained about how far we had to walk. By the end everyone was feeling the effects of both the humidity and hunger, so we treated ourselves to a much-needed breakfast of bacon and egg rolls at the nearby Southport Surf Club.

The following weekend marked a new sporting season for both Ella and Ollie. Ella has started her third year of netball, while Ollie kicked off his first year in football (or soccer for our North American readers!). Netball has been a bit of a drama for Ella, though. Our school enters teams into club netball, so it seemed like the easiest option—training sessions on Friday afternoons, games just a short five-minute drive away on Saturdays. There are three teams of year 4 students, and unfortunately Ella ended up on a team mostly filled with new faces, either new to school or new to netball. I practically became one of those parents who emails the head of netball, explaining that not only has Ella been playing for the past two years (even playing up an age group with success), but she was also asked to trial for the rep team. I tried to keep my email polite and understanding—after all, it’s just nine-year-olds playing netball, not the Olympics—but I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of disappointment that we’d left behind the exceptional netball scene in Melbourne for a team where the girls barely know the rules, let alone their positions. Sigh.

Saturday was a “grading” tournament for netball, where the teams played four short games, 20 minutes each, over a three-hour period to help determine the right divisions. With the temperature soaring to 30 degrees in the humidity and playing on concrete courts in full sun, it was not long before Ella was completely exhausted. It’s a far cry from netball in Melbourne, where I’d usually be bundled up in my puffer jacket on those chilly mornings! The silver lining, however, is that the parents on the team are really nice, so I’m hoping it won’t be long before we all learn to just enjoy being part of a team—and not stress too much about the level of play.

I didn’t attend Ollie’s football match, but from what I hear it went fine. At this age, they’re just playing four-a-side with no goalie and small nets, so it’s more about fun than serious competition.

After all the sporting excitement, when everyone got home, we jumped into the pool to cool off. Owning a pool in this weather is an absolute blessing! That afternoon eventually turned rainy, but that didn’t stop the kids from splashing around for a few hours. It’s moments like these that really pay off when you have more than one child to keep you entertained.

On Sunday, I decided to bring a little culture into our lives and took the kids to HOTA—the Gold Coast’s Home of the Arts. We started with ice creams and then strolled down to the lake outside, which looked like a serene spot for a swim. Next, we checked out the Children’s Gallery. Honestly, there wasn’t much there for the kids—Ella found it boring almost immediately, while Ollie kept busy with a puzzle. Afterward, we took the lift up to the fifth floor to admire the views from a bar that, although lovely, isn’t exactly kid-friendly, so we didn’t linger. I also dragged them along to a photography exhibition, but that turned out to be an epic fail for engaging the kids. Although HOTA hosts many concerts and events, without one of those in session, there wasn’t too much to capture their interest. Maybe next time we’ll have to venture over to Brisbane for some cultural inspiration!

It’s been a rainy and cloudy week, culminating in a downpour last Saturday. March has proven to be an exceptionally rainy and humid month. I had my school’s Open Day to attend that morning, and the kids’ sports matches were both cancelled due to the rain. Determined to escape the confines of our house that afternoon, I took them to Holey Moley for some indoor mini-golf. My parents came along too, and the result was an unexpectedly enjoyable afternoon. 

Ollie and I started with a round of mini-golf while Ella went for a crazy strawberry milkshake. 

We ended up bumping into Mel who was with Izzy and some friends. Ella ended up joining in with them, so she had the time of her life with a bunch of girls her age. Ollie absolutely loved the mini-golf. My dad and I took turns playing with him for the best part of an hour. Once Ollie tired of mini-golf, he moved on to the arcade games, and my mom even scored an extra $25 for the kids. Throughout all this, the adults took their turns grabbing a drink and enjoying some downtime. It was definitely a successful way to spend a rainy afternoon.

When we left Holey Moley the rain had let up, so we walked down to Surfer's Paradise beach to check it out. It was in similar condition to Main Beach, however was open (Main Beach is still closed) so the kids had a great time sliding up and down the sand dunes.

Then came a welcome change: the next day was predicted to be sunny and around 30 degrees, which sounded like a perfect excuse for a beach day. Honestly, the dreary, wet weather throughout March had me feeling like we were back in Melbourne, eagerly awaiting any sign of sun. This isn’t the weather I was sold when I decided to move here! Sure, I knew summer meant rainy season and high humidity, but I didn’t expect it to be this relentless. According to people at work, the cyclone might have played a role in making it rain more than usual, so I’m hoping this deluge is just an anomaly. (Though, can we really count on consistent weather anywhere in the world these days?)

Since the beaches on the northern end of the Gold Coast, including our closest one—Main Beach—are still recovering from the cyclone, we headed further afield to Rainbow Bay. Located at the southern end of the Gold Coast, right on the border of Queensland and New South Wales, Rainbow Bay turned out to be a pretty perfect day. The bay is stunning, with calm waves that are ideal for the kids, even though it’s also a hotspot for surfers. We arrived at high tide, and as the tide receded, it left behind pools of water and sandbanks that allowed us to explore the coast and rocky shores leading to another beach. 

It was an idyllic day of swimming, relaxing, grabbing snacks from a surf club kiosk, and simply exploring. I’d say Rainbow Bay is my favourite beach we’ve visited so far since moving here—so much so that we’ve returned, even taking Bunny and Dave along when they visited from England. But that’s a story for the next blog post!