Rachel Bonello is a student at Michigan State University and a TEAN Featured Blogger. Rachel is currently interning abroad for the Summer with TEAN in Sydney, Australia.
Katy Perry had the right idea, just the wrong coast!
I have recently returned from a weekend getaway to the Gold Coast of Australia. A few other interns and I thought it would be a great trip to celebrate the 4th of July… Aussie style! Although there was no iconic American BBQ involved (I am still craving a hot dog), we did get an amazing weekend full of beautiful weather for relaxing on the beach. This is something we have been deprived of since arriving in the dead winter of Sydney. Luckily for us, the north is not too far away by plane and we got a taste of what beach culture is really like in Australia.
Does this look like winter to you?
A weekend full of plans turned into nothing but laying under the sun for hours and enjoying the thriving nightlife for 3 days. We stayed smack dab in the middle of the coast in Surfers Paradise. Surfers is known for it’s crazy atmosphere full of locals and backpackers as well as great shops and restaurants. We spent each morning waking up to the sound of the ocean, which was easy to appreciate considering our hotel room was completely made up of windows!
The stunning view made the extra cost of the hotel worth it compared to a hostel.
The beach culture of the city was incredible. Night markets and specialty shops line the coast full of products promising a good time in the sun and sand. Think bright bikinis, surf accessories, cozy crochet knits, thongs (their slang for flip flops!), sunglasses, and heaps of sunscreen everywhere. Not to mention the endless amounts of long boarders, surfers, and runners filling up the boardwalk every hour of the day. Unlike Sydney’s constant flow of business attire and dark colors of winter, we were surrounded by the sun-faded colors of the summer we are missing back home in Michigan. Shorts and bro tanks replaced suits and heels. Billabong and Rip Curl replaced the classy Witchery and Country Road. The vibe from the beach to the bars was relaxed, easy going, and fun.
From every delicious breakfast that started our day out at the Beachside Resort Cafe, (3 days without fail, INCREDIBLE pancakes!), to lounging on our beach towels till the sun came down….Surfers Paradise was our mini vacation away from work and the cold. The coast was a wonderful replacement to the usual up-north trip to the great lakes back home on the 4th of July. I would recommend this excursion for a fun, easy, and inexpensive getaway within the country, especially for you beach goers!
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