Get closer @ Sea World
Friday, the 23rd of February. We take advantage of our day off and visit one of the 4 theme parks on the Gold Coast. One of the best theme parks on the Gold Coast - Sea World. The 25-hectare theme park, located on Sea World Drive, Main Beach, was established in October 1971, on an area which was originally swamp and sand dunes. It's the only theme park of its kind to successfully combine education, environmental awareness and entertainment into some outstanding attractions such as Polar Bear Shores, Dolphin Cove, and the new Shark Bay. Its research and rescue team takes on countless whale, dolphin and turtle rescues each year and participates in valuable research into the marine environment.
And despite of being just a man-made theme park, it is a lovely place to spend your day at. At least I liked it. And so did Ann :) And to have a day off after some dozen a.m. shifts at Crowne is the best thing you can ask for when you open your eyes in the morning to a new day out in Down Under. But it's also one of our last days off on the Gold Coast as we've decided to pack our lives in the two red suitcases again and roll them down to South, with Sydney and Melbourne being the next destinations of our Aussie trip. The take off is due to March the 13th and with a few stops on 
the way we're planning to arrive in Sydney by the 20th. To meet up with Paavo and Tiit, travelling down from Cairns, before they head back to good old Europe. It's strange how time and time again I miss home. Not only home in Estonia but home in Europe, our continent :) The different countries, different cultures, different languages, different seasons.. cities, old cities and new cities, ancient cities and modern ones. Rather than one big country, one language, one Australia. But don't get me wrong. I like it here. I love it. But I'll always love home much more (a) End of story! :)
Back to Sea World. We arrive at 11ish, line up, get in.. and discover to our disappointment that it has just started to rain. Why? Because we have a day off? Once in a while. Because we have decided to come to Sea World? Once in a lifetime. But the first show at 11:30, Quest for the Golden Seal, immediately puts the smile back on our faces. It's amazing how well-trained and cute the seals can be. They swim, they walk, they talk, they drive in a boat.. they smack a kiss, they wave their fins.. they play jokes, they carry a ball, they jump.. and they are great fun to look at. And even though it might feel as if they were kept in prison in the huge, yet so small compared to the ocean, man-made theme park, I'm pretty sure they are having fun, too.
The next ones to show us what they can are the Polar Bears, proudly presented by.. surprise surprise.. Coca-Cola Company. You can observe the bears' underwater swimming and playful behaviours through large underwater viewing windows, as well as up on the lookout. However, as far I could see from below and above, they were always playing the same stunt. Lazybones in a repeat mode :) But they ain't just Polar Bears, they are Hudson and Nelson who arrived at Sea World in November 2004 at the age of 9 months after they had been orphaned in the Canadian province of Quebec. Both boys love wrestling in the freshwater pools and sitting under the waterfall at Polar Bear Shores, and often have games of tug-o-war which entertain park guests. They also learnt quickly how to hide their favourite toys from each other. Just like the big bears the cubs love their watermelon and grapes :)
Alright, Hudson and Nelson, time to wave goodbye. Some less cuddly Sea World inhabitants are waiting for us at the Shark Bay. Let the name speak for itself :) Shark Bay is the world's largest man-made lagoon system for sharks which houses some of the most awe-inspiring of the species in an exhibit now open at Sea World. As you enter the Bay, you'll be given the opportunity to interact with some of the inhabitants at the specially designed touch pools. Watch your fingers! Heh, only kidding, there are no sharks there, just a bunch of little sea stars. Touch them gently, 
don't lift them up, unless you wanna be one of the 'I understand no English' nee-ha-ows. I just had to stop them, couldn't see them lifting the stars out of the water, turning them upside down to see if they look any different on the other side. Please! Lucky they didn't confuse the Shark Lagoon with the Water Park just next door, for a refreshing afternoon swim. There's a better way to admire the inhabitants of the Bay. The three 10 x 3 metre underwater windows allow you to come face to face with a number of large sharks, stingrays and a range of exotic tropical fish. Get up 
close and personal. You never know when, or where, these fellows come across your way here in Down Under. I'm hoping it's the closest encounter I'll ever have with these 'show me your teeth' and 'see the blacktip 'triangle'' guys. However, I'm very much looking forward to meeting the rest of the colourful reef fish out in the Great Barrier Reef some day. They are just stunningly beautiful. Which still reminds me of the first time I laid my eyes on the Coral Reef in Sharm el Sheikh and the feeling I'll never forget. A big thanks goes to.. one special person.
Sharks seen, it's time for some attractions. The first one that we hop on is the Viking's Revenge Flume Ride. Boat nr 23 takes us through the Bermuda Triangle with desert island and volcano landscapes, just before we arrive to the revenge and fall down into splashing water, with a photo taken of the 'best-looking' impressions on our faces. Thanks guys, but I don't want this picture to become part of my photo collection :) Let's go and see where the Sea World Eye can take us. 60 m closer to the heaven? Maybe, but after 5 attempts we still land on the ground. The 
Australia's first giant observation wheel obviously wants to please the guests with more than one stunning view on the Gold Coast, so it keeps spinning. 1 round, 2, 3, 4, 5.. Up and down. Look left, look right. If you are fast, look ahead, and look behind. Had enough? Get down! That's exactly how fast it goes up and down, till it finally stops for a minute on the last round. Funny wheel. But it has windows, and it has air-con. High-tech, you know :) Ann doen't appreciate it though, so I regret to say but I miss the next two attractions - Corkscrew and Pirate Ship, but she takes me on 
a Carousel :) And the Sea World Railway, Sky High Skyway and Sea World Monorail, so I've had enough of all sort of trains for the next few years now :) Old wonky trains, hanging-the-rope funiculars, and new highspeed monorails. Tchuhh-tchuhh-tchuhh! :)
Just before the dolphins start their show, we have enough time to jump
into the 4-D cinema to watch a short environmentally orientated animation Planet SOS. It's the first time I see a movie in 4-D effects. It's funny how you still turn your head away or raise your hand to protect against fish swimming right towards you, snakes hanging on a tree branch that seems to be right in front of you or monkies throwing coconuts at you.. even though you know it's just the 4-D glasses playing jokes on you. These wonders.. But however good, however high-tech, some wonders will always remain better the way they naturally are. I'm talking about 
dolphins. So beautiful, so intelligent, so gorgeous. The Dolphin Cove Show is definitely the moment of the day. The best jumps, the best stunts! 10 points! And the incredible closeness and trust they enjoy with their keepers is just awesome to look at. Whether swimming with dolphins, gliding on their back, or surfing through the water - once you become friends with dolphins, you can do that all. And let me tell you a little secret.. I even got to kiss one ;)
There's one show left before the park closes, and it's Waterski
WipeOut. Herr Elvis and Frau Marilyn personally, entertaining you at a beach party. Good old cars, good old tunes, good new waterskis. Wiuuhh-wiuuhh-wiuuhh. Floating cars, floating bath tubes, speed boats. Surfboards, bodyboards, wakeboards. Professional skiers, amateur skiers. Rock'n'Roll. Viva la Beach Party!
4:50 pm. Time to go home? Oh, no! Wait! The Penguins! Run! Ohh. What's that 'smell'? The Penguins! You'd better tidy up when I come to see you on Phillip Island :) We leave the park.. and get a ticket for another one. It's gonna be a Wet'n'Wild Sunday!! Yey!
... And now I'm going out.
... It's Friday night!! <:o)
And despite of being just a man-made theme park, it is a lovely place to spend your day at. At least I liked it. And so did Ann :) And to have a day off after some dozen a.m. shifts at Crowne is the best thing you can ask for when you open your eyes in the morning to a new day out in Down Under. But it's also one of our last days off on the Gold Coast as we've decided to pack our lives in the two red suitcases again and roll them down to South, with Sydney and Melbourne being the next destinations of our Aussie trip. The take off is due to March the 13th and with a few stops on 
the way we're planning to arrive in Sydney by the 20th. To meet up with Paavo and Tiit, travelling down from Cairns, before they head back to good old Europe. It's strange how time and time again I miss home. Not only home in Estonia but home in Europe, our continent :) The different countries, different cultures, different languages, different seasons.. cities, old cities and new cities, ancient cities and modern ones. Rather than one big country, one language, one Australia. But don't get me wrong. I like it here. I love it. But I'll always love home much more (a) End of story! :)
Back to Sea World. We arrive at 11ish, line up, get in.. and discover to our disappointment that it has just started to rain. Why? Because we have a day off? Once in a while. Because we have decided to come to Sea World? Once in a lifetime. But the first show at 11:30, Quest for the Golden Seal, immediately puts the smile back on our faces. It's amazing how well-trained and cute the seals can be. They swim, they walk, they talk, they drive in a boat.. they smack a kiss, they wave their fins.. they play jokes, they carry a ball, they jump.. and they are great fun to look at. And even though it might feel as if they were kept in prison in the huge, yet so small compared to the ocean, man-made theme park, I'm pretty sure they are having fun, too.
The next ones to show us what they can are the Polar Bears, proudly presented by.. surprise surprise.. Coca-Cola Company. You can observe the bears' underwater swimming and playful behaviours through large underwater viewing windows, as well as up on the lookout. However, as far I could see from below and above, they were always playing the same stunt. Lazybones in a repeat mode :) But they ain't just Polar Bears, they are Hudson and Nelson who arrived at Sea World in November 2004 at the age of 9 months after they had been orphaned in the Canadian province of Quebec. Both boys love wrestling in the freshwater pools and sitting under the waterfall at Polar Bear Shores, and often have games of tug-o-war which entertain park guests. They also learnt quickly how to hide their favourite toys from each other. Just like the big bears the cubs love their watermelon and grapes :)
Alright, Hudson and Nelson, time to wave goodbye. Some less cuddly Sea World inhabitants are waiting for us at the Shark Bay. Let the name speak for itself :) Shark Bay is the world's largest man-made lagoon system for sharks which houses some of the most awe-inspiring of the species in an exhibit now open at Sea World. As you enter the Bay, you'll be given the opportunity to interact with some of the inhabitants at the specially designed touch pools. Watch your fingers! Heh, only kidding, there are no sharks there, just a bunch of little sea stars. Touch them gently, 
don't lift them up, unless you wanna be one of the 'I understand no English' nee-ha-ows. I just had to stop them, couldn't see them lifting the stars out of the water, turning them upside down to see if they look any different on the other side. Please! Lucky they didn't confuse the Shark Lagoon with the Water Park just next door, for a refreshing afternoon swim. There's a better way to admire the inhabitants of the Bay. The three 10 x 3 metre underwater windows allow you to come face to face with a number of large sharks, stingrays and a range of exotic tropical fish. Get up 
close and personal. You never know when, or where, these fellows come across your way here in Down Under. I'm hoping it's the closest encounter I'll ever have with these 'show me your teeth' and 'see the blacktip 'triangle'' guys. However, I'm very much looking forward to meeting the rest of the colourful reef fish out in the Great Barrier Reef some day. They are just stunningly beautiful. Which still reminds me of the first time I laid my eyes on the Coral Reef in Sharm el Sheikh and the feeling I'll never forget. A big thanks goes to.. one special person.
Sharks seen, it's time for some attractions. The first one that we hop on is the Viking's Revenge Flume Ride. Boat nr 23 takes us through the Bermuda Triangle with desert island and volcano landscapes, just before we arrive to the revenge and fall down into splashing water, with a photo taken of the 'best-looking' impressions on our faces. Thanks guys, but I don't want this picture to become part of my photo collection :) Let's go and see where the Sea World Eye can take us. 60 m closer to the heaven? Maybe, but after 5 attempts we still land on the ground. The 
Australia's first giant observation wheel obviously wants to please the guests with more than one stunning view on the Gold Coast, so it keeps spinning. 1 round, 2, 3, 4, 5.. Up and down. Look left, look right. If you are fast, look ahead, and look behind. Had enough? Get down! That's exactly how fast it goes up and down, till it finally stops for a minute on the last round. Funny wheel. But it has windows, and it has air-con. High-tech, you know :) Ann doen't appreciate it though, so I regret to say but I miss the next two attractions - Corkscrew and Pirate Ship, but she takes me on 
a Carousel :) And the Sea World Railway, Sky High Skyway and Sea World Monorail, so I've had enough of all sort of trains for the next few years now :) Old wonky trains, hanging-the-rope funiculars, and new highspeed monorails. Tchuhh-tchuhh-tchuhh! :)Just before the dolphins start their show, we have enough time to jump
into the 4-D cinema to watch a short environmentally orientated animation Planet SOS. It's the first time I see a movie in 4-D effects. It's funny how you still turn your head away or raise your hand to protect against fish swimming right towards you, snakes hanging on a tree branch that seems to be right in front of you or monkies throwing coconuts at you.. even though you know it's just the 4-D glasses playing jokes on you. These wonders.. But however good, however high-tech, some wonders will always remain better the way they naturally are. I'm talking about 
dolphins. So beautiful, so intelligent, so gorgeous. The Dolphin Cove Show is definitely the moment of the day. The best jumps, the best stunts! 10 points! And the incredible closeness and trust they enjoy with their keepers is just awesome to look at. Whether swimming with dolphins, gliding on their back, or surfing through the water - once you become friends with dolphins, you can do that all. And let me tell you a little secret.. I even got to kiss one ;)There's one show left before the park closes, and it's Waterski
WipeOut. Herr Elvis and Frau Marilyn personally, entertaining you at a beach party. Good old cars, good old tunes, good new waterskis. Wiuuhh-wiuuhh-wiuuhh. Floating cars, floating bath tubes, speed boats. Surfboards, bodyboards, wakeboards. Professional skiers, amateur skiers. Rock'n'Roll. Viva la Beach Party!
4:50 pm. Time to go home? Oh, no! Wait! The Penguins! Run! Ohh. What's that 'smell'? The Penguins! You'd better tidy up when I come to see you on Phillip Island :) We leave the park.. and get a ticket for another one. It's gonna be a Wet'n'Wild Sunday!! Yey!... And now I'm going out.
... It's Friday night!! <:o)
posted by kairike at 9:01 PM
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