South Stradbroke Island on Jetski

A w w w e s o m e!! That's how I'd describe my Monday. A whole day off till 6 pm.

. Sun .
.. Water ..
... Jetski ...

I wake up early. Again. Grant is coming to pick me up. We're going out on his jetski to discover the canals and South Stradbroke Island. Our skitrip begins from the little private jetty on the back of his house on Monaco St. Lovely. It's my first time out on a jetski.. I'm excited, but not afraid. Wrapped in a lifevest and Banana Boat's 30+ sunscreen, I jump on the back of the beautiful green-black jetski and off we go. Through the canals up to the Spit, the tip of the coastal strip. That's where we leave the calm Broadwater and conquer the surf off the southern end of South Stradbroke Island. Dangerous? Yes. Exciting? Yes. Adrenaline boosting. Wet and wild. Zero-gravity free-falls into the waves. We break through and land on the eastern side of the island for a short climb on the sand dunes. Short because of the rising surf that threatens our access back to the other side of the island. We'd better go till we can. And we can...

Back in the Broadwater, we stop on the western side of the island facing the mainland not far off. To take a closer look. The island consists mainly of sand, sand dunes and subtropical forest, and has a specific flora and fauna. For example, the Golden Wallaby only lives on this island (we meet two). We continue our ride.. but the driver has changed. Who's driving? The wallaby?! No!! Me!!! Who said I couldn't handle it? Who said?! It wasn't me (a) It feels amazing! I'm addicted. Addicted to the jetski. Grant's green-black jetski. I'm driving.. and looking for the red and green triangle signs marking he water way, but some other triangles catch my sight. Black triangles pointing out of the water. Sharkkk!!! Oh no. Only dolphins. Here and there, and everywhere. I can't express the feeling. Seeing these beautiful creatures swimming right around our jetski is just awesome. Better than Sea World. Much better. They are free. And that's amazing! I ask Grant to grab the wheel and reach for my camera, to snap a few photo proofs. Yes, I've seen them! I've finally seen them!

We drive on. Pass the Couran Cove Resort. The traffic gets busier. Rush hour. Big boats, small boats, catamarans, jetskis. Right and left. I drive through. The island lives on tourism, but nothing compared to Australia's largest tourist resort, the nearby Gold Coast. The island has some quiet campsites. The western beaches are calm and lagoon-like, while the eastern beaches are known as a surfers' paradise. Some compare the surf with the famous Hawaiin Pipeline, just that one is on the reef and the other one breaks on the sand.

We arrive at our destination: South Stradbroke Island Resort (or Tipplers Resort). It has Fijian style huts and is famous for Tipplers Tavern and Mangroves Restaurant where on Friday-Saturday nights and long weekends is a buzz with many people coming over from the mainland on their own yachts to party till early morning. The resort is in the middle of nowhere, so telecommunications, waste, water and electricity are limited in connection to the mainland, all resources are produced onsite with diesel tanks, and phone calls are made via microwave link. Paradise. And you can feel it. Monday is quiet. Beautifully quiet. We hop off the jetski and walk towards the music. Live music. Old hits. Relaxing rhythms. Cool Corona beer and Bacardi Breezer. Chill. Can't believe this place is only half an hour away from the Gold Coast's hubbub. Unreachable to the crowds.. Unreachable unless you have your own water transport. And the water transport is my new favourite :) Jetski is my new favourite. I drive back. Fast on the calm Broadwater. And my speed record is a 3-digit number.. km/h ;) We get back home, safe and sound, salty and sun-kissed. I've just had one of the best days of my Gold Coast time, of my Aussie trip...