Our island in the sun

Sunday 11th February 2007

Just returned from a fantastic weekend at South Stradbroke Island. On Thursday we booked the weekend at the island resort. A ferry from the resort takes you to and from the island but because we had to go to a welcome evening for new students at Jake’s school, we would have missed the last scheduled ferry, which leaves Runaway Bay (about a 30 minute drive from Mudgeeraba) at 6pm.

So we went to the welcome evening – it was interesting to see the laid-back approach here, teachers all very friendly (and the male teachers in shorts and t-shirts!), short welcome speech, then pizza, beers, wine or pop. It ran from 4-6pm and so we had booked a water taxi to take us from Runaway Bay to the island.

That was a fun experience – a private speed boat for the six of us, in the dark, for about a 30 minute ride, past Sovereign Island, an island with huge houses, a bit like Sandbanks in Dorset, supposedly the most expensive ‘real estate’ in Australia. Carole said the private water taxi made her feel like she was in a James Bond film!

South Stradbroke Island is one of the many sand islands along the coast. The resort is made up of log cabins (they describe them as Fijian-style bures) hidden in the bush, fronting the long, long beach. Well of course, the beach stretches all around the island and so runs for 40kms. And it is really beautiful with masses of natural wildlife – including wallabies running around. Some snakes and iguanas too, but no problems with them.

But we were here for a fun family weekend, which was action-packed. A light meal in the bistro as we arrived and then a wander around before an early night to prepare for the activities we’d planned for the next day.

So, Saturday started with a tractor ride (there are no other vehicles on the island – loads of boats moored a little way out of course, of all shapes and sizes) to the huge sand dunes to do some sand toboggan-ing on the other side of the island (the high surf side )(I think the island is about 20km long and 2km across). Great fun, climb up the dune, take your body board and down you go. Carole and I managed once each but the boys were up and down, up and down.


This had to finish by 11 am so that we could then take part in the canoe race. Our weekend package included free use of canoes, cayaks and pedal boats (and all our other activities). Only we turned up for that, so we raced each other and spent a few lazy hours, sunning on the beach and in and out of the flat water on the resort side of the island, and in and out of the boats. Great.


Lunch was followed by a lolly hunt for the kids (lolly here means sweets of all kinds), and then the boys went in for the bush golf, while Carole and I lazed around one of the three very nice swimming pools. Great facilities considering there are only 40 cabins and as the resort was only half full (the holiday season here ends proper at the end of January), it felt almost like OUR island.

Bush golf was followed by showers with a pre-dinner game of pool. After dinner there was a really good duo playing in the bar, and the highlight of the night, Cane Toad Racing (very similar to the crab racing we have done in the Caribbean). There were eight toads let out of a box in the centre of a chalk circle, each had a number chalked on their back, and you bet on which one crossed the line first. We chose number 6.

Now a bit about CaneToads. They are a real pest here. Introduced to rid Australia of the Cane Beetle that eats the sugar cane, they are poisonous (not to us, but to loads of wildlife) and breed like rabbits, so considered a real pest.

Needless to say, our toad, Number 6, nicknamed Sid, did not move once released from the box. But great fun and as you can imagine, the kids loved it. Then a bit of dancing in the bar, and bed.


Today started with a swim before tennis. Two good tennis courts but in full sun and so while the four boys played, Carole and I had a long walk along the beach – past the camp site, also hidden in the bush. Then another swim before lunch. After lunch more kayaks, pedaloes, swimming and then, for the boys, fishing, something none of them had done before – well, I know Sid has but not for many years. Carole and I were ready to move in with the camera for the big catch. As the photos show, no big catches but each of them caught something.

After the ferry ride, we arrived home a couple of hours ago and we’re just about to eat yet more food, before everyone has a well-deserved early night. Dan’s back to work tomorrow and Jake is off to a school camp for three days. I don’t think anyone will need any rocking. Great weekend.