My Australian trip was a long anticipated one. It was planned 4 months ahead way back in October 2008 and it was quite a long 100 day wait before the trip was actually realised. This is probably the longest holiday I had at this time of writing, stretching over 9 days. While it was not the best of all trips, with displeasures leaping in once in a while, the best ever birthday I had was built in this trip. 
On the 23rd January, we made way with anticipation to the airport to take a long 8 hour flight to Brisbane before we switch a domestic aircraft to our first destination - Cairns. It was a nice bumpy plane ride to Brisbane, having slept in all different postures and played Tetris and PacMan on board so much so I have become quite an expert. Before long, we reached Brisbane and took a train to the domestic terminal. We had a quick bite, two lattes and a Vanilla Slice, before finally reaching Cairns and checking into the Hilton. Not very much the Hilton you see, with hotel rooms of sub-standards but it was fine. Our Executive Room left quite a bit to be desired but we were high on enthusiasm so we decided that we would leave all the unsatisfactory stay put in where they should - a place where we would not be bothered.
Cairns is little coastal township with low rise buildings and shops. The Esplanade was especially nice with a lovely boardwalk along the coast. There were people playing in the public play pool, with water splash in all directions. The locals staged music bands on the field and played all kinds of local musical instruments. We spent quite some time at the bay on the boardwalk, look at sea planes landing on the calm waters and ferry gushing through the waves to their island destination.
Before long, it was dusk and I was brought to the Cairns Esplanade for a beautiful pre-birthday dinner at Pesci's - one of the best seafood restaurants in the Cairns. We had a lovely cold and warm platter - delectable bread strips and concocted drinks to go along. It was a very pleasant meal. After the meal, we went for a night stroll around the area. While we expected shops to close early, we were very pleasant surprised that most of the shops extended their operating hours till the wee hours. A couple of hours round the vicinity and after purchasing some groceries, we went back to the hotel to retire for the night.
The next day, we were off to Green Island. While this place looks terrific on its propaganda, it was very crowded on the day we were there because of the Chinese New Year season. And this dampened the mood a little. Nevertheless, it was my birthday and so we made do. We checked into one of the island chalets and to my surprise, there was a chocolate birthday cake awaiting my arriving. This was a surprised given to me by my travel mate. It really made my day.
On the island, day-trippers were expected to leave by 4, leaving the island quiet and nice for residents. We had some quiet time snorkeling in the crystal clear waters and even had a picnic basket for dinner, under the starlit sky. This was the best birthday dinner I ever had. The next day, the crowd was overwhelming, so we spent time loitering around the beach, enjoyed the sun and visited the underwater viewing gallery. We had a nice classy fine dinner to conclude the day.
The following day, we woke up relatively early to pack up to catch the plane back to Brisbane again for our next part of journey to Gold Coast. It was quite an uncomfortable flight, and very long over-an-hour train ride to Gold Coast. We hoped onto a bus and eventually checked into the Crown Plaza. Because my traveling mate knows the boss due to some business dealings, we were given an upgrade to a beautiful room on the top floor. It was splendid - the view and all.
The next day we went to the beach off the coast, and had a wonderful stroll from our hotel to Surfer's Paradise. The stroll was a very nice one, with gentle waves crashing on the shores and wind brushing by us every moment. We ended up at Surfer's Paradise and did some shopping - everything was dear except the beach wear. We had a nice fish and chip lunch, then carried a few bags of shopping victory back to the hotel. After which we spent a nice evening in the hotel enjoy the picturesque view and comforts of a Junior Suite.
We woke up early on Thursday to have a jog round the vicinity before having a nice buffet breakfast. Warner Brother's Movie World was next on the cards. A 30 min bus ride to Movie World saw us swinging around in the various roller coasters, the junior rides and even water rides getting ourselves completely drenched.It was one of our happier days for this trip, and we completed it by having a nice good dinner at Broadbeach - where I had the surprise of having 2 board shorts, 1 leather wallet and a nice black long sleeve shirt as shopping pressies.
Friday was the final full day we had on Gold Coast - this day, we had the best fish and chips ever in this trip at Surfer's Paradise. After which, we took on the challenge of learning how to surf. We had a half day lesson and within the time, I managed to successfully stand on the surf board a few times. It was quite an achievement for me - for someone who has trouble even balancing on stable wooden planks! We were given certificates of achievement - something that will stay with me for a long while. The night we had dinner at Surfer's Paradise - it was raining cats and dogs and we had some really nice pastas along the road.
The concluding day saw us packing early and departing for Brisbane airport in the morning. It was over an hour of car ride, then grudgingly board the Qantas flight and flew back to Singapore.
It wasn't exactly the best trip of all, but I had a most wonderful birthday and in this trip it made me realize many things I have not and learnt to become a better traveler as well as a more understanding friend.
