Day 4 in Gold Coast

16 September 2009

What I like most about Gold Coast (or for that matter, Australia generally) is how family-friendly it is. They seem to plan their tourist attractions with families in mind (or perhaps, they have old folks and obese people in mind, whatever). In places like The Tropical Farm World and here in Paradise Country Aussie Farm, we get to tour the place in the comfort of a tram, much to the delight of Peanut and Sweet Potato who seem to be perpetually fascinated with train/tram rides, for now, at least. There was something unusual about the passengers though - the tram was swarmed with a large group of tourists from China. It was our first encounter in Gold Coast. We had not met any tourists in droves as it was the low holiday season.

This farm (I am not sure I should even call it that... ), is really a Warner Brothers' theme park fashioned and designed as a farm tour. So please remember to avoid this one if you are looking for a true farm experience. But hey this is Gold Coast, we chose this place for its theme parks, for its well planned (aka commercial) activities and clean environment so we know what to expect for our young children and one old folk - no out-of-this-world wonder, romantic getaway, rough-it-out or hardship (trekking in mud was about the biggest hardship we can handle) holiday for this family, at least not for the next few years. I even made sure that the apartment we stayed in came with a DVD player, the preparations, planning, research and packing which went into this holiday were more meticulous than I knew I was capable of - ah, I also packed some grains of rice (over and above the "standard supply" of diapers, milk powder, milo, instant noodles, cereals under the food category amongst the many other categories, e.g. toys, books, beach stuff, first aid, medication, warm clothings .. you get the drift) so I could bring along lunch for SP for this farm tour which admission came with a barbeque lunch. Only to find that they provided rice ...lots of rice ... to cater to the Chinese tourists (who we learned from Dave, had replaced the Jap tourists as the main tourist visitors to GC.) Btw, it was reported in yesterday's papers that China would overtake Japan as the world's 2nd largest economy in another 2 years. Sigh, I am resigned to having to live amongst mainland Chinese ... but to have more of them amidst us on this tiny island - I'm so not looking forward to it. I digressed ...

The must-do photo take with the fake backdrop .. done it in Perth (on both trips there), done it in Dreamworld in previous trip to G.C; too bad Peanut was not tall enough to be allowed to carry the koala.

^ So this is what "moo" sounds like. It was so loud that it frightened SP. Finally, Peanut got to see a cow in a 'farm'.

Another photo opportunity ... a cleverly created barn scene just so the boys can bottle feed the lamb.

The first performance on the schedule was a "billy tea" demo under a big tent where we sat on logs surrounding the cow girl (see photo below) who demonstrated and explained how the cowboys of-old would boil water in a tin can over a small fire to make tea. This was followed by a horse-riding demo:

"This is my horse and my ... reins" ouch!

"Can't you tell I'm bored?" ("cowboys" demonstrating boomerang throwing in the background)

My obliging boy to the shouts of his trigger-happy mum, "Quick, stand here. The sheep's coming."

Still bored ... but obliging ...

Do I care that the sheep are gathering behind and forming a triangle?

He looks embarrassed by all the milk squirting ...

S.P actually said, "Cow wee wee ... yee .."

Our little folks were totally captivated by the sheep sheering demo ...

This small piece of wool .. somehow followed us home to Singapore.