THE AUSTRALIAN GOLD COAST
Here is an interesting breath of fresh air from abroad – Judith Wallis, resident on the AustralianGold Coast, sends a description of her home area. Very different from what most South
Africans are used to, but fascinating to hear of another area in such detail for that very reason.
Well, here goes for a description of the Gold Coast environment. I am going to assume you
have a map available and can locate place names if you wish. The Gold Coast (that is the area
governed by the Gold Coast City Council) is a 42 km coastal strip stretching north from
Coolangatta on the southern border of New South Wales and extends inland to Mt Tambourine
and O’Reilly’s Mountain.
It is a lush green area of national park with some stands of native rain forest remaining. The
Australians call them mountains. They are big hills to me. I was born at the foot of 8000 ft Mt
Taranaki in New Zealand, the tip of which is snowcapped even in the middle of summer and I
guess, in my mind, anything less than that is not a true mountain. I live at Paradise Point, a full
hour and a half drive south of Brisbane City which is not linked to the Gold Coast.
At the southern end of the coast the golden sands of the surf beaches are very popular. But
once past Surfer’s Paradise - Mecca for tourists from around the world - a great spit of land
extends parallel to the coast creating a broadwater between the spit and the mainland. This
waterway is perfect for boating and fishing. People swim there too but small sharks are common
and it is best to stay in the netted areas.
There are three major shopping areas dotted along the coast. Our nearest is Southport. While
there are bigger groups of shops at the three main locations, there are lesser satellite centres all
over the place and, between them, a variety of market and discount retailers of every kind. I
think of the entire coast as one big shopping center. People think nothing of driving for an hour
to visit the markets. And when I tell you we can buy large juicy apples for 59c a kilo instead of
paying $5.95 at the local supermarket, you will understand why.
Paradise Point is at the northern end of the coast. A tiny point of flat land with the broadwater on
one side and the Coombabah Creek on the other. The creek is wide and the extensive
mangroves on the far side provide excellent fishing and a home of many water birds. The creek
is bordered by native trees, (koala habitat) mown grass and walking tracks. My home is across
the road from the park and I often walk along a winding path through the gum trees to the river.
This is especially nice after the rain when the perfume from the lemon gums fills the air and
small flocks of galahs are fooling about. They love the rain and hang upside down on the power
lines spreading their wings, turning somersaults and squawking at the tops of their voices. A
fifteen minute walk the other way takes me to the sea. The broadwater, not the open beach.
There are more parks along the broadwater with free electric barbecues, lots of picnic tables
and play ground areas for children beneath shady trees. I was there today and as it is school
holidays there were lots of people about. Across the road from the park the street is lined with
outdoor cafes that offer a variety of international cuisine.
My home is in Eurimbula Court. A circle of twelve duplexes. Some are joint title, some separate.
Ours, because the two units are one behind the other, share common ground. For the past four
years I have had a very nice middle-aged lady renting the place from the owner who lives inter-
state. Recently her brother moved in with her and I feel very fortunate to have such pleasant
neighbours. Most of the folk in the court are elderly. Some are moving on now, going into
retirement villages, or secure housing. I can only hope the new owners will live in the court
themselves and not rent out to noisy groups of youngsters. I treasure the present peace and
quiet of our neighbourhood.
The state of Queensland is leading the way with its smoking laws. Or rather anti-smoking laws.
First it was the indoor places. Now smoking is banned in all public areas including beaches,
playgrounds, and sports grounds and within 10 metres of any public entrance way. Even the old
die-hard places like pubs and return servicemen’s clubs must provide non-smoking areas and
within a year will be under a total ban. Hurrah! I say.
I was surprised to hear that even in a place as big as Johannesburg, the allocation for new
purchases precludes libraries buying many books by modern writers. I am not a big reader
myself but recently I have been making an effort to read writers who have published in the past
six years as I endeavor to replace my own outdated phrasing and grammar with something
more modern. Not a lot of success as yet, but I am hoping my second try at writing a book will
be better than the first.
I thought your comments about the government’s policy of establishing a sense of self for the
blacks interesting. But how sad that this is proving to be with the exclusion of ‘euro-centric’
influences and history, and how much better it would be to put the past aside and deal with the
‘Now’ and provide a better future for not just the younger generation, but for all people living in
Africa today.