Whale Watching, Gold Coast, Australia

August 2007

We went whale watching 14 kilometres off the Gold Coast with Whales in Paradise.

The trip started with a gentle cruise along the channels of the Gold Coast Broadwater past the multi-million dollar houses of the rich and famous.

Cruising out to sea, mid-afternoon

Cruising towards the Gold Coast Seaway, looking back at Surfers Paradise.

Gordon Merchant's former home (the guy who started Billabong surfing gear).

The grey house is one of John Longhurst's homes (the guy who founded Dreamworld).

A helicopter on a landing pad outside a riverfront mansion

Someone's got a private helicopter! We saw a few of these...

Waterfront shopping centre with large white sails for a roof

Marina Mirage Shopping Centre — a very upscale shopping centre with waterfront restaurants and a large indoor aviary, it is home to a fabulous farmers' market on the first and third Sunday of the month. It is situated directly opposite the 5 star Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa and adjacent to the world's first Palazzo Versace hotel. You can get there by boat, helicopter, car or bus.

Waterfront hotel with private cruiseliners in the foreground

Palazzo Versace.

Skyline with rough water in the foreground

Looking back towards Southport, Main Beach and Surfers Paradise with the Palazzo Versace and Marina Mirage on the left.

Cruising back home

We headed back just before sunset and finished with dinner with my family at our favourite Japanese teppanyaki restaurant, Arigatou, in Broadbeach where the chefs juggle with fire and knives, makes little bubbling, smoking, exploding volcanoes out of onion slices, salt, wine and fire and writes messages to you in salt on the hotplate as you eat.

Back through the seaway at sunset

Seaworld's Gold Coast Eye

Stunning skyline at sunset with water in foreground

Surfers Paradise at sunset

The two buildings in the centre of this photo make up Circle on Cavill. Whales in Paradise is based across the road from it.

Dinner at Arigatou in Broadbeach.

Chef juggling pepper mills on fire at a Teppanyaki grill

Chef juggles pepper mill torches at the best Teppanyaki restaurant on the 'Coast,.

Yves eats his "Arigatou Aria" — lightly seared scallops, prawns, salmon and steak with teppanyaki vegetables cooked in a white wine, garlic and teppanyaki sauce. Delicious!

Chef writes thankyou on hotplate using a salt shaker.

When the chef has served you your meal and finished his juggling show, he writes 'Thank you' on the hotplate with a salt shaker.

Whale watching

Once we got out of the seaway, we headed off out on a rough ride to the ocean. Looking back we could see the skyline of the Gold Coast and just when it became a blur on the horizon, the boat stopped and we bounced about for an hour spotting whales and dolphins.

Skyline of Surfers Paradise with the water and beach in the foreground and the mountains in the background

Out in the ocean now, about 10km from the beach, looking at the Surfers Paradise skyline with the Gold Coast Hinterland in the background (where the Numinbah Valley is).