As I'm still on New Zealand time, I wake up early (Queensland time is 3 hours behind New Zealand time) so I've been driving to the beach at 7am and checking out the scene. So far, I've figured out that many locals here are serious roadies, as I've seen a number of tanned, fit and top-to-toe lycra and spandex riders whizzing around. Traffic is heavy and, like New Zealand, less in the "share the road" mindset, so riders tend to come out when it's cool and safe.
I've also found bits and pieces of a marked bike trail, that stretches along the beachfront from Surfer's Paradise to the lighthouse at Coolangatta, nearly 40km. I don't think it's a full bike path, rather a mix of bike lane, bike path, no lane, no path. I need to find a local bike store and get the skinny on how it works around here.
Riding along the seashore is spectacular. Pounding surf, big sky, golden sandy beaches, and lots of cool coffee shops. I've seen a bunch of cruiser bikes, many sandy, rusted out beater mountain bikes, and one guy riding by on a unicycle made from a full sized mountain bike wheel. Today I had brunch at wonderfully named Kirramisu, in Kirra, one beach up from Greenmount, where the surfing contest is running. It's busy at Greenmount, with many surfers, boogie boarders and stand-up paddlers enjoying the breakers just a little way from the hoopla of the pros. At Kirra, the beach was a wide expanse of clean, people-free sand.
Next week is "Ride to Work" day on the Gold Coast. Seems like the local government is trying to support expanded transportation options. They're taking a "soft start" approach to integrating bicycling into the mix here. Australia is a car culture. I've been away for many years, and I'd forgotten just how supreme the car is around here. The federal government is trying to get voter buy-in for a carbon tax scheme, to start in July. I can't yet figure out the details of the plan, despite reading The Australian, The Courier Mail and The Gold Coast Bulletin each morning at the coffee shops I visit. I feel like I've just dropped in during the middle of the conversation. Which is true, I have, literally, just dropped in. There's a lot of heated discussion, political posturing and grandstanding going on, and the Letters and Emails to the Editor pages, are full of rude submissions from angry illiterates. The Australian political discourse is known for its no-holds barred shouting matches.
The Prime Minister, Julia Gilliard is currently in Washington, DC, visiting President Obama. Back at home, the opposition is having a field day screaming about misuse of travel funds, and all the other expected hot buttons.
It's an odd thing to watch, as I only half understand what is going on.
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