R&R, Moreton Bay Bugs and Barramundi. Day 4 of our Oz Experience

View of the Great Divide Mountains

Day 4 Dawned nice and clear and the weather Gods were definitely on our side. We had a leisurely breakfast and while our hosts departed for a day at a Vintage car meet, Lyn and I waited for Nick to collect us for a quiet drive to a scenic location for a coffee and a chance to spend some time together.

Unfortunately this was not to be as their house was burgled during the night and they arrived late and very distressed. It was decided to have lunch at the Pines Golf Club close by and we duly booked into their outdoor restaurant. (Apparently the complex has about 5 food options for guests) 

An OZ steak sandwich!

Lyn ordered a turkey sandwich and I decided I would try their version of a steak sandwich. Sure enough, the sandwich came on very thick bread with the usual salad and chips! (This must be a traditional OZ preparation) While we dined, we noticed a large gum tree was full of noisy squawking birds (not uncommon in Brisbane from my point of view) and it turned out to be a Kookaburra being challenged by crows and other noisy birds. Talk about a racket! Just as well we all had good hearing as the noise went on until the Kookaburra asserted his or her authority and the noisy attackers departed.

A VERY noisy tree!

After lunch we returned to the apartment and spent the afternoon watching a couple of DVDs I had put together for Nick, mainly of his childhood in NZ and a brief outline of our Waipu lifestyle which he had never seem before. It was obviously quite emotional for him and the tears flowed freely all around the group. Worth the effort and I have determined to continue recording a range of future items to send to him from time to time. There is nothing like a video of family gatherings to get the emotions moving!

 

What a bugs meal should look lik

After Nick and Sherrie had departed to sort out the burglary situation we readied ourselves or a night out at the Grand Hotel Restaurant in Labrador a suburb close by. The Restaurant was named "Kokonut Willies" and was located on the Marine Parade and looked out on Wave Break Island in the Nerang River. Lyn had Moreton Bay Bugs on her Aussie "bucket list" and I had always wanted to try Barramundi, so we ordered these two dishes and settle down for what we hoped would be a meal to remember. I wished I had ordered a steak similar to Richards or the Lamb Shanks that another of our party had ordered. The seafood platter was pretty miserable by our standards, with two small servings each of Barramundi, Calamari and prawns and Lyns "Bugs" were tiny and not terribly easy to eat. The restaurant was very dark and although the scenery would be nice during the day, it was too dark to see what was happening on the river. The Guinness was nice!

We did enjoy having a night out and we met some lovely Aussie friends, but I can't wait to get down to the South Island for a meal of Blue Cod or to visit Kaikoura for a feed of crayfish!