Day 237 - Tuewsday 22 August - 100 Beer venues

Day 237

Tuesday

22 August 2017

Bonogin – Southport – Burleigh

A quiet day today thankfully. I slept much better and was happy to read for an hour before getting up at 8am. We had breakfast and then did a wander around the property saying hello to the horses. Spotty was a little more adventurous today and looking for a scratch.

We said good morning to Scott and then took ourselves off on a short walk through the forest just down the road. We entered the conservation park and followed the well-worn path up the hill between the thick, but spindly trees. Bird life was also numerous. Many little birds busily darted around us from branch to branch or diving into the very low creek water for a quick bath.

We admired the peaceful surroundings then made the return journey meeting Scott once again. We chatted briefly before heading to the shop for a few bits and then following the signs towards “Natural Bridge” in Sprinbrook National Park. Unfortunately we didn’t make it as the road was closed. Apparently a number of bridges and roads were washed out when cyclone Debbie went through and they are still running repairs.

We returned to the van, made up our lunch and then joined Scott on his patio to eat and chat. It was a great way to spend the afternoon but we were aware that we wanted to get out and head to the coast, as we needed to find a dump point for our toilet.

We packed up the things we required and then headed to Southport where we found a place to dump our loo. From this point we were able to drive the Gold Coast strip. It really is another world. The skyline reminds me of the photos you see of Dubai, massive concrete structures that sprout like weeds all the way down the coast.

We drove the road that carves a path between the monoliths, passing over the starting grid of the Gold Coast indi race. We eventually made it to our intended destination, a brewery of course. Black Hops Brewery is our 100^th beer venue. We settled in at the bar as Paul tried the beers on offer before filling a couple of bottles to take with him and then we joined the traffic to make it home.

Kirsty was home early and out in her horse arena working with one of the horse when we got in. I stood back and watched her working as the horse completed circles on her command.

Kirsty’s father, John, dropped in to say hi and we chatted to him about our travels. He and Paul were able to chat motorbikes and we recalled our trip on the Derwent Hunter in Airlie Beach, a boat he once owned.

After our conversation, we took off for a brief walk along the main street to add some extra steps to the count. Scott passed us on the way as he returned from the shop. 

We didn’t walk too far before making our way back and joining Scott and Kirsty out the back for a drink and a chat again. It wasn’t long before the light was gone and the guitar came out, with Scott creating some ambient background music as we chatted.

By 730pm though, it was time to head home and get dinner done. After eating I had to send back a reply to The Crafty Pint online magazine; Paul and I will feature as the Beer Nut of the month, answering a plethora of questions.

Paul completed his beer review from today and then went to bed to watch a DVD. I caught up on the blog but was soon looking to get to bed as well.