Endless Wednesday

So having survived the 10 hour flight with grace and ease (10 hours.pah! Sydney - New York was at least 19 hours + the 5 hour layover in LA; 10 hours is nothing...) here I am on Endless Wednesday feeling like I have somehow landed in Alternative Queensland. This place is soooo Surfer's Paradise - complete with hills and canals in the background and glitzy shops on the surf front and faded weatherboard and fibro shacks only a few blocks from all the highrise. I am having 1970s flashbacks.  Its all a little weird - strangely familiar and yet not.

The hotel is conveniently located a couple of blocks from the beach; and across the road from a supermarket. As my room wasn't available when I arrived, I dumped my bag with the bellhop(!) and headed to the ocean - which is very pale blue here - and opaque - and really warm. And I did my best to not fall asleep in the sun! After a couple of hours I found my way back to the hotel without being run over (damn that traffic on the other side of the road) and not being left standing at the 'walk' signals more than twice (its amazing how used you get to listening for the beeping sound to tell you to cross...)

So I was all checked in and unpacking and thinking about my approach to the late afternoon and whether a powernap was needed to keep me going until the Canadians arrived late tonight when the phone rang and Donna from housekeeping had a message. Fraser had rung. Their flight has been delayed a full day and now they wont be here til tomorrow night. Damn. And bugger. And damn again. Still what's another 24 hours after 14 years. Sigh.

So I've been back to the beach for sunset; had mai tais at the beachfront bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel (which came with a side of ketchup!!!!!!); been for a wander around the shops - all open very late. Macys is open til 11pm (I've stocked up on cheap Clinique stuff - those prices are unbelievable!) and been to the international marketplace - lots of jewellery and Aloha shirts and bad art and more Aloha shirts and more jewellery....

Tomorrow I am booked on an all day Island tour - including the Pineapple planation. See. It really is Alternative Queensland.

Have taken lots of photos - so will add some in soon. Loving the new camera!