mark and the mermaids

After a fantastic meal cooked by Sandy, the evening finishes with Hugh and myself playing pool and sitting by the other pool with a few glasses of wine – during which time we put the world to rights!


Tuesday 18th March

Feeling a bit delicate this morning so the ideal time to go on a boa cruise. We leave on a 65ft boat and head up the Broadwater passing some spectacular scenery – not to mention houses on the way.

Plans to go ashore are knocked on the head when the small boat that is on the front of the big boat springs a leak as soon as it enters the water. Still the captain takes it well – better than I would have anyway!

After returning to sanctuary cove and everyone getting together for a few beers its home to pack as we are on the move again to our next hosts.

This is a fantastic trip but just when you are getting settled and making friends with your hosts and other club members it becomes time to move on!

Wednesday 19th
Our first breakfast meeting and another impressive venue – a lovely clubhouse of Hope Island Golf Course – feels like torture to be this close and not get to have a shot.

Once again the presentation is well received but it is becoming clear that Ian (boss) is becoming the star performer! Naturally witty and quick to respond to opportunities that present for a good ribbing!

On the way out of the presentation we see some kangaroos lying on the golf course enjoying the sun.

Next is a presentation by the Manager at Sanctuary Cove – a gated development of houses on free-hold land. The set up is very impressive in relation to what it is supposed to do. More spectacular houses, private security, golf courses and leisure centres and a shopping/ eatery complex with each house having a golf buggy to get around.

We see inside one house valued at $4.2million dollars and I feel a tug on my principles regarding wealth – I definitely could get used to living in a house like that – as some annoying American bloke used to say! It even has a wine room although why they put it next to stairs I don’t know – if I had it a stairlift or room in the bed would probably be required.

True to form the team all get excited when some (don’t know the collective term) Kangaroos appear! The poor creatures will be trying to recover from the camera flashes for a while.

After Sanctuary Cove, Debs take us onto Mermaid Beach and another presentation and handover to our new hosts.

Mermaid Beach Club
Once again the presentation is fine and we are pretty much sticking to time although I am sure there are several folk who never understood a word I said.

After the meeting we discover our leisure time has been replaced by a trip to a radio station!

C4 radio station is a charitable set up but nevertheless a full time operating station particularly targeting older people. It is interesting to discover that old people the world over have no taste in music as Daniel O’Donnell is among the most played artists. I also have a connection to the station manager – we both think ABBA are rubbish!

Warren returns us to our hosts and again my host’s residence is rather nice. I am staying with Alan (Cotty) & Lois Cotterel in an apartment on Main Beach. Alan is quite a character – and despite giving me 20 years I have to go some to keep up.

We “cruise” about is his sports car and he takes me around the Indy track also!
After dinner the 3 of us go for a walk – Alan is as nearly as fast on his legs as he is in the car.

We go around Surfers Paradise and visit a market before returning home. Australians seem to watch a lot of television – don’t know why that surprises me but it does! Maybe because it gets dark so quickly!

The next morning starts with Lois giving me a swimming lesson in the private indoor pool – the outside one is too cold!

Jennifer and I then get the opportunity to visit the Gold Coast Youth Services Team. It is a different structure to us, with only one community worker – a guy from Shawlands no less, although they do have good structures for involving young people in decision-making.

It is striking that despite being just about as far away from Glasgow as you can get the issues between young people and their communities are almost identical.

From the vocational visit we head to Alan’s Farm/ranch. This is where the participants of “I am a Celebrity get me out of here” get orientation training before being dropped in the jungle – a jungle that is 5km’s up the road and surrounded by houses and roads and tourist routes.

Thursday night a group of us visit the Outback Spectacular and have a good night. Iain, Lorraine and I take the chance to stay out and have a few beers. After visiting the Casino we head to Surfers.

Annoyed by drunken Irish men, violence in the streets and lots of drunks – just like being at home! With that in mind we head to the beach and go for a paddle. The tide comes in so fast we almost lose our shoes.

Despite being about 4am we ask a passer by to take our photo – the chap is from Hull – England – kind of sums up Surfers Paradise.

Next day is Easter Friday – tired and delicate after last night so what better than another boat ride! This time we head to South Stretty where Bob and Margo, Doc’s hosts have a holiday home.

For me this is the most impressive site so far – a fantastic house on a small sand island. Bob takes us for a drive in an open top van and we see iguanas, wallabies oh and a tarantula which decided to drop in or should that be on us.

We stop at a beautiful golden beach with almost nobody on it and we all take the opportunity for a quick swim – well as close as I would get!

Back in the house we have the most fantastic meal – Sharon would be so impressed with the amount of fruit and veg I am eating!

Bob’s son takes us all out on a jet ski and I have my first experience of being dragged around water at high speed on an inflatable ring – what fun despite being dunked!

Truly an ideal location and memorable day. I don’t think any of us wants to move on but needs must as once again it is time to move onto our next hosts.