My Favourite Childhood Holiday Memory
My childhood holidays were spent at Coolangatta, the most southerly beach of Queensland’s Gold Coast. This was during the 50s, when life was much simpler than it is now. My siblings and I would play “Who can see the sea first” as we headed down the road from Brisbane to Southport. Then it was a long drive along the seafront, through busy Surfers Paradise, past the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary and Green Gables cottage. When we reached Kirra, we knew we were almost there. We always rented a cottage and after we had unpacked, we would excitedly explore our new surroundings. We would fish with Dad on the causeway across the mouth of the Tweed River, build sandcastles on Rainbow Bay beach and drive up to Razorback Lookout for an ice cream. One day, while playing on the swings, I found two shillings in the sand. That was enough for ice creams for everyone..such an exciting find!
We didn’t have much money, so our pleasures were simple and mostly free activities. The Currumbin Bird Sanctuary, however, cost one shilling and so that was always a special treat. We would hold the tin plate of honeyed bread and the colourful birds would land on the plate and on us too! Santa’s Workshop was also fun, as we were allowed to choose a lucky dip. We loved walking up the street to Point Danger with its views over the mouth of the Tweed and across to NSW. We would watch the surfers at Duranbah, long before it became a well-known surfing hotspot. We could not afford to visit the new Jack Evans Porpoise Pool, but we had a great view of it from the top of the hill. We also loved Greenmount Beach, just to the north of Rainbow Bay. There was always entertainment there and we loved to watch the antics of Ronricco the hypnotist and the people he persuaded to join him on stage. This was in the days before Macdonalds and KFC, so our meals were simple and home-cooked. I remember once, in our little cottage( which is still there!), eating porridge and being thrilled to get the creamy top of the milk from the bottle the milkman left on our step.
The Gold Coast has changed almost beyond recognition now, but for me, Coolangatta will always be the best spot on the Coast and will hold my precious childhood memories forever!!