Ah the weekend is nearly here and it’s time to settle in for a good chat at The Lounge. Let your hair down, grab a drink and share a tale or two! This week it’s being hosted by the lovely lounge lizard Rachel of The Very Inappropriate Blog. We are talking traveling tales, of the good and the bad.
I’ll set the scene..flying to the Gold Coast, staying in a beach front high rise two bedroom apartment in Coolangatta, walking distance to all of the food places your heart desires, a short drive to the theme parks. It sounds divine doesn’t it? Under normal circumstances it would be, not this holiday however. This holiday, I seemed to have pissed someone off royally and it was my turn to be hit head on by the Karma bus.
Enjoying the pool
The problems started a few days before we were due to embark on our holiday. I was flying down with my brother and devil spawn while Mum and Dad drove down to meet us at the airport in Brisbane. One morning I woke up with a pain in my right hip. I put it down to a strain and thought nothing more of it..until it go worse and it didn’t away. Devil Spawn was 5 months at the time of the holiday, he was 8kg of baby that I needed to carry on my hip, as well as a nappy bag. I am so thankful for my brother coming along because I just couldn’t have managed otherwise. I limped out to the plane and up the seemingly never ending steps into the plane. DS was a dream on the plane thankfully. The hip trouble continued throughout the holiday meaning that I couldn’t step one foot on the pristine beach that was ACROSS THE ROAD from our accommodation.
Image creditThe Karma bus didn’t stop there however. The first morning of our stay I checked my bank account to make sure that the bill payments I had made the day before had gone through. Imagine my horror when not only had the money for the bills gone, but so had the rest of my money! Some low life had managed to hack my bank account, leaving me with a measly few cents. It was a Saturday so I was unable to place a hold on my account until the Monday, it was a long weekend…not the good alcohol filled kind either.
I was so grateful that I was on holiday with my parents and not on a solo journey or I would have been up shit creek without a paddle. It was however a little disheartening to be an adult on holidays with my parents and still having to ask them for money for everything. I felt very much like a child, with the added responsibility of my own child to think about too. One of the hardest things was having to go to Harbor Town (a wholesale outlet centre) and not be able to spend a cent because I had money but no way to access it as my card had to be cancelled.
There was however some good moments on the holiday, taking DS to Dreamworld, strolling (ok limping) through the beach side markets on my own. DS was still having naps throughout the day as well so it was nice to nap with the ocean breeze coming through the window. I would love a do over of that holiday…something that I hope we will be able to do as our little family. Papa Devil, Mama Devil and Devil Spawn.
Sucks being near a beach & not being able to enjoy it. I remember going to the Gold Coast as a maybe 6 or 7yr old, driving the 2 days from Vic & promptly getting measles the day after we arrived. I got to spend a few hours on the beach the day we left to come home. Hope you get your do-over one day.
Oh yuk! I got measles when I was 4 and they weren’t fun at all.
Bastards! Glad you had your brother + Mum and Dad to help – there’s nothing like family. xx
Yep I was sooo thankful
Oh God! How disappointing for you :-((
I once went to Byron Bay with a friend from uni and her mum, and some of her mum’s friends to stay in her family’s amazing beach house. AFter we got there I discovered I had left my purse at home. It was so so embarrassing. I didn’t know them all that well and had to borrow money the entire time. They even bought me a shirt I liked in a shop. I still cringe when I think about it. I was sure they would think I had done it on purpose, like some sort of nasty student scab.
Urgh.
PS I love the photo of you on your sidebar, looks awesome.
Oh dear! Thanks, it’s one of my fav pics of me. Was taken on at the beach. Selfie FTW!
Oh, man, I spend half my life at Harbourtown (it’s where I got my swanky new green Converse) and not to be able to buy anything there would be bloody heartbreaking! At least the wee man had a good time!
Going through pumpkin patch was the worst!
Travelling with a bub is always challenging – so much stuff to cart around for starters. I’m glad you managed a few positive memories on the trip 🙂
I am so glad that Mum and Dad drove down with all of our stuff so we didn’t have to worry about carting a pram etc onto the plane with us.
What a suckfest of a holiday! I did almost the exact same trip with my first when she was 5 months old – to Golden Beach and I slept in the breeze when she did. It’s one of my best memories too. It comes in snippets once the kids come I reckon rather than whole hours or days – I grab those now!
I am hanging out to go on a holiday with DP, DS and I and that’s it. No family to visit, just us.
I have just spent two weeks in NSW with my sister (I live in Perth)and lost my purse the night before we flew out. No ID, no credit cards no cash..I had to travel with my mum & 3 kids(-toddlers) I had to wait a week before I could get my cards back. Very embarrassing scabbing off my mum & sister..I know how you feel
You poor thing!
Shit, that seriously sucks. Hope you get to do your re-run of the trip very soon. xo
I’m hoping that Problogger Event will be a lot nicer than my last Gold Coast holiday.
That money thing freaks me out – we’ve had it happen in Australia, and all I could think was imagine what you’d do overseas where people didn’t speak English and you didn’t know anyone (or anything). What a nightmare!! But that beach looks great (guess a little too like Tantalis and his grapes – however you spell it). Like Ness said, hope you get to do the re-run again…
That’s why I am so glad my parents were in a position to be able to support me as well.
So close to Harbour Town, yet so far! That place is awesome – what a fizzle…
I know, I was gutted!
Aaaah bless, you look so cute in your plaits! We had an embarrassing one in NZ at Xmas time. I was finally (after 10 years) going to meet Brook’s brothers and sister and during the morning we stopped to get a coffee at a little café. Then we got to lunch with his family and sure enough we’d left the wallet at the café. We had to get them to pay for lunch – mortifying!