Noosa and the Gold Coast

Flew to Maroochydore and then a short drive on to Noosa Heads on the 20th for a criminal law conference at which Roger was  a keynote speaker, and Amy (for once in her life) got to play spouse!  We spent Christmas 2004 in Noosa with Melissa, Rupert, Ashley and Gracie, and were delighted to return.   Although we didn't get to Steve Irwin's crocodile farm this time round, we saw his countenance on numerous road side billboards, so he is alive and well in spirit if not in body.  Again, we had a view of the ocean from our room balcony.

We were introduced to a very Australian custom: the long lunch.  The conference adjourned on the Friday at one, and we boarded a ferry to sail down to Ricky's on the River.  There we wined and dined, and ultimately were entertained by many drunken lawyers and judges singing sometime in key and sometimes not.   Our Waitangi crowd would have been delighted by the range of songs, including (in key) The Band Played Waltzing Matilda .  [See blog entry below, Circular Quay, for more about that song!]

Awaiting ferry to Ricky's.

 Then, a pleasant drive down the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, for a few nights in Burleigh Heads just south of Surfers Paradise.  The Law School at Bond University, where we both gave classes and schmoozed, was our host for this part of the trip.  A beautiful campus, one of Australia's two private universities, and a nice faculty.  Again, a view of the beach from our balcony!  Note the Norfolk pine as in James Mitchener's Tales of the South Pacific.