Glorious Gold Coast

I've been lucky enough to have lived on the 'Gold Coast' of Australia for the past 6 years, and while I still love my home town of Tauranga, NZ... the Gold Coast is just such an awesome place to be, especially for someone who is trying to be more Active and Healthy.

Take this weekend for example, It's August 11 & 12, officially winter. It's not spring for another 3 weeks, but the sunshine is out, and families all over the coast are out and about.... including us.

We started with Park Run, my daughter and I went along to a new venue closer to home in Coomera.  Nice location, but the course involved some hills... eeek!  Still we did our 5km timed run at 7am, and the weekend was off to a great start. 

Saturday was also 'sign on' day for our girls at their local Athletics club.  They have been going to Little Athletics for 3 years, and had a lot of success.
The Helensvale Little Athletics club had an open day, for kids to come and have a try at shot put or Long jump etc, and sign up for this season, which starts on Friday.
My girls are super proud of their club, one of the reasons being that Olympic Gold Medallist Sally Pearson went to their club as a girl.  My 12 year old is even more impressed as Sally also went to her High School, and through the same Sports Excellence Program that she is attending.
In fact, because the Gold Coast is such an amazing place to be active, it is the training base of many other London 2012 medallists, including kayakers Tate Smith and Jacob Clear (Gold Medal K4 1000m), Matt Belcher Gold Medal winning sailor, 16 year old Diving Silver Medallist Brittany Broben, and Gold & Silver Medal winning swimmer Melanie Schlanger...  and Swimmer, World Record holder Sun Yang (Representing China) also chooses the Gold Coast as his training base. 
With the Gold Coast winning the bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the city is a buzz with excitement, and potential.  I wonder how many Helensvale Little Athletes will be representing in 2018... I know it would be a dream come true for my two.

Sally Pearson - a huge inspiration for my girls

After a busy day at sign on, we took our dog for a walk around the lovely man-made lake that we are lucky enough to live by.  My youngest daughter is constantly, and I mean C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-L-Y doing handstands and cartwheels, so I took some fun photos of our afternoon in the sun.

My Daughter having fun in the sun

Parks like these are all over the coast. Plenty of outdoor fun to be had, and lots of opportunity for free family activity. 

Free Excercise Equipment

Kayak anyone?

Sunday, we headed out to the Southport Broadwater Parklands where the Gold Coast Council was hosting a free family fun day promoting their Active and Healthy programme. Each year the council provides a booklet (downloadable from the link) full of free or low coast family activities.  We have booked in for free orientation and archery in the Gold Coast Hinterland, for a Kayaking tour to wavebreak island for $5, for Stand Up Paddleboarding for $10, plus diarised for the many activities where bookings are not required. 
Today's family fun day also included a free 30 minute Zumba class by none other than my favourite Instructor Kassy! My daughter got to the top of the Rock Climbing wall, and they had a whale of a time at the Jumping pillow!

Zumba Kass motivates the Gold Coast public

My Daughter tackles the Climbing wall

Woo Hoo!  And its a permanent fixture

So while visitors come from all over to visit the Gold Coast, and cram in the Theme Parks, Zoo's and beaches into their stay, this is how local Gold Coaster's spend a winter weekend... Can you imagine what a summer weekend is like?! Bring it on, I can't wait.