Quick stop in Paradise
For all the rigors of our travels to Australia, our three days in the Gold Coast were like stepping into paradise. Our hosts were most welcoming, and it was fun to listen to Macca talk shop with his little sister and goodMix Superfoods founder, Jeannie. The weather was perfect. Though much of the Gold Coast was recovering from recent flooding, Jeannie’s home was high and dry, and it was warm, sunny and breezy. Quite a contrast to the chilly, grey and wet we left in Vermont only days before.
Andrew’s family had a festive outdoor reunion with all the cousins getting together for the first time. Jeannie and I had several nice walks with their two lovely dogs—I’m a big time dog person, for those of you who might not know—which gave us a little time to get to know each other and provided me with a little dog therapy.
And the passion fruit, limes, avocados and fresh herbs! Wholly camolly! Fresh tropical foods were everywhere in Jeannie’s bountiful yard. On my last trip to Australia, about 11 years ago, I was ruined for mangoes in the US (mostly… I had to get over it eventually), because the variety and flavor of mangoes available in Melbourne was nothing like I had had before. This trip has ruined me for passion fruit. Fresh off the vine, sliced open and scooped out… wow! The tart, sweet, seedy, perfumey flavor was a sensory extravaganza.
The Gold Coast and McClymont sibling reunion was just a short stop on our journey to Andrew and Rania’s home in Karumba. Our time there made a lasting impression and set us off on the next leg of our journey, feeling a little more rested and renewed.
