Late last night I made a list of different buses that would take me to Surfers Paradise and home and when/where they would pick me up. All I can say is good thing I wrote down multiple choices. . .
8:45am I left the house to walk to the town center to see if I could get a daily bus pass. I was out of luck. They told me the closest place was about 5k down the road and although I walked about 2k to get to the shopping center I was not planning on walking 5k more. A girl told me that I could pay with notes (cash) once I get on the bus.
9:40 I was at the bus stop (at the intersection of Uplands Dr. and Napper Rd.) waiting for a Rt 14- Southport 14 bus. As I was waiting patiently by the sign I saw the bus coming and then it zoomed right by me. Hmm I thought to myself. Luckily there was a man mowing his lawn and he stopped and walked over to me and told me I need to hail the bus, that so many different buses come through they don’t know which one you are waiting for. I thanked him and then looked in my little notebook for the next bus. It seemed there was a 10:15 bus that would leave from Upland Dr. and Greenacre Dr. Fortunately when I went on my run yesterday I passed Greenacre Dr. so I sort of new where it was.
10:00 I reach my new bus stop and waited for the now, RT 15 – Southport 15 bus. When I saw it coming I was sure to hail it down. As I got on the driver asked me where I was going and I told her Surfers Paradise. She immediately asked if I had ever taken the bus before. I don’t know what gave away the fact I haven’t but I didn’t ask. I paid my $2.30 fair and sat down.
10:20ish we reach Southport station where all people who want to go on to Surfers must get off and switch buses.
10:30 I boarded a 707 – Burleigh Heads 707 bus.
10:45 and I arrive at Surfers Paradise. . . or did I? I realized the bus stop I got off was called Surfers Paradise but there was no beach to be found and now esplanade. I began to walk down the street searching for a map.
11:15 I eventually reached the big Surfers Paradise sign, with no help from a map. and I felt relieved. At this point, of course, I was hungry so I went and got food at a restaurant called Kitty O’Sheas. . .sounds familiar to some of you huh? I did the whole sit alone thing and I “read” a book so I didn’t look too loserish. Haha. I got some lunch and a beer. . or 2 and totally just people watched.
I walked around for quite a while and everything was so beautiful and there was so much entertainment as you walk around. I went into a few shops and even checked out a learn to surf place to see if it’s something I want to do in the future. So at about 1:45 I realized a bus would be leaving in 15 minutes to take me back towards home. I found my way back to the same bus stop I got off at. The bus was supposed to arrive at 2 and when 2 came around there was no bus. I then looked down the street onto the other side of the road and saw the bus I was looking for. I was supposed to be at the Surfers Paradise stop going back the way I came from. . .silly me didn’t think about that one. So then I literally ran to the bus and made it before it took off. I paid $2.60 this time.
According to my notes, I was supposed to get off and switch buses at Helensvale station. When I got there, I asked some guy if he knew how long it would be until bus 15 came and he looked at me and said no bus 15 comes through here. Awesome! The guy was nice enough to call the translink bus company to find out the best way for me to get to where I needed to go. I had to get on another bus, back to Southport and then take another bus from there to Upland dr and Napper Rd. Sound a bit confusing? Tell me a bout it.
I waited for 30 minutes. . . so at about 3 I got on a bus back towards Southport. I must have looked confused because the bus driver asked where I was going and I told him and he said I shouldn’t be on this bus. So when the bus stopped at the next stop, Griffith University, I got off and waited a few minutes for the next bus which was 709 heading back to Helensvale station. As we were driving along I realized I saw a shopping center that knew was on Napper Rd so I figured if I got of here I could find the road my house is on if I walk a little bit. I asked the driver to let me out and he did. From there I walked about 35 minutes and FINALLY made it back to the house!
What an adventure. Needless to say the bus system here is not as straightforward as Boston.
Although the travel home was a bit long and confusing, I loved Surfers Paradise and will definitely be heading back for surfing lessons in the near future.
I am trying to figure out how to post photos so hopefully I will have some up in a little bit.
