Rainbow Beach

Elliott is again enjoying a few weeks off from school. All Australians celebrate Easter with at least a four day weekend. Most people head to the beach or go camping. It is a time to enjoy the pleasant fall weather - not too hot, and not too cold. However, this year, it is constantly raining! I wouldn't believe there was a draught here. The weather forecast in the newspaper looks like the ones from England with showers every day. The dams are still hovering around 51% full. They must be located in the only dry place in Queensland.

We decided to head up to Rainbow Beach on the Sunshine Coast for a few days. We thought of more exotic locations, but Elliott didn't feel like going snorkeling. I'll always regret not going to the Kimberlies, but it's been impossible to find the two weeks needed at the right season. The idea of looking for Thundereggs up at Mt. Hay didn't seem so appealing after our last try at Mt. Tambourine. So...we ended up with a 1/2 price last minute deal at a beach resort for a few days.

The beach at Rainbow Beach was very nice. The colored sands of the cliffs along the beach give the place its name. However, we thought it got the name Rainbow Beach because it never stopped raining! Well, that is a slight exaggeration. There were a few brief periods where it wasn't raining. Elliott brought a friend along, which was great except for the fact the kid didn't like the ocean. Who ever heard of an Australian teenage boy who wouldn't swim in the ocean? It made for an interesting trip! We played a lot of games - Rummy-O, Boggle and also I Doubt It (Cheat). Elliott loves playing I Doubt It - something about lying to his parents and then trash talking appeals to him.

That was our final Aussie vacation. A bit anti-climatic really, after all the great vacations we have had in our 3 years here. The most memorable thing was going to dinner at the outdoor restaurant at the hotel and being swarmed by mosquitos. They kept 6 cans of bug spray on the bar to use, but everyone in the whole place kept slapping themselves for the whole meal. When we got home from the trip, Elliott had a whopping 51 mosquito bites . A new personal best!