Last Day in Southport, Walk to the Seaway and Fireworks to Finish

Saturday 3^rd June 2018

It is our last day in Southport before heading off to Mooloolaba at 3 am tomorrow morning. The southerly has been gusting around 25 knots today and stirred up a few wind waves, but the forecast still suggests tomorrow will be OK.

Our morning walk today is up to the Gold Coast Seaway Entrance, along well marked bush paths that follow the coast for the initial part, and then run in behind the dunes until you come back at the coast near the sand bypass jetty, just before the seaway. It is a decent walk, around 4 km each way.

Seaway Sand Bypass Jetty

 There is a small kiosk at the entrance to the jetty where they charge you to go for a walk on the jetty and more if you want to go fishing !

There are plenty of people cycling, jogging and walking along the track, and there are lots of paths off the main track taking you to the beach or to a car park on Seaworld Drive. By the time we arrive at the seaway, it is dead low tide and the usual culprits are anchored in the seaway fishing, leaving a modest gap in the middle for ocean going traffic.

Tinnies anchored in the seaway fishing

Seaway Tower which monitors traffic in and out between 5am and 9pm

A nice little café near the seaway offers two important things, a toilet and the opportunity to have a cup of coffee. We take advantage of both. The coffee was actually pretty good.

Revived after a short rest we head back in the direction of Southport, but quickly realize that we are walking out along the spit on the western side of Bum’s Bay and if we continue on we will have to swim home. So we backtracked and got a great view of the many boats anchored in Bum’s Bay, including one we met in Iluka, “Roseanne”, who looks very settled and also our previous neighbor here for a few days “Artful Dodger”.

Bum's Bay is full of boats (looking towards SYC)

Including Roseanne

and Artful Dodger

Just before we get to Seaworld, and directly out the front of the Southport Marine Rescue tower, there is a large barge anchored that appears to have the deck laden with fireworks. We heard a runour that there maybe fireworks tonight, so here’s hoping.

One of the many Aqua Ducks appears from our of the water

Fireworks Barge ?

We fancied some seafood for lunch and headed past the Fisherman’s Co-op trawlers, to peters Seafoods, where there was a big crowd of people. We had a look inside and were pretty unimpressed, they were mostly selling frozen imported fish for their fish and chips so we moved on.

I needed to get some cash, so called in to the Marina Mirage Shopping Centre to use an ATM. To my amazement standing at the ATM to also get some money was John Reid (ex CSR) and his wife. They had been up to Noosa and were on their way home.

Our next choice for lunch was the Fishermans Wharf Tavern. It turned out to be a very good choice, although the meals were huge. We both opted for a Caesar Salad, mine with calamari and Carol’s with dukkhah crusted salmon. Instead of a sprinkling of calamari and salmon the serves were very generous.

The latest weapon against annoying birds, very effective !!

We waddled back to the marina, and there looks like the pontoon out the front is being set up for some sort of function. A large red yacht that was tied up along the walkway is now secured to the end of the pontoon and appears to have some role in what is going on.

It turned out to be a wedding. Not sure where the yacht fits in though.

At around 720pm, we heard the fireworks, which are apparently at Surfers Paradise. Must be a pretty low budget show, as despite all of the noise, nothing was visible in the air from Southport which is not that far away. Admittedly there are a few buildings in the way, but the fireworks we are used to would easily have been seen fro  this distance. Not to worry, early to bed for a very early morning start tomorrow.