Paradise Country may not be a big place, but I enjoyed it mainly because of the very interesting shows they have there. The first one we went for was for the Billy Tea Demonstration. This was a short demo on how tea was being brewed and bread toasted and baked out in the wilderness with the absence of common apparatus and equipment. Basically, it's making a simple meal out in the woods.
While waiting for the show to start, we saw that there was a mini exhibition of vintage vehicles near to the show pavilion. Pretty cars and carriages!
We happened to bump into a tour group during our visit. Apart from us, there was only one other family who did not belong to the tour group.
The show host was funny and interesting as she demonstrated how to mix the tea leaves together by swinging the tin flask. She also got some of the audience to try the swinging themselves.
Joey's holding the black tin which was used to make the Billy tea. Basically, out in the woods, you put together some wood, set up a campfire and heat up a tin can of water, throw in tea leaves and do the recommending swinging action to mix the tea leaves together.
And this was the bread!
I was SO GLAD when they announced we could all try the Billy tea and bread! Wahahahahahaha... we had breakfast early in the morning in our apartment, took 2 buses and a long walk to get to Paradise Country, and I was hungry by then!! Plus, I was very curious whether the tea tasted different. =)
But the real surprise was this bread! The only ingredient I could remember was raisins. Haha, but boy it was DELICIOUS. Piping hot, moderately sweet and very fragrant! Everyone just plucked from the loaves and had it with sips of hot tea. I thought it was a very tummy-happy moment for all of us.
While we were still enjoying our little tea break, another mini show had already started, and it was a short horse-riding demo by a stylo-looking cowgirl.
At the next show - Stockmen & Sheep Dog Show, we were shown how shepherd dogs helped to direct sheep. The sheep were SO ADORABLE! They were really obedient and moved at every command of the staff. My mother-in-law commented that among all the animals in the world, sheep are the most obedient and would listen readily to the instructions of their shepherds. They usually dare not venture on their own and are always looking for someone to guide them. Maybe that's why God referred to us as sheep, and He as our shepherd? =)
These three hosts were so funny and entertaining! They demonstrated how to crack a stockman's whip - It made such a loud noise when it hit the grass! They explained how the sound was used to guide the sheep, and the whip's not actually used on the sheep's body because it would hurt them real bad. They also demonstrated the use of boomerang which was really interesting. =)
See how the sheep would follow obediently behind the stockman? =) So cute as they paraded in front of us.
The final part of this show was the cow-milking and they brought a milk cow for us to try milking! It was a pity that Joey dared not try it as she thought it was 'weird' (???), but Jayne tried many times and succeeded squirting milk everywhere! =P
Baby Jayne had so much fun that she went back again and again to milk the cow! Haha.. She's drank a lot of milk but it's definitely her first time milking some!
The shepherd dog was also one of the stars that day, and the kids rushed to take photos with him. =D
Met this animal on the way out from the show, but I can't remember its name...
The last show we went for was the Sheep Shearing Show & Ram Parade where we saw how a sheep was being sheared, and also a fun parade of sheep that came running into the barn! It was really very fun!
The show was highly entertaining because they invited people from the audience to join them on stage to play some activities. I love it that they are not boring like most animal shows I've been to. =)
The girls took photographs with the show hosts at the end. They were really friendly and nice guys!
Well, that ended our tour at Paradise Country, and these shots were taken on our long walk out! =D Sometimes, I gotta love the limitless energy in my girl.
The final leg of our Gold Coast trip was spent at HarbourTown, the factory outlet shopping hub in Gold Coast. This was a big shopping haven with good discounts on most merchandises. You can find many famous brands here like Adidas, Nike, Converse, CottonOn, etc. Be sure to grab a tourist card from their Tourist Centre when you reach - they give you more discounts at certain outlets, and you can also rent a stroller for free, in case your kids are tired from all the shopping. =)
Passed by these fruit stalls and can't help but take photographs of the really pretty-looking fruits!
We were looking for a place to settle lunch... There were many restaurants and cafes there to choose from.
In the end, we decided to go for Italian food!
After a hearty lunch, we started our shopping! Some stuffs are really cheap, and I managed to get a pair of jeans and boots at AUD19 each! Happy much, and a very good end to our Gold Coast trip. =)
That wraps up my Gold Coast Travelogue series, and here's a recap if you have not read them!
Gold Coast Travelogue: Volume 1.1
Gold Coast Travelogue: Volume 1.2
Gold Coast Travelogue: Volume 2.1
Gold Coast Travelogue: Volume 2.2
