South Korea: Day 1: Brisbane to Surfers Paradise

Note to All Readers: I am not the type of person to take a lot of pictures. I would much rather enjoy the experience of my surroundings than reach for the camera.

Preparation:
I had intended on using the maps provided in “Cycling Australia” by Lonely Planet but book was designed with the intention of cycling north from Melbourne to Brisbane, unfortunately I was traveling south. I converted a few of the maps from northern to southern directions, but in the end decided to mostly follow the Pacific Coast Highway to Sydney.

Day 1: Brisbane to Surfers Paradise

Approximate Distance: 100 KM (Train)
Approximate Distance: 25 KM (Cycled)

As luck would have it, Alex, an old friend from Windsor was currently residing in a suburb just outside the central business district in Surfers Paradise, 100km outside of Brisbane and my intended first stop. Alex was coming to Brisbane on September 16th and it was agreed that instead of navigating a myriad of residential roads and having to fight Brisbane traffic I would take the train back to Surfers Paradise with her and start the journey from there.

Surfers Paradise – ironically is the “glitz capital of Australia’s beach resorts”. With the high number of tourists infiltrating the waters daily, this is hardly the ideal “Surfers Paradise”. Perhaps the city should amend its name to read: Surfers Paradise – A Beginners Perspective. Surfers Paradise boasts beautifully manicured beaches and picturesque views of the divide between nature and industrialization.

Alex and I arrived at Helensvale station and were walking to her car when a Magpie viciously attacked me. “For most of the year magpies are not aggressive, but for four to six weeks during nesting they will often defend their territory vigorously. People walking past may be seen as 'invaders' of the territory, prompting the magpies to fly low and fast over the person clacking their bills as they pass overhead.” This is an excerpt from the New South Wales Environment and Climate Change website. The excerpt mentions that these birds fly low, low is an understatement. These birds fly within inches of your face and are known for clipping ears and pecking the back of heads. Magpies will only attack from the back therefore making it difficult to anticipate an attack.

To make matters worse both my helmet and gloves are black and white, which is same colour as the magpie. Understandably I did look like a giant magpie and it was the start of nesting season. After enduring a few 100 meter attack we reached Alex’s car and I placed my bags inside, unfortunately due to lack of space I had to ride my bike 25 KM to her house. Before I got 10 meters from her car I was attacked again, this time the bird chased and attacked me for a solid kilometer. By the time I had reached her house my nerves were shot as 4 additional birds had attacked me.

Not wanting to be continually attacked I discovered a possible solution online that suggested I draw eyes on the back of my head. Here is the final product: