Life Down Under: Surfers Paradise

Looking at the beaches in this city south of Brisbane, you'd think that God himself named it Surfers Paradise. Not so. However, I'm sure the man who renamed the city Surfers Paradise from Elston in 1933 thought he had been struck by a bit of divine intervention. Surfer's Paradise - who could resist a visit?

Instead of supporting the outrageously expensive and otherwise sub-par Australian dining scene (but that's another post) to celebrate our engagement, Mark and I got an apartment on the coast with his family for a night. It was great - the beach really is where Australia shines!

It's such a change to go to a beach where you can actually stay in the water! Even at the best of times, the ocean around Boston is cold. Here, the water was like bathwater. We were able to splash and surf all day. But first, Mark needed to educate me on some Aussie Beach etiquette, which I'm glad to pass on to you.

When hitting the beach here, the first thing you've got to do is slip, slop, and slap. Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, and slap on a hat, as the public service campaign goes. There is no shame in applying sunscreen on an Australian beach. The higher the SPF the better, since the Queensland sun really has bite. Although there were plenty of speedos, full-body sun-protection swim suits were quite fashionable on the beach.

Once you're sun safe, you've got to find a place to swim, and in Australia, that means between the flags. Beautiful Aussie beaches can stretch for miles, but those refreshing waters are actually harboring a world of dangers like sharks, jellyfish, and rip tides. Luckily a group of volunteer life guards, or Surf Life Savers, patrol the beach each day, and evaluate where it's safe to swim. Australians have a very healthy respect for the water, especially the ocean, so nearly everyone sticks between the red and yellow flags that denote a safe swimming area, where you can splash under the watch of some of the best life guards in the world.

If you're still feeling a bit unsure about venturing into Jaws territory, have no fear - you're covered from the land, the water, and now, the air. You already met the Surf Life Savers, and seen the orange buoys that hold the shark net bobbing in the surf. Next, you hear a familiar whir and look up to see the shark patrol helicopter - the one that spends days flying along the Gold Coast, looking for any unwanted predators in the clear blue waters.

But nevermind all that. Just take a breath, dunk into that clear water, and be thankful to be in Paradise.