Kids on the beach… without toys.

My kids love the beach. Normally they trawl up and down the shoreline looking for shells and building sandcastles. The shells then decorate their sandcastles like jewels around a womans neck. Just recently, they have begun to get more adventurous - taking to the water on boogie boards and skim boards. Getting wet! Oh my.

Before our recent trip to the Gold Coast, I was imagining days spent on the beach, plonked in the sand, building sand castles. Forgetting the bucket and spade as we amble out front of our accommodation, I wonder what the kids would get up to. I needn't have worried. The multitude of jellyfish that were washed up on the beach give the kids a workout as they run up and down spotting bigger and bigger ones. The thunderstorms that dazzle every afternoon provide the stage backdrop for many a show put on by the kids. And watching the surfers paddle out and catch zippy waves keeps me entertained.

The Gold Coast is known for it's surf beaches, and Mermaid Beach, where we are staying, is no different while we are here. I'd asked people before arriving, if it was an ok beach for surfing, and the answer I kept getting was, only in the right conditions. Well, this must have been 'right conditions'. Every day there were surfers running to and from the surf, in search of their wave. I want to hire a board but from my vantage point, the waves look too big. And the speed some of the guys are getting, zipping along the face, was fast. I get scared. I lknow I will regret it after. I think I would have fun. Oh well.

So, here we are on the beach. Kids nearly nude. Running around like mad cows. Laughing. Spraying water at each other. And building volcanoes in sand. No toys. Definitely no plastic toys or electronics. Everyone loves it. The kids are screaming with laughter, Ben and I are beaming with satisfaction. It makes me want to live up here. I can imagine coming down the beach at night; running around in the warm, humid air. I can see the kids eventually taking to the water, joining a surf club. I can feel my surfing improve with the near daily practice. Ahh, makes my heart sing. But for now, our airplane waits, to take us back to Adelaide.

BSKT cafe yummies, Mermaid Beach QLD

I spot a number of cafes on the way in, and make a mental note that coffee is not far away. Thank goodness. I see a place called BSKT on the corner, two doors down from our apartment. It looks full and bustling with energy. Another mental note, 'I must go there'. A social media comment from a friend in Adelaide cements my thoughts, I need to go there. A coffee buff, he says I need to go there after my run one morning.

So I do. We go for coffee, and sit out the back. To my gleeful surprise, there is a kids play area. Hallelujah. We have been entertaining the kids on holiday with no toys, and finally, they are away from us. Happily. I eye the food coming out, and wish I had not just eaten breakfast at the apartment. The menu has me wanting to eat again, but I resist. Just. I tell Ben we are coming back for food tomorrow.

Pancakes with raw cacao, blueberries and other yummy super-food crunch. Awesome! Sweet potato and quinoa fritters. Yum! This is my kind of food. Delicious AND healthy. The menu is laden with super-foods, coconut and protein, I don't need to feel ultra guilty indulging at this place.

We sip on lattes in peace, looking out to the whitewash of waves (while not salivating over the menu). That rarely happens. Ahh. Double whammy - great coffee and time out from kids.