Queensland Holiday part 6: Warner Bros. Movie World
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Day 5: Thursday
On the last full day we went to Warner Bros. Movie World. We both went separately in the early 90s as children with our families. Sadly some of the great rides from our childhoods such as the Gremlin ride were gone. As a kid this ride terrified me but I'd love to see it again! There's a YouTube video if you are interested.
Fun fact: as a kid in the 90s I always wanted a toy mogwai. I finally found one at a secondhand shop but my brother convinced me it was Spike instead of Gizmo and I couldn't enjoy it.
I am not sure if it was because we went off-season, but the Western area was sadly abandoned looking. There were no character actors, the restaurants were shut and the main ride there was closed for maintenance. I remember a great Wild West show from my childhood but it was no more. I am not sure if the area is active in summer only or if they are planning to renovate.
Image from Warner Bros. Movie World webpage
Apparently in the 90s there was a police driving show which I don't remember. There's now a stunt driving show based around racing called Hollywood Stunt Driver 2 that was cheesy but fun. There was a clown-like police ranger who jumped in front of cars which takes a lot of skill and confidence!
The highlight for me was definitely Catwoman from the Tim Burton film, Batman Returns. She wandered around in character and her acting was perfect! At one point she was leaning against a tree in a very cat-like manner. There was also had a reenactment of the film robbery scene in the main street. She definitely renewed my crush on Catwoman!
The Batman exhibition was really good. It contained costumes and props from most of the Batman movies except the newest one.
The cowls looked so spooky with no faces in them!
There was a show with 1920s flappers who drove up in a Vintage car and danced in the street, although the music was modern, so they had a kind of a Baz Luhrmann's Gatsby or Postmodern Jukebox vibe.
This was the song they danced to.
I had a vegan Ben and Jerry's icecream. My partner got some pulled pork tacos from Dirty Harry's.
There was a lot of overpriced merchandise and you could pay a lot to have official photos taken with some of the actors, but we didn't do that.
My partner went on the Green Lantern Coaster and the Doomsday Destroyer rides, both of which go upside-down and the Batwing Spaceshot which is a drop ride. I am not into thrill rides so I did not go on them. We both went on Justice League 3D which was fairly uneventful point and shoot dark ride (which was good for me) and the Scooby Doo 3D ride which honestly just gives you a sore neck and back and I do not recommend.
After we left Movie World we still had some time left in the day so we went to Pacas Recyling Store* in Surfer's Paradise. This is an old fashioned secondhand shop like we had before thrifting became trendy. Just big racks of cheaply priced clothes restocked once a week. Most things are only $3 or $6 which is getting rare in Australian shops. Everything is washed but some things are stained or damaged, although that was kind of the charm of the place. We ended up getting a big plastic bag full of clothes. Nothing really fancy, just some nice tops mostly.
*Pacas confusingly goes by Paca's Recycle store, Pacas Recycling shop and Pacas opshop on various different media but it is all the same store.
Photo found online
We had dinner at The Hog's Breath Cafe. This is a Australian restaurant chain styled on an American steakhouse. It has been around since 1989 but I had never been. Since they have vegan meal options now, it seemed a great time to check it out. I liked the cheesy theme, and the burger was huge and messy but very tasty. It had pineapple and a huuuge amount of avocado. It was probably one of the best burgers I have had.
My dinner: Vegan Troppo burger with Curly fries
My partner's dinner: steak with sweet potato chips
Day 6: Friday- Final day
Friday was our final day so we couldn't travel too far. Luckily the hotel was able to hold our bags for us, but we needed to be able to get back to the hotel, get our bags and travel back to the airport, so we stayed local.
We went back to Paca's Recycling, had another look around and found some more clothes.
We found a little arcade (Cavill Lane) that had this cute fake cherry blossom tree and a restaurant called Doña Bertha's. The owner is a Columbian chef with over 40 years experience. They serve different foods from all around South America. We had a freshly squeezed guava juice with our meals.
My partner's meal: crispy chinculines (beef intestine) with criolla potatoes
My meal: Fritos: fried patacones (green plantain), arepa (corn bread), criolla potato, yuca, tajadas (sweet plantain slices) and deditos de queso (cheese fingers, which I didn't eat).
I highly recommend you try Doña Bertha's if you are ever in Surfer's Paradise!
What an adventure you've had! I loved the 90s Batman films - I always remember them being such an event and Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman was wonderful. The name Hog's Breath made me laugh. Hopefully the the brand name doesn't form part of the staff job descriptions! It's only 11.25 am and now I'm hungry after all the pics of mouthwatering food! xxx
Ooh, that Gremlin ride looks proper scary! Such a pity it was no longer there. Seems you still had a fantastic time nonetheless. Well done on scooping up a bag of stuff at that second hand store, and oh my, doesn't that food look absolutely delicious! xxx
Oh, I loved Gremlins and Gremlins 2 - and the Tim Burton Batman movies retain a special place in my heart. How fun! I love that Catwoman - she looks fab!
Yeah, second hand shops here are becoming more pricey too - thank goodness there are still a few real charity/thrift stores here (op shops, you call 'em).
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I received a digital ARC for this book from the author. There are two kinds of books about consumerism, those that are annoyingly preachy, making you feel like a loser for not living a completely frugal life and those that are relatable and help you see points in your own life that you could improve while still embracing life. T his book was definitely one of the latter. As Katrina Townsend says, over-saturation can make you feel “bludgeoned with more things I ought to be doing” and overwhelmed as well as costing you a bundle trying to go green or frugal. You need to be mindful at take it slowly. H er interest in Druidry and spirituality helped her find focus. From the start I was drawn in by Townsend’s friendly tone and nonjudgmental style. S he showed her own failings and made it clear that it is normal to be drawn into the cycle of consumerism in our modern lives. Her story is probably at least a little familiar to most of us. Haven’t most of us been sucked in by the serotonin cycle...
A modern Victorian inspired blouse with lace and pintucks. If you've been following for a while you'll know how much I love Victorian inspired items. Beautiful beads that catch the light! Vintage style spoon and metal trinket box. Possibly pewter. I love the tarnished look of the spoon. Gilbert and Sullivan The Gondoliers DVD A Child's History of England by Charles Dickens Even the back is beautiful! Harmsworth History of the World Vol 8: America. Excuse my weird vampire looking hand, I swear my hands actually look normal. I originally guessed this copy was printed in maybe the 50s, but perhaps it could be from the thirties. After looking into it a little these books were originally published in 1907-1909 but this does not look like the original version and I am sure it is a later reprint. The paper is glossy and photos are printed throughout without separate illustration plates as in the other book but it is still cloth bound. I am certainly not an antiquarian books expert...
What an adventure you've had! I loved the 90s Batman films - I always remember them being such an event and Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman was wonderful. The name Hog's Breath made me laugh. Hopefully the the brand name doesn't form part of the staff job descriptions! It's only 11.25 am and now I'm hungry after all the pics of mouthwatering food! xxx
ReplyDeleteI'd follow that Catwoman anywhere! Sounds like you hit the jackpot at that thrift store. And you certainly ate well on holiday -- yum!
ReplyDeleteOoh, that Gremlin ride looks proper scary! Such a pity it was no longer there. Seems you still had a fantastic time nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteWell done on scooping up a bag of stuff at that second hand store, and oh my, doesn't that food look absolutely delicious! xxx
Oh, I loved Gremlins and Gremlins 2 - and the Tim Burton Batman movies retain a special place in my heart. How fun! I love that Catwoman - she looks fab!
ReplyDeleteYeah, second hand shops here are becoming more pricey too - thank goodness there are still a few real charity/thrift stores here (op shops, you call 'em).
Have a great weekend, Laura!