The Sacking of Southport

Having done a selection of southern Gold Coast shops, it was time to head north, but not before a quick detour into Currumbin.  But first, a walk on the beach.

The clothing theme for today was O, and orange clearly trumped olive green.  Jo bucked the trend with her owl shirt, and posed with it paired with an orange skirt, that she then decided was just too much orange. [Trivia question: what was named first, the fruit or the colour?*]  Since our return, the owl shirt has found a new home with one of my facebook friends, whom I suspect might be a little bit obsessed with owls.

After breakfast, I drove the scenic route via Currumbin Rock and beside the Creek,  but there was not time to stop for photos (and no parking spaces).

The first two shops in Duringan Street we had visited before, and had particularly fond memories of the Lighthouse one, where we had struck message-Tshirt gold a few years ago.  Alas, it has had a change of management and the prices were too high. While we were browsing, a woman challenged the man behind the counter about the prices, and he had the cheek to say that other customers had told him his prices were competitive. 

They obviously hadn't gone to Animal Welfare just up the road before they came to him. This was much the same as we remembered it, and you could buy clothes for $2 each or three for $5. Jan did well there.

Next was Genuine Love, which is hidden in a nearby industrial area and where I had found my $3 red hat on the recce.  The lovely woman there was our photographer for the day. 

By now, I was learning the downsides of my "designer" top. Because it slipped off my bra straps, I had anchored it with safety pins, which meant that every time I wanted to try on a blouse, I had to take off the whole lot!  It still didn't sit properly unless I rounded my shoulders.  The next problem was that if I raised my arm, even a bit, you could see everything. So I kept my arms firmly rammed against my sides for the whole day. 

Now it was time for the much-anticipated trip to Southport.  We drove past the first nest of three shops, planning to come back later if there was time, and headed for Railway Street, where there are five in a row. The Salvos is supposed to be nearby, but we didn't spot it.  This was the second place (after Burleigh) where we had to pay for metered parking.

First comes Lighthouse which actually occupies two separate shops, with bric-a-brac and furnishings hiding in an arcade. If you would like to buy a flute, they have two. 

Vinnies is next and it is a big, airy shop with lots of goodies.  I bought four items of clothing for my granddaughter for $2.  Jo bravely resisted some beautiful vintage ramekins because they weren't a set of six.

Then came Lifeline, which is a good one, and has the best decor of any of the shops we visited on this trip.  There are records and other wonderful things dangling from the ceiling everywhere.  This is also the place to go if you are looking for gear for your school formal.

The next two, Add Care and Animal Welfare were not so good (at least for me), although at the latter, Jan managed to find the vertical wire CD holder she had been seeking all trip. Not long ago, op shops couldn't give them away.  Add Care had Christian muzak as well, a negative as far as I am concerned.

We were now hungry and tired and headed for Australia Fair Shopping Centre where we could park free for two hours.  We found the food court, stuffed our stomachs, and headed for the tram stop.

G:Link is the Gold Coast's light rail network, that started operating in 2014.  As a Brisbane girl who loved our old trams, I had long wanted to have a ride on one of these super-sized modern ones.  All you need is your GoCard, and they come along about every seven minutes.  

Southport to Surfers Paradise is six stops and cost each of us oldies $1.35.  Surfers itself has become a ghost town.  I have never seen so many "For Lease" signs in one place before, and the shop-keepers that are still open have a slight air of desperation.  The only oppy in town is the Red Cross, which, like the rest of them, sells only clothes, but the ladies there were cheerful. Their special line is crocheted bikinis.  Despite their clear qualification as quirky (and orange), we did not buy them. Anyway, we already had togs!

Back to Southport we went, still within the free-parking two hours, and were delighted to discover we weren't charged for the return trip.  We noted how bustling Southport is compared to Surfers.  A couple of decades ago, the reverse was true.

There are so many more op shops in Southport that we did not have time for, but I really wanted to get to the Church of Christ one in Griffith Way.  The Burleigh one had been really good, and this one showed great promise on the recce.  According to the internet, they stay open till 5pm: I regret to report that the internet lies.

So back down south we went, sailing past Vinnies at Tugun (the nearest oppy to our unit) once again. and settled in for drinkies and dinner, and a chance for me to shed my shirt, roll back my shoulders and unglue my arms from my sides.  The top I now put on was a better find, a Misha top for which I did pay $10, but I love it.  I bought it somewhere in Railway Street, but I forget where.  We ended the evening with a game of Bananagrams.  It was fun, and Jan proved herself to be Top Banana.

I consigned the floaty top to the regifting bag, and wasn't sure about those orange pants.  However, when I was back home, I discovered that the op-shop acquired cat shirt that Jan gave me some time ago is just made to wear with them, in all their delightful orangeness.