My 7 year old daughter, Annie and myself have just spent an excellent week in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Our first half three days were spent covering the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane & Southbank, and on the Glasshouse Mountains followed by the Big Pineapple. Not to forget a trip to the shopping centre at Chermside which is a 1.5km walk around the outside.

Day 4 was spent relaxing, recovering and traveling by train to the Gold Coast at another friend's house. There we visited Dreamworld.

On our last day there on Saturday, we headed down to the Inlet at Labrador called, Ian Dipple Lagoon. It is a good safe swimming place for children without the strong surf that the Gold Coast is reknown for. Annie asked if she could skinny dip so I let her and waited for the response from others. Nobody really cared and one parent stripped their kid's clothing off when they saw my daughter.

Even in the public showers without screening where she stripped to wash out the sand after the following dip in the actual surf, nobody really cared.

We're thinking of returning back to the South East later in the year or early next year.