Gold Coast HK

Welcome back. It's been a while. It was about a year or so ago that we decided to take a holiday to New York City. One of my wish list destinations. We chose to go via Hong Kong as Man of the Manor had business colleagues living in Central (located on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula). Following our thankfully uneventful flight from Australia to Hong Kong we settled into our hotel, the Novotel. No nasty surprises. It was comfortable and well located. Beaming from cheek to cheek, the Man and I bravely stepped out into the bustle of Hong Kong's Nathan Road (the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong that goes in a south-north direction from Tsim Sha Tsui to Mong Kok.) We had walked only a few metres down the road when we were pounced on by a bubbly young Chinese student, questionnaire in hand. Before we knew it she had us seated in a shuttle bus on our way to the Gold Coast. Seriously? A native Queenslander, I was surprised at such a notion. But yes, there is a Gold Coast in Hong Kong. On our arrival we endured a one hour sales spiel on buying into Absolute Vacations - a time-share holiday abroad concept. Avoid at all costs! We left Nathan Road at 10.30am and didn't return until 2.30pm. (25 mins by taxi each way) Such a waste of our first day in shopping heaven. The upside was winning 7 nights at a resort in Phuket or Costa Del Sol. But you still have to find the airfare to get to these apartments which were located in out-of-the-way places. Needless to say I have no idea where I put that piece of paper that allows us to redeem this prize! On a positive note, it was an experience to see the beach covered in 'imported' sand.