Sea World and The Australian Outback Spectacular

Just one week after returning from Byron Bay, we took a day trip to the Gold Coast to go to Sea World and then a new dinner theater show called The Australian Outback Spectacular. Our day began very early as we departed Toowoomba at 7:30 a.m. in order to arrive at Sea World in Southport in time for opening. It turns out their annual passes were on sale for 50% the usual price so we bought those and then headed inside. Once inside, visitors are treated to a spectacular show of waterskiing and wakeboarding stunts in a huge lagoon at the center of the facility and then you can ride either the monorail or gondola for a bird's eye view of a park that has all the typical offerings but also a water park and slides and some thrill rides. We made a general walk of the grounds first, visiting the amazing underground shark tanks, dugong area, and polar bears before heading to the dolphin show. The dolphin tanks are enormous and have been created to replicate, as closely as possible, a sea environment. The enclosures have sandy bottoms and rocky edges. There are 50+ resident dolphins, all of whom have been bred at Sea World. A tremendous amount of research is conducted at the facility, especially into dolphins and dugongs.


Under the direction of very skilled trainers, the dolphins provided us with an entertaining and amazing show before Hannah got the opportunity to get up close and personal with a trainer and a couple of dolphins. They are incredibly intelligent animals, so friendly and sociable. Hannah got to give hand signals commanding the dolphins to wave with their tails, swim on their backs, jump out of the water, and sing. She fed them and pat their bellies, finishing off with a photo of one in her hands.

After the dolphin show, we watched the seal show, a theatrical presentation of sorts, replete with a story that was a spoof on Indiana Jones, filled with plenty of humour and one well-trained seal. This seal performed all sorts of tricks, much to Hannah's delight as we were seated in the front row directly in front of the star!

After a packed day at Sea World, we headed north to an evening of dinner and entertainment at The Australian Outback Spectacular. This new show can best be explained as interactive dinner theatre, with one half of the audience representing one sheep and cattle station and the other half another. Each station has its own riders who participate in events such as equestrian skills, round-ups, and bucking bronco rides. There are horses, cows, sheep, sheep dogs and quads. It is a night of story and song, with a movie screen projecting two-storey-high pictures of the outback onto the back of the auditorium, wagon races on the dirt floor, and a real helicopter flying in to demonstrate some of the modern ways of working with sheep and cattle. During the show, you are treated to an authentic Aussie BBQ and as much drink as you desire. It was an eventful evening, even if it did glamorize what is an incredibly arduous way of life.