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Gold-Coast-life-1999
Gold-Coast-life-1999

Gold Coast life 1999

Enjoying the last year of the 90s, please note, this is not part of my Travel Blog. It’s part of my personal online photo albums.

Gold Coast life 1999

Gold Coast life 1999

Gold Coast life 1999 was not too different from previous years except for the fact I was no longer working. In 1998 I decided to take a year off work and travel, little did I realise I would never go back to full time work again.

I have often wondered if I made the right decision to retire and travel the world. On one hand had I continued to work for another 6 or 7 years I obviously would have been far better off financially, however on the flip side I can never replace the wonderful years of travel I enjoyed during those years.  Consequently looking back in 2016 I’m very happy with the decision I made. Take a look at my travel record for 1999 below. 🙂

An incredible year for travel

Gold Coast life 1999

 The photo above was taken in Koh Samui with Francesca & Barbara from Florence. In 1999 I had three trips to Thailand, February, August & December, my first trip to Rio for Carnival in February was part of an around the world adventure with my friend Larry Krausz. Another fabulous 2 month around the world trip in November included Los Angeles, Las Vegas Miami, Mexico City, Bolivia, Brazil, (Rio, Iguazu falls & Salvador) Paris & Thailand.

Kathy was a regular visitor

Gold Coast life 1999

A simple phone call would result in an hour or so of passion, priceless. 🙂

A little more of Kathy

Gold Coast life 1999

Without a doubt Kathy had one of the hottest bodies I have ever seen. 🙂

 Lots of parties lots of girls, Narrelle, Simone & Kushler.

Gold Coast life 1999

All through the 90s and beyond the parties never stopped.

Myoung-sook a nice Korean lady

Gold Coast life 1999

Myoung and I spent some time together in 1999.

Sometimes she would stay for breakfast. 🙂

Gold Coast life 1999She was a very keen golfer.

she was quite a keen golfer.

Lorrie & Leonie

Gold Coast life 1999

I took Lorrie & Leonie boating, they were two Canadians visiting the Gold Coast.

Dinner at Ashmore Steak & Seafood

Gold Coast life 1999

This popular restaurant always ensured you never left hungry.

 Narrelle, Jack Delanty and Larry Krausz NYE 1998

Gold Coast life 1999

The celebrations were at Sylvester’s on Chevron Island.

Sadly out mate Larry suffered a major stroke in October 2016 & passed away January 2017, RIP.

Lollipops at Sylvester’s

Gold Coast life 1999

Evelyn & Tina love sucking Chuppa Chups. 🙂

For a great room rate on the Gold Coast just book through THIS LINK.

Natasha & Alex

Gold Coast life 1999

New Years Eve 1998 and the girls are feeling no pain. 🙂

My favourite songs from 1999.

Nindie at Marina Mirage

Gold Coast life 1999

Nindie had a restaurant called Isobar at the Marina Mirage.

 My best friend Ziggy

Gold Coast life 1999

My beautiful Doberman waiting for me to dock at the jetty.

Rick Felsing from Sydney

Gold Coast life 1999

Tucking into freshly caught mud crabs washed down with a Margaret white.

Dinner & red wine with beautiful Akiko

Gold Coast life 1999

Beautiful Akiko is one of the most gorgeous Japanese girls I have ever met.

Great company

Gold Coast life 1999

Perhaps THE MOST GORGEOUS. 🙂

Talking about gorgeous meet Aurora

Gold Coast life 1999

In my opinion the most gorgeous Melbas girl ever.

Melbas on the Park

Gold Coast life 1999

Surfers Paradise most iconic bar ever.

Mother’s day 1999

Gold Coast life 1999

My beautiful mother Iris Joyce Herd, my brother Ian & his wife Sandra, Adam one of their sons & Myoung my Korean girlfriend.

 Rossco, one of the happiest guys I know.

Gold Coast life 1999

I count Ross Kennedy as one of my best friends, we had so many great times together. Certainly one of our most memorable adventures was our road trip trip to Melbourne in 1996, to check it out just follow THIS LINK.

Thinking back to my 25 years on the Gold Coast there were just so many highlights, I’m really very happy to be able to re-live them through my FiveStarVagabond photo blog.

Through all those years I remember having a hand full of good friends and many many acquaintances. Due to my reasonably abrasive personality there were also many people that couldn’t stand me. My message to them is quite simple, see below.

A message for the knockers

Gold Coast life 1999

Having said all that let’s get back to 1999. 🙂

Jimmy Bell & the smokers

Gold Coast life 1999

Another Sunday session at my Upton St home, Jim “HO HO” Bell rented a room at my home for 17 years.

For a great room rate on the Gold Coast just book through THIS LINK.

Emily used to be a meter maid

Gold Coast life 1999

And yes the silly tattoo is a temporary one from Thailand. 🙂

Ray Shultz & Phil “Swifty” Gregory

Gold Coast life 1999

Swifty actually wound up marrying Emily and produced a couple of fine sons. I owe thanks to Ray for introducing me to Kathy who you saw at the start of this post.

Farewell Colleen

Gold Coast life 1999

Colleen was leaving Saks bar & restaurant, owners Duncan McGuiness & Steve are wishing her well.

Phil Thomson, another great friend.

Gold Coast life 1999

Phil has always been a Porsche lover, these days in 2016 he has a Boxter sitting in the garage.

 Talking about cars, here are my beauties

Playboy photo shoot 1998

It was a very difficult decision to decide which one to drive. 🙂

Ziggy & my boat

Gold Coast life 1999

You had to have all the toys & props to stand out on the Gold Coast, to be honest 50% of the people I met were fairly shallow individuals & easily impressed. Then again the same probably applies to other Australian cities as well. 🙂

Main Beach blondes

Gold Coast life 1999

Catie, Marina & Kylie were waitresses at a popular Main Beach cafe.

Mike Wood, Greg Craig and Dave Allen.

Gold Coast life 1999

A few drinks at Melbas in as we did so many times over the years, it was simply Gold Coast life 1999.

Sweet Myumi

Gold Coast life 1999

Well that’s all folks from Myumi & I, thanks for visiting my Gold Coast life 1999 photo blog. It’s now February 2018 & I”m living in Thailand, and I get a huge kick from re-living some of these incredible years through my photo blogs. I just can’t believe what a fortunate life I have had. 🙂


Here are some more posts on my wild wicked ways. :) 

 

         Life 2015                     Family history                   Life 1982

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  Adelaide 1972                 Iron Bar Freddy               Sydney 2006

417091_10150704751043594_62315468_n          Susies home Newport 1 (1)        April24FreewayHotel-33 (1)

Thailand 2008                Gold Coast Babes               World trip 2003

Fun in Pattaya-116         92bfa275-a122-4078-9970-1e24188a5917        CopacabanabeachNov2003-124

             Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
                              Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
                         d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037              01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f
 
 That’s all folks
Surfers Paradise Party Animals
 
Pattaya live webcam 
 
9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1) 
A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

 Soi Cowboy (5)           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

 


Counter only started June 16 2020.

Author: David Herd

My history, particularly over the last 30 years is dominated by overseas travel. I sold my home in Australia October 20th 2011 and have have been living in Thailand since then. I don’t know where the time has gone? It seems like you go to sleep one night, wake up the next morning, and 20 years have flashed by. Not sure how many years I have left, however I have enjoyed a wonderful charmed life, and if it all ended today I would leave this world with no regrets. I was born in Sydney halfway through the last century, started my travels in the 60s with the usual U.K. Europe adventure at the age of 20, back to Australia and worked in Sydney, Melbourne & Adelaide in Sales & Marketing with multinational companies including Sanyo, Canon & Remington. Engaged to be married 3 times and never quite made it to the alter, finally realized by the mid 90s I was not cut out for "long term relationships" so I moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland in January 1987, worked for a couple of banks as a Financial Planner, I took a year off work in 1998 to travel and never went back to full time work again, after 25 fun filled years on the Coast I packed up and moved to Thailand. What is the purpose of this blog? Well I really want to use it to record my travel experiences & to display my photographs, give and receive travel tips, comment on places I visit, restaurants I eat in and use it to replace the autobiography I intended to write, apart from all that it helps me fill in my day. :) I moved to Thailand mainly because I wanted to keep travelling while my health allowed me to, there are huge advantages being closer to all the places I want to visit. Cost of living in Thailand is around 35% of the cost in Australia, plus flights are 50% cheaper because you are much closer to everywhere. ???? Consequently I am able to travel to many more places compared to living in Australia. Having said all that, it is & has always been my intention to return to Australia when my travelling is finished, I predict this will happen around 2021.

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