It seems to be that time. You know, when the people you went to school with seem to be partnering off and walking down the aisle. Sure it has been a few years now since I left high school and if Facebook is any guide, a lot of them are now starting to, or already have, got hitched.
In my own family, my sister is now living in wedded bliss, as are all my cousins. What about yours truly I hear you mutter? Well, I can safely say there are no wedding bells peeling in the near future for this bachelor.
However, as my twenties amble away into the distance and my thirties slowly appear on the horizon, I have noticed everyone I went to school or university with has decided to exchange vows.
This brings me to that bizarre tradition that is the hens and bucks night. Having not been married myself - and unfortunately single for sometime – it has meant that I have been able to observe this time honoured tradition.
Most recently, some school mates of mine decided to treat our freshly engaged fiancé to a weekend away. Where else in Australia screams class, elegance and sophistication? Why the Gold Coast! What is more Aussie than a bunch of guys from Adelaide - and one now living in Sydney – heading to where the beaches are white, the residents are tanned and a bunch of scantly clad ladies in shimmering gold decide to pay for your parking. Yes, if there is one place on this Earth which screams perfect bucks weekend, apparently it is the Gold Coast.
Let me set the scene. Ten men arrive at Coolangatta airport, strutting across the tarmac, with the heat of the sun in late winter gently radiating on the back of their necks. Walking away from the baggage carrousel we are greeted by a man in a slick black suit and drivers cap. Yes, what better way to traverse roads from Coolangatta to Surfers Paradise than by extra-stretch limousine.
With our fiancé already beaming at what his mates had already delivered, he was yet to see the accommodation which awaited. The Gold Coast sure has its pick of classy establishments where you can spend the night – and some places even have a bed. Forget the high-rise apartments and Formula One motor inn. If we were going to do the Gold Coast in style there was but only one place we had to stay: Conrad Jupiters Casino Hotel!
To be honest, I was disappointed at the fact it has been refurbished. I was expecting a garish pink interior to match the classy pyramid exterior of the building. If there was one thing that made me think we had arrived on a bucks weekend, it was as soon as we walked out of the airport the guys were talking about buying beers. For me, the second thing that indicated we were on a bucks weekend was walking into the foyer of Conrad Jupiters and looking up towards the mural on wall and thinking, wow … what a piece of art … who knew so many ideas, seriously, so many ideas, could fit into the one classy mural.
After a night where way too much money was spent, I retired to my bed to eagerly await day two: Saturday.
When on the Gold Coast, what is the one thing everyone must do? Apparently it is to go to a theme park. Ok, this is going to come as a complete shock to everyone, but I am not really the theme-park guy. No, seriously, when it comes to sitting on a ride where I could potentially have my hands flailing above my head Kermit-the-frog style and screaming at octaves I never knew I could reach, or sitting in the Queensland sun wondering how on earth some people can claim they speak English when clearly the laconic drawl leaving their lips is an entirely different language – it is of no surprise I chose the latter. Ok, just to be clear, yes I did pay an exorbitant amount of money just to be the official “bag boy” of the group. But it was a job I did with pride and honour. That and I managed to work up a slight tan I was able to show off to the girls in the office the following week – I so managed to turn heads!
So while the buck decided go from ride to ride, I stood by, wide-eyed at the prospect that some people really do have a different notion of what constitutes “fun” than what I do. I did, however, like to think I added something to the day. I managed to convince my friends that if a ride is temporarily closed due to “technical difficulties”, and this ride involves travelling at speed up a who-knows-how-high pole, do you really want to go on that ride after they resolve aforementioned “technical difficulties”? Needless to say, my logical argument was heeded.
The rest of the weekend was pretty much a blur. Sure there were the traditional kind words for the soon-to-be groom, laughter and a bit of mirth. But what really made the weekend for me, apart from being with mates from high school who I have not seen in a very long while, were the people. Yes, they don’t call it the Gold Coast for nothing. If you thought gold pants and sequined woollen jumpers were retired to reruns of The Golden Girls, then a trip to Jupiter’s Casino will no doubt put your mind at ease that some fashion doesn’t retire. It was polyester and comfortable shoes heaven. The atmosphere was electric – mainly because there were synthetic pants rubbing together causing sparks. Throughout the place there was the loud hubbub of fun as hearing aids were clearly turned down to low as blue-rinsed patrons are forced to yell lovingly to their slightly hard-of-hearing permed friends.
Yes, while I was there to enjoy the excesses of the bucks weekend, how could I not revel in the excitement that is Conrad Jupiters. It was truly a memorable weekend. Sure my mates are rapidly pairing up and walking down the aisle. However, a dashing single guy like me was able to spend a fun-filled weekend with a man who is enjoying his last weekend of single life. Spending that time on the Gold Coast I learned two things about myself: I really am not a theme-park guy; and I should really use online check-in so I am not stuck at the rear of an aircraft with a toilet that is used way too much than I think it can handle and toddlers who are quickly learning that by exercising their vocal chords they really do attract attention! Yes, while it was a fun weekend with mates, everything that glitters is not necessarily gold.