FRUSTRATION!!!!!!!!

I have been having issues with my bigpond email. I keep getting a messages from bigpond administrator saying that I reached my quota and my inbox is full. Even though I have deleted all messages, and have removed all my deleted files.

So I made my first call to bigpond over a week ago, after 56minutes the representative (who I could barley understand) told me all he could suggest was, that I continue to delete messages after they come through. Well that is not a solution, I am missing out on my emails and I am getting rather annoyed.

 So yesterday I decided to call bigpond again…. Again I spoke to a male rep who I had so much difficulty understanding. He has told me after trying to remotely control my computer, asking me to click this and click that…that my problem has been escalated and I will be contacted within 24 hours!! (that phone call took 1 hour and 4 mins)

Guess what???  No call as yet! It has now been about 32 hours. The occasional email gets through to me, however most of the emails coming through are that annoying message…your inbox is full…you have reached your quota!!!!

Nothing like paying for a service that you don’t get!! Let’s hope they ring today and sort this out. I will keep you posted.

BREAKFAST AT THE BEACH SHACK

Breakfast at the shack!!

views

Friday was a gorgeous blue sky, sunny day on the Goldie , the ocean looked amazing! A group of four of us met at the beach shack for a catch up. We were welcomed with smiles from the owner who was busy making coffees and told we were welcome to sit were ever we wanted. We ventured up stairs (to our fav spot) with the great ocean views.

Our waitress was nice enough but just lacked something… We had to ask for water, we had to ask for extra glasses and water when other guests arrived. She was really keen to get the order in and possibly one of those waitresses that over stresses when busy.



views from restaurant upstairs



This time I tried a new dish, I had a salmon omelette . If you are a salmon fan like myself, you will really love this dish. The omelette was light and fluffy, and tasted amazing with the salmon. Coffee was ok, normally I love the coffee at this place, and it could have been our slightly stressed waitress, who was a speed demon on the coffee machine!

 

my salmon omelette



views

Little St Kilda Cafe

Service critic - in short

Service – 5/5

Ambience – 4/5
Quality of product – 4/5
Price - reasonable

Wheelchair access - yes
Position and outlook – Street and distant ocean glimpses
Parking - Close by
Amenities, bathrooms – on Premises

The review

Little St Kilda café, on 7^th av in Palm beach.(Gold Coast, Australia) A little gem, eclectic , odds and ends every where, a real funky twist. Definitely NOT BORING!! Really friendly staff, great vibe, music is clearly important to these guys.

You just can’t stop darting your eyes around every where, so much to look at, both old & new. This place is tiny…but it works!! We sat out on the road side, we could see down the road out to the ocean. I love how they have used the wacky chairs, worked into the side of the step by the pathway.

My meal was really good. I had to have what she was having (my chicky friend that is) the steak sanga. It was very nice, served with yumo chips.

I would love to go back on a Friday night, sounds like they have live music.. And I am a huge fan of the live stuff. So keep an eye out..I intend on returning to this joint and blogging about it.

A place you must visit!

Montezumas Mexican Restaurant - LOVE TO HEAR YOUR OPINIONS!!

Last week I needed a mexicano hit,  so ventured to  Montezumas Burleigh Heads, for a bite to eat...OKAY…so I shared two mains with a girlfriend.

Lets get back to the food.. well as per usual... It was YUMO!! . We shared a chicken delight, and is was just that…A DELIGHT!! If you love salad with a twist, this will definitely be a dish for you.

We also shared the seafood enchilada…again YUMO. The enchilada comes with a mex salad and rice. And lets not forget to mention the beautiful midori margarita..mmmmmm. Our bill came to $62.00, which I think for having a cocktail and a lovely healthy (very filling) meal is reasonable.

I would love to know if you have ventured to any of the Montezuma restaurants, If so, did you like it?

Is it a place you visit regularly?

Do you have a favorite on the menu? Or do you have another Mexican restaurant you think I should visit?

I would love to hear what you have to say, so please leave a comment!!!

Montezumas is hidden away in the back of the Old Burleigh Theatre arcade, Goodwin Terr, Burleigh heads.   It has been there for as long as I can remember, I recall having dinner there with friends back in my high school years. That was probably about 5 years ago (huh...you don’t believe me???) alright then... would you believe 10 years ago?? Time for the truth then, back in about 1986.

I just read some info on this restaurant's web site, Burleigh was their first restaurant, and they opened it in 1978. In 1991they started to franchise, and now have restaurants right around Australia.

The Continental Shelf Deli & Café, Elanora, Gold coast, Queensland, Australia.

The Continental Shelf Deli & Café, at The Pines Shopping Centre, Elanora.

Service critic - in short



Toasted?



Service -  1/5

Ambience – 3/5

Quality of product – 2/5
Price – 3/5

Wheelchair access - yes
Position and outlook – shopping center
Parking - Close by
Amenities, bathrooms - Short walk

My children and I popped into this café for some lunch on Saturday. They offer counter service, so we lined up, and got served by a lady whom appeared flustered. She was direct and straight to the point, no smiles and certainly not welcoming.

We ordered some toasted sandwiches & shakes, The Pines shopping center was rather busy, and it was tricky finding an available table, we found one that was dirty and covered in dirty cups and plates. I understood that they were busy and assumed it would eventually get sorted out by the staff.

Now this is what amazes me, I sat and watched a staff member deliver coffees to the lady right beside me, and she walked back into the kitchen area empty handed. We continued to sit with the dirty setting, another staff member serves smoothies to the table on the other side of us, again, she returns to the kitchen empty handed.?????

The customer beside me, made a comment about how that sort of service annoyed her, and she insisted on taking the dirty plates and placing them on the now spare table beside her. Sweet lady!

Finally our food came out and the order was incorrect, the toasted sandwiches were looking a little sad, although the shakes were good.

So at this stage I can’t really say that I am very impressed. I will have to go back and try them again, when they are not so busy. Their window display did look nice with salads, Turkish bread sandwiches, and a selection of sweets.



Not hot and where's the onion and peper I ordered??



Elephant Rock Cafe - Currumbin Beach Front

The Elephant Rock Cafe.

Service critic - in short

Service – 4/5

Ambience – 5/5

Quality of product – 5/5

Price – 4/5

Wheelchair access – yes (down stairs only, but toilets are up stair)

Position and outlook – Ocean views

Parking – Street parking

Amenities, bathrooms – On premises


The review


The Elephant Rock Cafe is located on the Currumbin Beachfront. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week from 7am. It is double story and both levels take in Ocean views. This place has a really great vibe, nicely decorated with ambient background music and in a fabulous position.

My girlfriend and I rocked up for a breakfast Friday, last week. We just wandered on upstairs and found our own table. Luckily we got our order in before a massive group of people got settled in.  Our waitress was excellent; she was really friendly and super efficient. Cold water and menus were delivered to our table promptly. We ordered our meals and they came out after only a short wait.

My girlfriend ordered the Turkish with avocado; it was beautifully presented and came with a wedge of lime and salt.

I think I have to say that I had THE BEST eggs benedict EVER!! Everything about it was fabulous. The Turkish bread was perfectly toasted, salmon just yummy, eggs perfect, spinach and hollandaise sauce…AMAZING!!! We both loved our coffees too!!!

My yummy eggs benni!

View from upstars.

View from downstairs dining area.

776 Pacific Parade
Currumbin Beach QLD 4223
07 5598 2133

The Service Critic: The Groove Train - Robina Town Center, Queensland,...

The Service Critic: The Groove Train - Robina Town Center, Queensland,...: "The Service Critic - in short Service - 3/5 Ambience - 4/5 Quality of product - 4/5 Wheelchair access - yes Position ..."

The Groove Train - Robina Town Center, Queensland, Australia

The Service Critic - in short

Service - 3/5
Ambience - 4/5
Quality of product - 4/5

Wheelchair access - yes
Position and outlook - Lake views
Parking - Close by
Amenities, bathrooms - Short walk away

My review

Thursday night, I caught up with a couple of my girlies at ‘The Groove Train’, a restaurant / bar at the Robina Town Centre. The Groove Train at Robina is one of many franchises, found dotted around Australia. A rather funky outfit with a bar, lounge areas, booths and table settings. I love the interior design and colours, it is good mood lighting and background music. I had been there two weeks prior, and had mixed feelings about the place, due to some dodgy service.

Last time I had ventured there, my friend and I sat outside in the lounge area. After about 25 minutes (or more) we start feeling as if we had super human powers, and had turned invisible.  It was then we noticed a typed out A4 piece of paper on the wall, unfortunately my binocular night vision goggles were out of action….dang!! Well on closer inspection we found out that we were in a ‘no table service area’!!

We went inside to the bar , and stood waiting, and waiting…and waiting…while staff carried crates of glasses, waitresses and waiters whizzed by, and the bar men was pottering around in behind the bar….The restaurant wasn’t all that busy and we were the only people waiting to be served. I have no problems with waiting, just a polite, “I will be with you in just a moment ladies”, would have done.

 But no one even acknowledge us, my friend said in a big a loud voice, “What do we have to do around here to get noticed?” finally the barman stopped, looked at us…and said, ‘yes’…...Not good, I felt like leaving then, however  I went ahead and placed our order.

I am glad we stayed, because in the end we had some yummy drinks and a gorgeous pumpkin, feta and pine nut wood fired pizza. The second time we approached the bar, we were greeted by an efficient friendly staff member. So on our return visit, I couldn’t resist ordering that yummy pumpkin pizza again, and the barman that took our order this time was friendly and efficient.

.

I guess you could say this place has the potential to rate high, they just have a few staff members that lack customer service skills.

The Groove Train
Shop

1011
Robina Town Centre Drive

Robina 4226 QLD
Open 7am ‘til late, 7 days

Ph: (07) 55788443

CURRUMBIN GETS A NEW FISH AND CHIP SHOP

Last night we tried a new local fish and chip shop. ‘Throwers Fish and chips’ , It was their second day of trading. They have a small alfresco dining area, and a menu for those that wish to dine in. Most of the customers there last night were getting take-away. Parking close by can be a little tricky if the other restaurants near by are busy.

The lady taking orders seemed to lack a bit of enthusiasm, not a lot of smiles or warmth, and not entirely rude either. A different lady processed my credit card, she was full of smiles and welcoming.

For two snapper, (extra $1.00 for grilled) two burgers and large chips, the bill came to $35.00. Our bundle of’ F & C’s were wrapped in good ole newspaper, (gotta love that) we got home, and were a little disappointed at the unveiling! The ($8) large chips were a little skimpy, and my grilled fish was missing!

So I jump back into the car, whizzed back to the shop,(thank goodness it is not too far away) got a park, entered the store (again) and stood waiting, trying to catch the assistants attention.  It took a few minutes for her to notice me, and I of course I informed her that I didn’t get my grilled fish. I was amused when she yelled out to the kitchen, ‘Hey, where is that grilled fish that was left behind” She did offer me a home made small tartar sauce though!!

My fish was okay, I guess because it had sat around after being cooked for so long it was a little dry. My daughter is a fishaholic, and she enjoyed her dinner, the boys said their burgers were tasty.

I think I will put it down to business teething problems, and we will definitely give them another go!

THROWERS FISH AND CHIPS

1/3 Throwers Drive

Currumbin, QLD

Australia

0755343847

The $8.00 chips

                                                    

RUDE STAFF RUIN BUSINESSES

Why do people who seem to hate being around people, buy into businesses, where they are dealing with people all day???

I called into our local convenience store a while back, the young lady serving was sitting behind the counter reading some mag, she glance up at me, gave me a, 'who do you think you are lookin at lady' look,  and went back to her mag.

I felt so unwelcome, and like I was interrupting her. Feeling like I was about to get my head bitten off, I timidly asked her, ‘Do you have any plastic cups’?  She sighed and did an eye roll and just pointed!

I couldn't believe that she would treat a customer this way. I was thinking, I bet her boss has no idea how she treats the customers! If her boss knew...she wouldn't have a job anymore!

 I couldn’t hold back any longer.. So I said in the most kind, caring (sarcastic) manner,  "ohhhh, it sounds like you've had a bad day, when does you shift finish? She replied,' It is just that I keep getting asked the dumbest questions'!  

No way, she did not just say that!! I just paid for my stuff and left. It was later that week, I found out that this girl, and her boyfriend, actually own the business.

Well, do you think I go there anymore? I drive about 2 km past this convenience store to get bread, milk and papers now.... They have lost me…and I am sure I wouldnt be the only one!

Coffee Club - Robina Town Center, Queensland, Gold Coast, Robina

Greeted at the counter by a smiling face, a friendly efficient staff member! I ordered two coffees and a caramel slice to share, $15.50 After a 10 minute wait, hot tasty coffees arrived, caramel slice was YUM!! And again…friendly welcoming service!

McDonalds the Pines – Elanora, Queensland, Australia

Too busy with the kids this morning to eat…so did the (naughty) maccas drive thru…greeted at the ordering area (by microphone) by a happy, friendly young lady’s voice. When I went to the 1^st window to pay, she was so sweet, beaming smiles and super efficient!!

When picking up the order at the next window, a young man asked me how my morning was, with smiles and a pleasant attitude!  Makes you feel happy to return!!  10/10

Telstra Telstra Telstra – do I need to say anymore???

It just seems to be one stuff up after another!

The right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing!!!

On the 2^nd of Feb. we decided to go on a bundle package, this included foxtel, home phone & bigpond.. The foxtel side of things worked…but the bigpond still hasn’t been sorted. How many phone calls do I have to make and days do I have to wait to this issue sorted out?

I just don’t think I have it in me to ring them again (for the 4^th time) and listen to the hold music for another hour!!!

Where do these problems originate from? Is it management? Staff?  Training?  Or all of the above?

What are your feelings about the Telstra service?

Yonnies One Stop Shop, by the Boat Shed, Currumbin, Queensland, Australia

Yesterday was a lovely sunny Sunday, hubby and I got the kids into action, grabbed their scooters and took of to  Yonnies One Stop Shop, by the Boat Shed. It is like a mini convenience and takeaway store that also hires out boats and canoes.

It is a truly fabulous spot, right on the water, (on the corner of Throwers drive and Currumbin creek road). Loads of shade cast by magnificent old fig trees, kids can play in the sand, paddle on the waters edge and climb in the big old tree, while parents relax with a coffee.

 

The car park is close by, and the whole area is designed in such a way that kids can bike and scooter on pathways, that follow the creek front for some kilometers. These pathways go through parkland avoiding busy roads and traffic. There are also a number of great play ground areas for the kiddies close by.

The Kiosk seating is ultra casual, plastic outdoor chairs & tables, but there is no reason why you can’t just grab a picnic blanket, order your lunch and enjoy it in the park. They serve up coffees, shakes, hot food, and sandwiches.

My hubby and son went for the hamburger, my daughter had the kid’s fish and chips (as did her friend) I had the bacon, egg tomato and cheese wrap toasted. We were all happy with our meals! We all got a cold drink and the bill only came to $39.00. BARGAIN!!

After lunch the kids played in the sand, climbed in the tree and did a tad of scootering, whilst hubby and I enjoyed coffee and the Sunday paper.

The kiosk also hires out boats and canoes, It sits besides the Boatshed Steak and Seafood, a licensed cafe/ bar /restaurant. (I will be visiting it next week…got a great deal on spreets!! I will be sure to let you know how that goes) and there is also a bait and tackle shop in the complex for those wanting to wet a line!

The Beach Shack - Currumbin, Queensland, Australia

Yesterday I met up with a girlfriend at ‘The Beach Shack’ for a coffee catch up. The beach shack is a place I visit quiet regularly. It has great coffee, and the staff have always been pleasant and attentive. It is a double story, reasonably new building that takes in great ocean views and has a good vibe going on. My friend and I were greeted by a friendly face that directed us to the upstairs dining area. We got a table out on the verandah area, with the best views, our waitress almost immediately delivered chilled water, glasses and menus to our table.

Off course I start checking out the menu, and before you know it…… my coffee catch up had morphed into a breakfast! I ordered the eggs benedict with salmon, and asked for my hollandaise sauce on the side. Coffees and food were delivered promptly, my eggs Bennie was perfect. (And the sauce was on the side as I had requested)  My girlfriend had the banana bread, wow… two rather large slices…big serve! (she was happy)

No complaints here, a lovely breaky, lovely views and time spent with a lovely friend!

Zarraffa's Palm Beach - Gold Coast

Zarraffa's would have to be one of my favourite coffees, a simple flat white for me. Good coffee beans however, can still taste like dish liquid, if your barista is a little shaky on the tools!

 Zarraffa's at 19^th Ave Shopping centre Palm Beach on the Gold Coast, has decent outdoor parking,  indoor (air-conditioned) and alfresco seating. Lovely big timber windows, lots of natural light steaming in. A great location, on the outside of the complex, so whizzing by to grab a quick coffee is no problem. The staff are generally pleasant, seating is a mix of soft lounge style chairs and timber chairs. Now to the coffee, generally it is good, but occasionally they put some newbie on the coffee machine, and it aint so good. I had an ordinary coffee there yesterday, didn’t bother to take it back either. But it is definitely a coffee spot to visit!