The past three days have whizzed by as they all seem to; a sign of a
busy life. The weather has remained fine
and warm but is forecasted to change in the next couple of days. The locals
welcome the possibility of rain as wild fires are popping up about the region.
On Monday we explored the more southern reaches of the Sunshine Coast
after dropping into Caravan World at Woombye where we had purchased our Lotus
caravan at the beginning of last year. We looked through other Lotus caravans
on the yard and chose a couple of vans we would upgrade to if we were of a mind
to do so; all hypothetical but always fun. We were directed
to the caravan repair yard now located in Forest Glen and purchased parts
appropriate to install an external television aerial. Many caravan parks, as
for instance this one we are in now, are located in spots where television reception
is poor however they offer the opportunity where a caravanner can plug into an
aerial system on a post just as one plugs into the electricity. In fact we have
only done this three times, and had to feed the cable in through the window,
not ideal when bugs are plentiful. Masking tape plastered over the gap works
quite well but is hardly ideal.
We drove to Caloundra, a centre we had visited last year to seek out the
Bunning’s Warehouse. Then we were busy setting ourselves up and did not spend
any time exploring this community.
Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the area was known as Bulcock
Beach and was a tourist destination offering lovely beaches, as it still does
today, but it was not until the early 1950s that Caloundra started to boom.
By 1968, it had become the base for the Shire of Landsborough. Then it had a
population of about 3,700; by 2006 it had increased to 41,293.
We drove around the suburbs of Pelican Waters and Golden Beach,
picnicking at the latter and decided that we liked the area very much. Golden
Beach is situated on the edge of the Pumicestone Passage, the narrow waterway
between Bribie Island and the mainland. At this northern point of the passage,
Bribie Island is little more than a narrow spit of sand, but does still offer
excellent shelter from the open sea. The growing residential area of Pelican
Waters utilises the waters from that passage to fill the many canals and
private waterways. We imagine that the real estate prices here are high or at
least higher than those we saw for Caloundra.
The original part of Caloundra is situated right on the “mouth” of the
Pumicestone Passage but of course now stretches both north and south of this
point. Views from the main street between the buildings can be had south over
the northern end of Bribie Island and far beyond to Moreton Island.
We parked in the main street of Caloundra and walked up and down, as is
our want, purchasing some shoes, sox, ice-creams and the newspaper; our modest
contribution to this lovely township. We then followed the coastline up north
as far as Mooloolaba, an area that our friends had taken us through last year,
but this time going under our own steam, we grasped the lay of the land
better and confirmed their opinion that this is indeed a delightful spot. We
walked out along the northern breakwater of the Mooloolah River and looked
northwards, across to the high-rise apartments at Mooloolaba and those further
north at Maroochydore. Quite a few tourists were braving the cool sea water and
more were stretched out wearing very little and developing their skin cancer.
From there we headed north west back to Nambour, shopped at Woolworths
because our Tomtom directed us to a non-existent Coles (obviously they have
relocated somewhere else) then came on back to camp in time to rescue the line
full of washing before the dew settled.
We spent yesterday on another drive tour, a break from the crowds of the
coast, heading through Nambour up to Mapleton 370 metres ASL in the Blackall
Ranges from where there are amazing views of the Sunshine Coast similar to
those from Montville. This small settlement does have a population of 2,000
however most of them are tucked away in avocado orchards and other similar
hideaways.
We made our way to the Mapleton Falls National Park where the Pencil
Creek, well named for a diminutive flow already at the top of the range,
plunges 120 metres over an escarpment. The lookout over the falls is more
spectacular for the views of the valley below than the falls themselves. We set
off on the Wompoo Circuit walk, just 1.3 kilometres through a beautiful forest
of piccabeen palms, strangler figs, and towering eucalypts. The birdlife was
wonderful, so much more than those near Montville, but then Tuesday does not
bring the crowds of noisy children. Alas the wompoo pigeons were silent here
but we were delighted to hear the bell miners, not heard since leaving the
Central Coast NSW.
Back on the road, we travelled westward and descended steeply into the
Obi Obi valley, so steep that towing vehicles are forbidden access and the road
divides into an upward sealed route and a downward gravel one. We were soon in
no doubt the exclusion of some vehicles was wisely made.
Once in the valley, we followed the Obi Obi Creek to Kenilworth , near
where it converges with the Mary River. This is not the first time or place we
have encountered this river which enters the ocean just south of Hervey Bay
after passing through Maryborough. Last year when we were travelling north, we
camped at Petrie Park, Tiaro just south of Maryborough. Here near Kenilworth,
the river is obviously shallower, more in its infancy and all the more
beautiful.
A little south of Kenilworth, we arrived at the confluence of the Little
Yabba Creek and the Mary River, a delightful picnic spot. We had our lunch in
the company of a butcher bird family, watched Mary River Cod leaping for
insects flying too low for their own preservation and then walked the Fig Tree
Walk, an 1.1 kilometre walk through a small patch of rain forest featuring some
very fine examples of strangler figs in much the same way the kings of New
Zealand kauri are exhibited in Northland. Here we saw roots at least a hundred
metres long and tree tops that challenge one’s neck muscles, and here we heard
the Wompoo pigeons.
We travelled on up the Mary River valley as far as Conondale; here the
river disappears south while the road climbs back up into the ranges to Witta
and then on to Maleny. This was a case
of déjà vu, having been here with Neil and Pauline last year although Chris did
not immediately realise this. However when we entered David Linton’s Furniture and Timberworks outlet, he clearly
remembered how impressed we were then, just as we were yesterday. There is some
lovely work here, small and large; to suit all pockets and I should be
requesting a commission for saying as much. Divine dining tables selling for in
excess of $7,500 and chairs to fit the same at $880 a pop rather rule us out of
the market, even if only for the fact we have no dining room to accommodate
such classy furniture.
After walking up and down
the main street, busy with tourists including a bus load of oldies on tour and much
new construction work, we drove on to find the showgrounds which had actually
been our intended next camp a week before we left Brisbane. The knowledge that
all roads to Maleny were straight up was a slight deterrent and so when I
suggested Yandina and spelled out the merits of such an alternative, the driver
was keen to switch options. Having said all that, we were impressed with the
position of the showgrounds and many other camps we passed along the way, most
listed in Camps 6, and would recommend them to all who don’t worry about
stressing their tow vehicle with two and a half tonne behind.
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| Distant views of the Glasshouse Mountains |
We took a route just
south of Maleny, Mountain View Road, from where one can enjoy the most
wonderful views over the Glasshouse Mountains and out to the islands to the
south. Fabulous! We stopped briefly at the Mary Cairncross Park but then
decided that we would learn or experience nothing that we had not earlier in
the day, so pressed on toward home, turning off the Maleny - Landsborough Road
at the top of the ridge that stretches out toward Bribie Island like the
buttress roots on a fig tree. Unlike the steep main road which does have
warnings about the level of incline but is otherwise a traffic friendly road, that we took was signed as not being a through
road and as being forbidden to any towing or heavy vehicle. The narrow gravel
road just tipped off the ridge down to Mooloolah where we joined the northern
railroad, then followed this up through Eudlo, Palmwoods, Woombye, Nambour and
home. It had indeed been another excellent day.
We were out on the road again
this morning soon after nine, which used to be normal for us but over the past
month or so has become the new early. Today Noosa was the main destination, an
apparently fabulous tourist destination which we had dismissed as otherwise
last year when we called there. But then in all fairness we were towing the
caravan, and not only that, it was the very first day we had set out with the new
rig. Then we found Noosa impossible for anything but smart cars, crowded,
convoluted and altogether unwelcoming. Such a reception tends to sour one’s impressions
but we did want to have another opportunity to form a contrary opinion.
Today, as then, the sun
was shining and we were in good health. Today we had only the one vehicle to
consider and there were none of the frustrations of the last time. Our first
stop was the Laguna Lookout at the top of Progress Hill. We drove up through
the Noosa National Park to a large level area at the top from where one might
have extensive views over the entire Noosa area if there were no trees. Instead
there is a narrow view across the river and little else. It is a pretty spot;
the multitude of birds think so anyway.
Frustrated we descended
into the maze of tight little streets that make up the village of Noosa Heads
and drove into the National Park centre, parked and from there walked along the
shoreline to Hells Gate at Noosa Head, high above Alexandria Bay, then back; a
distance of close to ten kilometres. It really is the most beautiful walk,
first through archways of pandannus and scrubby gums, past sandy beaches between
rocky outcrops, along the top of high cliffs covered in banksia and casuarinas,
and all the time beside the blue blue ocean. Returning to the park office, we
lunched in the company of several curious brush turkeys, one of whom could not
be pacified until I had fed him all our discarded fruit cores, something one is
ill advised to do.
From there we drove out
on to the Spit, new since the 1970s and even since then covered in vegetation
and many pathways. Along the river edge there are a number of fishing platforms
and several folk were making good use of these. We wandered about through the
scrub still delighting in the lovely areas of this truly wonderful seaside
region and could now understand why it was so well celebrated.
Had we bicycles, I could
imagine spending even as long as week here, discovering all the ins and outs of
the waterways and cycle-ways and walkways and perhaps even patronising some of
the many attractive cafes and restaurants, and maybe even shopping for some new
shorts in the smart fashion boutiques, of which there are many. However we are
not on holiday, so I shall leave those delights to others who choose to pass
their vacations in Noosa.
Having reconciled
ourselves with Noosa, we drove directly south, hugging the coastline, along the
road we had come north on nineteen months or so ago, but this time taking
greater note of the charming beachside settlements we passed through: Sunshine
Beach, Marcus Beach, Peregian Beach and Coolum Beach where we parked and
strolled along through the commercial centre in search of our daily newspaper.
Right now there is a mess of work going on in the township, new paving on the
seaside of the road. Hopefully this will all be complete by the time summer and
the extra tourists arrive.
We followed the road even
further south to Marcoola and Twin Waters, before turning west back through Bli
Bli, then north through Maroochy River, on up the Maroochy Valley across frequently
flooded flats of neglected looking sugar cane and so to Yandina.
Tomorrow morning we will
leave the Sunshine Coast confident that we have this time explored it well, and
yet having said that, I am sure we will find a multitude of other things to do
when we return. It has been a pleasure to be here to simply explore rather than
rush around dealing with the business of caravans and other related business.
Decisions as to our next destination will be made over breakfast no doubt, and
I, as you, will learn this of this tomorrow.
This caravan park is advertised in Camps 6 and as such fits with our
preferred price range. It is small, quiet and only $25 a night which is quite
reasonable in this popular area. I did a couple of loads of washing and then at
about 4 pm the camp owner came and told us that bird feeding was about to take
place. I had been aware of gathering flocks of birds; lorikeets, cockatoos,
crested pigeons, apostle birds, magpies, to name a few and then when the owner
arrived with his two loaves of bread and asked Chris to carry a tray of water
out into the yard, the birds came down from the roofs and trees in their masses
and sat all over us while they fed. It was absolutely wonderful although Chris
was not too excited about the fact his shirt required changing.
