Sunshine Coast

On Friday we drove to the Sunshine Coast, which is north of Brisbane.    The Gold Coast is south of Brisbane.    This is for those people who are not sure of the layout of the southern Queensland coast.   The Sunshine Coast is made up of small coastal communities, as against the Gold Coast which is really a city.

We travelled on a motorway from the Gold Coast, through Brisbane, and then onto the Sunshine Coast.    This makes the journey much easier.    I can remember it used to be a long tortuous journey on busy minor roads.    However you did see a lot more of the countryside then.   Now it is a fast trip, with a view of bushland on both sides.   Brisbane was a cluster of high rise buildings in the distance.    

When we approached the Glass House Mountains, a cluster of distinctive small mountains, which geographically are volcanic crags that rise abruptly from the plains, we could only see the top of one of them from the motorway.    Either the trees have grown tall or the motorway is further away than the old road.    A combination of both I think.    I can remember always feeling excited when I saw the mountains, they were quite remarkable and it also meant that we were nearly at the Sunshine Coast.

This is Steve Irvin country and there is a road named after him, as well as the zoo which his father started, and now his widow oversees.    We did not stop here!

However, we did stop at the Ettamogah Pub, which represents an old styled Australian pub.   There is a cartoon series about the pub.   There is also a theme park beside the pub, which has a red back spider ride. Not for me!

A line up of shops beside the pub.    

Our first Australian pie, eaten the correct way out of a paper bag.    We sat in the shade, it was just too hot in the sun.    This particular pie shop has won awards for its pies.    Not cheap I might add.

The next day we went to the markets by the Big Pineapple (more about that later).    A hive of industry, and lots of interesting food for sale, which was great to see.

A welcome cup of coffee, organic I think, and delicious.   The line up consists of me, Ian, Andrea (Jackie's sister) and Jackie.  

All playgrounds here have shade sails above the equipment.    The shade sails are very popular in Australia.

A visit to Mooloolaba and lunch of Australian hamburgers (pineapple and beetroot included) or fish.    I had calamari and chips.   All fresh too.    Yummy.   Plus ginger beer.    Mooloolaba (the name rolls off your tongue) was once a small fishing port and is now a trendy place with eateries, boutiques and pockets of low-rise resorts and apartments.    It is a very popular holiday destination during the summer months.

Mooloolaba beach.    The water was very warm, and no sharks in sight.    I must go for a swim sometime.

Perfect white beaches, and a blue sky.    Perfect!    We are not sure what the black and white chequered flag meant, perhaps there are sharks out there!

Steve Irwin's boat, 'Whale One', on its way out of the canal with tourists on board, so that they can view whales in the bay.   Not my idea of fun, as the boat really started to roll and lurch about once it hit the ocean.

Two of the houses, on the edge of the main canal.    How the 'other half' live!

A view of the yachts from 'The Wharf'.    A tacky place, with kitschy shops and badly in need of an upgrade.    Still the harbour was interesting.

And still the sun shone!