Noosa

We left Brisbane and drove north to Noosa Heads, a popular spot for Australian tourists because of its chilled vibe and beautiful beach.
We drove straight to their main beach and got very lucky to grab a parking space very close. We walked straight onto the white sand that spread across in a big bay that held gorgeous calm turquoise waters. Very quickly we joined the other families in the water, it was so refreshing as it was incredibly hot. Shortly after we had our picnic lunch, an ice cream and a stroll round the surrounding area. Great way to spend a leisurely afternoon, and a great introduction to the area.

We went on to our airbnb hosts that lived only a 10 minutes drive away by the Noosa river and was a lovely area. They had a stunning home with their own pool and we had a warm welcome. After a few glasses of wine and enjoying getting to know our hosts, who were very friendly (and both volunteered for the information centre so also very knowledgeable!). For dinner we went down on the river itself and ended having a cheap but devious Thai meal right by the water.

The next day we got up early to try and beat the heat and went to Noosa National park, which is only down the road from the main beach area. We were lucky again and got a parking space by the entrance and began the coastal walk through the park. Immediately you saw the sparkling waters and a bright blue sky as your view. So beautiful! These waters were some of the nicest we'd ever seen, and looked very inviting. The walk itself was 5km each way so we took it slowly and enjoyed the surroundings, with the lovely sea views on your left and luscious trees and foliage on your right. There was also very tall gum (eucalyptus) trees where we even spotted a wild koala asleep up high in the branches. I never tire of seeing them.

As it was getting hotter the walk got tougher but we persevered and the views were breathtaking. We got to a great view at Alexander point then made our return, enjoying each step. We decided to continue walking beyond the car park and go down to main beach again as it was only another 15 minute walk or so. Again on arrival we plunged into that amazing sea. One thing that was so great about this beach was the calm waters as waves can get quite rough in Australia with strong rip currents, but none here. Furthermore minimal to no risks of sharks or jellyfish - my kind of beach! Again we had an ice cream from a different gelato shop and had a relax on the sand.
We got back home for around 4pm and had a swim at the pool there. The sea is great but it is so salty here it's nice to have freshwater swims or showers after. Our hosts had offered to host a bbq for us that evening starting from 5:30pm so we made sure we were ready. We provided the wine and they provided a great array of food, including lamb, beef, sausages and of course shrimp on that barby! For dessert they also Bbqed mango, which had been soaked in alcohol and sugar which they then blowtorched on top. Served with vanilla ice cream and it was a delicious end to the meal. Maybe we'll try and recreate it at home.

The next day we got up even earlier to head to a famous market called Enumudi market. It's every Wednesday and Saturday so we were in luck and our hosts insisted we go. It was a huge affair with so many creative stalls, so many things we could have brought if it was just a holiday and we could have got things home. Although we did get some creative ideas as some of things with some practise you could make yourself. There was an impressive food section of fresh food stalls and it was hard to choose, so we got some fancy salads ready for a picnic lunch later and indulged in something as a mid morning treat. We had a Gozleme which is Turkish bread with spinach and feta stuffed inside served hot. Highly recommend it! The market had a great atmosphere and it was fun to stroll around for a few hours.

We then went on to Noosa river and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the banks. It was so hot now and we felt quite tired so decided to go for a swim. In our walk through the national park there were so many hidden swimming spots that we didn't take advantage of so we decided to go back and cool off there. As it turns out we really needed to as we got so hot doing that scenic walk again! But it was great to see it again and we ended up finding a large rock pool which we saw people swimming in, so we ventured down too. Not long after they left, meaning we had it all to ourselves and it was glorious. Crystal clear water, and some shelter from waves, although they would pour into the pool which was cool (although I was sometimes a little edgy in case some tropical animal was brought in). But it was amazing to be somewhere so natural. On the way back we stopped at another beach cove for a sea dip, it really is the perfect way to cool down.

At this point we hurried back to the car as we'd lost track of time and wanted to catch an affordable sunset river cruise. We made it in time and sat back and enjoyed the ride. It was a beautiful river very unspoilt (although I did enjoy looking at the few millionaires houses on the banks). Talking of which we even passed an island on the one side which is actually one of Richard Bransons private islands, which you can rent out when he's not there. It can have 20 people and costs £15,000 a night... interested?
Anyway we glided on and enjoyed the scenery and the beginning of a stunning sunset. At one point the boat was stopped as it is a kite nesting area and the captain threw fish into the air and they'd swoop down to get it. We loved seeing them in action and they accuracy was so impressive, exciting seeing them up close too. There were some annoying sea birds that came along though nd even got cheeky taking some from the captains hand at one point.

Onwards we drifted until we hit a large lake and the sun set right in front of us. It was blindly beautiful, as it seems all sunsets are in Australia.

Once back at the marina Phil and ate a basic picnic dinner on the waters edge, our time closing in the very relaxing and beautiful area of Noosa.

BethWeiterlesen