Chapter 7 - Sunshine Coast - Weeks 3 & 4

Day 27 - Monday 16th July 

By 9:15 we at the Sunshine Coast airport to pick up great friend, Fay. Home for coffee then walk to Cotton Tree to get some bread rolls for lunch.

On the walk back to camp, via the beach, we met up with more great friends in Leo and Judy.

After lunch Fay had a well deserved snooze while I made some plain and date scones.  Afternoon tea occurred between 3:30 and 5pm and involved scones, cream & jam, coffee.  When Leo and Judy arrived beer became involved.

Soon Jeff and Annette arrived and the party was in full swing. Red wine and nibbles became involved.

Around dinner time the party was reduced to Shirley, Fay and Chris and it was time for a BBQ and an early night.


Day 28 - Tuesday 17th July 

It was another lovely sunny day, ideal for a drive in to the hinterland. So we headed off to Montville - a lovely village for a long walk, coffee and lunch.  The following photo was taken from our luncheon table.

A pleasant happy hour preceded a BBQ of lamb chops.

Day 29 - Wednesday 18th July 

Around 9 am Jeff and Annette broke camp and headed south to the Gold Coast, while we headed north to the Eumundi Markets. 

Happy Shoppers

 
We were early enough to get a good park and then spent nearly four hours walking three km around the market. Purchases included a top/slacks outfit, two pairs of shoes, one handbag and three pulled-pork rolls (for lunch).

It was another lovely sunny day.

We drove home, had a coffee then had a walk along the beach to the shops to buy a card.  Some of the people from the ship pictured moored off our beach were at the Eumundi market.
 

 

Shirley, Fay and I wandered down to the Maroochydore Surf Club for dinner.  My first round of three drinks cost $3.27, thanks to my birthday courtesy credit (from two weeks ago).   I had a meal called “The Surf” which was a chicken schnitzel topped with avocado and prawns and a side of caesar salad and chips.  It cost $24 and was worth double that.  It could have been the best $24 meal I have ever had.

 

Shirley and Fay each invested $5 in the poker machines and both came home with more than double that, so they were happy.

 

Day 30 - Thursday 19th July 

 
I headed off to Coolum Beach Bowls Club with Leo and Judy.  Our reputation must have preceded us as they split us on to three separate rinks.  However the ruse failed as my new team won with 15 ends out of 20 (second was 11 ends). My prize was a $30 voucher to be spent at the club.

On arrival home I was allowed to cook sausages in onion gravy with mashed spuds and veges.  Shirley and Fay watched on.  They were quite weary as they had spent the day walking, talking and coffee-ing.

Day 31 - Friday 20th July 

 
It was probably our mildest night of the trip and it was pleasant to be on the beach at 6:30 am - with track suit - to get the following photo.

Impressive Cloud Formation at Sunrise

 

Around 10:30 Shirley, Fay and I headed off to Mooloolaba for lunch with great friends Max and Cheryl.  On the way we stopped at two golf shops and came away with one pair of shoes and three polo shirts between us.

The lunch with Max and Cheryl was very enjoyable.

We were home in time for a rest before a walk along the beach, as storm clouds threatened.

Great Friends off for a Beach Walk

Day 32 - Saturday 21st July

As is the weekly routine I had the clothes in the washing machine before sunrise so that I could be on the beach for a sunrise photo.  There were about 30 people to be seen either paddling a canoe, running, fishing, surfing or the most common activity - walking. Of course there was a guy with a camera - me.

The clouds were preventing the sun from doing its best.  The vapour stream from a Sunshine-Coast departing jet crossed the sky.  My phone indicated that it was 9 degrees.

Maroochydore Sunrise

After a shower it was time to hang out the clothes, then update this blog - as gentle snoring put the noise of the waves into the background. It was now time for breakfast.

After mid morning coffee we set off for lunch at Noosa with friends Frank and Barb.  We gave ourselves plenty of time so that we could do a scenic version of the 35 or so km to Noosa.

We stopped for a photo of Mudjimba Island which is also called Old Woman Island, which has fascinated me since we arrived here.

Mudjimba Island or Old Woman Island

We then headed further north and stopped to check out the Palmer Coolum Resort.  Fay and I bought a golf ball marker.  It was 11:15 Saturday morning and we saw two people playing golf.

We arrived at the Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club and had trouble getting a carpark due to some big event in Noosa.  Eventually we caught up with Frank and Barb, and their friends Garry and Yvonne.  We had a lovely lunch.  For the second day in a row I was the designated driver and had to behave.

L to R - Barb, Frank, Chris, Shirley, Fay, Garry & Yvonne

The view from our lunch table was quite impressive with yachts racing up and down the river.

Noosa River from our Lunch Table

We took the direct route home and arrived about 4:15. It was time to get the washing off the line. After our good lunch, dinner was a mere snack of buffalo cheese and biscuits.


Day 33 - Sunday 22nd July

The sea-breeze made it a cool start to the Sabbath. Shirley and Fay walked to the Cotton Tree market, while I drove to other places.  One place for me was to purchase 1.35 kg of prawns for dinner.

Shopping for the ladies was successful with shoes and tops being the main purchase.

We had lunch and then (after a relaxation period) went for an enjoyable beach walk.  The walk along the promenade included an ice-cream.

Ready for an ice-cream

It was another chat and rest period before our last dinner together for the trip.  Prawns were the main ingredient, sauvignon blanc came a close second.

Prawns and Good Friends - Great companions

Day 34 - Monday 23rd July

The first real job of the day was to move the caravan from site 48 to site 33 - about 10 metres away, but 100 metre drive.  There was no rush as we could not move before the motor home on 33 departed.
 

However they departed about 8:15 so we swung in to action.  The move was completed in time for 10 am coffee and carrot cake.

 

Around 11 am we strolled along the beach to Cotton Tree to get some rolls and a cooked chicken for lunch.  Although there was some cloud it was possibly our best day in Maroochydore. I took a photo of a sea-plane that was doing tourist flights.  The photo is far from perfect as the subject would not stay still.

 

Partners in Crime - Alexander Headland behind them

Lunch was lovely. Chicken, avocado and mayonnaise roll. 

Some time later we went for a drive to do some shopping.  We ended up at the Fruit Shed and stocked up on veges and fruit.  We were amazed at the size of the Sweet Potatoes.  The sole sweet potato that we purchased hit the scales at 925 grams.  Both the quality and the prices of all purchases were excellent.

Around 5pm it was back in the car to take Fay to the airport and say goodbye.

 

Chicken and roast veges (including sweet potato) were the choice for dinner.

Day 35 - Tuesday 24th July

We both read late last night and both slept in.  Breakfast occurred around 9:30 as the sun was streaming in the caravan door.  It was maybe the warmest start to the day of our trip - around 18 degrees at 10 am.

The new position of the caravan means that the sunrise is in the right position to find Shirley's pillow - as it peeks over the coastal bush and yukkas.  It is my job to make sure that the sun DOES NOT reach Shirley's pillow - while her head is on the pillow.  I may forget that demand on Saturday as we ready the caravan for our departure from Maroochydore and the Sunshine Coast.
 

We went for a 4 km walk that allowed us to have an iced coffee (Shirley) and a milkshake (Chris). I also found the place and time for a $15 haircut, performed by a lovely young blonde who advised me to be careful in Toowoomba as the entire town is haunted.

 

While we were having lunch the blue tongue lizard below walked under my chair.  For the first time this trip Shirley was speechless as (initially) she did not see its legs.  It had moved 4 caravans in the short time the camera was found.

 

Blue Tongue Lizard

 

We recovered to have a 2 km walk along the beach, before happy hour. Later the BBQ became the cooking place for rissoles, zucchini, onion, potato and tomato.

 

Day 36 - Wednesday 25th July

A very heavy dew meant that it was wet under foot, but worth it to get the following sunrise photo at 6:40 am.

Sunrise

 

Shirley was in the shower at 7:30 am so it was going to be  a busy day of walks and coffee.

 

The beds were stripped and the washed sheets & towels were on the line by 8:45.

 

Around 10 am we had a leisurely drive to Coolum where we had an enjoyable 3 km walk along the beautiful beach. 

Coolum Beach

We then strolled along the promenade before walking to the bowls club for lunch.  We each had one drink, a main course and a coffee.  The total cost meant that I was $2.50 out of pocket - courtesy of the vouchers that I won last week.

We drove back to camp and relaxed - all afternoon.


Day 37 - Thursday 26th July

The day was dominated by two walks on the beach, and taking a couple of photos of a flock of Rainbow Lorikeet.  Two of them seemed to be very fond of each other.  Such beautiful birds.

Left - Friends looking on.      Right - Making Out

We had happy hour with Leo and Judy and took a couple of photos from the balcony of their unit. We all dined at the bowls club.

View from Leo & Judy's Balcony

Day 38 - Friday 27th July


I was out of bed at 6:30 am to take my last beach sunrise photo for the trip and load a washing machine for out last big wash of clothes at Maroochydore.

My sole sunrise photo without clouds

We had our last beach walk for the trip.

Shortly after noon Leo and Judy picked us up and drove to Mooloolaba.  Shirley went shopping and we went bowling.  Shirley bought nothing other than a coffee and muffin.  My team came third for the day and I won $10.

The bowling green is covered by a permanent structure

Mooloolaba (Covered) Bowling Green

By the time I got home Shirley had curried sausages making a statement in the caravan.

 

This post is complete. We depart from Maroochydore tomorrow and head to Toowoomba.

Click here to return to the Introduction. 

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Click here to return to Chapter 2
Click here to return to Chapter 3
Click here to return to Chapter 4
Click here to return to Chapter 5
Click here to return to Chapter 6


 This post was last updated around 8:30 pm on Friday 27th Jul