Saturday, April 02, 2005
Day out: Mooloolaba
Today we took a day trip up to the Sunshine Coast - kind of old-hat, but it is still a great part of the region. Dan's wife, Sam, came with, as she is keen to see a bit more of the place. We need to do a bit of work on him. Though I doubt we will ever get him camping, we get him to go bush walking.

Sometimes I can at least understand someone else's mindset, though not necessarily agree with it. For me, not wanting to see more of this great country, the true wilderness, the dark rainforests and the fantastic beaches.... I can't even understand that. So come on, Dan. Get out there!

First stop was Mary Cairncross Park, a rainforest remnant in the Blackall Range. We had hoped to do something adventurous (M. Cairncross Park is Coach trips and oldies material), but James had managed to get blisters over most of his heels, rollerblading at his after-school club. Therefore we needed somewhere where he could walk barefoot.

But still, it is a beautiful spot, and amazingly unspoilt considering how many visitors the place gets. You still get to see wallabies and at least hear a huge range of bird life. You are also rewarded with one of the most famous views in South East Queensland, of the Glasshouse Mountains. On the way up the hill, we stopped off at a winery to buy some vinegar masquarading as white wine, for lunch.

After lunch we headed back down the hill to spend the afternoon on Mooloolaba Beach. The weather is still good, but we are running out of days when it will be warm enough to swim in the sea. Mooloolaba has the added advantage of being a half sheltered bay. You still get the odd batch of decent surf for a bit of body surfing, but the ocean always seems a degree or so warmer that one of the more exposed beaches up the coast.

The ocean is beautiful to swim in and the sand is great for the kids. Later on, we did the Cannes thing of strolling and hanging out on the Prom, before having a fine dinner outside. Drove home in just under an hour.

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