Heading to Noosa Head

I didn’t read the fine print on the train tickets for Brisbane. Day 22 and it seems that the train to Brisbane does not go to Brisbane, but to a place called Casino where they put you on a bus for a three hour drive to Brisbane. Our initial feelings were “this sucks” but the ride took us on a multi-stop drive along the Gold Coast, providing us the opportunity to see it as we would not be spending any time there. 

It was spring break and the Gold Coast  towns  along the way were filled with students blowing off some steam. From the bus, the Gold Coast could have been anywhere. (Florida, Spain, California) Thank goodness for that quaint Aussie accent to lock in our location.

Photo: Gold Coast- Destination 360.com

We only had 6 hours on Day 23 to explore Brisbane. Using an itinerary scammed from the many Hop On-Hop Off tour bus companies, we took a hot and humid stroll along the Brisbane River. Perhaps it was the early hour or that it was a Sunday but it felt like we were the only ones in the City. No people, no traffic, just us. 

By noon, the temperatures were already in the 30’s and humidity in the 60’s making for a sweaty stroll. Saw our first kangaroo outside the bus depot, where we are going to catch a 4 pm bus to Noosa Head and the Sunshine Coast, our home for the next 6 days. 

Australia's Sunshine Coast, is a smaller more intimate version of the Gold Coast. The following description is a direct quote from the Sunshine Coast tourism board and it clearly captures the reason we chose it.   

Photo: Noosa Head- www.remotetraveler.com

The Sunshine Coast encompasses beach resorts, surf spots and rural hinterland in southern Queensland, Australia. It stretches from the coastal city of Caloundra, near Brisbane, north to the Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park, home to multicoloured sand dunes, mangrove forests, and shallow lakes. Upscale Noosa Heads has boutique shops, waterways, and walking trails through Noosa National Park. 

We had booked a bachelor suite with full kitchen about a block from downtown Noosa Head with its grocery stores, restaurants and most importantly liquor stores. We have planned a few down days on the beach, perhaps a surfing lesson, along with a hike through Noosa National Park, a visit to Fraser Island, a visit to Australia’s zoo and a trip to a local farmers and craft market.

The downtown businesses were already preparing for the Christmas holiday rush. Only 26 shopping days left. 

Day 24 was a “Getting to know Noosa Head, stocking up the kitchen, finding a liquor store, exploring souvenir options and letting the day cool down before taking a late afternoon hike through Noosa Head National Park.

The plan was to hike three of the listed hikes in one go. We started with the Alexandra Bay hike as the trail head was only a few block from our place. The trail started in the heath covered upper sections of the park. 

Then a sharp and quick drop down to our first destination, Alexandra Bay where we arrived with a healthy sweaty glow.

We were astounded to find the beach completely empty. 

From here were started on the Coastal Walk which required a climb back up into the uplands but it came with a lovely view of Alexandra Bay and a moist, sweaty glow.

It is becoming apparent that wearing a sweaty glow will be a fact of life for the remainder of our stay in Australia.

The trail descended back down and into more forested areas. Banksias, she-oaks, giant kauri pines and every once in a while, a grove of eucalyptus trees where if you believed the hype, koalas could be found. No Koalas but more intimate and uninhabited beaches calling out to us. It took all our will power to keep our clothes on.

The trail eventually spit us back out into Noosa Head where we found a patio, a cool drink, some napkins to deal with our sweaty glow and a beautifully red infused sunset. It was like looking at the world through a glass of Rose.

But there was something vaguely sinister and familiar about the sunset. It took a few minutes before we realized that a similar sunset could be found in Penticton when forest fires filled the air with smoke particles. Much to our dismay, the forest fire season has started in Australia.