A Relaxing Escape to Noosa North Shore

 "There's nothing there!" was the response from a colleague when I mentioned we were heading to Noosa North Shore for a long weekend.

I suppose that depends on your perspective.  If you're looking for shopping centres, restaurants and tourist attractions, then perhaps he's right.  But if you enjoy wide open beaches, wildlife, fishing and a chance to slow down and relax, then there's plenty to enjoy.

Looking North

It's just over a two-hour drive from Brisbane to Noosa North Shore.  The final step of the journey is the short ferry crossing over the Tewantin River.  We arrived on Friday afternoon and, with two ferries operating, the wait was only a few minutes.  There's no need to book as boarding is based on arrival order, although we had purchased our tickets online for convenience.  The crossing is reasonably priced at around $36 return for a standard vehicle and $72 return when towing a camper trailer or caravan.  The roads are bitumen all the way to the beach access points, where a permit is required for driving on the sand.

We stayed at the Beach Campground, which offers both powered and unpowered sites but no cabins. Its biggest advantage is its proximity to the beach, making it easy to wander down for a walk whenever the mood strikes.  For those wanting more facilities, there is also a BIG4 holiday park closer to the ferry.  Judging by the morning queue at the coffee shop, it appeared to be a popular place to stay!

One of the highlights of the weekend was simply being able to stroll along the beach whenever we wanted. My husband enjoyed spending time fishing while I enjoyed watching the wildlife around the campground. As dusk approached, kangaroos emerged with joeys in and out of pouch, and during our stay we counted 14 different bird species.  The crows, however, were persistent scavengers and always seemed to be on the lookout for a meal.  We also became acquainted with a harmless resident python, which we spotted several times on our evening walks to the amenities block.  It is a National Park so no dogs are allowed at the campground.

Noosa is behind us.  We could have ridden there if we wanted.

Another highlight was riding our e-bikes along the beach.   We found it best to head south towards Noosa, where there was virtually no vehicle traffic.  Apart from encountering a couple of horse riders, we often had long stretches of beach completely to ourselves. Those wanting a longer adventure can drive the beach all the way to Rainbow Beach, which explains why there were plenty of four-wheel drives travelling in the opposite direction.

At times, it is a sand highway towards Rainbow Beach

The weekend passed far too quickly. The fish may not have been biting and the number of catches was disappointingly low, but that hardly mattered.  We returned home relaxed, refreshed and grateful for a few days spent enjoying the simple pleasures of beach walks, wildlife, bike rides and the peaceful beauty of Noosa North Shore.

Serenity Falls - Buderim

 Serenity Falls at Buderim is a very popular place on a hot day.  

There are plenty of carparks available at the end of Quorn Close.  It is a circuit of about 700 metres.  It is a steep but easy walk of about 350 metres down to the bridge and falls with many high rock steps.  The walk back up is an easier gradual slope.  Some people may find it easier to take the right hand path at the fork for the gradual path down and then back up the same way if you don't like steps.

We shall visit again after rain, and also take some time to walk down the creek.

Serenity Falls

Serenity Falls

Take the time to look around

Booloumba Falls, Conondale National Park

It was a slow drive to Booloumba Falls, as I kept wanting to stop to take photos along the way.  

Booloumba Falls has been on the 'to visit' list for some time, but had been avoided due to the reported need for a high rise 4X4.  We have an Nissan XTrail 4X4, which is not high.

I am very thankful to a colleague, who suggested that rather than driving the circuit, that we take the road through the Charlie Moreland campground when there has not been much rain.  It was a lovely and easy drive on a rocky track.  We didn't have any water crossings either.  but there were several places that would likely have water crossing the road after rain.

After rain the water would cover the track here

Such a beautiful drive

This is steeper than it looks, but was still easy.

It is an easy 1.5 kilometre walk from the carpark to the main Booloumba Falls
(3 kilometres return)

There are a series of cascades along the creek

Many people stopped here to swim, thinking it was the main falls

 

The main falls are at the end of the track

Boonoo Boonoo Falls

We were very impressed with the maintenance of the Boonoo Boonoo National Park.

We camped at the Cypress Pine Campground.  There are several camping spaces which are not too close together and allow the car to be at the camp.  Each camp has a picnic table and fireplace.  Nearby there is a drop toilet, firewood shed and sheltered barbeque.  There are several walks to the river from the camp ground, including Platypus Pools.  Although it was summer there were many wildflowers around too.

You can hike about 6 kilometres along the river (and see several cascades) to arrive at Boonoo Boonoo Falls.  However we chose to drive to the falls and take the short easy walk to the falls and rock pools.

Nearby we also enjoyed Thunderbolts Hideout, the walk up Bald Rock and Upper Swamp Falls.

Boonoo Boonoo River behind Cypress Pine Campground

Boonoo Boonoo River

Boonoo Boonoo falls is where Banjo Patterson reportedly proposed to Alice Walker

Boonoo Boonoo Rockpools would be a lovely swimming hole on a hot day

Zoo - Australia Zoo

I don't like Zoos! I feel so sorry for the animals, who usually look miserable.  Therefore I usually avoid them.

On top of that, and against public opinion, I was not a fan of Steve Irwin.  I felt that he was an over the top showman.

A colleague, whom I trust implicitly, told me that I needed to make an exception for Australia Zoo.

She was right! I have changed my opinions.

It was immediately evident, that Australia Zoo's primary focus is conservation, followed by education.  The staff genuinely seem to care for the animals.

The Zoo is huge and the grounds are beautiful and immaculately maintained.  The animal enclosures are spotlessly clean, large and most importantly the animals seem happy, healthy, and were breeding.

The Irwins

The park is big so it is great that transport is provided, especially on a hot day!

The Meerkat on guard

I can watch the Giraffes for hours!

The 12 acres of the Africa enclosure was my favourite

Of course there was a crocodile show!

The bird show amazed me

Feeding of the otters

The tigers come right up to the glass so you can have a very close up look at them.

One tortoise looks happy to pose for the photo, but the other not so happy!

You shall fill the entire day very easily at Australia Zoo.

Yandina

Wappa falls at Yandina was such a lovely find.  The car park was very close to the falls so not much walking. At the time we were there, the sun was starting to set, and the evening light on the trees reflected in the water a deep gold.  Photos do not truly capture the beauty.

There were not many people around when we were there, but maybe because it was late afternoon.  The pools looked very inviting for a swim on a hot day.  However, many signs warn of the danger and there are plaques of those who have lost their lives there.

XXXX

What does XXXX mean?

The XXXX Factory at Milton, Queensland
Brewery Tours have ceased during the Coronavirus restrictions

In the 1800s, beer quality was measured in X's, with XXXX being the best rating.  In 1893, the brewers at Castlemaine Brewery achieved the rating of XXXX and the name of the company was changed accordingly 1

Prior to the Coronavirus, XXXX was a major sponsor of many sporting events.
This picture is the Gabba (Woolloongabba)

1 Source: https://www.xxxx.com.au/our-story/