Middle-aged flash packers

Ian and Kylie have generously used some of their precious leave to spend time with  us. Kylie in particular has assumed the role of Entertainments Executive. When she isn’t guiding us around various local hotspots, she’s pointing us in the right direction of various walks to do and places to see,  giving us full instructions so we don’t do anything silly like get lost in a snake infested woodland. 

The bird life here is amazing and the local walking and cycling trails are filled with the sound of exotic bird song. The kookaburra’s laughing call is very identifiable while the cockatoos make a  very angry screeching sound, but many other of the sounds we’ve heard  will remain a mystery.

We paid a visit to Noosa Botanical Gardens on Australia Day and it proved to be an oasis of peace and quiet with shady trees and beautiful blooms. We couldn’t resist a reproduction of our classical Roman  tableau (first created in Turkey) in the amphitheater. See the photo below. 

Some of the names of the plants are wonderful – powder puff Lilly Pilly for one – it would be tempting to have a corner of the garden filled with trees and flowers with silly names. I also liked the Cat’s Whiskers which really do look like whiskers.

The next day (with I and K no doubt heaving a sigh of relief) we took ourselves off for a beach/Noosa  walk – with instructions from K of course. We managed to get to Noosa Junction, about 12.5km from our drop off point, but we called it a day at that point (v hot and I think I’d come down with something as I wasn’t feeling too good) and caught the bus home. The bus was very hi-tech and we paid with our phones. Also the bus driver was friendly!- not a feature of British life in my experience.

If you’re ever in this area, you must go to Eumundi. Eumundi market is one of my favourite markets. We visited it last  time we came to Oz and I bought a summer dress I have worn time and time again, I’ve only recently had to consign it to dress heaven. It didn’t disappoint this time either. Two koalas for the grandkids and one dress – done.

Another highlight for me was the Cooran lookout. (Think it’s also known as the James Mckane Memorial Lookout). We visited here after the Mothar Mountain pools (another great spot, there’s a tough trek from here that we didn’t do due to a fallen tree and me having an annoying cold) and the views are gorgeous. The lookout has a really calm and peaceful feel to it. 

So many things to mention, I really can’t keep up with it all. A delicious dinner and generally lovely evening hosted by Julie, a posh dinner out with K and I ( unfortunately my nose was running like an unstoppable tap at this point so not that enjoyable for me and definitely not for Ian who had a “reaction” to a crook mussel) and the highlight of everything,  possibly of his whole life as far as Steve was concerned, was Beefy’s. 

We had to pay a special visit to the motorway services in order to experience the delights of Beefy’s but I think S would happily traverse the Himalayas to have another Beefy steak, jalapeño and cheese pie. Finding  Beefy’s between Miso Yum and McDonald’s at a motorway service station probably seems to be an absolute travesty to S but at least he’ll know where to find them next time. And there will be a next time. 

The divine pie was then followed by a Beefy chocolate Wagon Wheel. Those of you of a certain age will know what I’m talking about, the rest of you move on. And what a Wagon Wheel. The bodybuilder of Wagon Wheels, we could only share one between 4  of us. Best WW ever. 

Today is our last day at I and K’s. We pushed the boat out by getting a boat out. A flat bottomed boat called a pontoon – with a BBQ. We were at Gympie Terrace by 8am to collect it and signed our life savings away should we damage it in some way.

The 12 year old boy who was in charge of the hire boats (he might have been older but I doubt it.) muttered some incomprehensible instructions at us but reassuringly told us that if we had any “ dramas” he’d come and get us. At this point I felt quite scared but told myself to get a grip. What could possibly go wrong other than run aground on a sand bar, crash into someone, get stuck under a bridge etc etc. 

As it was, it was all fine and a lovely time was had by all. Even Ruby who was a bit nervous at first (you and me both Rubes) was soon racing up and down the sand and splashing about in the sea. Kylie produced a fantastic brunch on the BBQ for us all. We have been spoilt rotten. Thank you both.

Tomorrow we fly to Adelaide for more shenanigans with the Ozlings, this time it’s a Jurhman reunion for Kylie’s grandma’s 100th birthday.