Surprise after Surprise
At the end of September, in the school holidays I decided to take a 3-day road trip to the Glass House Mountains north of the Gold Coast. My drive began along the M1 then the fast, busy 2-lane dual Bruce Highway. Though well-signed, not an easy drive. I was pleased to turn off on Steve Irwin Drive where the small, then bigger surprises began. Honesty fruit stalls along the side of the road selling 3 punnets of strawberries for $5 and pineapples for $2. Little itty biddy towns dwarfed by mountains that appeared from nowhere.
After 2 1/2 hours I arrived at Australia Zoo. This was a huge surprise! The zoo is so well kept with such friendly, passionate staff. I was really impressed by all the facilities, despite the hundreds of children due to school holidays, there were no queues. Plenty of fresh eating joints, great pathways and cleverly designed enclosures.
I am a fortunate travel agent!
Prior to COVID, I went to Africa on a safari every year, so Zoos are a little sensitive and awkward for me, however, Australia Zoo was beautiful as all the animals looked so well and happy.
The most outstanding enclosure to me was the Tigers. One tiger kept prowling up and down in front of me. I also loved the Sumatran Elephants playing in the water, then it was great you could get so close to koalas and I have never seen a snake as big as the yellow fella. (It’s good he is in the zoo)! And so it goes on! My Fitbit said I did over 20,000 steps that day.
However, the real highlight of the day was the Warrior show. Unbelievable! I did not expect to see 3 of the Irwin family there. The Australia Zoo is a place not to be missed and I will return to experience the new Crocodile Hunter Lodge.
I stayed at Glasshouse Mountains Ecolodge at the foot of Mount Tibrogargan, (364 metres) the third tallest of the 14 mountains, just 10 minutes from the zoo. This Ecotourism property began in 2004 with a 120-year-old church transported from Wivenhoe near Esk. Four railway carriages have been lovingly restored and added along with other hexangular cottages to create a private village in a garden of Eden. The theme of the property is connecting conservation, communities and sustainable travel. I enjoyed the friendly staff, the fresh fruit, the rainwater, and the free-range chickens clucking in the garden along with the safety and peace. It is a great place for children.
Bushwalking is another “must-do” in the Glasshouse Mountains. There are tracks for all levels of fitness, mountain bike trails and climbs. I walked to the Mountain View Lookout of Mount Tibrogargan.
Day 2, I drove 45 minutes to Mooloolaba for a Coastal Cruises 1 1/2 lunch cruise. The cruise began at the wharf and the bar was opened. We then cruised out to the River mouth before calling in at the fisheries where our pre-ordered very fresh seafood lunch was bought on board. The next hour was spent cruising the canals with commentary past multi-million dollar views, including Grant Kenny’s and GJ Gardener’s house and Croc One. This cruise was money for value and a very enjoyable experience that I’d love to do again.
I then headed 30 minutes down the coast to the busy Caloundra. A fantastic free thing to do here is walking the 4 km broad walk from Kings Beach to Golden Beach. It takes around 1 hour in each direction. You can enjoy the views over the Pacific Ocean and Pumice stone Passage and watch the sunset over the Glasshouse Mountains from Bulcock Beach.
Day 3, I found another surprise. Amaze World at Tanawha. I spent 2 1/2 hours at this beautifully kept property, though it would be easy to spend a whole day here with kids. I noticed many grandparents watching children entertain themselves in this safe environment.
I loved Amaze World from the minute I walked in, with the magic waterfall, and so much to do;
* Hedge maze with Snow White dwarfs and a Harry Potter theme,
*Timber, tyre and rope maze,
*18-hole mini golf course, and
* a playground with water fountains and a relaxing café.
The hardest thing was the hedge maze! I was in there 45 minutes before teaming up with some teenagers who had google maps or some plan on their mobile, so we could get out!
Next, I drove 30 minutes up the mountain ridge to Montville. This charming artisan village featured many art galleries, luxury boutique resorts and 6 kilometres from town the beautiful Lake Baroon. As a travel agent, I inspected some of the glamorous resorts including Spicers Clovelly Estate, all gorgeous but the grounds are quite steep. I then passed through the appealing, green, “produce plus”, dairy cattle town of Maleny. A quick shop at IGA reveals many of the local supplies including Maleny Cheese, Pomodoras dressing and all the dairy products at a very reasonable price.
Day 4, I returned to the Gold Coast. Stopping at Q Camel. Another great surprise in a stunning setting! All the animals are so loved. I watched the cows being milked, and learnt how they are cared for and the valuable properties of the milk and the products they produce. After feeding the gentle animals I enjoy a delicious fresh morning tea.
This short trip to the Sunshine Coast was great. To my valuable clients, this was very different from the Gold Coast. As mentioned, to me it was all itsy-bitsy however with some exceptional surprises. Well worth a visit.
I intend to return for a few a weekend next month to further north. I will keep you updated.