Treasures in your own backyard

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I'm still waiting to be given a start date for my new job offshore so I've been killing some time in Noosa at the parentals house until I go. With no job and no money it didn't take long for boredom to kick in, so after a few days of sleeping in until 11am, sitting on my arse doing no exercise and making that futile trip between fridge and pantry in hopes that some food will magically appear I had had enough.

I needed to break my crappy cycle so I got up early, packed myself a few apples and a sandwich, pulled on my runners, jumped in my van and headed down to the national park for a jog. Now i've spent the majority of my life in Noosa so obviously I'd been to the National Park but I'm either in a hurry to get into the surf or too buggered from running to really stop and take in my surroundings, today I wasn't. I know that I grew up in an area abundant with natural beauty, but allowing the time to actually take it all in really let me see just how beautiful my backyard is, and there was not a thing out of place!

I backed my van up so that the back was facing out on to the bay and then began a slow jog up the path towards hells gate. I had been in a rather poor mood with the lack of sleep and activity but as soon as I felt the warm winter sun on my face my mood was lifted. I looked out over the bay and could see all the way to double Island point at the far end of Noosa's north shore, the sun was gleaming off the ridiculously smooth ocean and I could see all the rocks and reef that lay beneath the area that I usually surf.

As I continued to pick up my pace so too did my mood improve, I ran past Tea tree bay, over the hill past dolphin point, around the narrow path above granite bay and finally up to the headland called Hells Gate that overlooks Alexander bay. Hells gate is a tiny, narrow bay that's bordered by sheer, jagged cliffs, today when I was there I could of swum right up into its narrow opening if I wanted, but if there is a bit of swell running it is transformed into a terrifying washing machine of death... hence the name Hells Gate.

I sat on the rocks on Hells Gate for around half an hour watching some birds on a rock that were drying their wings and seeing if there was any surf potential at A bay (there wasn't) before heading back towards the car park. Back past Granite Bay, past Dolphin Point, down the hill into Tea tree. Everytime I passed someone on the track I was greeted with a cheerful 'Good morning' or a content smile and as I came up to the Boiling Pot lookout I was greeted with the site of a family of about 6 having their photo taken with the most picture perfect postcard backdrop you could ask for. The sky was vividly blue, not a cloud in the sky, the sun mirrored off the ocean and the mountains of the Noosa hinterland completed the picture. The family getting their picture taken could not of been happier and then it dawned on me, everyone I had seen on this glorious morning had been all smiles! And why not, they were in the Noosa National Park, one of the most beautiful places on this planet, and a place that I have been lucky enough to call my backyard.

so as I laid in the back of my van eating my apples I overheard a couple of backpackers raving about how lucky and happy they were to be in Noosa and I realised that no matter how much we bitch and moan about being bored or having no money there will always be some gems hidden right under our noses... all you have to do is look!

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