Our crib in Noosa

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We had heard from others that we could easily rent a house in Noosa for a resonable amount of money so that was our intention arriving there. Well it didn't turn out to be that easy cause we arrived there on a Friday & this place is busy at the weekend. But the tourist information are always a helpful bunch & can usually point you in the right direction so off we went.

It's funny how things have changed since Asia.....usually when we arrived somewhere in Asia we would always reserve judgement of a place on the first day because we were ususally wrecked from travelling but here in Oz......regargless of how long we're travelling our first impression of a place usually sticks. Noosa is such a lovely place. It is made up of Noosa Heads where the main beach is & all the up-market cafes, restaurants are.....that we could only walk by & dream about & then there is Noosa junction where all the locals, backpackers do the shopping....where the real people live & finally there is Noosaville....didn't go there cause it was a long trek away so will have to leave you in the dark. We rented a room in an apartment out in a place called Sunrise Beach....no never saw sunrise but I'd imagine it isn't that much different than sunset & have seen millions of them at this stage.

It was about 4km form from Noosa Heads to get to the main beach. Not that we needed to go that far to see the ocean cause we could see it from our doorstep but had to make the trek there cause that's where the "baby surfing" is done. I would probably be out at sea at this moment if I'd attempted to surf at sunrise beach.....actually no, I'd be dead!! The waves were massive but it was so impressive to stand & watch the locals surf.....if only! Noosa is a great spot for walking. It's surrounded by national park so there is never trouble finding something to do. We were walking one morning & we arrived at a secluded beach.....we'd heard it was a nudist beach....optional of course.....well no sooner than I'd told Grace that her white bits needed bronzing did this aul fella stroll up in all his glory as God had created him.......don't worry Dad, I closed my eyes....turned out to be a popular spot with the local OAP population.

It's not a big party town. That suited us fine cause we had a TV so most nights we sat in after our day beaching it with a tub of ice-cream in hand. We had other housemates too....some who came for a "sleepover" only. Now it wasn't a house of luxury. I was sitting there on the first night & I saw a mouse scurry across the floor. We ended up cajoling him out the door & we thought that was the end of that.....apparently not. Two nights later who do I see only the mighty mouse himself, interrupting my calm. Turns out there was a hole in the wall so a make-shift barrier was constructed to keep him out. We had done a massive shop for the week & the whole frudge was full with mostly our stuff......well more me than Grace but some stuff was left out in a bag on the worktop. I always have travel food so the day we left I pulled out my crackers & what do see only that mighty mouse had been feasting on my grub too. The brat!! Hope he dies in the wall cavity!!

On the Wednesday we went to the Australian Zoo.....it's run by Steve Irwin's family now. It was a great day. Saw all there was to see....lizards, snakes, kangaroos, crocodiles, koalas....so no more walking around with our head in the clouds trying to spot any of the above. The koalas are so adorable. So so soft. Just want to petthem all day. They sleep 18-20 hours per day & look like teddybears cause they are so lifeless. Although you wouldn't blame them....all they eat are eucalyptus tree leaves & they're mostly water so I reckon if we introduce a bit of meat into their diet they'll be swinging from the trees & so much more engaging. The birds are gorgeous aswell.....multi-coloured & noisy. Well worth a visit if you're here. So at the end of the day I had seen some of Australia's deadliest creatures......the crocs, snakes & the odd Australian man walking around posing as a "average guy". Ah we've met a few select Australian men who definitely give Irishmen a flying start in the charm stakes!! You have to be here to believe it but I think we attract some weird people by times. Enough said!!

So after a week in Noosa it was a major pack-up.....didn't manage to clear the fridge apu but what's new.....& on we went to Brisbane. So mighty mouse & the few other choice creatures that were living in our apatment were left behind. Noosa is a lovely place to stay not to mention its great selection of ice-cream parlours too......Copenhagens comes highly recommended.....as they say, don't skimp on the good stuff!!

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