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Published: November 16th 2011
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A swim before lunch
I went back to the car to get the esky, dog bowls, dog water and drinking bowl and got back to find them all in the water. Leo went straight for it and Lil, as usual strolled in casually and got her tummy wet. They got back to the picnic shelter trying to pull Grace’s arm off because they could smell their lunch. Noosa, Yesterdays Surfing Mecca.
We went to Noosa today, the fabled Mecca of surfers around Australia for forty years or more. It was only a short drive and we stopped in Yandina for Grace to get some Vitamins from the compounding chemist. We had a slow drive through Eumundi once we got off the Bruce Highway ( only Queenslanders would call a highway Bruce.) Eumundi is another of those historic older towns which seem abundant in this S,E. Qld. coastal area. Without any historical knowledge of the region I would hazard a guess that these small towns and villages grew as exploration increased away from the more settled areas. The logging of valuable timbers and the discovery of precious metals and gemstones have been founding stones of settlement in many areas across Australia since European settlement. Many small towns founded for those reasons have gone by the wayside over time. There are many though, that have survived, some still growing as populations increase in our larger towns and cities, and an urban sprawl begins to entice people away from the hubbub and strictures of suburban life. The geographical shape and layout of these towns, with the desire to shield ourselves from
The Noosa Spit waterfront
Quiet and comfortable and away from the tourist strip these home-owners have it all. the noise of society in general, results in a lot of these small towns being hidden as you drive through them. The old town centres in towns like Eumundi and Landsborough, Maleny and Yandina, Kenilworth and Cooroy are being revitalised to attract tourists and they hang an historical shingle before their names. This is a good thing. The history teaching of this country is sadly lacking in recognition of the work and livelihoods of our forebears. The struggles they endured, to allow us what we now enjoy. One thing I have noticed in a lot of these small towns is that they are built on and around hilly areas and have gullies with creeks running through them, I think those aspects give them extra character.
My God, did I just write all that? Hmmm,,, must have been that mellow CabSav.
Driving in to Noosa I felt hemmed in on either side by the boundaries of native plant growth which were thick enough to steal any chance of seeing any view or vista of coastal settlement. Not even any streets of nice suburban housing with proud gardens on display. The streetscapes were tight and curvy with virtually no open
Grace checking out the ocean inlet
The end of the Park Walk looked to the ocean inlet and a cloud of kite surfers. views to gauge where you were in relationship to the street directory.
The main street behind the Noosa Beach was mostly a shopping precinct for tourists, with Clothing Boutiques and the odd cafe. Surf and beach accessories, souvenir shops, all abound in a street that is less than half a kilometre in length. That small strip is also studded with entries to underground car parks, below the resorts, taking pride of place along the beachfront. We wanted to have a look at the lookout on Noosa’s highest hill, but it is National Park and we had to turn around without knowing if Noosa has even one vista to glow over. Not blaming the dogs here. I can’t see how driving up a sealed road and standing in a sealed car park amongst a lot of other vehicles, and having the dogs on leads can compromise a lookout, even if it is in a national park. Harrummph.
We had a glimpse of the beach, we had a picnic lunch, the dogs had a picnic lunch, we went for a walk with the dogs on concrete paths inside a park that the Noosa Parks Association have named after themselves and Grace and
Up to wind speed
There were quite a few in the water racing across the inlet. They would almost get to the rocks on the breakwall before slowing, turning and racing back across as the wind grabbed their kites again. Some were very athletic, doing jumps and letting their speed and the wind carry them for tens of metres before setting down again , and of course some came to grief splashing down in a welter of arms and legs. I got some shots of kite surfers at the end of Noosa Spit. Grace did take the dogs for a swim in the inlet while I was getting their lunch ready, and again, after we had our picnic. It is a nice park with access to the sandy waterfront along its edge. There were several groups near us as we lunched taking advantage of the water, swimming and jumping from the nearby jetty into that warm tropical blue water. A section of the pathways is closed off due to restoration work. And it is labelled a dog beach so there is a big plus. A lot of the trees in this park are labelled with their botanical and common names, and to me that is always interesting, seeing those plants in their native environment.
We drove out to the end of The Spit and Grace and I watched a lot of kite surfers doing their thing.
There were a lot of kites laying on the sand strip and plenty of riders walking around with harnesses wrapped around them. The harness would hitch them to their kite and take the pressure off their arms. That I imagine would give them
Plenty participating
Tide was low enough to allow plenty on the sand to get ready to fly better control of the kite and allow them to spill as much air out the back of it as was required to perform their various manoeuvres.
And that just about sums up our visit to Noosa, I won’t break the speed limit to get there again. The drive down the coast to Coolum and the turnoff to Yandina and Nambour was just as uneventful and sad. Once again not much can be seen except occasional glimpses of various beaches through the coastal scrub. At least the scrub would be doing a good job of binding the dunes and lessening erosion by wind and sea.
We have decided to try to get a photo of as many of ‘The Big Things’ on our travels and on our drive from Nambour to Noosa we spotted one we hadn’t known about near Yandina, on what was the old Bruce Highway. Grace directed us back to it on our return drive.
I think the picture says it all. Lack of tourist traffic passing by has probably bought about the demise of the associated business with The Big Cow near Yandina. It is rather large and Grace, in the red shirt, hiked up the hill
Noosa Coast Guard
Grace and I went for a walk past the Noosa Coast Guard Tower to have a look along that famous old beachfront. Obviously this access to the ocean is great for local boat owners. The water across the entrance looked quite shallow and I imagine the bar would by very treacherous in heavy weather. to get a closer picture. The street name down the front is Ayreshire Street, who’d have guessed it. The extensive car parking areas at the Big Pineapple complex near Nambour are in a similar state of disuse. The security fencing around these old icons allows the build-up of weed growth and disrepair to infrastructure to be sadly observed by all and sundry. Kind of a shame really.
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Gary
non-member comment
Noosa
Well you know how to string a few words together Dave! Must have been those uni assignments or are you just a natural? How good does that sunshine & water look?? I hope you managed to have a dip in that glorious water and not let the dogs have all the fun. Little known is that Noosa is owned by the state of Victoria...All the older moneyed up Vics have made it there home away from home in recent years! I remember visiting 25 years ago, far more natural & relaxed than now. Beach is still great though. Hey talking of "big things" is there a "Big Esky"? Just a thought.