Brisbane & Sunshine Coast

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March 25-27 Montville, Noosa & Brisbane

Final day trip from the wonderful Spotted Chook B & B in Montville. On host Leroy's advice we made for Noosa via the Big Pineapple and the massive market in Eumundi. R managed the full retail tour of the hundreds of stalls whilst I spent most of the time with a coffee listening to a very competent father and son guitarist duo deservedly selling their country rock CDs to all and sundry. Sundry bought at least three.

Noosa is a lovely place. Upmarket main street, well cared for boardwalk through park and wild turkeys - and acres of sand. Warm enough to sunbathe and dip in the stinger-free surf. Early evening walk around the headland that is the National Park. Advertised koalas invisible. Watched the after work surfers first running past us to catch the waves before dusk, then strutting their stuff on the water. Sorry, Newquay, but some of these guys could stand up on their board for ever. Just to add a bit of interest, there'd be a spot of shimmy to the tip of the board and back without any of the usual flailing of arms and shit I've lost it. Iconic Oz images of setting sun over the bay through the bush. If I were 25 and could swim properly, I'd find a job in Noosa.

Back to Brisbane in the Kia to be re-united with our B & B, my golf bag and most importantly with Tatsy & Perry from home. Spent the afternoon sharing traveller's tales in and around the Botanic Gardens and the CBD. Riverside steak (grain fed, natch) before TnP took the Rivercat back to their rellies in the burbs. Final day in Oz was shared between the impressive (building and contents) South Bank Art Gallery, with ibis wandering between the tables in the caff, the Queensland museum and a sedentary cruise on the river. We didn't really do Brisbane justice, as feelings of the end of the trip and thoughts of editing our acquisitions into our luggage began to distract us.

We came on this trip thinking we'd have to wring out everything we could from the places we visited, as we might not be back again. Wrong thoughts. We'll be back to Oz and before too long. There are a few million acres we've not yet parked on and the best part of 20 million people we've not met. Crucially, there are several places and people we'd love to see and meet again.

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