Sushine Coast, Queensland

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Dear Grace and Mag,

After I left Brisbane last week I travelled a bit further up to a place called Noosa for a camping trip in the bush. It was ok...not great but not horrendous either. Stayed in a dorm of hammocks for the first night and a tent for the second and third night (very uncomfortable). We canoed up the river one day and down the river the other day - both times finding a beach, chilling and having a little picnic. I preferred the second day as the beach was really big and with beautiful blue water. Arms and back muscles ached a little bit but not as much as I thought seeing as we canoed 12km round trip the first day and 7km the second day. In the evenings there was nothing really to do apart from shower, dinner and sit at the bonfire. Me and a couple of girls found fire wood and got it started which was good - kept some of the mosquitoes away but not all of them!!

Since I left the camp four days ago I have had the bestest time. Possibly the best few days of being in Australia so far (I realise I might end up saying that a few times on my travels but that's just what I think at the moment). I was picked up by Bern's friend that lives here straight after the camp and taken for coffee with the family. I met the 2 boys who are 8 and 11 years old and were very polite. I was surprised at how 'adult like' their conversation was - very intelligent boys. We all had a little drive and look around little surrounding towns. I saw the main town of Noosa, the beach and watched the boys jump into the water and walked around a National Park for a bit which overlooks the ocean - absolutely stunning!! That evening Lee and Meichelle had friends over and we had a little dinner party and lovely wine. Had such a good evening. The next day was great too - saw more of the Sunshine Coast and stopped in Moolooaba and had a wander around the shops and had lunch etc. It's such an amazing area here - lots to do for everyone from toddlers to kids to adults and OAP's. It all appears really well looked after too with the gardens being neat, no litter, the parks look new and modern and no graffiti - really is a great place for everyone to enjoy some sort of activity. After looking around we all went to the cinema to see A Good Day to Die Hard. The cinemas here are exactly the same as the English ones and the film was really good.

The next day (on Easter Sunday) we all got up early at 6ish and spent the day in SeaWorld. You can hopefully tell by the photos but in case you can't...OMG it's amazing! Nothing like it in England, it's like a theme park and water park and aquarium all rolled into one. Such an amazing day. Saw sharks, penguins, polar bears and sea lion and dolphin shows then went on a roller-coaster and watched the boys in a water fight area and climb this huge climbing frame with harnesses - I really wish I had done it now! Was an amazing day although was so shattered by the end of it.

Today I am still with the family but I am leaving later this evening - I don't want to! They are so lovely and welcoming and I get on with them really well. They have shown me a lot of the Sunshine Coast which is so good! Anyway that's the sunshine coast in a nutshell - just brilliant!!

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Photos

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Camp

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Turquoise quarry