Back from the beach

 Recently one of my classmates and I ventured to the beach for 10 days and during our stay we had a mini class reunion once again. As most of us are 77 or 78 it is becoming more of an effort to make the trip especially since it is becoming so busy on the Sunshine Coast as a lot of people have moved there. However, this time it was very quiet where we stayed and I was concerned for the small businesses there who must be doing it tough. The caravan park was quite full so there must be a few grey nomads still heading north from the southern states. 

Back from holidays

 Last week a classmate and I drove to Caloundra for a holiday which we have done for the past three years. We always arrange a mini reunion with our old classmates at the same time as we are all in our seventies now and some have retired to the beach or the surrounding areas. 

Even the seagulls got out of the water quickly in the cold snap

A Cool Holiday

Recently a school friend and I drove to my favourite holiday destination, Caloundra, for a week or so at the beach. As usual we got lost on the way but finally managed to arrive just as it was getting dark as she had been delayed by a flat battery in her car and had to wait for hours to get a new one. Well, the peak hour traffic up there is just incredible as so many people have moved to 

SE Queensland from southern states and obviously many of them trek to Brisbane each day to go to work so what used to be a nice quiet place to go for a holiday has become extremely busy. 

 

A perfect holiday

 As a birthday gift to myself I recently had a holiday at my favourite place, Caloundra on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. A classmate and I had planned a class reunion while there as most of us had left school 60 years ago and many of them had retired to the coast. 

One of the beautiful features in the main street.

A great place to holiday

Someone from interstate asked me if Caloundra was a nice place to visit so I thought I would write a blog post about what has been the annual holiday destination since our children were born back in the 1980s.

Stay Put Towels

During our recent holiday at the beach I had the pleasure of meeting up with some ladies from the former Down to Earth forum (which has now closed down) and The Homemakers Forum which some of the members started so that we all didn't lose touch.

One of the ladies who I have known for a few years, Judy, is the most talented craftsperson and can sew, crochet, knit and so on and so forth and for my recent birthday she surprised me by sending me this lovely mug rug that she made. Isn't it just great?

A visit to Simply Natural Soap Making Supplies at Caboolture

While I was on the Sunshine Coast recently a friend drove me to Caboolture as we were keen to have a look at the Simply Natural Soap Making Supplies outlet there which is nestled in the Industrial Estate.

The last sunset

We have lots of 'lasts' the day before we leave the beach...the last walk, the last sunset, the last lot of fish and chips and dare I say... the last ice cream till next year :-)

Wild Weather

It has been rather breezy here at the beach and yesterday even the seagulls were flying backwards. The boardwalk was noticably quiet as only the most determined tourists kept up their daily walk from beach to beach. We weren't among them by the way in case you were wondering :-)

Storms on the horizon

Today a number of storms swept cross parts of Queensland. It became very dark and thundery just after lunch so we made a quick dash back to our unit as it looked like we were in for a storm. I headed to the ocean behind the units to take a few quick photos of the approaching storm.

Life in Paradise

We have been in Caloundra for three days now and the weather has been spectacular...not too hot and with a lovely sea breeze most of the time. We are staying in a unit right on the water so it can get a bit breezy here but we don't mind as it is better than hot humid weather.

The last day in Paradise...I mean Caloundra!

It has been a day of  'lasts'! The last lot of decadent food, the last walk and then finally the last sunset. Before we went home I wanted to visit Moffat Beach as my good friend who died a couple of years ago from cancer had been to a cafe there with her daughter when she was in remission and they had the best pancakes which they said were huge and absolutely delicious. She always wanted to return there with her girl again but became too ill when the cancer cruelly reappeared and they never made it back to the beach.

To Market To Market!

There are lots of great markets here in Caloundra and in the surrounding district. There are some very talented people living in the Hinterland who produce some unique and fascinating arts and crafts. On the weekend there was an Arts and Crafts Fair which was really well attended and it was a pleasure to see all the handicrafts that had been produced for this event. I had been looking around for a koala for a friend overseas which hadn't been made in China and found this cute little fellow which was just what I was looking for.

Beautiful ocean colours and hungry pelicans.

We have been doing a lot of walking since we have been at the beach. Today the colour of the ocean was just spectacular but I couldn't capture the different tones of blue which had all the tourists lined up on the Boardwalk talking photos. The day we arrived we saw a photo of the Pumistone Passage at the Booking Agent's office which looked exactly liked it did today and I said to my son that the photo had been Photoshopped as the water was never that colour but, to my surprise, I saw for myself that it wasn't.

A Down to Earth Meet-up

Yesterday we had a great day when eight of us from the Down to Earth Forums met together for lunch here in Caloundra. Unfortunately Rhonda from the Down to Earth blog who started the DTE Forums several years ago, was unable to come due to other commitments.

 

Don't we all need some sunshine?

What a difference the sun makes! Everything seems to sparkle and shine when it makes its appearance after a dark and cloudy day and thankfully in Australia we don’t have too many dark days where the weather is concerned. However, I have read on a few blogs lately and have also heard others talking about how dark a place the world seems to be at the moment and especially so if we watch the news and current affairs programs. I know of several people who don’t watch the news anymore as it is becoming too disturbing and I can vouch for that as I watched the last part of the 4 Corners program on Monday night and was exposed to images that were so upsetting that I thought of them every time I woke up during the night. 

The Eagle Has Landed!

Well, not really the Eagle but the little Getz has landed at the beach! After the heat of the last week or so it turned cool and cloudy today and was perfect driving weather so, after four sprays of Brauer's  Focus Stress Relief under the tongue, we headed off to the Sunshine Coast expecting the weather to be warm and sunny and just right for swimming but it turned out to be actually cooler than it was at home. For once I didn't get lost and, being a weekday and not a Saturday when we usually leave for the coast, it was rather quiet on the roads which suited me just fine.

The last walk!

All good things come to an end and after a week at the beach we are heading home again today. Hopefully it won't be too cold when we get back but it looks like we are in for a few drizzly days. We enjoyed our last walk on the boardwalk and saw a pelican on Kings Beach for the first time.