The Sunshine Coast

Another early morning.  They don't do Daylight Saving time here in Queensland, so I suppose we're keeping Victorian time when we're up at 5:30 or 6 am every morning...

First up, as usual, and having a cup of tea at 5 am.

We didn't have very far to go today, so we had a leisurely breakfast and the children had time to play while we got the caravan ready for travel. They really enjoyed an amazing native hibiscus tree at this caravan park. It was a tangle of branches, perfect for climbing. and was even parked as a "playground" on the park map!

We drove south for about three hours, into the "Sunshine Coast"... under a stormy grey sky!  It even rained a little, but by the time we reached Maroochydore the sun was breaking through the clouds.  The caravan park we'll be staying at for three nights is exactly the kind of place I would normally want to avoid!  It's very tidy and right at the mouth of the Maroochy River, with lovely beaches and shallow areas for the children... but there are thousands of people here, all packed together in rows like sardines.  Maroochydore itself, like most of the places along the coast from her down, caters very strongly for the tourist population, with resorts and holiday apartments lining the foreshore.

It took the children about five minutes to make friends with a boy in the next caravan. He is a charming five year old, with an American accent and a confident swagger. I thought our two were good at talking, but Kai hardly gives them a chance to get a word in!  He came down to the beach with us this afternoon, and, being a local, gave us a guided tour of all the best spots to find sand worms, where to catch flathead and which was the best spot for boogie boarding! 

Flying!

A beach wedding... with people fishing right in the middle!

Tomorrow Hannah is coming to meet us for lunch and we'll visit her for dinner,  Hopefully there will be some time to play on the beach, too.  Meanwhile, I think I need an early night!