30th Nov 2011

Yummy cooked breakfast then packed up quickly & went down to reception. Who should be there but the whole Australian cricket team in their team colours & cricket bats etc!!! They kick off a match against NZ tomorrow in Brisbane!!!! They got into 2 minibuses to do a spot of practising I expect!

We left our luggage at reception & went for a walk about. Just behind the hotel is a park called Southbank Parklands. Here there is a manmade beach called Streets Beach. It has sand, rocks & even a lifeguard. Further along was a children's play area with shallower pools & lots of different water features including one which was a 'perpetual motion' machine transferring water through suspended 'bowls' which, when they reached a certain level, tipped the water out either into another'bowl' or into the pool below. Fascinating!!! There was a profusion of Bourgenvillia trained to grow up large curved pergolas which made a floral tunnel. We walked alongside the Brisbane river up to Victoria Bridge which we we crossed to walk up Queen St which is a pedestrianised area. Being a Wednesday a Farmer's Market was in full swing with a huge variety of produce to buy. We continued down Queen St. Shops had Christmas decorations including snow & snowflakes which feels odd considering temperatures are a v humid 30 degrees C!! Myers had several separate displays in individual windows including a Nativity scene & Santa's workshop & Reindeer etc. We then headed back to the hotel having 'done Brisbane the American way'!! We collected our car and luggage and headed north towards the 'Sunshine Coast' on the Bruce Highway. Turned off at Beerburrum to go and see the Glasshouse Mountains at the lookout. These were found and named by Lieut James Cook (l8r Capt!) because they reminded him of the Glass Furnaces in his native Yorkshire. They are in fact volcanic plugs where the surrounding softer rock has been weathered away over millions of years. There are 9 in total and this area is of significance to the Aboriginal people because they believe that they represent a family of 9 who were fleeing the rising tide in 'Dreamtime' & turned to rock.

We then made our way to the Pumice Passage & found a lovely spot under a tree to have our picnic lunch. It was so peaceful - no one around at all -bliss!! Then went off to the banks of Morton Bay - -a massive bay/ huge sea inlet. Morton Bay is one of Australia's most important habitats for shore birds. Numbers in the Marine Park can swell to 50,000 when migrants arrive. Many birds travel 25,000km each year with some larger species flying 6000km non stop. By the time they reach their breeding grounds in the Arctic they may have lost 40% of body weight, e.g. Bar Tailed Godwit, Red Necked Skint.

Made our way over to our apartment in Twin Waters near Noosa. Fabulous Apt 0n Ground floor with secure basement parking. Decking overlooking lake/ pond. But - -PANIC!!!!_ washing machine/ tumble dryer locked away & we had cases full of dirty washing!! Eventually got hold of a manager who came & unlocked the door so we now have clean clothing again! Had nice Mussaka & salad & wine for dinner. Leave for 2 days 'adventure' on Fraser Island tomorrow!!