Day 68 – Sunday 11 August – Sunshine Coast Marathon
Yet more rain overnight made a sunrise photo unlikely so I stayed in bed. However, the runners in the Sunshine Coast marathon made constant noise as they ran past. It got the better of me so I showered and walked the 30 metres to the nearby road.
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| 7:10 am - Marathon runners and the nearby Sunday Market |
The noise also got the better of Shirley so she was showered and having breakfast by 8 am.
I went for a 4 km walk while Shirley did her exercises. I found a book shop and gave up trying to count the runners in the marathon. It was very hard crossing the road between the runners.
On my return Shirley and I wandered over to the nearby market and had to again cross the constant stream of runners - twice.
We returned to camp, had a coffee and listened to the music from the market and the vocal support for marathon runners.
Great friends Kay & Darryl arrived around 1:30 - delayed by the road closures for the Sunshine Coast marathon. As the drizzle started to set in I cooked a batch of plain scones and we all started to catch up on all of the news. Lots more to go.
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| Plain Scones cooked in the Weber |
We got back together for happy hour and caught up on more news. We dined apart then came together again for coffee & chocolate. Good friends are invaluable.
Day 69 – Monday 12 August – Coolum Beach & Yandina
We had over 10 mm of rain overnight with rain forecast for the rest of the day. There seems little chance of much outside activity. That is good, as we are still tired from the Women's Basketball and the cycling last night at the Olympics.
After a very heavy downpour just after 9 am, Shirley, Kay, Darryl and I went for a drive - after Kay and Darryl changed out of their very wet clothes. We started with the slow route to Coolum Beach - through Twin Waters, Mudjimba, Marcoola & Yaroomba. After a stroll we had a coffee, then another stroll, then a drive to Yandina.
Along the way I bought diesel and received two (virtually) free Cherry Ripes. 😀
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| Not for the faint hearted |
A wood factory was visited, then the ginger factory, then the Nuthouse.
Showers came and wet - some very heavy - and always when we were in the car or under cover.
Lunch was a pie each at 'Pete's Village Bakery', in Yandina. We all agreed that the pies were excellent. It was cool enough for the outside heaters to be on. We were impressed.
A casual drive back to base took us through Bli Bli. After a coffee I headed across the road and had a haircut, in preparation for the family wedding next week.
After a coffee I headed to the beach to check out the surf.
It was an angry surf and a few kite surfers were taking advantage of the conditions.
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| An Angry Sea |
Day 70 – Tuesday 13 August – Maroochydore
More rain, 50+ km/h wind gusts and a raging surf made for a noisy night. Everything was well secured to Mother Earth and we both slept past 8 am. The forecast was very ordinary.
Day 71 – Wednesday 14 August – Maroochydore
The rain got more serious overnight, delivering another 33 mm between 9 pm and 8 am for a 72 hour total of 84 mm. The wind was still around with maximum gusts of 61 km/h overnight.
For a change of scenery the four of us headed to the main Maroochydore shopping centre for some window shopping and some minor food items. It got us away from the wet weather. A coffee and a muffin were squeezed in.
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| Apple Sponge Pudding |
Lunch came and went and boredom was replaced with a desire to cook, as the rain had returned.
The idea of apple and date muffins was discarded and was replaced by apple sponge pudding (Shirley is not fond of dates). Shirley knitted and delivered instructions while I tried to do my best.
My best worked out to be good enough. Happy hour came and went with a Kilkenny for Darryl & myself. We parted company for dinner (pork chops and stir-fry veggies for us) then came together for apple sponge pudding and cream. It got the tick of approval.
The same cannot be said for my improvised entertainment in spilling and breaking my glass of red wine. I did wash Kay's feet & legs, but the red spots on Darryl's white socks went home with him.
I think we are still friends.
Day 72 – Thursday 15 August – Maroochydore
The rain got earnest again and dumped a further 15 mm overnight. Our total for the week sits at 102 mm, just over the 101 mm we had at Yeppoon. It has been probably our wettest winter caravan trip ever. However that 200+ mm has probably only impacted one week of our trip.
The sun was that bright that Shirley needed her sunglasses as she walked back from the shower - at 8:40 am.
Our drive to Montville got delayed to tomorrow or Saturday, so Shirley and I went for a 3 km stroll along the beach - our first since the weekend. It was amazing to see the difference in the colour of the water and the amount of foam that was being generated.
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| The hazy view south along the Sunshine Coast |
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| Coffee crema feet |
It was time for lunch, relaxation and a chill out period.
The superb improvement in weather encouraged us to a return beach walk. We did the same walk in a reverse order. Kay & Darryl joined us. It was interesting to note that the brownish water had returned to nearly its normal colour.
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| Damper |
The ice cream shop was visited on our way back to camp.
It was our most pleasant happy hour (weather wise) for some time. We sat outside in shorts and tshirts.
Herb damper accompanied our spaghetti for dinner.
Day 73 – Friday 16 August – Montville
The forecast was good for a quality sunrise photo so I set the alarm and was on the beach at 5:55 am. I was totally disappointed - fog - fog - more fog. No sunrise.
I watched the surfers until they disappeared into the fog. It was a pleasant 18 degrees. I headed back to camp.
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| Alternate Sunrise at Maroochydore |
I headed to the laundry and the shower, in that order.
Our delayed drive to Montville - a lovely little town in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland - was rescheduled for today. We departed at 10 am and had a winding drive into the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. It is a pretty part of the world and provides views back from whence we had come.
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| Sunshine Coast from Montville |
We strolled around town for around two hours then found an excellent cafe with great burgers and drinks. So we relaxed. A few purchases were made as we walked.
Our route home was different and even more picturesque. It was via Mooloolaba so that we could buy some fresh prawns.
Happy hour was 5 pm. Prawn shelling was 6 pm. Eating prawns was immediately after. It was enjoyed by all.
It was still a balmy 20 degrees at 8 pm.
Day 74 – Saturday 17 August – Maroochydore
I had a sleep in and did not get to the beach until 6:05 am. Unlike yesterday, there was no fog. I had time to watch the board riders and canoe paddlers before the sun peeked through the solitary cloud.
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| Pre-sunrise paddler |
It was a pleasant 15 degrees, with no wind. There were maybe 30 people on the beach and/or in the water. It was possibly my last ocean sunrise photo of the trip so I sat and enjoyed the sunrise.
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| My last ocean sunrise photo for 2024 |
I had a shower and turned on the laptop. Shirley was on her way to the shower at 7:15 am.
Shirley and I completed our first beach walk for the day (3 km) by 9:30 am. The conditions for a beach walk were probably the best of the trip so far. We counted nearly 40 surfers with boards and maybe double that number on the beach.
My phone indicated 27 degrees at 11 am.
We had lunch and returned to the beach, this time 2 km south at Alexandra Headland. It is another great beach.
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| Alexandra Headland Beach |
The rest of the afternoon started with an ice-cream. Then a trip to the doctor with a neighbour who had dislocated his shoulder in a body-surfing hiccup. The doctor was closed, today being Saturday. I resisted the temptation to help the pain by consuming beer at the local bowls club. [Later: The neighbour has broken his collarbone. He is grounded for a while.]
A few pre-departure jobs happened, then our last happy hour with Kay & Darryl for some time. They are going north and we are going south.
We dined apart and re-joined for the coffee/chocolate hour.
Day 75 – Sunday 18 August – Maroochydore
Another changing of the guard as Kay & Darryl headed north (around 8:30 am) to Yeppoon and we did a few jobs in readiness to head south tomorrow. A small task of wiping some BBQ smoke/grease residue off the caravan turned into "wash the entire off-side of the caravan". However it does look much better and was overdue. The small BBQ and the Weber were stowed away.
Minimal shopping occurred. Bunnings was visited. Two $3.50 investments were made.
Lunch was next, then probably our last beach walk of this trip. The conditions were probably the best that they have been all trip - absolutely ideal. The air was clear and the water was crystal. I was sorry that I did not wear my bathers.
Back at camp we did another few pre-departure jobs and chilled out. At 3 pm it was 25 degrees.
Around 5:30 pm we wandered over to the Maroochy Bowls club for a Chinese dinner. We had time for a pre-dinner drink. The barman recommended the dim sims.
We had the four steamed dim sims for entree followed by a combination (meat & veggies) in a mongolian sauce and the obligatory fried rice. It was all superb, particularly the dim sims.
This chapter is now complete (apart from minor edits).
Tomorrow we start to head south to the Gold Coast - for a family wedding.
Last updated at 7:20 pm Sunday 18 August 2024
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