We have hit the Sunshine Coast and stayed 7 nights at Dicky Beach. It is certainly getting warmer with days in the mid/low twenties, but the water is unseasonably cold at just 19. 
Historical visits to this part of the world normally involved Noosa and my Dad lived in Bli Bli so it’s good to see different areas. Dicky Beach and Moffatt Beach are just north of Caloundra and it’s a very nice and tastefully presented area. Lots of neat little cafés & bars and the area is not on the tourist radar as much and I am pleasantly surprised! Spent a day in the hinterland in the Maleny area (Sooz: we had glorious views of the Glasshouse Mountains, with its dramatic craggy peaks. So significant, they are listed on the National Heritage Register as a landscape of National Significance!) and we visited the excellent bird sanctuary with some 400+ different species of mostly (Sooz: rescued pets) parrots, set on some 20 acres of ‘botanical gardens’ although that term is questionable. As they do, the birds land on you and chew your buttons and collar and having an 80 cm macaw with long claws latched on your bald head is an eye-watering event. (Sooz: As the crazy bird-lady of Balgowlah, I was in heaven. Of course, you must see the video of Leigh below: )
Hit the Pummicestone Passage in the kayak with the rod but was unable to catch a legal sized fish – small trevally only. This is the body of water between the mainland and Bribie Island and is a narrow 35km channel and very pretty.
(Sooz: The Moffat Beach area is quite special. Very nice – so of course I asked the question, could you live here?)
Dicky Beach Family Holiday Park : 7/10; Sooz 8.5/10 – Next to the beach, great surf club restaurant/bar, has a FULL kitchen, and the biggest, newest and best showers!
The Bundaberg/Wide Bay region. From 4th Sept 22
Staying at Woodgate Beach between Bundaberg and Hervey Bay for 8 nights. It is a lovely, treed park across the road from a long beach with its own neat little café (crumbed whiting and chips for $12! 😊) Woodgate Beach is rather remote with a small population, not that remoteness is an issue! (Sooz: Understatement of the year…. The closest amenities/shops are 40kms away at Childers. Childers is a beautiful historic village with an astonishing population of 1,500!)
Spent a full day having a look around Bundaberg and its vicinity. (Sooz: “Bundy” as it is known to locals, has a picturesque main street, with historic buildings, nice trees and a great river running through it.) The area is a bit of a food bowl, with lots of various agricultural farms including sugarcane, sunflowers, chillis, tomatoes, legumes and various berries. But significantly, it is Australia’s macadamia nut capital – 76% of them come from here and astonishingly, 90% of Aust’s fresh chillies! There is a very good experience to be had at Macadamias Australia where you can take a full tour (we didn’t) but you can see some of the production process in the visitors area and then sample the wares. Who knew there were Vanilla infused macadamias (delicious) and also Lemon Myrtle coated macadamias (even more delicious). We purchased a bag of roasted/salted and also a bag of lemon/myrtle. We poked around the coastal areas north and south of Bundy – Bagara and Elliott Heads. Bagara is a very, very nice spot and has a beach that sees an annual turtle egg-laying and hatching event. (Sadly..) Our arrival was just out of season by about 6 weeks.
The Hervey Bay/Wide Bay area has massive tidal movements – when the tide is out there are large sand flats that extend for more than a kilometre offshore. There is a pier at Urangan that is 870 metres long and extends to a natural deep channel. This is the modern version of the original pier that was 200 metres longer and was then used as a loading dock for sugar cane. (Sooz: Plenty of people fishing on the pier, even at low tide. We thought they were being very hopeful, until we saw a guy fighting something decent sized, which he eventually lost. Leigh reckons it was either a shark or a ray.) Fraser Island protects Wide Bay area from swells and is clearly visible. We did not take the ferry over (we did it 30 years ago) but have decided that is a journey to do a year from now on the return path.
Fishing from the kayak has not yet yielded the bounty that I was hoping for but I take solace in not seeing anyone else catching fish. No one! From shore or boat. It’s a little surprising, but nonetheless there is a good variety on sale at local fish mongers and co-ops etc. Tried Red Emperor for the first time a couple of nights ago – delicious and very meaty.
(Sooz: Also saw a sad sight – nearly 30 dead small sharks washed up on Woodgate Beach. Not sure what happened to them…@SharkmanVic – we are still waiting for a full identification on the species…)
Woodgate Beach Holiday Park 8/10; Sooz 8/10 (as long as you don’t need more than a pub with delicious ribs and great barramundi at the local bowlo)
What a wonderful time you’re having!
Very brave Leigh carrying two macaws on your shoulders .. no blood was drawn I hope.
Childers is where my Grandmother was born .. nice to hear it’s a small quaint village … I’d love to visit one day.
Surprised the fishing in North QLD waters is disappointing .. Pleased to hear the bowlo produces a good barra
Hey Shaz. Childers is very quaint – cowboy hats sauntering down the main street and some very old & original pubs and other buildings. (some are a bit too ‘original’)! XX
Love the updates! Keep ’em
coming!! 🥰💕MIL
Love hearing from you, MIL (Mother In Law) xx
have fun…
Glad to see you are appreciating “all” the views to be seen on the QLD coast!
🙂 I feel it to be necessary to provide the viewers with a complete and unbiased assessment of all the attractions and sights. Don’t you agree?
It’s your duty.
Soooo wonderful to see that you’re on this journey – and that you’re sharing it! How wonderful. Smiled while going through all of it. ENJOY and keep sharing glimpses along the way!
Hey Sheryl. Great to hear from you – all the way from Portland USA!
Pass the Pringles, man! 🙂
XX
Hi guys glad to see you are well on your way … are you going ” northabout” now or are you still intending to return & go ” southabout ”
.
…
Hey Old Ivan. We are continuing northward until the end of Sept, and will then start to (slowly) work our way south. We have bookings starting mid December (summer holiday season) in Victoria but other than that, we have no firm comittments until then. Cheers – Leigh
Hi Bottus and Sue.
Looks like a good time up there.
Enjoy!!
couple of comments though…
Pictures of Leigh with the Russian lady please?
Not too surprised about the undersized fish, but more surprised he caught something (joking).
Sorry you guys were’nt at the party.
It was a hoot.
I can whatsapp you guys if you like.
cheers
G
Bundy… what about the rum !?! Bugger the macadamias, guys! What sort of Ozzie’s are you if you don’t report on a visit to the Bundaberg Rum factory & visit the sugar cane farms in the area? Mmm, that’ll have to be on your next visit? A picture of Leigh with a rum tasting paddle is a ‘requirement’ (before & after tasting the various rums they produce 😂). Looks like you’ve had an amazing trip so far: keep the blogs coming. We’re missing you 😊 safe travels, V