Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

THE SUNSHINE COAST 339
EXPLORING THE AREA
HITTING THE BEACH & OTHER OUTDOOR FUN Main Beach,
Noosa Heads, is the place to swim, surf, and sunbathe. If the bikini-clad supermodel
lookalikes are too much, head to Sunshine Beach, just behind Noosa
Junction off the David Low Way, about 2km (1 1 ⁄4 miles) from Noosa Heads. It’s
just as beautiful. Both beaches are patrolled 365 days a year.
Learn to surf with two-time Australian and World Pro-Am champion Merrick
Davis (& 0418/787 577 mobile phone; www.learntosurf.com.au), who’s lived in
Noosa for 10 years. Merrick runs 2-hour lessons daily for A$35 (US$23), 3-day
certificate courses for A$95 (US$62), and 5-day courses for A$125 (US$81). He
will pick you up and drop you off at your lodging, and also rents surfboards and
body boards.
If you want to rent a windsurfer, canoe, kayak, surf ski, catamaran, jet ski, or
canopied fishing boat that you can play with on the Noosa River, or take upriver
into Great Sandy National Park (see below), check out the dozens of outfits
along Gympie Terrace between James Street and Robert Street in Noosaville.
The Aussie Sea Kayak Company (& 07/5477 5335, or 0407/049 747
mobile phone; www.ausseakayak.com.au), at The Wharf, Mooloolaba runs a 2-
hour sunset paddle on the Maroochy River every day for A$40 (US$26), including
a glass of champagne on your return as reward for all the hard work! Owner/
operators Natalie Stephenson and Rod Withyman are qualified kayak guides and
instructors who worked for various companies in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico
before returning to Australia to set up their tours. Half-day tours run every day
for 3 to 4 hours at Mooloolaba (A$60/US$39), day tours for 6 hours, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at Noosa (A$110/US$68). The company also
runs overnight adventures to Moreton and North Stradbroke Islands, and to
Fraser Island, Great Keppel, and the Whitsundays for up to 6 days.
EXPLORING NOOSA NATIONAL PARK A 10-minute stroll from Hastings
Street brings you to the 437-hectare (1,080-acre) Noosa National Park.
Anywhere you see a crowd looking up, you’re sure to spot a koala. They’re often
seen in the unlikely venue of the parking lot at the park entrance. A network of
well-posted walking trails leads through the bush. The most scenic is the 2.7km
(1.5-mile) coastal trail. The shortest is the 1km (.5-mile) Palm Grove circuit; the
longest is the 4.7km (3-mile) Tanglewood trail inland to Hell’s Gates, definitely
worth the effort.
NORTH OF NOOSA: GREAT SANDY NATIONAL PARK Stretching
north of Noosa along the coast is the 57,000-hectare (140,000-acre) Great Sandy
National Park (often called Cooloola National Park), home to forests, beach, and
freshwater lakes, including the state’s largest, Lake Cootharaba. A popular thing to
do is cruise the silent Everglades formed by the Noosa River and tributary creeks.
The park’s information office, the Sir Thomas Hiley Information Center (& 07/
5449 7364; daily 9am–3pm), is on the western shore of Lake Cootharaba, about
30km (18 miles) from Noosaville. It has a display on the area’s geography and a
mangrove boardwalk; it’s accessible only by boat, which you can rent from the
numerous outfits in Noosaville. Several operators run half-day cruises into the
Everglades, and guided kayak tours explore the park’s lower reaches.
The other option is to take a 4WD along 40-Mile Beach, a designated highway
with traffic laws, for a close-up view of the Teewah colored sand cliffs. This is a
great place to get away from the crowds and enjoy nature’s wonders. Lifeguards are
not on duty, so do not swim alone, and take care. Tours are available, or you can