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

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CHAPTER 6 . QUEENSLAND & THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
rent a 4WD and explore on your own. To reach the beach, cross Noosa River on
the ferry at Tewantin, then take Maximilian Drive for 4km (2 1 ⁄2 miles) to the
beach. Stock up on water, food, and gas in Tewantin. The ferry (& 07/5449
8013) costs A$8 (US$5.20) per vehicle round-trip; it operates from 6am to 10pm
Sunday through Thursday, and 6am to midnight Friday and Saturday. There’s
another information center just before the car ferry, at 240 Moorindil St., Tewantin
(& 07/5449 7792), open 7am to 4pm daily.
WILDLIFE PARKS & THEME PARKS Small theme parks seem to thrive on
the Sunshine Coast. Don’t expect thrill rides, but you might find some of them a
pleasant way to spend a few hours.
A transparent tunnel with an 80m (262-ft.) moving walkway which takes you
through a tank filled with sharks, stingrays, groupers, eels, and coral is the highlight
at Underwater World (& 07/5444 8488), at The Wharf, Mooloolaba. Kids
can pick up starfish and sea cucumbers in the touch pool, and there are static displays
on whales and sharks, shark breeding, and freshwater crocodile talks, an otter
enclosure, and a 30-minute seal show. You can also swim with the seals (A$75/
US$49), or dive with the sharks (A$95/US$62 for certified divers, including gear,
or A$125/US$81 for non-divers). It’s open daily from 9am to 6pm (last entry at
5pm), closed Christmas. Admission is A$23 (US$15) for adults, A$15 (US$9.75)
for seniors, A$16 (US$10) for students, A$13 (US$8.45) for children ages 3 to
15, and A$59 (US$38) for a family of five. Allow 2 hours to see everything, more
if you want to attend all the talks.
At the Ginger Factory, Pioneer Road, Yandina (& 1800 067 686 in Australia,
or 07/5446 7096), you can watch the works of a ginger-processing plant
that supplies most of the world’s sugar-cured ginger. You can also shop for ginger
plants and a huge range of ginger products, and browse a handful of gift
shops. Entry is free. The park is open from 9am to 5pm daily, closed Christmas.
(The factory is closed some weekends and around Christmas; you should call
first, to make sure it’s open.)
At the Big Pineapple (& 07/5442 1333; www.bigpineapple.com.au), 6km
(3 3 ⁄4 miles) south of Nambour on the Nambour Connection Road in Woombye—
don’t worry, you can’t miss the 16m (52-ft.) tall monument—you can take a train
ride through a working pineapple plantation, ride through a rainforest and a
macadamia farm in a macadamia-shaped carriage, and take a boat ride through a
hydroponics greenhouse. The park also has a baby animal farm, kangaroos, koalas,
a rainforest walk, a small but excellent nocturnal house called “Creatures of the
Night,” and a gift shop. It’s open year-round from 9am to 5pm (opens later on
Christmas and Anzac Day; call for exact time). Entry is free; each tour is priced
separately so you can do all or just one, but the best option is to buy a family pass
to all tours, which costs A$69 (US$45) for two adults and up to four children.
Allow half a day if you do everything.
A SCENIC MOUNTAINTOP DRIVE THROUGH THE SUNSHINE
COAST HINTERLAND
A leisurely drive along the lush ridgetop of the Blackall Ranges behind
Noosa is a popular half- or full-day excursion. Cute mountain villages full of
crafts shops and cafes, and terrific views of the coast are the main attractions.
Macadamia nuts, peaches, and other homegrown produce are often for sale by
the road at dirt-cheap prices.
On Saturdays, start at the colorful outdoor Eumundi Markets in the historical
village of Eumundi, 13km (8 miles) west of Noosa along the Eumundi