The birds and the sun are waking earlier and the days are getting longer. In a couple of weeks the rest of Australia will be winding their clocks forward for the start of daylight saving and those of us here in Queensland who work remotely back to Sydney each day will be cursing the time difference.
For those of you reading this on the other side of the world, Queensland (where I live) and Western Australia don’t do daylight saving – even though the rest of Australia does. It’s something to do with how the curtains will fade, the chooks will go off the lay, and the cow’s milk will dry up. Of course I’m being facetious, but you get the idea.
Anyways, it’s Spring – and it’s pretty close to perfect. The weather is fabulous, the ocean is bluer than blue and you can still get a carpark at the beach. Once summer hits, and brings with it heat, high humidity and summer holidays, it can be bedlam here.
To make sure I don’t miss one glorious minute, here’s what’s planned:
- Continue to walk the beach most weekday mornings.
- A road trip – we’re heading up to have a look at Bundaberg and Bargara. Bundy rum anyone?
- A romantic foodie weekend in Melbourne. Yes, I know, we’re leaving the sunny coast for a few days, but Melbourne is always a good idea.
- Hit the beach. Enough said.
- Fish and chips on the beach at sunset.
- Buy loads of mangoes and make yummy things with them – or buy loads of mangoes and eat them.
- Continue to buy, cook, and eat local produce. We’re spoilt for choice up here.
- Try the farmer’s market at Timari Village and Noosa.
- Plant a vegetable garden. I’m missing having herbs at the back door, so I’ll plant some. I also want to have a go at growing some more tropical plants – such as ginger, garlic, turmeric, galangal or lemongrass. As an aside, there’s a papaya tree growing on our verge.
- Chill out on a Friday night at one of the street food markets – Marcoola, Ocean St or Timari Village Market.
- Continue our search for the ultimate beer garden. The research is a bugger.
- Speaking of which, check out Copperhead Brewery at Cooroy and Rick’s Garage at Palmwoods.
- Add to my list of fabulous places for breakfast on the Sunshine Coast.
- Drop 8 kgs – see how I just snuck that one in? I need to lose about 30 kgs, so 8 will be a start.
- Do some of the walks in Noosa National Park before the heat and the summer people hit.
- Do more of the Point Cartwright to Caloundra walk – again before the heat hits.
- Fire up the barbecue (grill) and pizza oven and eat outside lots more.
- Get a good start on Christmas shopping at the arty markets around the coast eg Peregian Beach, Sunshine Coast Collective, Eumundi, Cotton Tree, or Caloundra Street Fair.
- Get an early morning photo of the boathouses along the Maroochy River.
- Make like a tourist (man, we are sooooo local these days) and do a Maroochy River or Noosa Everglades cruise.
Sunshine Coasting 