Burrum Heads – Queensland’s Best Kept Camping Secret!

by Miriam | Dec 7, 2022 | Blog Posts, Guest Posts

Burrum Shores, Burrum Heads

By Karen Mace

Just 30-40 minutes from Hervey Bay, on the iconic Queensland Fraser Coast is a small village called Burrum Heads. It’s a seaside village with only a few shops, a caravan park, and a delightful waterfront area.

It won’t be a small village for long though. We passed a site being prepared as a subdivision. With all the houses planned for that small space, Burrum Heads will soon be a small town, and no doubt, when another subdivision is developed, it will become a large town. The few small shops will become a small shopping centre, perhaps a medical centre will pop up, and depending on the demographics of those who purchase the homes being built – and it seems all those planned for the subdivision we encountered, are already spoken for – there may be a school. And perhaps even a Bunnings!

Just past the work on the subdivision and down the road from Burrum Heads is a tranquilly beautiful campsite. It’s a tiny piece of unspoiled nature that seems far removed from the bustling growth taking place not so far away. Our daughter Miriam and her fiance Chris have been enjoying this property for years, so when they offered to take us along with them, we couldn’t wait!

Once you’ve booked on HipCamp, you will be given a code for the locked gate that keeps Burrum Shores as a special place for just a few campers at a time. You will probably notice a few kangaroos as you drive towards the water crossing that is part of the fascinating wetlands, home to a variety of birdlife. We even saw a few graceful brolgas strolling elegantly through the high grass.

You will be met by your host when you cross through the water and will be guided to your site. It may be one with ocean views, or one that looks out over the wetlands, or even one that runs alongside a large field where cows come and go, often curious about the human activity just over the shared fence. Wherever you are, the beach is only steps away.

The water at low tide is a long way out – a long way – but it’s great for walking and exploring the long, very wide beach! Soldier crabs are everywhere, scuttling out of the way as you splash and stomp through small and not so small pools of water, water snails leave their mark too, and so do sand worms.

When the tide is in, make the most of it. The water is shallow and just right for kayaks and stand up paddle boards. I’ve even seen some ambitious yoga lovers doing yoga on a paddle board! There is also the wetlands if you fancy a paddle when the tide is out.

When night falls you can join other campers around the fire pit for drinks, conversation and if you’re lucky, a delicious camp oven cook up! The pine-scented wood crackles and sparks in the fire pit while above twinkling fairy lights strung between and around three large trees are like stars in the inky night sky. It’s special to hear the sound of laughter melding with the constant rise and fall of the ocean rushing in or drawing back, with the croak of frogs floating from the wetlands, blending in and rounding out the fireside get-together. But, if you just want some alone time, Burrum Shores is perfect for that too. Make it what you want it to be.

Follow them on Facebook HERE

and book your stay at HERE

Paradise Found in Burrum Heads

by Miriam | Nov 5, 2020 | Adventures, Destinations, Miriams Moments

Check out our YouTube video here!

It’s definitely who you know not what you know! And lucky for us, we just happen to be mates with some amazing people who own a magnificent beach front property affectionately known as Tara, up near Burrum Heads on the Fraser Coast of QLD.

You’ll find Burrum Heads about 2 1/2 hours’ drive north of Brisbane, in between Hervey Bay and Woodgate on Queensland’s Fraser Coast. This stunning seaside fishing village is on the inlet where the Burrum River meets the ocean.

There’s plenty to do in and around Burrum Heads; great swimming just a little further south, fishing in Lake Lenthall, and of course, brilliant camping spots on the Burrum River. The Wongi Waterholes located in the Wongi State Forest, is a lovely place to camp or go for a short visit. Here you will find a string of beautiful waterholes fringed by paperbarks and rushes. The waterholes are a golden-brown colour thanks to the tannins that have leached from the paperbark trees nearby. We don’t stay here though, as we have our own private slice of paradise to park up on!

This property boasts 76 acres including its own slice of waterfront heaven. And when I say waterfront I mean— open your door, take about five steps, and your feet are in the sand. It’s for sale for $4 million. So, if you like what you see and want to make an offer, let us know and we will put you in touch with the owners. Or maybe we won’t. We really don’t want to see this place sold unless the new owners guarantee us a spot on the sand. 😉

And before you ask, no, this property is not available on Hipcamp (or anything similar) and it won’t be. As I said at the start – it’s not what you know, it’s who you know!

Aside from just soaking up the beauty of where we are camped for six days, we do some exploring – of course!

We explore Burrum Heads first by car and as soon as we see the line up outside the local Fish and Chip shop, we know this is our first stop!

We have a chat with a lovely couple from Hervey Bay while we wait, and when the gentleman steps out the door holding our food and calls our number, we pick it up and then wander over to a table by the water and sit down to eat.

I can honestly say that I think this could be the most delicious crumbed calamari I’ve ever had! Check out the YouTube video where Chris pinches one!

This is followed by a stroll along the Esplanade to walk off our lunch, hanging out with some pelicans, checking out the beach shacks and much newer, larger holiday homes, and chatting with some grey nomads parked up in the local caravan park. After we’ve seen all there is to see in Burrum Heads (that we know of), we head back to the van.

As the sun starts to sink low behind the van, the atmosphere comes alive — electric almost. Golden hour casts its glow over the land and shimmering water as we lay the sticks to start a campfire. Flames roar, Chris grabs his beer and the tribal sounds of Yothu Yindi float on the breeze to where we sit by the fire watching the full moon rise up as the sky darkens and the sun disappears.

On the Sunday we decide to make the 15-minute drive into Toogoom to have a look around, as some of the locals have told us that it’s a ‘lovely little spot’. The skies are grey, and the rain falls intermittently meaning umbrellas and shorts are the required attire for the day. Thongs splash mud up the back of our legs as we walk from the parked car across the road to Goody’s – we’ve heard that this is the place for lunch. What a great spot! Right on the water, with live music playing and jet ski’s being launched from out the front – the place is a hive of happy energy. Too much energy sadly, as they are booked out thanks to it being Father’s Day. The food looks and smells amazing and our mouths start watering … so we decide to wander across the road and see if there is any room at the Salty Squid. There is, and we have the most delicious tapas! Oh, it is yum! We eat, and eat, and eat … and then figure it is the perfect time to hit up the esplanade at Hervey Bay with our skateboards! Ok – so Chris thinks it’s the perfect time. I’m a tad hesitant due to the wet weather and the fact I’m wearing thongs – and my skate shoes are safely locked up in my shoe cupboard in the caravan!

After a quick 10-minute drive, we find ourselves in Hervey Bay. Chris points out this and that and I nod. ‘Do you remember …?.‘ he asks, and I shake my head. It’s been about nine years since I’ve been here, and I can’t remember much as we spent all of our time between the hotel and the motocross track!

Out my window I see a huge chrome whale breaching out of the concrete and in front of me through the windscreen I see a water park – currently closed – with lots of smaller chrome whales. It turns out that this is the esplanade, and we park up, get our boards out, and off we go. Well, off Chris goes. I follow slowly behind, wary of my bare feet being so close to the ground and the complete lack of experience that I have on my board! It’s been over 12 months since I last went for a skate. I remember clearly thinking to myself last time that ‘I will not leave it this long in between skating again!’ and I’d done just that. But, by the end of our ‘session’ although I was somewhat confident on the board, at the same time I was happy to throw it into the back of the Chev, and climb in the driver’s seat knowing I still had all my skin on my body and teeth in my head!

I drive us home – I’m still getting used to driving this beast of a car! It’s just a little different to my RAV4 – and we settle in for another magic night by the ocean.

The following days are a mixture of sand, sun and rain. I have some work to do inside the van on my laptop, so the rain is actually a good thing! It’s just too tempting with all that beachy sunshine beckoning me out the door.

The time comes to pack up and head home and it’s windy, raining and rather miserable. Once again, this is not a bad thing! I don’t mind heading home when the weather is like this. Well, in all honesty I’d rather be in the van no matter what the weather! I’m actually writing this post in October – two months after our trip to Burrum Heads (slack, I know!) I am writing from my office, in my home which just happens to be our caravan! We now live in our caravan and never have to pack up and go home – to a house – again. How’s that for an awesome end to this little story?

Long Weekend with the Crew at Habitat Noosa

by Miriam | Aug 27, 2020 | Accomodation, Adventures, Adventures Couples, Adventures Family, Caravan Parks, Destinations, Destinations Couples, Destinations Family, Miriams Moments, National Parks

Think an enormous campground on the banks of an enormous flat lake where enormously good times can be had!

Habitat Noosa is a 65-acre eco-resort in The Great Sandy National Park on the Sunshine Coast with 500 metres of lake front on the Noosa River. The stunning Lake Cootharaba, the largest salt water inland lake on the Noosa River is the gateway to the upper Noosa River and the Noosa Everglades.

This weekend (being a long weekend), the lake was filled with people on stand-ups, kayaks, canoes and when we were here before (years ago!) we saw people sailing, wind-surfing, kite surfing and fishing. Complete with solar-sites, 9-par golf course, bistro/bar, micro-brewery, watercraft for hire and even tours into Australia’s Everglades, it’s no wonder this place was completely booked out for the Ekka long weekend! I had no idea that there are only 2 Everglades in the world … The Florida Everglades and these ones – The Noosa Everglades. There is also direct access from here to some ripper walking trails in the National Park.

Please note that as this is a national park, no pets are allowed and all rules that apply to national parks apply.

Watch Video Here

We went with our regular crew of about 12 vans and a few that used the wilderness glamping and luxury glamping tents. Oh – and of course the teenagers that swagged it under the gazebo.

It was a long weekend for most, but not Chris’s kids who live on the Bayside. Most of our friends headed up on the Thursday, but we had to wait for the kids to finish school on the Friday and then enjoy the long weekend traffic all the way up. It took just under 4 hours! Others who went up earlier in the day had the same headache. Oh, how we love the weekend traffic to the Sunny Coast!

We picked up our late check-in pack from reception and pulled in through the bright red boom gate about 7pm. The campfire was roaring, and beers and conversations were already flowing. What a relaxing way to end to another hectic week.

The next morning we thought we would get up early to snap a few pics of the sunrise over the lake, but the closest we got to that was a shot of the light seeping in through the hatch in the roof of the van as the sky changed from dark to light. It was overcast and threatening to rain.

It soon cleared up to a beautiful morning filled with exploring, water ‘sports’ reading, sunbaking, wheelies and just hanging out.

While I was reading/sunbaking on the beach I overheard the people behind me saying that the guys in reception had said a storm was coming about 3pm. The winds started picking up about 11:00 and mid-afternoon the ‘storm’ hit. It was more like a windy sun shower … but it made for some interesting times none-the-less!

At 12:00 the (big) boys headed over to the Eco-brewery to try 6 of the 8 beers on offer. This is Australia’s only artesian micro-brewery using water that has been filtered through time in the Cooloola sandmass to produce delicious, preservative free beer. This was by booking only due to Covid restrictions. They had one hour to finish the 6 jugs and did so easily!

While the boys were at the bar, I headed back to the van and baked some scones in the air fryer and the teenagers did ‘teenager stuff’.

The rest of the day was filled with more of the same; friends, brews and good times (and Chris annoying everyone with the video camera!)

When Sunday rolled around, there was no feeling of ‘it’s gone way too fast!’ from us! The kids caught a lift home with our mate’s son who’s now on his P’s (how cool is it when the kids start driving?!) and we simply packed up and headed off to our next destination – Glastonbury Campground in the Brooyar State Forest. Now that’s an adventure for another time …

HABITAT NOOSA

Powered/unpowered sites
Glamping tents
9-hole par 3 golf course
kiosk
watercraft for hire
Everglades tours
new toilets and showers
renovated camp-kitchen
group and education centres
CootharaBAR – bar and bistro
Eco-brewery artesion micro-brewery
kiosk serving breakfast, snacks and First Batch coffee
two levels and styles of glamping accommodation

Book here: https://www.habitatnoosa.com.au/

Camping from $33 per night

Wilderness Glamping from $150 per night

Luxury Glamping from $239 per night

Camping – What is it Really?

by Miriam | May 12, 2020 | Miriams Moments

‘Yes mum. I’ve rinsed my feet in the bucket. YES! I’ve wiped them on the towel too.’ I shook my head, laughing a little as I walked inside.

If I had $1 for every time someone said to me, ‘I don’t like camping,’ I’d be a very rich woman! In fact, I grew up with a mother who doesn’t like the feel of sand beneath her feet let alone the idea of camping near a beach, camping in the bush… or well, camping anywhere at all! My dad, on the other hand enjoys time spent in nature, so I could experience both perspectives firsthand.

I spent the first 10 years of my life in Tasmania and remember heading off with my grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins for the school holidays; packing our beanies, jackets and gumboots, making jaffles and listening to campfire stories until we were sent off to the bunks inside the giant canvas Taj Mahal-like tent. We would swim, hike, check out the wildlife and do all the things kids love to do on family camping trips. We loved it! Mum? Not so much.

We moved to Ecuador, South America when I was 10. My parents were missionaries with an organisation known for its medical and radio work in Latin America. Initially, we went to a town right on the edge of the Amazon jungle. We spent a couple of years there and I loved it – mum, not so much! Who wouldn’t love all the exploring we did? There were a few of us, and if we weren’t swimming in waterholes and rivers, swinging off vines, riding our bikes all over, or playing with our pet dogs, we were digging holes deep in the mud while being careful not to get worms in our feet of course, and playing in the torrential downpours that happened every day around 2 pm. Check out this pic of my mum with our old Renegade!

When I was about 13, we moved to Quito, a vast city up in the Andes mountains where there are way less creepy crawlies and much less oxygen! Dad was involved in what was called Medical Caravans – not anything like the caravan we have – and mum did a bit of nursing but worked mostly in publicity and radio. Those early teen years in Quito I spent doing what rebellious teenagers do. But there were a couple of times during those years, when I was about 15, that dad took me camping to the radio station’s antennae farm. It was out in the country a bit, in a town called Pifo (pic below). Dad probably thought it was the only way to get me away from all the chaos of being a teenage girl in a crazy city! It not only did that, but it also rekindled my love of getting outside and staying out for a night or two.

I moved back to Tassie when I was about 16 and eventually took up camping on my own. With a 6-man tent from KMart in the back of the car, I’d strap my young son, Sam, into his car seat and head off with friends to the East Coast when we could. Fast forward to me being the age now that my mum was back when I remember her complaining about sand in the tent and I can honestly, and surprisingly, say that I’m following in her footsteps, although not to that extreme. Yes, I grew up with a love of camping, but that has slowly but surely developed into a love of glamping. Before I met Chris, I used to have my tent and a few camping bits and pieces that travelled with me in the back of a car. Since Chris and I met back in 2010, we have slowly worked our way through tents, rooftops, camper trailers and caravans until what we have now – our dream caravan and an Alucab roof top tent on the 4×4. We’ve also worked our way through Hilux’s!

Chris is very much a ‘go with the flow’ kinda guy who couldn’t care less if there was sand in the tent, no showers for weeks or canned food for a month so I appreciate that he has put up with my need (want) for a more ‘civilised’ approach to ‘camping’ and has indulged me along the way (not without our fair share of disagreements I might add).

We’ve come such a long way in the camping world that two years ago we invited my parents to come with us on a three-week road trip to Cairns – yes, my non-camping friendly mum! They slept in the caravan bunks and on the odd occasion, booked a cabin if we all needed a bit of space from each other. And they LOVED it! Especially my mum. So much so, that she has mentioned, occasionally, that she wouldn’t mind selling the property in Tasmania and heading off in a caravan of their own. Look closely at the pic below and you’ll see my dad giving a double thumbs up out the window. Lol. And check out the smile on mum’s face! She had a great time.

Which leads me to this… camping might not be what you think it is, it’s what you want it to be. What do you think camping is? And what would you like it to be? Let’s uncover some camping truths.

1.Camping is basic … or is it?

It can be as simple as a swag and some freeze-dried food, but it sure doesn’t have to be! If you want to glamp and you have the budget to make that happen, then go for it! Here are 3 ways you can go from camping to glamping.

Buy a top of the range caravan and a luxury 4×4 to tow it with

Expensive? Sure. Comfortable? You betcha! We recommend Titanium Caravans from Caravans Coffs Coast if you are after one of the most well-appointed luxury vans on the market. This is our fourth off-road caravan and the absolute best by far. Why does this caravan take us from camping to glamping? Let me explain.

We have a full off-grid Enerdrive lithium battery system giving us access to 240 power whenever we need it. And we don’t have to be plugged in.
We have a washing machine, air conditioner, microwave, gas heater, smart TV all which are usable at any time thanks to our battery system.
I am able use all my kitchen appliances (think Thermomix, Air Fryer etc) wherever we are, whenever we want to.
We have a toilet, full shower and large ensuite … where I can blow dry and straighten my hair whenever I feel like it
We have a large club lounge that’s as comfy, if not more comfy than the couch at home
We have air suspension from Airbag Man that makes it super easy to level the van up – no more rolling out of bed!
We have a slide out kitchen with plumbed hot and cold water and triple burner gas cook top OUTSIDE the van
And the best part? We have so much storage and room to move that we truly feel at home when we are traveling

2. Book a cabin at a Holiday Park

Don’t fancy spending as much money on your holidays as you would to buy a house? Then don’t! Book a cabin or glamping tent at one of the many top-quality caravan parks around the country. In fact, most of these parks aren’t even known as caravan parks anymore. Think of; Resort Camping, Holiday Park, Resort, Caravan Village… and the list goes on. Booking a weekend in a cabin will cost you far more than booking a caravan site, but if luxury is your style and you don’t want to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a set-up, then this could be the way for you.

3. Take your ‘basic’ set up and head to a caravan park/resort

You don’t need all the fancy gear to enjoy the luxuries of a Holiday Park. If you have a tent, bedding, some camp chairs and an ESKI – you’re all set! Almost all parks have amenities with showers and toilets (it pays to check and read reviews first). Most parks have camp kitchens with fridges to store your food, BBQ’s and microwaves to cook, and sinks for washing up. And, if you don’t want to do any of that, many have their own restaurants and cafes plus food vans that stop by on weekends. Generally, the more you pay, the nicer the amenities. If you have kids, many of the larger parks have jumping pillows, playgrounds and swimming pools.

2. Camping means long drives in the car … or does it?

This is generally the case for us as we love to get out and explore new and unknown areas, but it most definitely doesn’t have to be this way. We have a few local haunts that we head off to when we need to get away from home but don’t have the time or the inclination to spend hours in the car.

Do some research on Google, Wikicamps, YouCamp or even just the BIG4 websites and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what is close to where you are now or where you want to be. We love the Gold Coast Holiday Park in Helensvale, which is just an 18-minute drive from where we live, and close to where we like to surf.

Check out these parks close to Australia’s capital cities.

Brisbane – https://www.big4.com.au/caravan-parks/qld/greater-brisbane/sandstone-point-holiday-resort

Melbourne – https://www.melbournebig4.com.au/

Adelaide – https://www.aspenholidayparks.com.au/our-parks/adelaide-caravan-park/

Perth – https://www.midlandtouristpark.com.au/

Canberra – https://www.big4.com.au/caravan-parks/nsw/capital-country/governors-hill-carapark

Hobart – https://www.big4.com.au/caravan-parks/tas/hobart-surrounds/hobart-airport-tourist-park

Darwin – https://big4howardsprings.com.au/

Sydney – https://www.big4.com.au/caravan-parks/nsw/greater-sydney/ingenia-holidays-nepean-river

3. Camping is just for outdoor lovers, or is it?

I hear this so much when I tell people what we do! If only they knew what really goes on when people go camping across the country.

If you take the time to wander around the campsite, you will see people talking, laughing, drinking, eating and relaxing, and then sleeping and doing it all again! You might throw in a dip in the pool, beach, or whatever body of water is close, or stroll through the local township, if there is one, or nearby park. And of course, there’s always plenty of time to put your feet up and read a book or have a snooze. We find we are the odd ones out with our mountain bikes, zest for adventure and love for the great outdoors!

If you are staying in a resort/holiday villa you can spend as much time indoors or outdoors as you like. You can indulge yourself by lounging by the pool, eating in the restaurant, having a cocktail at the bar, or reading a book in the guest lounge.

4. Camping is just for young families and caravanning is for Grey Nomads!

Camping is for everybody and if you don’t believe me, open up Instagram and see for yourself! Newsfeeds are filled with photos and videos of young families, teenage friends, young lovers, middle-aged couples, older couples, grandparents with grandkids. You might see entire generations sharing their adventures as they get out and enjoy camping together! And the exact same can be said for caravanning.

While its generally true that the younger families can’t afford the fancy van and the expensive 4×4 that the retirees can afford, we are seeing a huge shift in who’s towing a caravan along for the holiday break. More and more young families and couples are investing in a lifestyle that they know will bring more fun and less stress to their way of life. We are one of these middle-aged couples! We have our dream van and 4×4 and we are only in our 40’s, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

5. Camping = constant cooking

While I do agree with this to some extent, I firmly believe that you only cook as much as you want to. We have friends that don’t like cooking much and generally eat takeout the entire time we are away! If you love cooking (like I do) then this won’t be a problem. I have a variety of appliances that I take with us depending on where we are headed.

My thermal cooker usually gets loaded up before we leave home, so our dinner is ready and waiting that evening. This gives us time to set up and relax without having to meal prep at all.
I have a Thermomix that whips up a mean curry in half an hour, instant desserts and all sorts of easy mealtime deliciousness. I also take the air fryer so we can bake cakes, quiches, bikkies, nachos and even cook the snags if we want to in half the time it takes to preheat and use the oven!
Other times I make double meals the week before we head off and freeze them so all we have to do is defrost and enjoy when we’re away.
Sometimes, if we know we will be with lots of friends and they’ll be eating out, we only take a few meals worth of food with us and buy food from the restaurant.
Caravan parks have camp kitchens so even if you don’t have a BBQ, you can take your meat down and cook it on theirs.
If you want to keep it cheap and basic, buy a large pack of sausages or premade hamburgers and some packets of salads and you’re set!

It does all depend on how much you eat and how much you want to cook as to how much time you will be spending cooking. But I do find that no matter what you intend to do while away, a rough meal plan and grocery list makes all the difference.

6. It’s too hard packing and unpacking … or is it?

It most certainly doesn’t have to be! But again, this comes down to how much time and money you are willing, and able, to invest into your setup and of course, how much ‘stuff’ you want to take with you. When we had tents and gazebos and all that jazz it would take hours to pack the car at home and even longer to set up once we arrived. When we graduated to the camper trailer, it took less time at home and slightly less time to set up and pack up.

But nothing can compare to the simplicity of having a van large enough to store everything inside that you will need… permanently. We are the stage now where all we need to do is pack our food and clothes and head off. We have everything else we need in the van ready to go. We even have enough food in the pantry to last a few days if we don’t pack anything before we leave.

We have taken this one step further and have the same with our 4×4. Kitchen ware, toiletries, cleaning products, sunscreen, insect repellent, camp chairs, and everything we need lives permanently in the canopy so all we need to pack are clothes, towels and extra food. We have a pantry drawer fully stocked with staples and snacks all the time.

The main thing to remember is to only take what you need! Don’t take all the ‘just in case’ items. And yes, I know that Chris would be shaking his head at me and laughing if he read this (he doesn’t read anything, so I think I’m OK! Lol). It’s taken me a looong time to learn that I don’t need as much as I think I do, and I take less and less with me each trip that we take.

While I understand not everyone is able to leave the setup mostly ready all of the time, it’s what we have worked our way up to and are so glad that we did!

If you really can’t be bothered with all the ‘stuff,’ pack a swag, or tent and bedding, your basics, camp chairs, and an ESKI with your food in it, and book in at one of the luxury resorts and use all of their ‘stuff’! They have plenty of it ready and waiting.

So, there you have it. What ‘camping’ is and what it can be! From a swag under the stars to a luxurious caravan plugged into power and water at a 5 Star holiday resort, there are options for everybody whether a lover of camping yet or not. All I ask is that you give it a go and not let your ‘lack of adventure’ ruin the adventures you can experience … and if you don’t like it the first time, make changes until you do. If my mother can become a lover of camping (glamping), I’m sure almost anyone can. Check out the pic below … I’m very happy with her change of heart!

Coolum Beach Holiday Park Review

by Miriam | Oct 21, 2018 | Destinations Couples, Destinations Family, Miriams Moments

Website:

http://www.sunshinecoastholidayparks.com.au/holiday_parks/coolum_beach_holiday_park/

Location: David Low Way, Coolum Beach Qld 4573

Date of Stay: October, 2018

Type of Park: Beachside

Rating: 4.5

Description:

Chris and I are celebrating 8 years together and for this ‘momentous occasion’ Chris booked a weekend without the kids at this gorgeous little park.

Happy Anniversary to us! We celebrated with a Big Head or two and a weekend away 🙂

We usually stay at Cotton Tree when we head up this way, but Coolum has been high on our list of places to visit as we’ve heard great things and driven past many times.

We are pleased to say that it didn’t disappoint! We were a bit skeptical of how the weekend would turn out after what feels like non-stop rain for weeks, and storms were forecast.

We were lucky to have gorgeous weather both Friday and Saturday with only a few drops of rain on the Sunday morning which brought a whole lot of clouds that helped create a spectacular sunrise.

This wasn’t an adventure-filled weekend, it was a ‘let’s relax and unwind’ weekend, and that’s exactly what we did. It was a combination of lying in the sun, walking on the beach, exploring Coolum and kicking back in the caravan park chatting to people as they wandered by.

We want for a wander to try and find a coffee shop for Chris

He needed coffee to help with what the Big Head’s had done last night!

We found Alley Cat … down an Alley 😉

Tickle Park is located right next to the caravan park and is a great place for the kids to play. It has a playground, undercover skate park and a nice grassy area that was being used to hold a bootcamp as we wandered by. This would be handy if you had kids as there is no playground or swimming pool in the park. There were plenty of kids getting around in the caravan park and nearby on bikes and scooters who all looked to be having a wonderful time.

The caravan park itself has 3 amenities blocks which are well maintained and easy to get to. There are 2 laundries and an outdoor clothesline, a camp kitchen and a couple of well equipped BBQ areas.

There were also lots of dogs dotted around the park and playing on the beach.

We were parked up the top directly opposite the path that takes you to the beach. We fell asleep to the sound of the waves and woke up looking out the window watching the waves rolling in. Just magic!

This was the weekend we both needed, and this was the perfect place to do it.