Markets, mountains and Margaritas

1st May 2013 

Happy 9th Birthday Freddie!

After a couple of days rest by the beach we celebrated Freddie's birthday by exploring some of the Hinterland around The Sunshine Coast of Queensland. Compared to some of the places we've been on this trip, this is very ordered and civilised countryside, a far cry from the desert wilderness in Central Australia and the bush in parts of New Zealand. 

Started the day by going North to the Eumundi market. This twice weekly event is famous locally although just one of many local markets. The chap who guided us to our parking space (no disorderly parking here!) said that it was a quiet day but there were still loads of people and an eclectic mix of  stalls selling everything from vintage clothing to chocolates, kiddies toys and clothing (oh for a little girl to buy for!) and some wonderful oddities such as the Willy washer that so vividly illustrate the Australian sense of humour. Just our sort of place!

Eumundi Markets - well worth a visit

Next a little piece of heaven for a ginger lover such as Mags! The ginger factory at Yandina is an excellent piece of marketing, combining products made from locally grown ginger and from honey with a creative bit of wonderland for kids. The story being told was about the ginger bread man who was escaping from the Chefs who were trying to cook him. This involved a train ride and other excitements. To find out who won, you'll have to visit! For us older children, there were ginger products galore on sale. As our carrying capacity is somewhat limited we could make only a couple of purchases! 

 Our next stop was at the"Kondalilla Falls". For much of our travels, waterfalls have been a bit of a disappointment as the dry summer in many areas meant that they were often little more than a trickle. Queensland however has had more than its fair share of rain in the past two years so the falls were well worth a visit. Unfortunately lack of planning meant that we couldn't get to the top of the falls as our shoes weren't up to the climb. Great views though from part way up. 

Kondililla Falls and Creek Pond

From there we meandered around the Blackall Range. The range is an interesting set of volcanic humps with some great views across this green and pleasant land to the valley below and to the sea. 

View over land around Blackall range

Across the range to the sea

We even spotted the most famous range of "mountains" in these parts - the Glass House mountains. 

Glass House Mountains i.e.bumps in the distance

"Close up" of Glass House Mountains

Rounded off the day with Margaritas at the bar just by our apartment. This was a great tribute to customer service. At first our cocktails were a little on the weak side so when the barman enquired whether he'd got the right mix of sweet and sour,  we confessed that we were used to something a little stronger. "No worries" and moments later he'd added a goodly extra measure of both tequila and cointreau! We'll return (as long as he's on duty), especially as the bar's well within staggering distance.