Mooloolaba

My Mooloolaba holiday is over and I’m suffering with some post holiday blues so what better activity is there to do than to re-live the holiday by writing a blog post about it!

We arrived at Mooloolaba some time after 2pm on Saturday 10 February to this view (including the photograph above). This is what I’ve been lovin’ about life lately – the good fortune I have had to enjoy beautiful nature in the form of beaches, ocean breezes, the ocean’s salt water and glorious hinterlands …. and to have such a fabulous view!

That’s Mount Coolum you can see in the distance (on the horizon).

After unpacking and settling in to the apartment it was time to get my feet on some sand and get to the beach for a late afternoon walk.  It was so fabulous to feel the ocean breeze on my face and in my hair and the sand under my feet and to paddle on the water’s edge!

We grabbed some takeaway fish ‘n’ chips for dinner on the first night – yum!  There was a heat wave during the first week but the apartment had the most glorious breezes off the ocean and there was always a breeze on the beach so I didn’t feel it.  It was when you went inland away from the ocean’s breeze that you really felt it!

I took my DSLR (digital) camera and various lenses up the coast with me, all packed away in its special backpack.  I didn’t even get it out!  All photo’s in this post were taken with my phone’s camera.  It speaks volumes about my need for convenience and comfort.  It’s become apparent to me that I really don’t like carting around my big heavy Nikon camera and its assortment of lenses and that I should sell it and buy a lighter and more compact option (I’m looking at you Olympus).  Food for thought!

Here are some of the phone photos I shared on Instagram.

I drew the love heart in the sand on the beach on Valentines day to post on Instagram, and hey don’t you just love those fairy lights in the palm trees?!

If you have not tasted Mooloolaba prawns before then you have not lived.  OMG they are so delicious!  We got ours at the Mooloolaba Fish Market.  A confession I must make – I became quite addicted to a particular yoghurt concoction at ‘Yogurt World Mooloolaba‘ which was just a hop, step and a jump from our apartment.  I like the Greek yoghurt with the gluten-free granola mix on top – so divine!  They even featured my photo on their social media – see HERE.  Just quietly – I’ve always spelt yoghurt with a ‘h’.  I believe the version without a ‘h’ is the American spelling.  So is Yogurt World an American company?  What’s your thoughts – yogurt or yoghurt?  We had lunch with my brother-in-law at the Mooloolaba Surf Club one day.  On another evening we met with the same brother-in-law and his wife for dinner at Rice Boi, an asian street food restaurant at The Wharf Mooloolaba, and OMG the most delicious food ever!  I highly recommend it!  Another day we had a little day time explore at The Wharf Mooloolaba and popped into The Wharf Tavern for a nice cold drink!  It was the hottest day of the heat wave that day – oh boy!

I watched the sun rise many mornings – this one captured from the apartment’s balcony. The photograph below was taken on a morning walk (after sunrise).

The photo’s above were taken at ‘Chances‘, a restaurant at The Wharf Mooloolaba.  They were the view from the window at the table where I sat with Jo Tracey!  It was fabulous to meet up with her for the first time in person.  We met for lunch and had a wonderful time chatting away!  So much so that we forgot to take a selfie to mark the occasion and share with fellow bloggers.  Next time!

I enjoyed many, many beautiful sunsets.  Here are just two sunset snaps I took while on a late afternoon walk.

Cheers! Enjoying a glass of Pink Champagne on the balcony.

No visit to the Sunshine Coast is complete without a hinterland visit.  Collage above – from top left and clockwise:  View from the veranda where we had morning tea at The Edge, Montville;  Smashed Avocado with Feta, Radish & micro herbs on Sourdough for breakfast at Winnie at Woombye (visit inspired by this post by Jo Tracey);  Dropped in at Cotton Tree on the way back to Mooloolaba;  View from the verandah of the Mapleton Tavern where we had lunch.

There was a lap pool at our apartment complex.  I used it only twice but it was lovely and refreshing!  Mid-way through our holiday the ocean started to get a little rougher with big swells for a few days as a result of Tropical Cyclone Gita over in the South Pacific area.  Soon after that the weather turned with some overcast days and then lots and lots of torrential rain.

Even on an overcast day there is beauty to be found on Mooloolaba Beach!  I had to stop and capture these gorgeous flowers!

I made good progress with reading my book Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes. I finished the book soon after I got home from the holiday.  I’m now reading a Cathy Kelly book – The House on Willow Street.  The wet weather was actually a blessing as it forced me to relax and read more.  Another wet weather activity we did was going to the movies at Maroochydore to see I, Tonya. It was good! Fantastic acting, particularly by Margot Robbie … but though I enjoyed it, I didn’t love it like I did The Greatest Showman.

I was determined to make it to the beach on the final full day of our holiday, and I did, for a little while before the heavens opened.  I didn’t swim but I did paddle on the water’s edge and enjoyed my time on the beach despite the weather.

There are some video’s I shared on Instagram – of the incredible view from our apartment, of the torrential rain on the day we went to the Eumundi Markets, of the torrential rain on the day we decided to explore Buderim, of the incredible lightening display one night during severe storms on the Sunshine Coast, the final farewell raindroppy view from the apartment’s balcony on the morning we left!  To see those either click on the links in this paragraph or pop on over to my Instagram and scroll around and you’ll see them, and more!

So that’s a wrap of what I’ve been lovin’ about life lately – the wonderful two weeks spent at Mooloolaba.  There was a heat wave, big swells, and then torrential rain but I loved it all, despite the weather!  So did I reap the benefits of a beach holiday?  Yes – I sure did!  You don’t need to go far to have a fabulous holiday.  Mooloolaba is only 1 hour and 10 minutes north of home here in Brisbane.

Have you been to Mooloolaba?  Had a beach holiday lately?  Team yogurt or yoghurt?

Ciao for now,

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