Mini Break

Ever had a mini holiday? You know - a three or four day break at a holiday destination. Well, that's what we did last week. We had been given a gift of free accommodation in a holiday unit at Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland. The weather was perfect and arriving mid-week ensured that we avoided the weekend crowds. The unit was a block back from the beach, so we were able to take in the delights of the ocean at all times of the day.

Coolum is an unspoilt beach resort, a popular destination frequented by families both young and old. The beauty of the place is that it is a perfect jumping off point for many places of interest.

The next morning we drove to nearby Noosa Heads.

After a pick-me-up cup of coffee, we strolled down fashionable Hastings Street with its tempting shops full of high fashion, books, food and wonderful, stylish home wares.

Definitely nothing tacky here!

The beachside restaurants are legendary.

And now for something completely different. The next morning we drove to the pretty mountain township of Montville, about 30 minutes away.

The views are nothing short of spectacular and the gift shops are a delight. We soon walked off the coffee and lemon curd tart, which we ate at a beautiful restaurant/cafe with this magnificent view - bliss.

We always make a point of visiting the Swiss clock shop while we are in Montville. It's an amazing place, with cuckoo clocks going off every few seconds, and Swiss and Grandfather clocks of all shapes and sizes taking up every available inch of wall space. They range from touristy cute through to downright grotesque, but inbetween are some magnificent clocks. How the staff don't go starkers with the constant chimes, cuckoos, bongs, dings and rings is beyond me.

We packed up early on Saturday for our return journey, as we were anxious to get back to Brisbane in case our grandchild decided to enter the world a few days early. We took a detour to our favourite markets at Eumundi. These markets have been going for years and attract visitors from all over the country.

Seafood is sooo good for you - particularly Eumundi style.

So here we are back home, still nervously awaiting the arrival of the baby, but so refreshed after our mini-break. Try it sometime - I can highly recommend it!