Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Family trip to Australia! We took advantage of our recent spring break by flying to Brisbane and spent a week enjoying the Sunshine Coast. Traveling from Singapore is getting easier all the time and we can't wait to continue to explore.

We stayed in Caloundra and ventured up and down the coast to enjoy some beaches, and inland to the forest, zoo and some wineries. This photo is a view from our balcony.  We rented an apartment via Airbnb right across from Bulcock Beach, which was very family friendly; a playground and a coffee hut right out the door.

Cata did some bird watching, she especially enjoys turning the binoculars around to make small flighty birds even smaller and harder to see.

The country side was beautiful and we found a couple of wineries to visit, a visit to Flame Hill Vineyards in Montville being a highlight. Cata even found a chardonnay that she didn't hate.

Another day was spent in a kayak exploring Bribie Island, a sand island that is accessed only by boat or 4x4.  This island provides some nice sheltered beaches around Caloundra, which were perfect for our 3 year old beach bum. She even took an in-kayak nap on the way back to the put in.

We spent some time looking for wild kangaroos but eventually only found them at the zoo. Cata had a good time feeding them and also enjoyed the giant bouncing structure. The Australia Zoo, founded by the family of Steve Irwin, is definitely a place to check out should you be in Queensland.  

Bright sun in Tee Tree Bay beach in Noosa National Park. This beach is about 30 minutes walk from the main parking area, but well worth the work to get here! Beaches certainly dominated our time in Queensland, but we managed to do a few other things as well, including some bird watching. 

Peaceful evening at Castaways Beach

Blue Tiger Butterfly at the Ben Bennett Botanical Garden

Wallaby in the Bobbie Sattler Nature Reserve

Osprey

 

Silver Gull

Gray Butcherbird

Rainbow Lorikeet

Crested Pigeon