TOURIST TUESDAY: SUNSHINE COAST, PART THREE

On the Tuesday, the boys woke up early desperate to go to the beach.

Justin had booked his surfing lesson at Noosa, so Tamika drove the five of us there.

I think Justin had fun. He fell off a lot in the beginning, but eventually he got to stand and ride a few waves.

It got so hot, and windy, on the beach Tamika and I opted to swap locations while Justin finished his lesson so we wandered around to the Noosa River. We sat were the river joins the ocean. Highly recommended. The water was perfect, and there was shade for the kids to play in. Plus no wind.

None of us wanted to go home. But the lure of a nap in the air con, was just what we all needed after a full morning at the beach. The afternoon was spent down on Alex beach again.

I woke Wednesday morning and came out to these two just relaxing on the couch...such beautiful early morning light. But, it was also time to check out and head home. Only to meet up two hours later in Brisbane at the doctors surgery, both Chester and Justin had ear infections. 

TOURIST TUESDAY: SUNSHINE COAST PART TWO

Saturday and Sunday had passed in a blur of lovely relaxation. Monday arrived with a massive surprise for Jarvis!

The morning was the same as Sunday, early rise and down to the beach. When the sun got to hot it was back to the apartment pool. Justin had been given a voucher from Tamika to Dive with the Sharks for his birthday, so he had that booked for Monday lunch time.

I told Jarvis we were just going to hang around the apartment, but Tamika and Chester arrived to stay for a few nights. Also my two cousins, Jess and Sam, and two of their kids, Archie and Evie, came over. So there were four kids under five! Sorry neighbours, but they had fun. It was so good for Jarvis to have so many kids around for a few says. Plus I think Justin's body enjoyed the break.

After lunch, we introduced Tamika and Chester to the wonderful art of napping in the air con. This was followed by an afternoon at the beach. Jess and Levi, and all of the kids joined us at the beach. Bliss.

Of course we had to have fish and chips for dinner.

TOURIST TUESDAY: SUNSHINE COAST PART ONE

The Sunshine Coast is a really amazing location. Considering it is only about a 90 minute drive away, I...we...really do not take advantage of this place often enough.

Tamika gave Justin a voucher to dive with the sharks for his birthday, back in October. I gave Justin a surfing lesson for Christmas. So I thought a mini getaway is just what we needed, plus Justin could do both of these things while we were there.

From Caloundra to Noosa and all that is in-between, there are so many completely different energies to the locations. I opted to book our accommodation at Alexandra Headlands. It is central. My family all live not too far away. And I got a great deal.

We have turned Jarvis into a little traveller who counted for weeks/days how many more sleeps until we went on holiday. So when we woke up Saturday morning, pretty much all was packed and ready to go. All we had to do was a dozen or more times explain to Jarvis that there was no plane, that we were driving to this holiday.

After a quick swim a Moolaba Spit, where Jarvis and I watched the Little Nippers, and Justin chatted up the local elderly women, we checked into NorthPoint Resort. Lucky for us, even though check in time was meant to be 2pm, we got away with checking in before 12pm.

On a side note: the managers were a really lovely couple that went out of their way to be helpful and nice.

After a shower and a nap, we did the grocery shopping and then spent the afternoon on the beach. This set the tone of our days. Every morning we would wake early and go to the beach. Then come back, and swim in the pool. Nap in the air con until the heat of the day had passed and then head back down to the beach until way after the sun had set. Jarvis loved playing on the sand in the moonlight.

I TRAVEL A LOT! OR THIS COULD BE TITLED 'HOW TO TRAVEL ON A MINIMAL WAGE.'

It has been commented that I go on a lot of holidays. This is true. But I have a very strong love for travel. From the dodgiest hotels to the best money can buy. I love them all. I don't care if it is somewhere in my own country or somewhere overseas, I just love visiting new places.

I have also been asked how I manage to travel so much on a very minimal wage. It is a combination of two things.

One: Advise given when I was a single mother.

I was working a dead end job trying (barely) to make ends meet. I have never left the country and not travelled much within Australia. When I was talking to a very elderly lady. She asked if I could save $20 a week, after much thought I answered yes. To which she replied that if I could do that, every three years I could afford to go a an overseas holiday to anywhere in the world.

Yep, $20 a week ads up to $3120. Throw in extra from asking for cash for birthday presents and any spare I would have left over at the end of a week, Tamika and I managed to travel to 16 countries by the time she was 16. Not a bad feat for a single Mum, who worked part-time and studied.

To this day I have continued my $20 a week savings.

Two: Do not buy 'Stuff'.

Some people are really bad with credit cards, I am the opposite. If I have cash in my purse I buy 'stuff', most of it I really don't need. So much money has been saved with me not having cash on me. It also helped that for the first 12 months after Jarvis was born I bought nothing for myself. (Undies and Make-up excluded). As time passed, I found I needed less and less. This has even split out over into buying stuff for the house. The less I buy the less I want.

So if it is your priority, like it is mine, travel is very possible on a minimal wage.

Having said all of the above... in two more sleeps we are all off for a holiday to the Sunshine Coast for four days!!

The salt air is just what my body needs. 

TOURIST TUESDAY: THE BIG PINEAPPLE

Looking for the "Big" tourist destinations. Over the weekend we visited the Big Pineapple and last year we visited the Big Banana and Big Prawn.

So I really want to do road trips around Australia and get a family portrait in front of all of the other "Bigs". Hit me up in the comments with location/landmark suggestions. 

Some information on the three we have visited so far from the very reliable Wiki:

The Big Prawn:

On 24 September 2009, Ballina Shire Council voted to allow the demolition of the Big Prawn, but this permission was never acted upon. Bunnings Warehouse purchased the site, and the Prawn, in August 2011, and stated their intention to retain and refurbish the Prawn as part of the redevelopment. The prawn now sits on a stand next to the entrance of the Bunnings Warehouse carpark.

The Big Pineapple: The Big Pineapple is a tourist attraction on the Sunshine Coast in South East Queensland, Australia. It is 16 metres high and is claimed to be the world's largest pineapple, gaining this title after a large pineapple-shaped water tower in Hawaii was dismantled in 1993 The pineapple was originally opened on 15 August 1971, and is situated on a 165-hectare site in Woombye. (Note this is not up to date as the Big Pineapple is now closed)

The Big Banana: Sometimes claimed to be the first Big Thing in Australia. The Big Banana tourist complex includes a banana-themed souvenir shop, tours of the surrounding plantation and an indoor ski slope.

Note: first image taken by another tourist. Second image taken by Justin.