Are you a rugby fan? It seems Noosa has been hit with Rugby fever – the Noosa International 7’s Festival is on this weekend with over 60 games which I just find incredible and to kick off a full weekend of rugby, a very exciting announcement was made today that the British & Irish Lions who are touring Australia in 2013 are heading to Noosa!

In fact they will be spending a week in Noosa for their official Training & Recovery Week in June/July. This involves training for 3 days at the Noosa Dolphins Rugby Club in Sunshine Beach and 2 days of Rest and Relaxation.

We are pretty sure they will be out and about enjoying all things Noosa, enjoying our gorgeous beaches and I reckon a surfing lesson is definitely in order for the team!

If you know anything about rugby, you probably know that the British Lions have a massively huge following and apparently their tour attracts about 25 000 fans that travel around the world following them – this is great news for Noosa and the Sunshine Coast!

I am pretty sure my mates will be excited with this news – no doubt Noosa locals will become popular with friends and family wanting to visit at this time to see the Lions in action.

Between now and then, I had better catch up on my rugby, starting this weekend with the 7’s!

School holidays … swimming, fishing, ice-cream, fish and chips by the river, catching yabbies, a new hat… simple things but lifelong memories of growing up and being lucky enough to escape the city for a beach holiday.

Thousands of families are doing the same thing in Noosa now – it’s school holidays, the town’s pumping and the sun’s shining (fingers crossed it stays that way).

The Noosa region has it all for kids on holiday - whether they're into something active such as a hike around Noosa National Park headland, abseiling down Mt Tinbeerwah, mountain biking or horse riding through hinterland trails or learning to sail on the Noosa River; or if they prefer to take it easy on a leisurely ferry cruise, laze on the beach or stroll down Hastings Street spending your money.

A recent photo on visitnoosa’s facebook page of a young girl buying a choc-topped ice-cream from an ice-cream van near Noosa Woods attracted great feedback about childhood memories of holiday ice-creams. And by the look on the young girl’s face in the photo, some things never change.

The amazing beach, river, National Parks and hinterland around the Noosa region are timeless too, but there’s always a new experience to be had.

For some great holiday ideas, see our Noosa School Holidays Guide and This Week in Noosa or pop into one of our visitor information centres and ask a friendly local for some ideas.

Happy holidays to all our visitors in Noosa this week. We hope there are wonderful memories in the making – we’d love to hear about them – and we hope to see you back again soon.

I’ve had a camping-trip to Noosa North Shore planned since last year. I think Noosa North Shore is one of the area’s best attributes, especially for those on a budget.

Fair enough, it is a little more expensive now we have the beach fees, but still, it’s costing us $104.80 for two nights at the Freshwater campground, for four adults, three children and two car permits.

What is added at no extra charge is glorious wide open beaches, practically deserted at this time of year (especially since most Sunshine Coast locals have to vote tomorrow), where you can fish, swim, surf, go four-wheel-driving, climb sand dunes and more!

As I write this, the sun is poking its head from out of the clouds, so you never know it could clear and warm up, if not it will be red wine and toasted marshmallows beside the campfire- I can’t complain about that.

On our way back to Tewantin, we might stop in at the The Great Sandy Bar & Restaurant at Noosa North Shore and have a beer and watch some live music.

We knew it would be hard to find a park when we went into town for the Ironman event the other day, so we parked at the Noosa Marina and caught the Noosa Ferry up to Hastings Street.  It was a great way to travel, sitting up there on the top deck and watching all the boats go by.

The ferry is not exactly cheap if you think of it in terms of public transport, but it's really more of a cruise, and definitely worth doing if you're a visitor. You can do a single trip or get an all-day pass and get on and off as much as you like.

I think the Noosa River is one of the most underrated parts of Noosa. So many people go straight to Hastings Street and never make it down to the river for a boat ride or a walk along the foreshore. There's a really good walking and cycling path, a grassy esplanade and loads of cafes, restaurants and shops along Gympie Terrace. 

You can catch the ferry, hire a boat (no boat licence required) to go cruising around the Noosa waterways, go on a fishing trip or take an organised cruise all the way up to the Noosa Everglades. You can also do a sunset cruise on the ferry where you can bring your own drinks and they provide glasses and ice.

Noosa Qld

I thought I'd just post a couple of pics from the Noosa Festival of Surfing, which has been running this week and finishes on Saturday. Don't worry if you missed it - it's an annual event and I'll keep you posted on the dates for next year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images by Geoff Fanning, Noosa Festival of Surfing

Congratulations to Equathon, which picked up a bronze award in the Adventure Tourism category at the Australian Tourism Awards on the weekend. The awards are really tough to win, so even being in the running is a massive achievement.

Equathon is a horse riding tour business run by former Olympian Alex Watson, taking people riding on the beach on the Noosa North Shore and on the Noosa Trail Network. They cater for all levels of ability and have options ranging from part-day tours to seven-day bush and beach rides.

I don’t do horses, so I can’t offer you any personal insight into this one, but I can’t imagine it gets much better than riding on the beach and through the beautiful Noosa hinterland.

Noosa Queensland

I've had a couple of people contacting me wanting to know if we're okay after the storms that hit Noosa last week (my Nanna is always convinced Queensland is under water!!) but it really wasn't a big deal for most of Noosa and surrounds.

Some houses and businesses in the hinterland unfortunately suffered water damage and a couple of roads needed repairs but most of Noosa was pretty much unscathed. The only problem where I live is that my big brave dog can't cope with thunder!

I just took this picture from my backyard - any excuse to get away from the computer - in case you want photographic evidence.

Noosa Qld, Coolum Qld, Eumundi Qld

What a fantastic atmosphere down at the Ironman finals on Noosa Main Beach on Sunday. Perfect weather, huge crowds, people handing out ice creams... what more could you want?

It was great to see Caine Eckstein win his first title and very exciting to see local girl Jordan Mercer finishing so well in the women's series - third on the day and fourth overall in the series, at just 18 years of age.

If you missed it this year, the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Ironman and Ironwoman Series will be back at Coolum and Noosa next summer, although I haven't seen any dates yet. I'll keep you posted.

Noosa Queensland, Coolum Queensland

I had to laugh yesterday afternoon when we were coming off the beach all wet and sandy and found ourselves sharing the path with a bridge and groom, all dressed up and carrying their shoes in the hands.

It was, of course, Valentine's Day, so there were probably lots of people tying the knot, but it still seems bizarre when you're there in your swimmers and carrying a boogie board.

I saw some stats on Noosa weddings a while ago and while I can't remember the details, I recall thinking that it equated to one wedding per day on the beach alone, without taking into account all the venues and other locations around town.

There was a couple in the local paper earlier in the week who had come all the way from England to get married here on Valentine's Day - and the groom had never even been here before.

I can understand the attraction though, it is a beautiful place to get married and have your wedding photos taken. And probably a good way to leave some annoying relatives behind!

(Image courtesy Phill Jackson Photography)

Noosa Qld

If you're interested in art, head up to the Butter Factory Arts Centre in Cooroy before March 10 to see a touring exhibition of works from the 2011 Queensland Regional Art Awards. It features works from both established and emerging artists from regional Queensland and they're open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm, with free entry.

I don't think I've written much about Cooroy in this blog before but it's one of the hinterland towns of Noosa and quite an appealing place, with a thriving artistic community. It also has the Noosa Botanic Gardens, which are well worth a visit, especially if you're not all that familiar with tropical plants.

If you miss the exhibition at Cooroy, there are plenty of other galleries around Noosa and Eumundi, including the Noosa Regional Gallery, pictured, (which has great programs for kids in the school holidays), located near the marina in Tewantin, and some excellent indigenous art galleries in Noosa Junction and Eumundi.

Noosa Queensland, Eumundi Queensland