The Sunshine Coast

I’m almost embarrassed to admit that Garry and I have flown away for another long weekend. Avid readers of this blog will know I was in Christchurch last weekend, and Queenstown the weekend before that. This weekend we’re in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast. We flew into Maroochydore Airport on Thursday morning.

This is my first time on the Sunshine Coast. Garry and I decided to fly here to cash in a Qantas travel credit that was about to expire. We’ve also talked about buying a second home further north as a warm winter retreat. I’ve suggested anywhere between Yamba (near Ballina) and Noosa would be ideal. We’d then be close to a regional airport, making it easy to reach, and close to an international airport if we ever relocated permanently, i.e. Brisbane Airport.

Last Summer we spent a couple of weeks exploring Yamba, Ballina and Lennox Head. We’ve also stayed on the Gold Coast several times, including a weekend in Surfers Paradise in 2023, and a business trip to Broadbeach last November. This left just the Sunshine Coast to vet and explore.

We’ve cashed in some Accor loyalty points to secure an oceanfront apartment overlooking the Mooloolaba headlands and nearby Alexandra Beach. Sadly the room can only be described as “functional” at best. However, the weather has been superb with highs of 21C. Garry and I were out in short sleeves while visiting Noosa yesterday. This is exactly how I envisioned a winter retreat destination.

On Thursday we explored the outer suburbs of Maroochydore, Kawana Waters, Birtinya, Bokarina and Mooloolaba. Yesterday, we drove up the coast through central Maroochydore, and on to Twin Waters, Marcoola, Coolum Beach, Sunshine Beach and Noosa Heads. We now have a great feel for the Sunshine Coast, and know exactly what our money will buy. Watch this space.

UPDATE: 10:30pm

We’ve finished off our long weekend with a superb meal at Belle Venezia. This is an award-winning Italian restaurant on the foreshore at Mooloolaba. Garry went for the Morton Bay Bug spaghetti, while I tried the crayfish ravioli. However, the highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the locally made Blood Orange sorbet.

Banks Peninsula

I’ve just returned from a three day weekend in Christchurch. It’s my third trip across the Tasman in a single month. Definitely a personal record, one I doubt I’ll ever repeat. Why a third time?

Sadly my mother’s older brother, Uncle Rich, passed away last week after a brief illness. His death was caught everyone by surprise. Unlike my mother, Dick was still living semi-independently and was relatively high functioning despite the onset of dementia in recent years.

I got wind of his sudden illness while visiting Queenstown. He died the day after I returned to Sydney. After some reflection, I decided to cross the Tasman again for his funeral. In part, I wanted to honour the effort so many relatives made in attending my Mum’s funeral last year. I was also keen to support my Auntie Pam, Mum’s older sister, who’s lost two siblings in a single year.

The decision was easy to make thanks to a super cheap airfare. I cashed in some frequent flyer points and flew to Christchurch for less than $270. I also scored a great hotel deal via Amex, plus a discounted rental car for the weekend. Lo and behold, I found myself back in the Qantas First Class lounge at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning.

My flight landed shortly after 1:30pm. Within an hour I was in my rental car and heading for the city. I decided to make the most of the final hours of sunlight (sunset was at 5:05pm) and drove straight to the Port Hills. I drove up the Summit Road, taking time to stop and admire the view along the way.

I eventually came across a hilltop reserve offering an unrivalled view of Lyttelton. I arrived just in time to watch the hill’s lengthening shadow extinguish the sun’s final rays over the town. Chatteris Bay looked equally stunning in the distance. The view did come at a cost. The wind was bitterly cold. It left me shivering and I all but lost sensation in my hands. I finished the afternoon with an impromptu visit to Pam’s house before finally checking into my hotel shortly after 6:00pm.

Sunday dawned bright and clear, albeit with cold and crisp temperatures. I decided to make the most of my free day. After a hearty breakfast I drove out to Akaroa, stopping first for a brisk stroll a long the shore at Birdling Flats beach, the arcing spit that separates Lake Ellesmere from the Pacific Ocean. 

I’m so glad stopped at the spit. It’s an incredible geographical formation. Much to my surprise I discovered the broad beach and expansive dunes consist entirely of smooth oval gravel pebbles. Incredibly they’ve all come from the Southern Alps, swept down to the coast by the braided Rakaia River, about 40km down the coast. Their smooth and rounded appearance reflects their origin as rubble ground smooth by glaciers grinding their way through the alps.

Akaroa was the same quaint town I vaguely remember from my last visit more than 30 years ago. I stopped to wander the village waterfront and was lucky enough to find its relocated lighthouse open to visitors. A volunteer guide inside the lighthouse showed me how its light was kept rotating by a falling weight that was rewound by hand crank every couple of hours. 

The lighthouse was completed in 1879. However, its current location inside Akaroa Harbour is not its original home. It once stood 10km away on the wind-swept Akaroa Heads, at the entrance to the harbour. In 1980, after a new automated lighthouse was commissioned, it was dismantled into three sections, relocated and rebuilt.

I finished my tour of the Banks Peninsula was a road trip that took along the Akaroa Summit Road, before crossing to the opposite coast via Gebbies Pass. I drove through Governors Bay and Cass Bay as the sun was setting before returning to town via the Lyttelton tunnel. I then joined Pam’s children and grandchildren for a family dinner. The return journey was simply breathtaking. I lost count of how often I stopped to admire the view and take another Instagram worthy photo.

Early Monday morning I collected my brother Matt from the airport (shortly after 6:00am). We drove back to my hotel to enjoy breakfast. We a few hours to kill before the funeral we decided to ride the gondola up the Port Hills for more stunning views. Ironically I’d climb a knoll next to gondola’s summit station on Saturday without realising the building was there. Once again the wind was bitterly cold. However, once again Chateris Bay glowed in the sunlight. 

The gondola’s base station was right next to the mouth of the Lyttelton tunnel. Hence, we decided to drive through to the town for a quick look. I was keen to see the remnants of the town’s iconic Timeball Station. The original structure was destroyed by an earthquake in 2011. Its ball tower has subsequently been reconstructed. 

We finished our morning with a scenic drive along the coast to Sumner, before returning to my hotel to prepare for Dick’s funeral. The remainder of the day was taken up by the service, and subsequent reception, before returning to cousin Nicki’s home for a light supper. The service bought back fond childhood memories, as well as sad moments reflecting on my mother’s death 12 months ago.

I took Matt and my cousin, Roanne, to the airport about 6:15pm, then returned to my hotel for an early night. My flight on Tuesday morning departed at the ungodly hour of 6:00am. As a result, my alarm woke me shortly after 3:00am. By 9:00am I was back home in Sydney.

It was lovely catching up with family again. I also enjoyed getting outdoors and soaking up some stunning scenery. Despite the sad occasion, my weekend away was a perfect anecdote for this year’s a stressful start. Sadly, our business is struggling in the current economic climate. As a result, most days feel like a bit of a slog. A little escapism was just what the doctor ordered.

Lessons in life and business

I've just returned from a business networking and professional development retreat in Queenstown, New Zealand. The forum group I travelled with is part of the Sydney chapter of the Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO). Once again I was roped into organising the event after delivering memorable outings to the Gold Coast last year, and to Wellington in 2023. Earlier in the year I’d unsuccessfully tried to lobby the group to visit Far North Queensland. This struck me as a far warmer location than Queenstown in June.

However, despite the time of year, we enjoyed partly sunny, albeit, cold conditions most days. We also based ourselves at a luxurious homestead near Arrowtown, a holiday home owned by a forum member’s relatives. Our first evening kicked off with night luge rides at Skyline, a tourism complex overlooking Queenstown, before retiring to a private dining room. Here we were joined for dinner by an impressive guest speaker I’d secured via an old contact in Wellington.

We spent four days learning from some extraordinary speakers, including Jim Boult on our first night. He’s the former mayor of Queenstown (and former CEO of Christchurch Airport and the iconic Shotover Jet Group). The following day we heard from Olivier Ravel (former owner of PDL, a regional shipping company), before Jo Eddington, an incredibly talented serial entrepreneur, joined us for dinner on our final night in town. 

On our second day we based ourselves at the spectacular Kamana Lakehouse. I’d secured a meeting room for the day that offered floor to ceiling windows and an open deck with stunning views of Lake Wakatipu. We later dined at The Nest, the Lakehouse’s onsite restaurant. I can honestly say the venison I ordered was one of the best game meals I’ve ever had.

As a group we also took time out to enjoy a few of Queenstown's classic tourist attractions. Highlights included a rather tame Zipline ride in the Kawarau Gorge and a phenomenal indoor skydiving session. This was a last minute change of plan after a scheduled day flight to Mt Cook was cancelled due to inclement weather in the mountains. Let’s just say indoor skydiving is a lot harder than it looks. Although the “high flight” I took with an instructor was truly awesome. Enjoy the video!

We also enjoyed a leisurely lunch on the lakefront at the Boatshed Cafe, before bearding our flight back to Sydney on Saturday. Our departure was delayed. As a result, we took off over the Southern Alps at the Sun was starting to set. The snow clad peaks simply glowed in the sun’s golden rays. It was a spectacular end to a superb event. It would be fair to say I’ve been permanently appointed as my forum’s annual retreat organiser. I’m not sure how I’ll top this week’s effort.

One final story. One member of our group, Daniel (that’s him on the Zipline above) recently.y became a Platinum One frequent flyer with Qantas. His status was recognised on our flight in spectacular style. We were handed snacks upon boarding, logo emblazoned key rings mid-flight and handed a bottle of wine to take with us as we left the aircraft. The youngest member of our group was simply blown way by the experience. It was fun to see it through the eyes of a newbie after decades of top status flying.

Up the Mount

I took advantage of some relatively fine weather today. I decided to climb Mauao, something I haven't done in a long time. According to my blog, it’s been 15 years since I last summited The Mount. You can read about it here.  The summit, 232 metres high, offers a spectacular view over Mount Maunganui and the surrounding coastline. Climbing it was once a regular childhood ritual. 

I set out from Valley Road shortly after noon and walked the new coastal boardwalk to the base of the summit track. I climbed Mauao (slowly!) and then returned via Pilot Bay. The entire walk from start to finish took about three hours, and I clocked up 14,400 steps along the way. 

I subsequently learned that the Waikorire track I took to the top was the most challenging option. This eastern route involves more than 500 timber-framed steps, compared to the less taxing Oruahine track, an inclined trail with only a handful of steps. Not surprisingly, more experienced hikers recommend descending the mountain via the Waikorire track.

While I was admiring the view from the top of The Mount, Air New Zealand called and asked if I'd be willing to bring forward my domestic flight time. It was concerned about the tight connection I had in Auckland (approx 1:20 hours).  I agreed to change my flight. How ironic. My flight across the Tasman was subsequently delayed 20 minutes, thus leaving me with ample time to dine in the Strata Lounge before boarding my flight. We landed back in Sydney shortly before 10:00pm.  Along the way, I clocked up another 5000 steps, bringing my daily total to 20,272.