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Noosa Still an Unspoilt Gem on the Sunshine Coast Queensland
23 October 2008
No crass high rises and seedy night clubs here, Noosa is still tops as a fantastic holiday destination. It's a baby boomer paradise of beaches, rain forest walks, restaurants, shops and high quality accommodation all within walking distance of the iconic Hastings Street – hub of this bustling holiday town.
Because of its pristine beaches, beautiful waterways and spectacular rain forest not to mention top activities, Noosa is always busy and we found there is no real off peak period when you would find the town deserted.
So, for the pick of Noosa's fine accommodation you need to plan ahead as we did. There are all levels of accommodation here from back packers to six star.
We had our grown up children and their friends rendezvous with us at Noosa so we had to pick a generous place with enough bathrooms and beds.
After our dusty outback road trip we decided to splash out on a bit of luxury so opted for a large apartment perched high on the Noosa Hill overlooking the town.
Alkira is a 3 level architect designed apartment that sleeps 6 adults. With views over Noosa, the ocean and Noosa River, Alkira has it all. This millionaire's retreat boasts a mosaic pool, spa and sauna. Open plan living spaces, Hollywood kitchen, designer furniture, gadgets galore and an internal elevator. For a day or so we chilled out - living in Alkira is a dream and all part of the holiday experience.
We also hit the restaurants - at last edible food and fine service. We also rubbed shoulders with Lleyton and Bec Hewitt who were holidaying too.
While in Noosa we had 2 outstanding dining experiences, one at Ricky's River Bar and Restaurant on the Noosa River. Brilliant location, top service and most importantly an innovative and absolutely delicious menu. The other at Season, right on the sand at Hastings Street - a casual delight, good food and wine but location, location, location.
For something entirely different we also took a Gondola ride on the Noosa waterways. We joined our Gondola at the Sheraton Pier early evening for a wonderful hour and a half cruise past luxury waterside homes, mangrove forests and the Noosa river whilst enjoying a fabulously fresh seafood platter and French champagne. Owner Ricardo has been providing these wonderful tours for over 10 years and it is such a relaxing way to see the sights and tuck into some fresh local delicacies like Noosa spanner crabs. Yum - the most difficult thing on this trip is to look down and peel your prawns whilst trying to take a look at some of the huge waterside properties that lie on the canals.
Our thrill seeker kids decided on something a bit more exciting and coughed up $70 pp for 1 hour of sheer adrenaline and entertainment on the Noosa Thriller Jet Boat. They picked up their 500hp Jet Boat from the Sheraton Pier and got kitted out in serious life jackets, then slipped into the 12 seater boat with padded roll cages and grips, not unlike a serious rollercoaster at Dream World. They then headed off up the river and leaped out over the bar into the ocean for an hour of thrills.
Noosa Thriller rides are not just for leaping over the waves but you actually get a good cruise up the coast past Little Cove Beach and the rainforest with some expert information from your skipper about the whole area. In season you can see whales and on most trips dolphins will leap in your wake keeping company with the jet boat.
Obviously the adrenaline rush comes from powering over the surf which these boats do effortlessly and safely giving punters the thrills they seek.
Noosa truly has something for everyone and is worth more than one visit, but it is a wise move to plan ahead and scour the web for the best deals.
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