We headed south from Kirra today, as far as the brand new resort towns of Casuarina and Salt Village and then a few hours at Kingscliff, including an extended lunch at the very polished (for a pub) Kingscliff Hotel.
Despite its glossed up veneer Kingscliff retains it down home Aussie family beach demeanour with its gleaming aluminium 'van park dominating most of the best parts of the beach front and a lack of the high rise developments that dominate the rest of the Gold Coast.
There was a pod of whales swimming and spraying in the water just off the (tiny) wave break today.....a pretty common sight at Kingscliff between June and November.
One of our favourite things to do back at Kirra each day is our late afternoon walk along the beach front. We walked towards Coolangatta today - absolutely awestruck by the light show provided by Mother Nature as the sun set over the western end of this north facing beach.
We're staying at Kirra Beach on the Gold Coast for a few days, enjoying some time with Rob's Mum celebrating her imminent 90th birthday.
Rob woke me this morning to see the sunrise from our bedroom window. It was so spectacular that I didn't abuse him for waking me (this time).
Looking north to Surfer's Paradise we thought it seemed like the skyscrapers of Manhattan were emerging in the early morning light.
On such a beautiful day we headed off for a day in the country - following the beautiful Tweed River west through the farming villages and towns and world heritage rain forests of the Wollumbin Mt Warning caldera (the largest caldera in the southern hemisphere).
We drove through the picturesque sugar towns of Tumbulgum and Murwillumbah before turning away from the Tweed River and then along its tributary, the Oxley River, around the northern face of Wollumbin Mt Warning. We got to the pretty village of Tyalgum in time for morning coffee!
An unexpected power outage meant our preferred "Rainforest Cafe" at the base of Mt Warning didn't open today. Luckily The Riverview Hotel at Murwillumbah was a great alternative for a sunny lunch overlooking the Tweed River.
We ended up a day of exploring back on the coast at Point Danger (thank you Captain Cook for these ominous names!). The Centaur Memorial at Point Danger has special significance for Rob and his Mum as it commemorates the lives lost when the hospital ship Centaur was torpedoed by the Japanese in May 1943. Rob's Dad was one of the few survivors.
And every time we return to the apartment I always feel excited by our ocean view!
Rob and I try to fit in a good walk each day. Sunset arrives early these winter afternoons so a spectacular sunset is an added bonus on these walks.
That's our apartment block in the background! We're on the 7th floor this year - not quite up to the penthouse standard we enjoyed during last year's short stay!
It's been a welcome relief to find ourselves in a warmer place in the middle of July winter. We've had a night with Ros and Pete at Sandy Beach and squeezed in a Saturday morning at Sawtell to celebrate their annual Chili Festival.
......Then a two night stay at Kirra Beach, house guests of the L family in their penthouse holiday apartment with 360o views of this spectacular coastline - North to the Surfers Paradise high rises - and South down to the Tweed.
On Sunday there was time for a long morning walk South towards Coolangatta and an opportunity to soak up 23oC worth of brilliant winter sunshine and beach side sparkle.
We walked as far as Point Danger, overlooking Duranbah Beach and the mouth of the Tweed River (in NSW).
Sunday afternoon we drove down the Tweed River Valley through Tumbulgum to Murwillumbah and the beautiful Tweed River Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre. The views from the gallery looking out to the beautiful Tweed Valley and Mt Warning in the distance were a huge distraction from the excellent art work on show on the gallery walls.
But we'd come to see the Margaret Olley Art Centre, primarily.....and the wondrous recreations of areas of her home studio at 48 Duxford Street Paddington. The interiors (The Hat Factory and the Yellow Room) are filled with over 20,000 items that were subjects for her still lifes over many many years. The rooms created here have a very strong presence. It is so easy to imagine M O living and working here in amongst this tactile and evocative chaos.......
Both nights in Kirra we enjoyed eating great meals with all members of the L family.... My Gelato on Douglas Street proved to be the most popular dessert spot both nights.
I woke up early this morning and attempted to catch the sunrise over Kirra Beach from our rooftop terrace, eleven floors high......the start to another perfect day in sunny Queensland.
We dropped off the young things at Dreamworld on the way up to Brisbane this morning, picked up Rob's Mum and made our way further North to Noosa by way of the beautiful Blackall Ranges and a lunch stop at the pretty village of Montville.
We're booked into our favourite apartment block (number 12 this year) overlooking the beach where the Noosa River meets the Pacific Ocean. The sunset views from our living room are to die for.
One of our favourite things to do back at Kirra each day is our late afternoon walk along the beach front. We walked towards Coolangatta today - absolutely awestruck by the light show provided by Mother Nature as the sun set over the western end of this north facing beach. 
