Not so sunny coast

This was the early morning view from our balcony on day 3 (Monday) of our "Sunny Coast" break this week.............

And it really didn't change all that much for the next THREE days!!

Luckily there were enough breaks between downpours that we could walk to the Velo Project on Careelo Street most days for the best cup of coffee on offer on the Sunshine Coast........

Rainwear was obligatory most days, even sitting under "cover" while enjoying our coffee (it was very windy too!).

In between coffees we did a lot of reading, relaxing, and even a bit of shopping for Rob, at the extensive (but somewhat depressing) Sunshine Plaza in Maroochydore. In fact we managed to fill in the three rainy days pretty happily - and a highlight was catching up with my friend Jane on Wednesday afternoon for a long talkative session at the W.a.T. (Whisky and Tequila) Den below our hotel in Mooloolaba.

The sun came out for our last day in Mooloolaba yesterday. Still a fair bit of unruly looking cloud cover, hazy horizons and foamy, choppy seas ....but no rain!! We were ecstatic to be out walking and feeling the intermittent sunshine on our skin. We walked for about 10 klm, right up to the end of Cotton Tree near the (depressing) Sunshine Plaza and then back to Mooloolaba, taking in all the rain soaked beaches along the way.

Views of Alexandra Headlands Beach ......

Me out walking with my winter white legs ......

and Rob .......

The long view back to Mooloolaba and the mouth of the Mooloolah River beyond.

By yesterday afternoon, just to spite us, the unruly clouds had disappeared altogether, the seas had calmed and there was a beautiful golden glow over everything....as we finished our packing for an early departure the next morning!

To celebrate our last fine weather day at the Sunny Coast we took ourselves out to Sole Restaurant at Marcooola last night. Sole is run by the same people who run the Velo Project so we knew the standard would be high. We were not disappointed: carefully prepared (mostly seafood) dishes in a refined classy environment (unlike the rustic retro style of Velo) in a very upscale part of Marcoola Beach.  It was a lovely way to mark the end of a week we had enjoyed together, despite the weather, here on the not so sunny coast!

We drove for a good eight hours today, making it as far as Karuah, a very unpretentious river front town just off the M1 at the mouth of the Karuah River where it feeds into the waters of Swan Bay and Port Stephens. We plan to make it back to Canberra tomorrow after a stop off at Coogee to check on progress with the window project at our apartment.

Late afternoon looking out to Swan Bay at Karuah.