How great is Australia. Today I wanted to share with you my five favourite places in our area. They are all less than an hour away from our home. Which makes visiting them so easy. However I wanted to share my part of Australia with you today and if you are ever in the area you can go and see for yourself how beautiful this place is.

They are in no particular order and they all have two things in common. Nature & FREE. We love going swimming and here on the sunshine coast we are blessed to have some amazing beaches and waterholes. The other thing we love doing is walking/hiking/climbing. Roy and I are outdoors people and prefer to be surrounded by trees, insects and spectacular views. I am slowly discovering more and more places to explore here on the Sunshine Coast. I would love to hear any of your suggestions of swimming holes or great walks.

Happy Australia Day.

#1.  Mary Cairnscross Park

I often miss the view of the Glass House Mountains which we use to have as our backyard in our very last rental. To fix my mountain blues a visit to Mary Cairnscross Park is necessary. The Park has a great little walk to do which you can do in less than an hour, picnic facilities as well as a café. Across the road though is where the killer view is at. A great spot to watch the sunset and the mountains change colour into the evening light.

image source 4WD Action

#2.  Booloomba Creek

To be honesty I don’t really want to tell anyone about this place, I love it so much. Nestled in the foothills outside of Kenilworth is Booloomba Creek. The clear running water and magical blue rocks makes a great place for a swim. A 4WD is necessary to get to most parts of the creek including the waterfall. This little gem has a camping ground and a picnic area near the main waterhole.

image source Bonzle

#3.  Kondalilla Falls

This is the closest to our house, well actually it is on the other-side of the mountain to us a 15min drive away.  A great spot for a little swim on a hot day or for Roy and I to take a hike with Isla in the trees. At the bottom of the gorge it’s cool and a great place to hide from the heat of a summer’s day. I find that first thing in the morning is best to tackle the long walk as the walk back up the hill is facing the north and can get rather hot. There is also a picnic area with bbq facilities.

#4. Little Cove

When I started swimming at Little Cove I was in High School and there was a rough little track down to the rocks and little beach, that was over ten years ago. Now there is showers to rinse off and a proper path with steps down to the water. You can find Little Cove at Noosa between the main beach and the national park. Parking is a nightmare so good luck but it is my favourite beach on the Sunshine Coast and you should at least drive past it to see it.

image source Maroochy Botanic Gardens

#5. Maroochydore Botanical Gardens

Finally the botanical gardens at Tanawah. I went there for the first time last year on an overcast misty rainy day. Even on a crap day this place was awesome. There is a sculpture walk for those who love their art. Plus many more other tracks to discover. The gardens offer up a few little spots for picnics too. Well worth a visit.