Canadian traveling to Brisbane next Sept - Please help!

[BrizMarc]

Sounds like you have a great trip to come. I live in Brisbane and happen to be married to a Canadian. If you have any questions just ask away. I think most has been covered here though.

[PinkMagnolia]

Thanks so much for the great driving suggestions... I'm going to have to wrap my head around this -- Both DH and I are good drivers, but I can see how it would be exhausting! When I drive now, it's just 2nd nature and I hardly think about it.

Anyways.... I have some questions about the 1st leg of our trip: Noosa/Sunshine Coast!

1. Would it be OK to stay in one place and travel around - We'd like to tour around the Glass House Mountain/Maleny - But also do the Beaches/Noosa -- If we stay in just one place, would we be within driving distance to everything? If we get a hotel in Noosa, would we be an easy drive to the Zoo, for example? It seems that way, but I just want to make sure.

2. I'm trying to choose a hotel in Noosa - I'm really interested in the Sunshine Beach resorts (thanks for the suggestion Sugarglider!) My impression of this area is that it's a bit quieter that the main Noosa area, the beach is nicer/less busy -- would you say this is true? La Mer looks great online, but if you have any ideas or comments about this, I'd like to hear 'em!

3. I have some real stupid questions You can laugh at me if you want. Haha! I **LOVE** Seafood - Please tell me what kind of seafood is usually available, and also I saw a photograph of a big pineapple... Is it possible to get fresh, locally grown pineapples (or other tropical fruit) in this area?

[Aussie Wendy]

Yes staying at Noosa you can easily get around-there is a slower coastal road that hugs the coast (nice scenic drive south) or a motorway just inland - both link you with the southern part of the Sunshine Coast (Mooloolaba/Caloundra) with around 1 hour on the coast road and 45 mins on the motorway to Caloundra which is the southernmost part of Sunshine Coast. Then there is another motorway further inland-the main motorway (Bruce Highway, M1) that you will take from Brisbane north - about 2 hrs max to reach Noosa. For trips to the hinterland-Glasshouse, Maleny etc you can choose your route but eg go down the M1 to the Caloundra turnoff and take Steve Irwin Way-the zoo is off that road to your left or you turn right in Landsborough and head up to Maleny and Montville (and can make a circle of it and come back down to Nambour and thence north back to Noosa). Its about 80km and an hour's driving to Maleny from Noosa, less for the zoo.

While in Noosa you also have to do the Eumundi Markets-Sat am is the best day though there is a smaller market Wed am too.

Don't know much about the best resorts sorry. Sunshine Beach is nice and yes quieter than Noosa itself and still central to everything..though if you want to just walk in the evening for a meal - not drive or taxi (taxis are dear I feel in Aus) check out what is on offer locally there. We have stayed in a self contained townhouse there and really liked it.

Seafood need a seafood lover which isn't me to answer -I like nice fish but not an addict as many are. Qld is famous for its Moreton Bay Bugs and you will find them on most menus. Otherwise many of the tropical fish - eg Snapper, Barramundi, are amongst the most popular. Prawns of course and you want local ones not imported from Asia which most of the decent places will do. Seafood is generally very good but google TripAdvisor or see if anyone else on here has a recom for you to visit the current best restaurants. If no-one does I am sure I have friends who will love to give me a list!

Pineapples yes you will find local ones-try some of the fruit barns on the side of the road-supermarkets have ones sourced from all over but often also locally grown. A good local one is very good. They are available year round but Sept is one of the peak seasons. Sept is also the end of strawberry season and again local ones will be in stock but ones from fruit barn type places are generally best..you may just be too late for the best of the crop though being late Sept. I think pawpaws are also in season around Sept-the best are the red or papaya as its known in Hawaii. You used to be able to visit an icon attraction "the Big Pineapple" on the coast but it closed several years ago. It was very corny but was something you 'had' to do.

The ginger factory at Yandina is also worth a visit for seeing large scale ginger processing but do avoid the 'attractions' which are third rate at best and a total waste of $.

Off to bed-have fun researching!

[Marlea98]

Is the Alma Park Zoo still open? If it is you can catch the ferry there from the city. That'd be a lovely day out to see Australian animals.

I agree with the Sunshine Coast over the Gold Coast. Gold Coast has theme parks but if you've gone to the ones in America you'll find them rather lame and expensive.

Southbank is great as is the Roma St Parklands. If you like markets there are also the ones at Eagle Street.

If you go down to the Gold Coast there is the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary. The Sunshine Coast has Australia Zoo.

Mt Coot-tha has a beautiful view over the city and Slaughter Falls on the mountain is beautiful too.

[Aussie Wendy]

Minor correction -sorry Marlea - the wildlife centre you can catch the ferry from the city to is Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, just to the west of Brisbane -lots of visitors do like this yes (I have to confess its been many many years since I last went-it has other native animals as well as koalas -this is the web link (haven't put in as a hyperlink but copy and paste into your browser) http://www.koala.net/. Alma Park Zoo is in my neck of the woods to the north of Brisbane, probably a similar size but with some exotic animals as well as Aussie ones (and nice gardens but moving some time in the next year or so towards the Gold Coast Coomera area) - neither are as grand as Australia Zoo further north on the coast but depends on what you are looking for. Australia Zoo has the crocodile feeding show as a big drawcard as well as many more exotic animals and the gamut of Australian ones - it is very big compared to the others and gets a lot more tourists. Pretty much all 3 give you the opp to see/touch a koala & kangaroos, see wombats, dingoes, various nocturnal animals, a variety of reptiles and birds. Lone Pine has platypus and Tassie Devils and these days overall, I think Lone Pine has a greater sample of Aust wildlife than Alma Park.

[Aussie Wendy]

Memo to self-its time I revisited Lone Pine again!!