Blog By Noosa

Noosa's favourite sport

The annual Noosa Festival of Surfing is also coming up, from March 11 to 17. It will be six days of surfing, live music and other attractions, down on the beach at First Point, which is one of Noosa's most famous surfing spots (just around from Main Beach and Hastings Street).

I'm not a surfer but I love going along to watch - let's pray for good waves. Along with the standard surfing, they have stand-up paddle surfing, which is a huge sport here, and I imagine the beach bar will be a pretty popular spot!

It's probably a good idea to book some accommodation if you're planning to come, as the festival has become pretty popular and brings a lot of people into town. Anywhere around Hastings Street, Little Cove, Noosa Sound or Noosa Junction would be an easy walk, but there are always buses and ferries from other parts of town if you're looking for an alternative.

For more details on the events of the festival, click here to go to their website.

 

Images courtesy Phill Jackson Photography

Noosa Qld

Hot bodies coming our way

If you're thinking about a trip to Coolum or Noosa, you might want to time it to catch some of the action of the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain IronMan and IronWoman series, which is being held here next month.

I went along last year and it's a great spectator sport (read into that what you will!) You've got beautiful beaches, high profile competitors and a great atmosphere, with everyone cheering on the beach.

The Coolum event is being held on February 12, in front of the Coolum Beach Surf Club, then the finals of the series are being held in Noosa on February 19, on Main Beach in front of the Noosa Heads Surf Club. I'm there!

Noosa Queensland, Coolum Queensland

A better use for golf balls

Because I can't even pretend to be interested in golf, I thought I'd share a different angle on the Australian PGA Championship, which is being held at the Hyatt Regency Coolum next week.

In honour of the annual influx of top golfers and golf fans, the resort's spa has launched a 'Quirogolf' massage, where you get massaged by golf balls. It's supposed to provide great release, through the rolling action of the balls -and it's got to be more enjoyable than chasing them around a golf course.

The spa is also bringing in an 'oxygen bubble', which will only be available next week. The dome-style structure apparently allows you to have a facial or body treatment while breathing in 99.99 per cent pure air, free of any pollutants, bacteria or allergens.

So, there you go, everything you ever wanted to know about golf!

Noosa Qld, Coolum Qld

A first for the Noosa Tri

Congratulations to David Dellows on becoming the first Sunshine Coast athlete to take out the Noosa Triathlon, out-competing favourites such as repeat winner Courtney Atkinson and Ironman Chris McCormack to cross the line in just over one hour and 46 minutes (ouch).

It says something about the event and the calibre of the competitors it attracts that it has always been won by visitors, despite the number of serious triathletes who live and train here. People come from all over the world to take part in the Noosa Tri and the town has been absolutely buzzing with people.

I'm always most impressed, though, by the non-elite athletes who complete the race. You see people of all ages and shapes, even some with disabilities, slogging it out. Someone did it in a full Spiderman costume this year -that takes a bit of grit on hot day!

Noosa Qld

Don't miss Coolum

Speaking of Coolum, if you haven't been there for a while, you'll hardly recognise the place (although the beach obviously hasn't gone anywhere). The main strip has had a big facelift and there are plenty of good cafes and eateries to chill out in, along with shops to browse. There's a great beachfront playground for the munchkins, and the view from the Surf Club or boardwalk is pretty damn good.

I love the atmosphere down there - you feel like you're on holidays even if you're not.

 

Noosa Qld, Coolum Qld, Eumundi Qld

Skydive Coolum Beach

Congratulations to Skydive Ramblers on the opening of your new club house at Sunshine Coast Airport.

The facility, which officially opened on Monday, is another step up for what is already a very successful skydiving business based at Coolum Beach (where they do landings on the beach, so cool).

I did a jump with them a couple of years ago - you can click here if you want to subject yourself to the video! - and it was absolutely amazing. The views and the feeling up there are very hard to match.

Noosa Queensland, Coolum Beach Queensland, Eumundi Queensland

Fitness in Noosa

The other thing I love about this time of year is that it's a great time to ramp up the fitness regime (or start one!) while it's not too hot. I enjoy running in 'winter' and while I play tennis year-round, I enjoy it more in the cooler months. It's still warm and sunny but you don't run out of steam so fast!

If you want to get some exercise while you're here on holiday, there are lots of options, from surfing and kiteboarding lessons to gyms, yoga and running groups. Noosa and Coolum have a ridiculous number of personal trainers, too.

Or if you want to just do your own thing, it's very hard to beat a run or a walk around the headland of the national park, or along the river foreshore (Gympie Terrace in Noosaville), where they have exercise equipment. Or you can hire a bike and go exploring all the cycle tracks we have here.

Noosa Queensland

 

 

Winter festival, minus the winter

And here are some pics from the Noosa Winter Festival, which was held last weekend. The winter festival is a big sporting event including a half-marathon, the Noosa Blue Water ocean swim, the Noosa Century bike rides and various other events.

There were apparently 6000 entries this year, which makes it a pretty sizeable event... and just goes to prove my theory that there are a lot of crazy people in the world. I mean, come on, a 160 kilometre bike ride??

(That's Susie O'Neill looking so cheerful there. I guess it's a ride in the park for her.)

 

Yes, there are mountains in Noosa

My mum and I had a girls' day out the other day and in our absence my husband and my dad decided to go and climb Mt Cooroora in Pomona - not a bad effort with a five-year-old and a seven-year-old in tow!

It's a pretty challenging climb and takes about two hours, although the crazy people in the King of the Mountain race go up and back again in about 20 mins.

This is a picture they took from the top - it's not the sort of image that first comes to mind when you think about Noosa, is it?

Noosa Queensland

Check out our golf video

Juanita says...

I have to share this with you because Jane just doesn't get golf. It's our new video showing some of the golf courses you can play on in Noosa and Coolum, including the Hyatt Regency Coolum, home of the Australian PGA.

Happy viewing and happy golfing!