This was published 9 years ago
Noosa shows its wild side with a trek in the Everglades
There's more to Noosa than sea, sand and shops, writes MARY O'BRIEN.
By Mary O'Brien
Tranquil setting: The Noosa Everglades.
Skipper Andy McGaughey manouvres the flat-bottomed Discovery boat between the markers on knee-high Lake Cootharaba. The sandy lake bottom has shifted overnight and the engines struggle before sliding to a noisy halt.
We're in danger of running aground and McGaughey asks for volunteers to hop off the boat and walk across the sand spit so he can pick them up on the on the other side. The boat needs to be as light as possible to make it through the shallow passage.
The skipper, also a photographer, is a local character and luckily his shark jokes don't worry the volunteers.
Fine place to dine: The Thomas Corner Eatery in Noosaville.
It's an eye-opening tour of the Everglades, the huge swampy river eco-system behind Noosa. We started early in the morning, moving up the river past the Noosa ferry route and the glamorous holiday houses, past Richard Branson's private Makepeace Island and into Lake Cooroibah.
I've been to Noosa several times but never ventured to the Everglades with its abundance of wildlife. It's part of the 150,000-hectare Noosa UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Within the Cooloola National Park, the Everglades is home to an amazing 44 per cent of all Australian birdlife, along with 700 native animal species, nine of our deadliest snakes, and luckily for those who hopped off the boat, it's too cold for crocodiles.
Peace and quiet: The Hidden Valley Bed and Breakfast in Eumundi.
We pass scraggy camps at John's Landing where a family can set up permanently for about $10 a day. Rules are much stricter as we move deeper into the National Park.
Morning tea is at Fig Tree Point where there's a short wetlands boardwalk. Some choose to canoe up the next stretch. I'm sorely tempted to revive my rusty rowing skills – I'm sure I was a natural about a decade ago but the six-kilometre stretch scares me off.
The next part of the journey is sheer magic as the river narrows, the water turns brackish and the mangroves thicken into strange shapes. Cormorants, moths and whistling kites circle as we move upriver.
Funky: The Bohemian Bungalow restaurant in Eumundi.
Lunch at Harry's Hut is a surprise. McGaughey whips out tableclothes for the picnic tables, throws some fish and steak on the barbie and we're treated to a very civilised picnic.
It's interesting to learn that this beautiful area was once a logging zone. In 1865 timber cutters cleared the area and a sawmill was built at Tewantin. Logs were taken down the river and gold prospectors heading to Gympie shipped up river. Now, apart from a few camping areas, it's returning to its original wilderness.
Morning or evening is the best time to explore the river because the light is low, the reflections are magical and the birds are most active. We have several enthusiastic photographers on the boat and McGaughey generously points out the best sights to capture.
Back at the Noosaville jetty, I meet some friends at the buzzy Thomas Corner Eatery, which has an impressive view of the river. Owner-chef David Rayner and wife Belinda Frew were early champions of local produce. The fish is particularly good here and the terrace is fun for afternoon snacking.
It's only a 20-minute drive to Eumundi where I'm staying in a grand old Queenslander, Hidden Valley B&B, with a huge shady verandah overlooking a pool and winding valley. Owners Fizzie Reynolds and John Phipps care for the house, which was rescued from a wrecker's ball in St Lucia and relocated many years ago. In the garden, an old railway carriage is the most romantic place to stay. The pair has hosted many elopements and handily both are official celebrants. Early morning breakfast on the verandah is unforgettable.
Next day I stroll to the Eumundi Markets, which have grown over the years, and it's not unusual for 5000 people to rock up to the rows of quirky stalls. There's organic produce, groovy clothes, handmade jewellery and wonderfully imaginative stalls such as the one for pet portraits.
Next I visit the nearby historic town of Cooroy, which has undergone a revival in recent years with the opening of the Butter Factory Arts Centre and pottery. The French Pernoud family's Maison de Provence, a cute café and boulangerie, is an unexpected find. Up the road at Pomona, near the imposing Mount Cooroora, volunteers do a great job at Noosa Shire Museum and the picturesque Majestic Theatre is reputedly the oldest continuously running silent movie theatre in the world.
By the afternoon I'm back in Eumundi with time to explore. Berkelouw bookshop and café is great to potter around, the trendy Magneto cart near the park offers specialty coffee, Costa's Greek takeaway is where the locals go or check out the historic Imperial Lionheart Hotel pub. Michael Fowler's funky Bohemian Bungalow restaurant and pretty courtyard is great for dinner. It's buzzy, quirky and a fun discovery – just like the rest of town.
Fly
Jetstar flies Melbourne to Sunshine Coast from $119 one way.
Do
Discovery Everglades Bar-B-Canoe, $125, 07 5449 0393, noosaevergladesdiscovery.com.au; visit Butter Factory Arts Centre, Cooroy, and the Noosa Shire Museum, Pomona.
Stay
Hidden Valley Bed and Breakfast - a romantic 1895 Queenslander with cute 1940s railway carriages, 39 Caplick Way, Eumundi, 07 5442 8685, eumundibed.com, from $155 a couple.
Eat
Bohemian Bungalow, 69 Memorial Drive, Eumundi, 07 5442 8679, bohemianbungalow.com.au; Thomas Corner Eatery, 1/201 Gympie Terrace, Noosaville, thomascorner.com.au; Maison de Provence, 9/13 Garnet Street, Cooroy; Twig and Grace, 15 Diamond Street, Cooroy.
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