Noosa Heads Off The Beaten Path

I penned the following when I got to the car after I did the walk.
"Missing were the dancing, leaping droplets dappled by the strobe-like shafts of the filtered sunlight penetrating the leafy gaps; the roar of the water smashing against rock faces pulled inexorably by gravity to the falls' edge; the erratic gentle glide of a falling leaf rudely interrupted in its flight when the torrent grasps it from the air and bears it downstream.
Today there's a carpet of dead leaves strewn across the rocky watercourse; a drought-brown undergrowth surrounded by the mocking green of the trees; drips instead of flows cascading down the mountain.
The drought, soon to be the worst in 100 years, has taken hold in Kondalilla, though the over-100 bird species so far identified in the reserve are very audible with their presence."
That gives you a sample of what it was like while I was there. The tree in this not-my-best photograph is a strangler fig. It has strangled its host tree which has long ago died. I met an expat English couple en route and they said their 12-year old niece had climbed up the inside. Oh to be young (and thin) again!

Where do they get these names for Australia's National Parks? You just wrap your tongue around the Warrumbungles and Mutawinji and then there's another one.
This park has two main tracks, the Picnic Creek trail (2.4kms) and the Kondalilla Falls Circuit (4.6kms).
The former doesn't involve much variation in height but the latter takes you to the base of the 80 metre drop of the falls after which the park is named.
The park is situated on a well-signposted side road in Flaxton, conveniently just down the road from where we were staying.

Yep. here's another one. Classic Aussie beach that is. This shot is taken from Point Perry looking north to Noosa. Just past the rocks is the patrolled section of the beach and this is one where you don't have to worry about fashion too much. It's probably the most laid back beach on the Sunshine Coast.

Point Perry sits at the southern extremity of Coolum Beach. Coolum Beach is a remnant of what beach suburbs in Australia used to be like in the '60s. Small shops, all on the main road, beach on the other side of the road with a grassy verge behind it. There were a lot of places like that. Now, on the Sunshine Coast, Coolum is the only place that approximates it.

Peregian Beach is archtypal of what everyone expects of an Australian beach. Sun, sea, surf and sand. The four "S"'s are all here and in abundance.
The grand skies of Australia, criss-crossed by the artistic brush strokes of nature's cirrus clouds, set atop an emerald sea washing onto pristine sands. Yep, it's not hard to find on the Sunshine Coast, or many other places on the Australian coast for that matter.
Peregian is much less developed than Noosa but has still managed to move with the tourist boom, prices having trebled in the last five years.

No, this is not Mount Tinbeerwah. This is a picture taken from Mount Tinbeerwah. Though it's only 265 metres high, its location and relative ease of accessibility lead some tourists to go and have a look.
Another attraction is abseiling, an activity for which U-bolts have been permanently inserted for those who are so inclined (vertically, that is).
At the summit, which is reached after a 500 metre walk over mostly solid rock, there are expansive views, particularly over Noosa Heads. There are three panoramic views listing the relevant visible points. There is one side where there is no explanation. That happens to be the side you're looking at here.
It is yet another volcanic remnant, a central core remaining after all else has been eroded.
The views are aided by the solid rock which means that there is little vegetation to spoil the vista.
The mount is somewhere near Tewantin. My vagueness here is because I was dozing off in the car while Rosemarie was driving and have no idea where the turnoff is! I can tell you that it is signposted though.

To the left of Noosa's Main Beach and across the river is a fantastic area for 4WD along a long stretch of coastline.

When you cross from the beach drive to the main road, you go through a dense rain forest. It is pretty cool.

If you have or rent a 4WD, you should go driving along the coastline (on sand) to Rainbow beach. The colourful sand dunes, plust the endless stretch of wide sandy beach is quite an experience.