Bye #GoldenBeach, it was a blast! We had smooth travel south: two buses, a train & a final bus delivered us to New Farm in #Brisbane & a new #HomeExchange. We settled in, did a quick shop & jumped on a #CityCat ferry to visit an old friend, unmet in 28 years, & his family in #Yeronga. What a way to see the city for the first time! A fantastic catch-up followed, kids & pizza everywhere. Drenched in warm torrential rain on our return, we watched the city shining at night, joyous. #Australia

Our last night in #GoldenBeach we were invited over to #Caloundra for dinner by Ros & Don, sister & brother-in-law of our host, seasoned travellers & also accomplished storytellers. We had simply fantastic home-cooked food (pan-fried salmon & spinach in a coconut & chili sauce), cheeses, fruits, several tasty wines and plenty of laughs. A wonderful way to top off our stay in the glorious #SunshineCoast #Australia

Nicky joined this week's #ParkRun in #GoldenBeach, walking the route in torrential, but invigorating, rain. The heavy rain coincided with an unusually high tide where the water splashed over the mangrove area timber walkways & flooded some sections of the coastal path. The tide also broke through the recently deposited sandbar at #Caloundra, changing the position of passable channels & raising new sand islands. Fascinating to watch the raw power of nature in real time. #SunshineCoast #Australia

We hopped on a bus from #GoldenBeach to #MoffatBeach & casually walked back along the coastal path, sea dipping regularly. The sky quickly darkened as we passed #ShellyBeach and we feared an imminent deluge, but the sun soon reappeared by #KingsBeach and we joined the crowds for another #swim. We repeated this again with a longer swim at #BulcockBeach in #Caloundra. This fun day out took our beach tally to 41 on this trip! #SunshineCoast #Australia

After a few more relaxing days in #MountCoolum we moved on again, this time to a small beachfront apartment in #GoldenBeach. Here we've enjoyed swim/walks exploring the interesting geography & shallow waters of the ever-moving sand spit on the northern tip of #BribieIsland. We've had wild storms & blistering heat to mix up our explorations. We've ran a busy #ParkRun up the sea front. But mostly we've been taking it easy, enjoying books & beers on our seaview terrace. #SunshineCoast #Australia

Boat Cove just before sunrise. #goldenbeach #pleasurebeach #kingsbeach