It’s Australia’s second largest state, a vast 1,727,000 sq kilometres, with a population of 4,560,059. The climate varies from warm and sunny to intense tropical, rainforest, dry deserts and floods. It offers the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands, as well as surf and holiday locations that attract many of us ‘southerners’.

We particularly like Sunshine Beach on the Sunshine Coast (about 1.5 hours drive north of capital city, Brisbane) and regularly holiday there.  It’s on a long, quiet stretch of surf beach.
     
Every day greets us with a new and surprising sunrise.
      

Safety in the Surf
The sound of surf is another reason to wake up at Sunshine Beach.  Magnificent as it is, if you’re Australian, you’ve learnt to ‘swim between the flags’ as the ocean can be dangerous and unpredictable.  Signage gives warning and lifeguards are on daily duty.
           
There’s also jellyfish. These small stingers are barely visible, washed ashore, with just their heads poking out of the sand. But, their tales are long and thin, usually hidden. In one of thee photos, it has washed onto the beach with part of its tail still wrapped around its catch.
  

Fresh food and family-friendly
Where we stay has a small strip of cafes and restaurants.  We don’t have to move far: long walks, poolside reading,
sunshine, good coffee and outdoor dining.
        

Queensland’s tourism slogan is ‘Beautiful one day, perfect the next’.   What else could you wish for in a vacation?

©  2015 Photos tPRo/Pamela Reid