Noosa 🏖️ 🦃 🛥️ 🦜 🏊 🍔 🛌

 Saturday, May 19:

In Noosa, I stayed at a youth hostel called Nomads Noosa: $38.67 for the bed + $4 for a towel, the first time I’ve paid for lodging since leaving home on April 1! (Although technically the money I paid to participate in the CSUS Chile mission trip included paying for lodging at the YWAM base.)

The hostel was nicely located, about a 10-minute walk from the bus station (a little challenging with my suitcase, but I made it). And a 1-kilometer beautiful walk from the Noosa main beach.

That’s my bed, with the well-used charging cord dangling down

8 beds in all

The showers, sink & toilet room

They  have a laundromat on site

A well-stocked kitchen for hostel guests to prepare their own food

A place to hang your groceries and fridges to store  perishable items

After dropping off my luggage at the Nomads Noosa (check-in time was 2:00). I charged my phone in the lobby area and then walked to the nearby Noosa Plaza to get some lunch. I had a nice conversation with an older couple there. The husband arrived with a walker and had a challenging time seating himself at the table next to me. He greeted me by saying “Getting old is a bitch.” I encouraged him to appreciate growing old with his wife, and told them a bit of my story.

By the time we finished talking, it was time for me to check in at the hostel. I got my belongings organized in my room and took off walking to Noosa Main Beach. Part of the walk was on a lovely path that borders the forest.

I was glad I wasn’t driving to the beach

I only found 2 shells on this beach. Oh well, my shell collection is getting pretty heavy! (I put the shells I’d collected so far in that box I left at the hotel in Brisbane.)

I can see why they call this the Sunshine Coast!

Quite crowded on this beach on a Saturday in the fall

They are prepared for sea rescues

Heaps of hotels bordering the beach

I went swimming and tried body surfing, but the waves were too small. The water was not as warm as at Diamond Head, but not as cold as home. I got used to it quickly, and it was very pleasant after that. 

I walked down the beach and then took a wooded path back to where I started. I saw 4 weddings happening between the woods & the beach. 

Lots of wild turkeys wandering around!

Another creative selfie 

I walked down the main drag, Hastings Street, with lots of expensive restaurants & shops.

Then I walked to the River Mouth, where they do boat tours, etc.

It was getting late, so I walked back to the hostel.

I went for a sunset swim before having dinner at the hostel’s restaurant and going to bed early since I had hardly slept the previous night. All my roommates were getting ready to go out for the night.