Hinterland of the Sunshine Coast

We departed from Rainbow Beach late morning and arrived at Lake Alford in Gympie for a break to feed our little one. Lake Alford is a park-like recreation area with a fountain, swans, ducks and wide lawn areas.

We decided to head south on the Mary Valley Road (#51) to Kenilworth and then branch off onto Maleny Kenilworth Road (#22) to explore the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast.

Along the road we could still notice the remains of cyclone Debbie, particularly alongside the numerous creeks. But the roads had been cleared – so no problem. When we stopped at one of the BBQ areas at the brink of the Blackall Range, where we met a very trusting Kookaburra. The bird allowed us to get as close as 1 meter and stayed around our pick-nick blanket.

When we reached Conondale, we took a right turn onto Ahems Road and Postmans Track to rejoin the Maleny Stanley River road. The Postmans Track is a very steep, narrow climb, not suited for caravans. When you have a worried co-driver, be prepared for some argument, too, despite the fact that it’s all on tarmac.

Following the roads #6, #85 and #58 further south, we arrived in Brisbane early evening. The views from various look outs were fantastic and we enjoyed the drive on the windy roads.

Our last day in Brisbane

On our last day in Brisbane we took the ferry from Kangaroo Point to Eagle Street and walked south through the beautiful botanic garden. We crossed the Brisbane river via Goodwill Bridge and then turned up-river towards the northwest to South Bank Parklands with its lagoon-like swimming pools and beautiful walks.

At the end of the day, we returned to the South Bank ferry pier and returned to Thornton Street on Kangaroo Point.

Sadly, it was time now to pack our bags. The next day we headed to the airport and returned to Germany.

Epilogue

This 80 day trip through Australia has been a lifetime experience. We will always remember the great time we had and the warm-hearted Australians we met. It is a very unique continent. And I have the strong feeling, this will not be our last visit Down Under.

I would like to thank the people, who made this trip possible and helped us during preparation and along the way: Our employers and specifically our managers and executives, who whole-heartedly supported us taking 3-months off, as well of course our friends and families.