The Travelling Novocastrians: Yandina, Mountain Creek, Maleny to Mt Nathan

Sunday 2nd October 2011: We have had a busy but delightful week. We left our campsite at Yandina after doing a few domestic chores and travelled to Mountain Creek to catch up with Chris's cousin, Gordon and his wife Glenda. We camped on their front lawn for a few days and had a wonderful time fitting in a couple of games of golf and strolling along Mooloolaba beach. Douglas, another cousin of Chris's and Gordon's brother, visited. We had a bar-be-que, a few drinks and the men chatted well into the early hours of the morning. Chris thoroughly enjoyed the catch up. Thanks guys for your warm hospitality.
We farewelled Gordon and Glenda and travelled to Coloundra West to visit our friends Agnelle and Geoffrey. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and a chat. Thanks guys. Hope to see you both in Newey in the next couple of months.
On our way south to my sister's home at Mt Nathan, near Nerang on the Gold Coast, we had a quick visit to the very quaint village of Maleny where we browsed the nik nak shops and enjoyed a walk through the village. Near Maleny at the Mary Caincross Lookout, was a suberb spot to view the iconic symbol of the sunshine Coast - The Glass House Mountains. Travelling further south, through plantations of pine forest, planted around the 1980's - 1990's and due for harvesting around 2020, we went to The Glass House Mountain Lookout in the Beerburrum West State Forest. We arrived at my sister and brother-in-law's (Isabel and Peter) and will be camped at their beautiful home for a few days.

Camped at Yandina. Wash time with my swifty washing machine!

Strolling along Mooloolaba Beach
Chris at Mooloolaba Beach

Camped on the front lawn of Chris's cousin in Mountain Creek

The beautiful rolling hills around Maleny

Main Street Maleny

View of The Glass House Mountains from Mary Caincross Lookout near Maleny
The Glass House Mountains were named by Leuitenant James Cook in 1770. It is believed that Cook thought that the peaks resembled the glass furnaces in his hometown in Yorkshire, England.

The Glass House Mountains were once lava plugs within volcanic cones. The volcanic cones and surrounding Landsborough sandstone were eroded by wind and water over 25million years to reveal the lava plugs which you can see today.

Pine forest Plantations in the Beerburrum West State Forest

Fire Tower at The Glass House Mountains Lookout
Rangers and Forest Officers can keep a year-round watch of the surrounding forests. The bearings around the inside ofnthe tower helps pinpoint the position of the fire for the on-ground fire crews.