Reasons to love Noosa

1. Halse Lodge YHA: Brilliantly located two minutes from Hastings street and Main beach, ten minutes from the National park. Free wine for newcomers at an evening Meet and Greet, and I met some lovely folk to spend the next few days with.
2. Hastings street: Posh shops and restaurants, good for a wander*.
3. Noosa National Park: Beautiful walking over the headland and to gorgeously deserted beaches, but although they claim there are lots of wild koalas, Noosa tourist board actually clearly just pay actors to walk up to koala-seeking tourists** and say "oh there is one just 500m further on, you'll see him sitting right there...". Liars.
4. Free bus to Australia Zoo (aka Steve Irwin Zoo): Spend six hours saying 'awww' at the koalas, kangeroos, wombats, and my fave, the red pandas. Also, take some photos of Oz wildlife that aren't just distant blurs.
5. Surf lessons: Yes it may be a well known fact that I'm totally uncoordinated but you can't say I don't give things a go! "Guaranteed to stand" - well I suppose for a fraction of a second :)
6. Double scoop: Raspberry sorbet, white chocolate and caramel ice-cream.
7. Messing around in the water (without a stinger suit): Fun fun fun.
8. It's not Hervey Bay: Hervey Bay sucks***.
   

*I've heard some people end up buying two dresses there....but I'd never do such a thing of course. Ahem.

**We were just wandering around with cameras and our necks craned back, how did they spot us??

***Or rather, mosquito-infested hostels run by annoying ageing hippies suck.