I booked three nights in Noosa because everyone had been raving about it. On Monday, April 23, I checked into the YHA hostel Halse Lodge, which was close to the beach. The kitchen was too small for the number of people trying to use it, and the showers weren’t very good, but the place had character. I liked the veranda and the flaming torches in the garden. It’s a listed building as it was built in 1881. It’s the last remaining timber accommodation building in Noosa and the longest continuously operating guesthouse in Queensland.
I bumped into Annie (who I met in Milford/Sydney) on the beach, and we arranged to go surfing together the next day. It was good to bring my Aussie surfing tally up to six beaches and about 18 hours. This doesn’t mean I’m brilliant at surfing now, just that I’m used to surfing in a variety of conditions and I’m more aware of my limits.
I went for a long walk in Noosa National Park, mostly along the coastal path but also through the forest. Apparently there are wild koalas there, but I didn’t see any. I also went to Laguna Lookout, which wasn’t really worth the effort.
Overall, I thought Noosa was a nice beach town, but it wasn’t amazing, and I preferred Byron Bay.