Choice Coastal Cafes #13: High Tide

As the name suggests, it's near the beach. In fact it's one of several on The Esplanade at Mudjimba.

There seem to be two Mudjimbas. There's this one, sometimes called  Mudjimba Beach, and then there's the newer(?) one on the main road a bit to the north. I call  that one 'Airport Mudjimba', being next to the airport, and far less scenic. It's got some unexplored cafes too though.

Anyway, High Tide cafe had location going for it, and ambience. Maybe a bit much ambience with the school holiday crowd. The eggs Benedict sauce was a sticking point for this Benedict afficionado. It usually works best when they stick to a mass-produced commercial sauce. Sometimes the local chef can make an improvement. But often not.

I'll be back there again though.

U3A going strong

 

There are lots of us retireds up here on the Sunshine Coast, and lots of us are keen to keep learning. Hence a strong and thriving local U3A (University of the Third Age).

Here are some scenes from a 'History of the World's Religions' lecture the other day, at Mudjimba Community Centre. This course is delivered by the energetic and  personable historian Darrel Roche. 

 

There are well over 100 such courses on offer, and once you've paid a nominal joining fee, it's all effectively free.

Mudjumba sights and drains

 

 

There's a nice little loop walk to be done in Mudjimba, involving the Xanthorrhoea Track and the 'Mudjimba Drain', no less, in the Maroochy River Conservation Park. Doesn't sound too salubrious, but in fact it's a bit of a scenic gem.

Pincushion Island

 

I went to explore Pincushion Island this morning. It's the pincushion-shaped lump at the mouth of the Maroochy River.

The river used to flow out to sea to its north, but a few years ago it all got rearranged, and now the river flows to the south, and you can usually walk across the sand from the northern dog beach, accessed via Mudjimba.

 

 

Don't know why so many of the area's very best beaches are dog beaches. But they are. Dogs can usually make do with any old beach. They're only interested in each other after all. I was the only person out there today without a dog. It was a bit like being on a nude beach and not being nude!

 

More Sunny beaches

 

By 'Sunny', I mean Sunshine Coast. Not actual sunny, because it's been mostly damp and wet for the three weeks we've been here so far.

Here we're on Alexandra Headland Beach, with the early morning walkers and joggers.

These are on the ocean side of what Google Maps now labels as 'Dog Beach, Mudjimba'. I'msure it used to have a much more respectable name.

The dogs were amazingly delinquent, but the views across the Maroochy River heads to Cotton Tree, Alexandra Headlands, and Mooloolaba, were good.

The wild weather hadwhipped up lots of light brown foam, which dogs and small children were happily playing in.

 

 

On then to Sunrise Beach, with views north to Sunshine Beach and Noosa National Park.