Day 5, 6, 7 and 8

Day 5 

Sunrise was spent at the Point Danger Lighthouse. Again the sun failed to make a great impression, and David and I called it, headed back to bed. The timezone info on the phone is annoying in Tweed heads, as the phone jumps from NSW time to QLD time and back. All for the stupid Daylight savings in NSW. ARGH. Without a battery operated clock its tough to tell what time it is. Mind you, if you just miss Maccas Breakfast, head up the road three blocks and you have an hour left. :-)

We headed north for our traditional trip to Robina Town centre. This started last March when everything kept going wrong with our iphones including a melting battery, so everytime we pass by, we go into the shopping centre. Popped into JB hi-fi but they didnt have stock but I met a lovely lady. We were talking about the Android Samsung Tab vs the Android Samsung Note and both of us came to the conclusion that the Note was a better buy although the Tab was on sale at $309. Saleman thought we were related. HUH. NOOO

David's big surprise was a corner suite at Jupiter's casino. I loved this room. Unlike most on this floor, it has a small Balcony and although all we saw was the monorail, it was lovely to sit outside and read or write stuff. The Kingsized bed was fabulous! So comfy. A large girl needs a large bed.

Off to Harvey Norman for a super sale, we got the Note, and David managed to get a manfrotto. The salesman listened to my tale of woe about Windows 8 and told me no to buy anything but to come with him and he spent 20 minutes teaching me the basics of windows 8. If only my local Harvey Norman had done this. I was so frustrated at the new Windows OS that I had been using my ipad to do computer work. Now that someone has explained the hidden things to me, I am more comfortable with this new laptop. I have to admit having an SSD drive instead of a plate moving drive is a good thing. It certainly starts quicker.
I had previously attempted voice usage for windows 8 but I find my typing is quicker and sadly more accurate than voice dictation. We had to return to Harvey Norman as we needed a toothbrush charger and they had them for $28 including a new toothbrush.
Returning to Jupiters, we attempted to shop in the clothing store that advertises 12-24 sizing but the lady had nothing in a 20  and only one item in a size 18 that was the wrong colour and tight. Oh you look great! the sales lady tells me, as I look like a sausage.. She turns to the other lady trying on clothes.. that looks great on you, but the other one is better... hmmm. She wasn't listening about sizing and kept giving me a size 16. AARGHH Why. Shame as the top I wanted was not to expensive and did look great on my (Style wise) Giving up, David headed for the pool.
Jupiters' pool area has a plethora of lizards. Eastern Water dragons are everywhere. You almost step on them, only missing because they move quickly.

Dinner was at a snack place. Everything food wise at Jupiters is expensive. $49 per person for a buffet, $38 for a steak etc etc etc. The snack place was $13.50 for a burger, desert and a drink. Sold. It was quite good too. David headed back to the pool afterwards whilst I took up  residence on the balcony and attempted to journal.

Day 6 

David opened the blinds before 5am, it was bright even before sunrise. The breakfast at Jupiters was excellent value. The juicer and raw fruits provided much amusement for me as I watched people struggle with it. One lady used three glasses and rang her pulp through 10 odd times, then juiced some new juice, mixed it and ran it through again. It took an age and people queued up behind her. She was in no hurry. David went to the pool whilst I headed back upstairs to my most fabulous hotel room to attempt to sleep. I received a call to the room, from D, asking me to come down to the shop level. He had charmed an appointment for me at the beautician's shop. The ladies there were simply lovely. Whilst I got badley needed treatment, David returned to the pool, but I heard him return, judging by the giggles from the other ladies. David was in the front of the shop, in his swimmers, charming everyone there. We talked to the hairdresser, but she was unfriendly and condesending towards my hair so we departed, David back to the pool and I, back to my cave to pack up. I packed most of the stuff up and took it to the car, which, at jupiters, is a trek that required a packed lunch and iced water. The car park is huge and very very hot. It really is like descending into the pit of hell. We checked out on time.

Heading north, the next lighthouse was Cleveland Point. Upon arrived, we saw the old, restored lighthouse, but couldn't find the more mordern one. It simply wasnt there. Curious. Who would take a lighthouse?

We finally gave up and explored the nearby mudflats. Heaps of tiny tiny crabs and part of a shark. Leaving the crabs to eat the remains of the shark, we headed to our next stop, Point Cartwright. 

Point Cartwright sits on a headland with fabulous views. This lighthouse was never manned, which makes the flushing toilet in level 2 very curious. This ligthouse was built in 1978 and was all precast concrete. It has a lamp array instead on the traditional revolving light. On the day we arrived, an Osprey was sitting on the verandah, surveying his domain. Heading back down the hill, we stopped and watched some ships coming in, but it soon got too hot for us, so we drove on. 

Caloundra lights on Canberra Tce were next. These two are quite interesting with the older one being moved twice and the newer one having a short liftspan. The small, older was established at Caloundra in 1896 and was the usual Queensland design; a timber frame with metal cladding. It is also the oldest surviving light in QLD.The lighthouse was moved by the Golden Beach Power Boat Club in 1970 to preserve it as it was threatened with demolotion. The old light lived at the club at Woorim Park, rendered in concrete (to preserve it, as it was in poor condition) until 22 March 1999 when attempts to return it to its natural home resulted in its near destruction. LUCKILY, the lantern room was already removed prior to the attempted move. The poor conditon of the tower meant that upon lifting it into the air to load onto a truck, the tower snapped and the building crash to the ground. Also LUCKILY (So to speak) the move had been insured so the old tower was repaired and successfully moved on 11 June 1999. (see Lightouse bulletin May 1999, for the accident and lighthouse bulletin June and July for the removal. Later in 1999, the lantern room was restored and reunited with its tower. 

In 1967, a new signal tower and lighthouse was erected for the Caloundra Harbour was erected next to the old lighthouse on Canberra Terrace. It was both a signal tower and radar station, but the tower was short lived as a lighthouse due to highrise buildings popping up around it, obscuring visibilty from the ocean. Not much of a lighthouse is the ships can't see it. Due to this issue, Point Cartwright was built 14km away and this lighthouse was reduced to a harbour light. . The tower remained as a signal station until 1992 when Harbour light was relocated to an unobscured spot on top of the "Seapoint" units at Wickham Point.

We headed to our accomidation at "the Oaks Oasis". This place is over rated with stars. We had to chase up included wine and the decor is just cold. The place has no nicities that you expect of 4 stars. Still, there was a spa and the beds were very comfortable. 

Day 7

David got up at the crack of dawn and headed out to photograph sunrise at the lights. I thought about gettin up, but decided the bed was a better place for 4am.. Upon his return, much later, we headed off to breakfast. We were mistaken about the food being included in the rate, and suddenly we were out of pocket $48. For the price, this breakfast was lean pickings. Jupiters was cheaper and had a better selection. We would not be eating breakfast here tomorrow. I stayed about the resort for the day and David flitted about from the pool to the room and back. There were teeny weeny froglets everywhere, causing me great joy. I spend ages on the grass with David's 100mm macro shooting these tiny amphibians. 

David finally had enough and dragged me to the headland to watch ships come in, and we had my marine radio that D had purchased for my 40th. A mayday was in progress just as we arrived, a catamaran had overturned with 7 people in the water. The pilot vessel was the first to reach them collecting all 7 then heading off to drop the pilot off at his job in the waiting tanker. The ships all worked together to help these people, and just was well as the marine rescue were a long time after the people had been rescued. AFter all this excitement, David wandered off to shoot an Osprey and its nest and a Pied Butcherbird. 

We stopped at the Hogsbreath cafe for steak, and the waitress changed the ingredients of my cocktail without consultation with me and made the cocktail tastless. Cold rock was our desert stop but by this time, I was too full for my wine and cheese.. Which was a shame as the cheese was awesome. 

Early to bed. 

Day 8 

Was a long day for D I actually got up at sunrise to see the sunrise at Caloundra lights and after packing up at the hotel, our first stop of the day was Alexandria Bay, a clothing optional beach at Noosa. To get there is a steep, long descent and I was grateful for the water I was carrying as the day was hot already. David loved swimming in the water and I stayed close to the shade. Leaving I burnt my feet on the super hot sand and the steep ascent nearly killed me. so I was extremely grateful for the aircon in my car. As David was turning at Cooroy, I spotted a light engine idling in the loop line, so we stoppped for a photo or two. 

Arriving at Maryborough, we spied a steam train runnning and small scale trains taking kids for a ride. David shot off to photograph the steam engine and we chased it (in a manner of speaking) to the station where we watched it shunt into its shed. Maryborough station is no longer serviced by train, you have to chatch a coach that takes you to the nearest station Maryborough west 10 km away. the North Coast Railway Line still services EDI Rail (formerly known as Walkers Limited) and Maryborough Railway Station, along with the yard, is used as a storage point for rolling stock before it is sent into service. interestingly, an air raid shelter was built into the station during the Second World War.