Day Trip to Hinterlands

Today my Aussie classmate Kylie invited a couple of us to go on a day trip north to the Sunshine Coast Hinterlands and enjoy the view of the Glasshouse Mountains facing the beaches to the Pacific Ocean.

We hopped into her car under the brutal sun, and made our way an hour or so north, fighting traffic congestion and sunbeams along the path.

It was totally worth it.

She first stopped us off in Mary Cairncross Park up in the Great Dividing Range. The Great Dividing Range is the hill/mountain range that starts in New South Wales and heading all the way towards the top of the country in Queensland. It traps the moisture on the coast from the dry Outback, which is home to the red earth we all attribute to the country. There’s a rain forest lurking in the range, and we could hear the animals in it…but we got heavily distracted by some wild wallabies hopping around the bushes. We ogled for a while at one wallaby (they were so small!!), only to find an even smaller one (a BABY!) hiding under some greenery nearby. I cannot tell you the giddiness I experienced seeing these wild little cute balls of hop. I can probably die feeling fully accomplished today.

We wrenched ourselves away from the cuteness to view the lookout towards the Glasshouse Mountains. According to Kylie, they used to be volcanic way back in the day, so they are kind of solitary, puckered mountains off in the distance (hence, house). When the British were exploring the coasts, the quartz-like material in these mountains made them glisten in the sunlight and reflect much like glass (hence, glass). The view of these mountains, with misty clouds quietly coating the ground and the lush green along the rest of the terrain, was breathtaking. The landscape felt almost mythical.

We celebrated our astonishing view by driving to a nearby town called Maleny for something equally grand: cheese. Apparently Maleny Cheese is famous in these parts of the world, and I can tell you I can understand why. It’s really tasty. I bought some affordable wheels of aged cheese, though I passed on the camel yogurt and buffalo feta. Maybe next time.

We also drove past more beautiful green hills and watery lakes to visit a wonderfully cute and charming town called Montville. It’s riddled with sweet shops for artisan foods and local artists, and (like Red Hook in NY State) seems like a perfect romantic getaway in a quiet, foresty town. We stopped by a fudge shop and purchased some very colorful and delicious fresh fudge.

Kyle brought us to another lookout to see another view of the ocean from the range. I don’t know what it would be like to live in such an idyllic area all the time, with the cute shops and beautiful backdrops, but I think I might be willing to try someday. There was a great air of peace around us all day while we discovered the hinterlands.

Our final stop was at the beach called Caloundra or Pelican Point (I wasn’t clear). The beach had blue water and silky white sand. The waves were actively rolling into the beach as we enjoyed the ocean breeze. The area seemed so perfect; families were running around on the grass lawn overlooking the beach and everything was clean and pretty. Standing on the beach, looking at the peace surrounding me, it was hard to remember that there is so much strife and hardship going on in the world. For a moment, it was as if everything was in its right place.

We ate mounds of grilled fish and chips while the sun started to fade over the buildings. I came home feeling spiritually moved…and full of good food.