calissa

One of the Banksia genus, likely Banksia ericifolia subsp. macrantha.

Warning: pic spam ahead.

Being our last day on the Sunshine Coast, Sahaquiel and I decided we would go and visit Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. However, we were so super efficient about getting ready and driving out there that we ended up being early. We drove on past the gates and headed on to the Glasshouse Mountains instead.

(Mt Coonowrin)

I'd been able to see the strange shapes of these volcanic plugs distantly from my hotel window so I was super excited to see them up close. A man at the tourist information centre directed us to a wonderful lookout.

(Tunbubudula--the Twins)

Interestingly, the Glasshouse Mountains get their collective name not for their amazing variety of vegetation (home to 26 species of conservation significance) but because of their resemblance to the stacks of glass kilns in Yorkshire, England. The individual mountains retain the names given to them by the local Aboriginal people.

(Mt Tibrogargan)

We took a short trail around the lookout. The banksias (pictured at the start of the post) made striking spots of colour amongst the dense foliage.

(Bark of a scribbly gum, likely Eucalyptus signata)

On the way back, we stopped at a lovely cafe not far from the lookout. It had the most amazing view but I was too busy scarfing my Devonshire tea to take any photos. The place also had the best tea I had for the entire trip, despite the fact it was such a tiny cafe in a fairly out-of-the-way place. If only I could remember the label.

Afterwards, we headed to the zoo where we saw most of the Australia's iconic species:

(Koala Phascolarctos cinereus)

(Common wombat Vombatus ursinus by the name of Minibus)

(Young eastern grey kangaroo Macropus giganteus with bonus photo-bombing duck)

(Wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax). We get these locally but they are always soaring high up on the thermals, so it was a treat to see one so close).

(Brolga Grus rubicunda, Australia's only true native crane. Brolgas are famous for their mating dance, which I believe this fellow was performing as I took photos. The brolga down in the bottom right corner was female, but Sahaquiel maintains it was me the male was trying to impress).

There were also a few foreign species, including Sahaquiel's favourite and one of mine. I'll leave you to guess which is which.

(Galapagos tortoise Chelonoidis nigra)

I was running out of reserves before we finished touring the zoo and I was very disappointed not to see the animal hospital. There was a significant amount of bushfire smoke which was also aggravating my hay fever. A cup of tea back at the hotel helped, as did more gelato after dinner.

It rained during the night and Wednesday remained overcast and showery. Sahaquiel and I spent most of the day packing up, checking out and driving back to the Gold Coast. We stopped at Surfers Paradise for lunch. They had the most immaculately manicured beach I've ever seen. I think they must actually rake the sand.

We wandered around the shops for a short time, then headed to a friend's house for afternoon tea. After that, it was off to the airport to return the car and fly home. A full moon watched over our journey.