Heavenly Beverley : Three Most Eventful Days in Coolum Beach

We arrived at Coolum Beach in the middle of the biggest heatwave experienced recently in south-east Queensland. The Paws Holiday Beach House had been shut up, so the interior heat slammed into us. Initially, we opened every window and door. With little breeze, this was an unsatisfactory exercise. After shutting all watertight doors and hatches, we fired up the portable air conditioner. The room temperature was at 37 degrees. Several hours later, we had reduced the sauna to a much more acceptable 24 degrees. We then opened up the house for the second time and were able to sleep with the very welcome overhead fan.

Dinner for the first two nights was at Si Suphan, the best Thai restaurant we have ever attended. Michael has chronic reflux and has yet to suffer any unpleasant effects from eating at Si Suphan. They offer a range of meals from Pad Thai to duck breast with plum sauce (superb) to proper curries and stirfries. The restaurant is licensed and we chose one night to eat outside and one to eat inside. Centrally located next to Domino's at Coolum Beach, Si Suphan is our go-to restaurant when we are staying there.

The next morning we slept late and had difficulty rising. Firing up the computer, I discovered at exhibition at Cooroy Butter Factory Gallery, made contact with the marvellous Fiona Groom from Yandina Historic House and Gallery and booked a date at the Stevens Street Gallery in Yandina, featuring artist Katherine Nix.

So, we launched forward to Cooroy, which is very close to the Noosa Shire and is establishing itself as a less-crowded artisan town with plenty of public art constructed out of wood and metal. These were primary materials used in Cooroy during its life as a timber town.

The Butter Factory Gallery is well worth a visit. The building is large and light and has an air conditioned gift shop. I was transfixed by a multimedia piece titled "Kimberley Colours 1". I was quite unable to resist its charms, thus, it was bought with great gusto, along with a pair of most unusual earrings.

Cooroy also boasted some ritzy stores including the local shoe shop. I found a pair of very comfortable sandals at the bargain basement price of $39. One never knows what is to be found in all of these supposedly sleepy country towns.

Friday was all about family. David and Kerin roared into the Paws Holiday Beach House with enough food to feed the Fifth Battalion, along with copious bags and the ever-cool-calm-and-collected canine nephew Kenzo. Once unpacked, we set off to Stumers' Creek to scatter Mum and Dad's ashes.

What a wonderful afternoon. We toasted our parents, shared warm stories, sat by the great grey-green Limpopo, sampled nibbles and drank very good vino in their honour. All was going swimmingly...

On our return to the beach house, I retired for a snooze. When I woke up, dinner was being served. A distracted moment caused Kerin to trip over a fan cord, with two plates in her hands. The dinners, plates and Kerin all went down. We propped her up on pillows and surveyed the damage. Long slash on her shin, cut knee and bruised lip. Michael applied first aid whilst I called the ambos.

Dinner was promptly forgotten. The ambos arrived to take Kerin to hospital for stitches. This was not pleasant. Arriving back about two o'clock in the morning, they sneaked in and retired exhausted. Not a great end to an otherwise most reflective and enjoyable day.

We left David and Kerin to recuperate the following morning. Apparently, Kerin sat still and watched movies reclining on a couch for the first time in fifteen years.

We met Facebook buddy Fiona Groom at the Yandina Historic House. She is manager there and showed us through the distinctive Sunshine Coast artworks, including her own. The ginger scones and beverages were delicious. We bought very little but we will visit Yandina Historic House on our next trip.

Onto Stevens Street Gallery. Katharine Nix's "Home is where the dog is" celebrated her own relationships with dogs and Ludwig Leichardt's expedition with his emphasis on his dog. Riveting. I could not resist one of Katharine's winged paper dogs. Whilst chatting with her, I found out that she was familiar with the rescue mission that West Australian explorer David Carnegie volunteered to join to find Leichardt. What a small world after all.

Our last morning in Coolum was all to do with packing. We were invited into Maurice and Michelle's home just behind the beach shack. They are a very interesting couple who are passionate about their lives and who have built an extraordinary house for themselves.

We look forward to seeing them again.

At Si Suphan -