Just back from a six-day break on the Sunshine Coast at Novotel Twin Waters. A resort built around a big lagoon with the sea just a five-minute walk away. It was hot – 35 degrees – and humid, so we spent a bit of time swimming in the lagoon and plunging into the surf. The surf was a bit too rough to swim, but it was fun.
We hopped on Jetstar for the 90-minute flight to Maroochydore. No hassles, easy travel compared to international flying. The last time I was at Maroochydore I’d flown my Pitts Special there to compete in the Australian Aerobatic Championships. That flight took a bit longer with a couple of refuelling stops on the way!
Jan meets a kangaroo at Twin Waters golf course.
Jan and I played nine holes of golf at Twin Waters golf course, way more upmarket than my usual haunt of Concord municipal course. Smooth fairways and lovely greens, although they were very dry and fast. There was lots of wildlife there, including some friendly kangaroos.
We also went up the road to Coolum, where the Australian PGA Championships was being held. This was our first time watching professional golf and it was really good fun. We followed a group around which included Peter Senior and Rod Pampling. It was hot and hard going, but there were kiosks around the course selling cold beer! For the second nine, we switched to the leading group which included a newcomer, Daniel Popovic, the eventual winner. These pros sure hit the ball a long way, but it was more interesting to see how well they got out of trouble.
Back at the resort, we hired some bikes for a ride around, and I had a thrash about on a windsurfer and a pleasant session on a Hobie Cat catamaran. I had a few runs across the lagoon with some smooth tacks and gybes, with never a hint of any possible capsize.
