I came across a website that specialises in cruise travel insurance the other day. I’ve done some research and if you’re going on a cruise holiday you should look no further than here for your travel insurance. I compared the prices offered on this website with prices direct at the insurers. The www.cruisetravelinsurance.com.au website offers prices which are up to 10% cheaper than going direct. That’s savings that you can spend on your holiday.

A new website has been launched which offers seniors good discounts on their seniors travel insurance. The website is aimed at the 60’s and over age bracket. Online purchases can be made for anybody up to the age of 81 whilst over that age a form can be completed which the good people at Travel Insurance for Seniors then tout around the various insurance companies until you get a good price. Based on the Sunshine Coast you’ll also be supporting a local business.

Check them out at www.travelinsuranceseniors.com.au.

Yes, yes, it’s not on the Sunshine Coast, it’s in Cairns I hear you say. But I don’t care I thought you should know about the place anyway.

Pandanus Gallery, Palm Cove, up near Cairns deal in authentic aboriginal art. The reason I’m mentioning them is that the gallery deals direct with the aboriginal artists to ensure that the funds from sales remain within the indigenous communities.

If you’re off on holiday anywhere these days, particularly overseas, it’s a good idea to purchase travel insurance before you go. There are some hideous (and sometimes bizarre – like the one about falling in a toilet) horror stories on the Smartraveller website. My advice is to check out the Travel Insurance Australia comparison website. On there you will find policies for different insurers so that you can compare prices. And the biggest plus is that all of the policies are discounted so that they’re cheaper than buying direct from the insurer. How they do that is anybody’s guess but it’s the simple truth.

If  you’re one of the people that has come to the Sunshine Coast on holiday and has decided that you either want to live here or invest in property here then I’ve found the builder for you. Queensland Home Builders are project builders with a difference. They can arrange everything from home designs through to finance and conveyancing. And the best bit is that they’re affordable and their houses are energy efficient.

So, give them a buzz and make your home on the Sunshine Coast a reality.

I just thought I’d give you all a heads up on Coolum Surf Club. It’s in a cracking spot, high up overlooking the surf beach but only about 60 seconds to the sand. The food is good and plentiful. The beer is good and plentiful. All in all, it’s a good place to refresh yourself after a hard day at the beach.

Nestled at the foot of Mount Cooroora, Pomona is a relaxed country town with some pleasant easy walking tracks around the delightful parks. Pomona was first settled in the late 1880s and the railway that arrived in 1891 started the expansion of the agricultural industries. Originally known as Pinbarren siding the name was changed in 1906 to Pomona, named after the Roman goddess of fruit and orchards. In 1909 Pomona was the administrative centre fro Noosa shire. The town prospered and declined along with the changing agricultural industry.

Pomona is located about 25 minutes from Noosa, just beyond Cooroy. The drive is very pleasant and can be linked as part of a circuit to include Boreen Point on the return journey. There are many historical attractions along with some pleasant cafes.

Distance From State Capital: 166km
Nearest Main Highway: Bruce
Nearest Airport: Sunshine Coast

About 13 kilometres south of Noosa, Peregian Beach is one of a string of lovely beaches which form the justifiably praised Sunshine Coast to the north of Brisbane. Just over the sandhills at the southern end of the beach you’ll find Peregian Environmental Park, an area of wallum heath which bursts into a colourful profusion of wild flowers in spring. On the western side of Peregian Beach is Lake Weyba National Park, and Lake Weyba itself, which feeds into the estuary at Noosa Heads. Nearby, too, is the Noosa National Park with its rich mix of coastal heath and scrub and stately rainforest which provide sanctuary and support for a wealth of native flora and fauna.

This whole area is a paradise for those who love fishing, boating and surfing…not to mention the renowned ambience and sophistication of Noosa, just up the road. It is a hassle-free drive to the Sunshine Coast, southern beach resort attractions and to the picturesque villages scattered through the waterfall pocked rainforest of the Blackall Range hinterland.

Nearest Main Highway: Bruce
Nearest Airport: Sunshine Coast

Set in the heart of an arts and craft hub which typifies Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland, the small rural town of Palmwoods is at the crossroads of the region’s tourist network. Set in a mosaic of avocado, custard apples and pawpaw orchards, orange groves, banana plantations and sugar cane farms, Palmwoods is only a few kilometres south of Nambour and is within comfortable driving distance of such tourist traps as the ginger town of Buderim and the charming Blackall, Range villages of Maleny, Montville and Mapleton.

Complete with village green, art gallery, stained-glass studio and museum, Montville is just 10 kilometres from Palmwoods and is the south-eastern gateway to the Kondalilla National Park. The mountain park is graced with a cliff-top picnic area, swimming pool and matchless views over the Koondalilla Falls which tumble into rugged terrain dressed in ancient forests of cedar, mahogany, bunya and hoop pine. Five kilometres to the south of Palmwoods, the village of Eudlo is distinguished by a Buddhist monastic retreat.

Distance From State Capital: 95km
Nearest Main Highway: Bruce
Nearest Airport: Sunshine Coast (20km)

I had a go at a local Noosa river cruise the other day. It was a nice sunny day and I thought why not? I decided to go on board the M.V. Noosa Queen which operates out of Noosa Marina in Tewantin. I have to say here and now I’d recommend it to anybody. Chris and Kate, the hosts, were brilliant as was the catered lunchtime buffet that they put on. To top it off they’ve got a licensed bar so a few beers slid down nicely in the sunshine.

Chris was telling me that the boat is licensed 24 hours a day and is open for private hire so here I am thinking what a cracking place for a Christmas or New Years party it would be.