Holidays on the  Sunshine Coast - a tourist's point of view

As locals on the Sunny Coast, it’s easy to lose sight of what tourists love about our region or what they think could be better. So we asked some friendly poms staying in Sunshine Coast accommodation what they thought of our little slice of East coast paradise.

John and Margery are from the Midlands - an area which is just about as far away from the ocean as you can possibly get within the UK. So it’s no wonder that they have fallen in love with the Sunshine Coast and all it has to offer. And the winning factor is of course the weather:

“Right now we’re a little bit miffed because at home in the UK they’re having an exceptionally warm and sunny autumn but they won’t be having anything like this!” exclaims John delightedly. “We love just being able to wear shorts and T-shirts all day and then having a dip in the sea or the hotel pool,” adds Margery.

But having travelled around Australia, what is it they love about the Sunshine Coast in particular and why do they choose to come back?

“Well obviously it’s very beautiful,” replies John, “and there’s so much to do. It’s great to be able to go fishing or boating whenever I like and there are some great golf courses around too. We’ve stayed in some first rate Sunshine Coast accommodation over the years and have never been disappointed by any local restaurants when we’ve gone out to eat.”

“I think another thing that we both enjoy about the Sunshine Coast is how easy it is to visit other places from here,” says Margery. “When you only come to Australia every couple of years for just three or four weeks, the temptation is to rush around travelling to as many different places around the country as you can. But that can leave you needing another holiday when you get back! We like being able to stay in one location and having short trips to other places such as Fraser Island and Brisbane. Last weekend for instance we went to Stradbroke Island for a couple of days and saw some of the migrating whales. Occasionally, we’ve taken advantage of some of the cheap flights that you can sometimes get from the Sunshine Coast airport and gone to Sydney or Melbourne for a couple of days.”

So now that they’re seasoned visitors to the Sunny Coast, what advice or recommendations would John and Margery give to other international travellers who are thinking of choosing the Sunshine Coast as their Australian holiday destination?

“If you’re looking for Sunshine Coast accommodation, book it directly through the internet,” Margery recommends. “We usually check the online reviews of previous visitors before we book so that we aren’t disappointed when we get there – and we haven’t been disappointed so far.”

“Try the Morton Bay bugs!” advises John. “They’re like nothing we’ve ever seen in the UK and they’re absolutely delicious! In fact seafood generally is one of this region’s specialities... and we thought poms invented good fish and chips!”

This UK couple clearly make the most of their Sunshine Coast holidays but they do have just one note of caution as John warns, “Watch out for the roundabouts! Nobody knows how to use them properly here!”