Author: Mrs A
Location: Moonee Beach
Moonee Creek was our destination this morning, just a few metres down a wooded slope from our caravan. Having left our beautiful fibreglass kayak back in Sydney, we inflated our pack rafts, sacrificing speed for the benefit of not having a 7.3 metre boat on the roof of the car. We were joined by fellow Zoner, Darryl and his boxer Dusty for a paddle. 
The creek is fairly shallow most of the way up, but Dusty preferred to ride on the front of Darryl’s boat rather than swim or bound alongside, while we were entertained with stories of Darryl’s adventures paddling around Cape York, in the far north of Queensland. Tales of large crocodiles, hammerhead sharks and three hour hikes before dawn to find fresh water reassured us we will probably not be paddling in our inflatable boats up in that part of Australia!
We returned for a BBQ brunch and a chat with our fellow Zoners, learning more about the individual tips and hints they had to share.
The afternoon was too breezy to get the boats out again, so we went for a stroll down to the water from the campground. It’s such a picturesque area, with the campground sitting up above the estuary of Moonee Creek, offering views across the water. It was approaching low tide, so we were able to stroll across most of the creek through its warm waters.
From the rocks at the mouth of the estuary you can see right up the coast along Moonee Reserve, the salt spray making the air look misty and atmospheric.
This is such a special part of the coast. We wished our family in the UK could be magically transported here – the children would love playing in the sandy shallows, and there is so much to do and see. Some people staying on the site were feeding the lorikeets with honey and bread [below: Scaly-breasted Lorikeets]
We concluded our day with another 6pm drinks o’clock in the camp kitchen with all the Zoners. We all reflected on what a success this weekend has been – some like us are relatively new caravanners, learning as we go, while others are seasoned experts with experience to share. I think we have all learned something from one another, whether it’s a new gadget or modification or finding a new storage space – along with the friendships made, the time here has been absolutely worthwhile.
We’re planning to advertise another date towards the end of April (thinking around 20th-23rd), somewhere north of or inland from Noosa where perhaps some of the Zone team could pop along and join us for an evening or afternoon. We floated the idea with the Zoners here, and there is already some interest and ideas of locations being suggested. If you’re interested in joining us and think you can get there, watch the ‘ Zone Owners – Zoners’ forum on Facebook for more details as plans firm up!
Off to pastures new tomorrow, Wooli Beach (as recommended by our good friends Rosemary and Richard in Sydney)…looking forward to finally getting our oysters there!
Wooli, lucky ducks.
Great memories and a lovely location – not too well known.