Over the last couple of years there has been a big change here in the landscape.

There used to be a sea way at the northern end of the Pumicestone Channel beside the Caloundra CBD area and Deepwater Point. It has now closed up with a huge sand bar that is building sand dunes and vegetation, a new beach is forming on the seaward side. Bribie Island may cease being an island! All the maps and postcards haven’t caught up with developments, it doesn’t look as pretty as it used to I suppose!

You get a good look at this on the walk south around the Point and through Happy Valley to Bulcock Beach. It is about a leisurely hour there and back from Kings Beach to get some fresh prawns for lunch beside the pool at the Golden Leaf.

Going the other way, north, the boardwalk takes you around the headland to Shelly Beach. On this section there are some great views out over the ocean.

The cargo vessels and cruise ships come close inshore. Some of the cruise boats pull into Mooloolaba for the day on the way north. Australia Zoo and the Glass House Mountains the big attraction, as well as prawns!

Along this section of the walk there is a long stretch of ANZAC and Defence history memorabilia. It was about 100km offshore here and east of Moreton Island that the hospital ship Centaur was sunk in 1943 by a Japanese submarine torpedo. 268 lives were lost, 64 survivors were later found adrift, the wreck was discovered in 2009.

Caloundra was the point where the military and politicians drew the Brisbane Line across the country in WWII. It was the imaginary line marking where the country would make a ‘last stand’ in the event of a Japanese invasion. ‘Give up the north and save the south’ in other words. It never came to that!

Our time at Caloundra has come to an end and we headed back to Brisbane via a stop at the Glass House Mountains for a light lunch, burger (without pineapple of course) and chips at the Lookout Cafe. Some great views of the mountains at the lookout.

Now, in a day or so, another Festival of sorts the ‘Let’s Go Queensland Caravan and Camping Supershow’ at the Brisbane Showgrounds. Interesting!