Sunshine Coast Tourism Bounces Back

In spite of the floods, the oil spill, and a bout of bluebottle jellyfish, not to mention the recession, Australia's Sunshine Coast recorded another bumper Easter break. Coupled with the news that the Sunshine Coast has seen Queensland's strongest growth for business visitors in the last financial year, the region has much to celebrate.

Figures from the Queensland Business Events Survey show 20,000 business visitors came to the region, spending a minimum average of almost $400-a-day. The figures are particularly significant at a time when businesses are cutting back on their conference expenditure. They demonstrate that quite often a business trip to Sunshine coast accommodation can be easily combined with a family holiday.

As a result of the unprecedented flooding in the week before Easter, there was projected gloom and doom in the region as some tourism operators were forced to close their businesses over one of the coast's busiest weekends of the year. Owners of campsites and caravan parks for example around the flood hit areas of Kin Kin and the upper reaches of the Noosa River were trying their best to warn visitors to stay away over the Easter weekend as the floods had washed away or severely damaged facilities.

However, the region benefited from its close proximity to Brisbane and aggressive marketing from the tourism industries as Brisbane residents flocked to book last minute deals. Great value deals and targeted advertising resulted in better than expected occupancy rates on the coast. A $2 million marketing and advertising campaign, aimed at highlighting the coast's clean and safe beaches after the oil spill, was also expected to draw visitors from Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand. But many Sunshine Coast accommodation facilities reported that they had been booked for months in advance by visitors unwilling to risk losing out on their annual Easter break by leaving it until the last minute to book. From camp sites to luxury five-star resorts, 'no vacancy' signs were being joyfully displayed everywhere.

With the benefit of simultaneous school holidays across Australia, visitors were able to spend longer in the region after the Easter weekend, finding plenty of ways to spend their money in the coast's many tourist facilities. Rough surf conditions and more rain meant that tourists looked to entertain themselves in the Sunshine Coast's countless restaurants, amusement facilities and shopping centers.

A bumper seafood supply on the Sunshine Coast over Easter was also expected to keep visitors happy over the holiday period. With consumers trying to eat more healthily and being conscious about eating locally caught seafood, Sunshine Coast fishermen were anticipating a surge in demand for their abundant supplies of spanner crabs, Mooloolaba prawns, Moreton Bay bugs, fish and scallops. The recent oil spill had little effect on sales as the region's authorities were very quick to publicise the fact that Sunshine Coast seafood was safe to eat.

Expect to find many more great deals on Sunshine Coast accommodation up and down the region as the quieter autumn and winter seasons approach. With coldest month of July having an average daily maximum temperature of 20.9C, tourism operators will be vigorously promoting the warm and dry winter climate that the Sunshine Coast enjoys.

Roger Laganin runs ocean front Sunshine Coast accommodation at the Catalina Resort, Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia where you can relax, play or do business. Find out about their special deals for a limited time only at http://www.catalinaresort.com.au

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Australian Wildlife Watch on the Sunshine Coast

So you have set the date and now you are ready to decide where to go for your holiday. How about a Sunshine Coast holiday in Queensland, Australia? If that's where you're heading, you are about to discover that the real beauty of this area is without doubt the rich and vibrant, not to mention unique, wildlife you will find there.

Firstly, this area is home to the Australia Zoo. Extremely popular with the holiday makers this zoo, which has become even more well-known thanks to wildlife personality Steve Irwin, contains certain species of Australian wildlife you are not likely to come across anywhere else in the world. Snakes, possums, parrots and kangaroos, along with numerous other varieties of animal and bird life as just a few examples of what you will find in this zoo on the Sunshine Coast. There is so much to see so make sure you allow yourself enough time to take in all the sights.

If it is marine wildlife you are interested in, you will be pleased to know that not far from the zoo you can enter Underwater World and Aussie World. As Queensland's largest aquarium holding 25,000 different creatures of the sea it really should be high up on your places to see during your Sunshine Coast holiday.

As well as the zoo and aquarium, there are also many National Parks to see on your Sunshine Coast holiday and well worth a visit is the Noosa National Park with its koala population. The many parks house a variety of waterfalls and forests where you will see kangaroos and possums along with several other species of animals. Why not join in on a bushwalking tour which will take you up close to the solitary animals in the more remote areas of the parks?

Noosa Park claims to have 626 vertebrate species of animals in residence. Most of these are birds or fish but there is also an unbelievable amount of flora and fauna here too making Noosa one of the most diverse National Parks right here on the sunshine coast. Rains fall and help to promote the wildlife in the river area of Noosa Park and with such an assorted terrain and climate there is little wonder this area is so exceptional when it comes to Australian wildlife.

Noosa is most well known for two of its features, these being the koalas and the birdlife. In fact, with over 300 species of birds the park has justifiably become a major interest to the bird watching population of the entire world and there have been illustrated books written about the birds found in this area. Rescue efforts to save the bird population are in practice to enable us to continue to see such beautiful creatures. It is important that you don't try to feed the birds whilst visiting the park.

So when you're on your Sunshine Coast holiday, don't forget to keep your eyes and ears open else you might miss all that extraordinary wildlife.

Roger Laganin runs ocean front Sunshine Coast holiday accommodation at the Catalina Resort, Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia where you can relax, play or do business. Find out about their new penthouse accommodation at =>
http://www.catalinaresort.com.au

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Getting Arty on The Sunshine Coast

Of course, whenever you're enjoying Sunshine Coast accommodation, you should ideally make a point of visiting the many outstanding art galleries in the area. While the Blackall Range has a large number of fine galleries, one arts centre to look out for is Eumundi. Even though this is a relatively small town, it has a coalition known as the "Galleries of Eumundi" which consists of seven individual galleries.

Why exactly would anyone choose to visit one of the Sunshine Coast art galleries? Well, let's just say that this is the place to be if you've ever wanted to experience the sheer beauty and power of art. From some of the most exotic presentations imaginable, to a vast variety of paintings which have been done using numerous techniques, materials, and styles. In fact, there's so much to see, you'll be able to explore for as long as you wish.

Furthermore, you'll never find yourself worrying about whether or not you can find a local artist, simply because the work is done by local artists. The great thing is, there are numerous galleries all in one location and yet they are all unique. The aborigines have their own art gallery here which of course helps them to tell the story through their art. Likewise, there is an outstanding gallery which is entirely devoted to glass sculptures and unconventional designs which make use of the most brilliant colours and shapes imaginable.

Irrespective of what type of art you may be interested in, whether it's abstract paintings, photography or something a little more contemporary, you can be rest assured it's possible to find it all in one place. In fact, you won't believe just how fantastic some of the works of art are, so don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting to get your hands on something while you're here. Unbelievably, the most amazing thing of all is that all the works of art you'll see in these amazing galleries is actually for sale.

Rather than spending your hard earned cash on some cheap and poorly crafted novelty in order to remind yourself of a lifetime experience, you should instead consider buying something which will last a lifetime and bring you a lot of pleasure. Whether you opt for a sculpture, a wall hanging, or something else which is unique, such as decanter, you can be rest assured that it will be a topic of discussion for many years to come and, because the artists all live in the immediate area, you'll also know that your money has been spent wisely.

Ironically, artists are for the most part the hardest working and lowest paid people in the world today, but of course, for the vast majority of artists, it's not about the money. In fact, many artists firmly believe that all people are entitled to own something which is exceptionally beautiful.

Over and above the many beautiful art galleries, you'll also discover a number of exhibitions taking place on a regular basis. For this reason, you may want to make some inquiries about these events when you book your Sunshine Coast accommodation so that you can work them into your planned itinerary. At least that way you won't need to worry about missing out on some of the best things the area has to offer.

Furthermore, you may wish to take note that from August to September each year, a special Sunshine Coast Art Prize is held. As a token of recognition with regards to the Sunshine Coast art scene, the annual prize is one of the most valuable prizes, being worth approximately $20,000 and as such, it really is an event well worth seeing when you visit the area.

If you would like to find out more about the Sunshine Coast art scene, you can get a wealth of information by searching online.

Roger Laganin runs ocean front Sunshine Coast accommodation at the Catalina Resort, Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia from where you can check out the Sunshine Coast arts scene. Find out about their new penthouse accommodation at => http://www.catalinaresort.com.au.

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