Coochiemudlo Island – Photo by Victoria Purdie, Purdie Photography.
Copyright. Used by permission.
SOME people like a big party to celebrate their birthdays, especially the big ones. You know, the ones that end in a ZERO. Other prefer very little fuss.
When it came to my 40th, I wanted to draw as little attention to it as possible.
So I ran away to a deserted island for a week.
Maybe I’m stretching the truth just a little ;-), but we did spend a week at a holiday house on Coochiemudlo Island.
My birthday is in early January, after the chaos of Christmas and New Year’s. So the thought of having a QUIET beach holiday (not the hustle and bustle of the Gold or Sunshine Coasts), far from the madding crowds, was very appealing. Coochiemudlo Island was just the thing – convenient, affordable (even in peak season) and close to home!
The moment you set foot on Coochie (as it is affectionately known by the locals) you can’t help but relax, there’s something almost magical about the whole island vibe. Maybe it’s the ferry trip from the mainland that makes you feel like you truly are away from it all. There’s no need to dress up or impress anybody – it’s all about comfort and relaxation.
We spent our days on Coochiemudlo Island swimming, playing on the beach, hunting for pippies, fishing, going for beach strolls, watching DVDs, having BBQs, or when we were feeling really energetic, heading to the corner shop for an iceblock, a magazine or some takeaway.
If you’re a surfer you’d probably rather go to North Stradbroke Island, which is popular for many of the same reasons as Coochie. However I’m not a fan of big waves and love the calm water playground of Coochie. The other plus for me was that it’s a lot cheaper to get a car over to Coochie than it is to take one to Straddie.
Aqua bikes, tinnies and other water craft are available for hire from the main beach. There’s a corner store, a couple of cafes and that’s pretty much it – so you’ll need to BYO groceries.
I will admit by the end of the week I was looking forward to returning to “civilisation”! But it was just what I needed at that point in time, and I would readily go back for a day, a weekend or few days’ getaway.
Have you been to Coochie? What’s your favourite holiday spot when you just want to get away from it all?