Is it just me or are the Christmas decorations going up earlier each year?
It also looks like Christmas is coming early too for the tourism industry with strong bookings already in place for the upcoming holidays. We are seeing that more people are booking an early holiday ahead of Christmas, and hotel occupancies for the Christmas week are looking as good as they have ever been.
This is, of course, the time when the tourism industry rolls out the red carpet for our visitors, but as locals we too can take advantage of the great holiday experiences available.
Whether you’re showing family or friends around or just enjoying your own ‘backyard’, here are some enticing activities to add to your wish list.
Firstly, has there ever been a bigger 21st birthday party on the Sunshine Coast than Robert Irwin’s big bash on 1 December? I don’t think so, and the birthday presents are being spread around with Australia Zoo offering free entry to kids 14 years and under (when accompanying a paying adult) with loads of fun activities to go with it.
The popular Night Zoo at Wildlife HQ is also back these holidays and SEA LIFE at Mooloolaba is offering plenty of holiday experiences such as the new Summer of Sharks activity trail, a ‘deep dive’ into the ocean’s most majestic and mysterious marine creatures, from 26 December to 26 January.
If you prefer ‘iron horses’, the Mary Valley Rattler has a range of memorable heritage train journeys to jump on board including their ‘Christmas Twilight’ and Friday ‘Tapas’ services.
My kids can vouch for new Zog rainforest trail at the Ginger Factory which continues over summer, while Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World has launched Bush Tucker gardens that showcase food and medicinal plants that have their origins thousands of years ago.
Check out the summer activities at visitsunshinecoast.com.
