Picture Point Terraces

We’ve been on a long-overdue family holiday on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, staying in Noosa.  When I say, ‘long-overdue’ that’s because it’s been almost three years since we went away, all five of us.  I’m not sure how that happened as you wouldn’t think a week’s holiday would be that difficult to co-ordinate but somehow three years has slipped by.

We left just after Christmas and headed straight to the airport because I’ve done the 13-hour (sometimes 15-hour) road trip many times and I didn’t want to ruin a good holiday by taking another one.  Of course, that doesn’t mean there won’t be issues because only budget domestic airlines fly into the Sunshine Coast so even though you book on Qantas, you will not be on a Qantas flight.  Yes, it’s Jetstar all the way and that means delayed flights, seat pockets filled with the previous passenger’s rubbish and when your nerves are fractured and you order a gin and tonic they say, ‘We don’t have gin but we could put vodka with the tonic’.  It’s all the same really, isn’t it.

Snapped this image just before security told me to switch off my phone!

Snapped this image just before security approached and told me to switch off my phone!


Never mind!  We made it to the Sunshine Coast and collected our 10 pieces of luggage that included a boogie board and Archie’s guitar in a now dented and battered case – our mistake; we only put three fragile stickers on it.

We had a car picking us up from the airport and we were all-aboard when Carl realised he’d left his phone in the seat pocket on the plane.  Thirty minutes later we were on our way to Picture Point Terraces that are a three-minute walk from Hastings Street and the beach.  I’m not into high-rise enmasse resorts (and actually you won’t find any such thing in Noosa, the closest being the five-storey Sheraton Hotel) so we chose Picture Point Terraces because there are just 11 apartments in the block.

Having retrieved Carl’s phone, I then left mine in the hire car and away went the driver before I realised.

Picture Point Terraces - 'terraces' up the hill.

Picture Point Terraces – ‘terraced’ up the hill.

The apartments are two or three bedroom but when we booked no three-bedroom were available.  We were told a two-bedroom apartment would sleep five as a roll-away bed could be put in either bedroom at an additional cost of $30/night.  Carl thought $240 for a roll-away bed for the eight nights was outrageous and told me to tell them ‘no thanks’ and so some friends lent us a blow-up bed and Alfie slept on that.

Main bedroom.  No extra child wanted in here.

Main bedroom. No extra child wanted in here.

And as for being told an additional bed could fit in either bedroom, well that was just false and misleading.  There was no way an extra bed could fit into either room so Alfie’s bed was made up for him each night on the living room floor.

There's no mistaking this for a teenage bedroom.  As you can see, no room for a third child in here.

There’s no mistaking this for a teenage bedroom. As you can see, no room for a third child in here.

If the second bedroom was disappointingly small, the outdoor terrace made up for it and contained a spa, a glorious view, an electric awning and a great area for entertaining.  One night Claire stopped by for a drink and Maureen and her husband came for dinner.

Maureen made a wonderful apple pie with homemade vanilla bean ice cream

Maureen made a wonderful apple pie with homemade vanilla bean ice cream

Archie was going to serenade them with a few of his songs but had lost his voice from repeated bouts of vomiting the night before – long story!

Sitting room or third bedroom

Sitting room or third bedroom

The apartments are terraced up the hill and you can either burn fat by running up and down stairs all day long as you go from the entrance at the top to the beach at the bottom or there is an inclinator that’s fully enclosed and even provides a seat for weary legs.

I kept telling them, it's faster to take the stairs.

I kept telling them, it’s faster to take the stairs.

There’s an air-conditioned gymnasium where Arabella spent a lot of time and Archie made a lot of noises about making a visit but never actually did.

Outdoor table all set for our dinner with Maureen and John

Outdoor table all set for our dinner with Maureen and John

The swimming pool wasn’t heated but it may as well have been as the water was very warm.  There were plenty of available sun lounges around the pool and with only 11 apartments in the block you didn’t have that typical resort situation of setting your alarm pre-dawn so you can rush outside to reserve yourself a spot by the pool.

Why not toss your little brother around in the pool!

Why not toss your little brother around in the pool!

There was a sauna that the teenagers found quite a novelty and the little guy wanted to join in on the fun but there was a rule you had to be 16 which brought on a few tears but we managed to sneak him in there anyway.

The complex is advertised as being just three-minutes walk from Hastings Street (the street with all the shops, cafes and restaurants that runs along the beachfront) and I was concerned that this could be an exaggerated claim but it was surprisingly accurate with the walk down to Hastings Street being through a scenic pathway cut into the tropical rainforest.

If you are heading to Noosa I would thoroughly recommend Picture Point Terraces as the location is excellent, the views are spectacular and the apartments are modern, clean and well serviced.  If you have more than two children I would definitely book a three-bedroom to avoid someone having to sleep on a blow-up bed in the lounge room.

And that wraps up a lovely week.

Picture Point Terraces

47 Picture Point Crescent, Noosa Heads, QLD

Ph:  61 7 5449 2433

See you on Facie!

 

 

Comments

  1. What a fun time for all of you! And how wonderful that Claire and Maureen were able to visit too! 😀 A well deserved break for all of you I’m sure!

  2. —SO MUCH Fuuun!
    Your family is beautiful.
    Relax. Savor. Eat. Drink. Enjoy.
    Xxx

  3. I was hoping you were off on a cruise! Glad you had such a great time.

  4. This sounds divine, and weren’t you clever to fly there and make the most of your time. How wonderful to be all relaxing together as a family. Enjoy yourself!

  5. Hi,
    Looks like everyone had a great time, Noosa is a fantastic place to stay, and you certainly found a good spot in the Apartments that you chose. Really nice photos, and the view is spectacular.

  6. That last photo is GOLD.

  7. Such fun family photos. I think it’s great that you got away for a few days. The outdoor area is so inviting! 🙂

  8. Seems it was a beautiful place. I loved your photographs but your models are great too 🙂 Thank you dear Charlie, Blessing and Happiness to you all, love, nia

  9. What a wonderful (and yes, overdue!) holiday – and at a great location. We had a family holiday at Noosa when I was about 12 and I fell in love with it. It sounds like you picked a gorgeous accommodation spot but the bedroom situation clearly is intended for 4 people at most!

    I think this is the first time I’ve seen your husband photographed too – nice cameo appearance for him 😉

  10. Looks like a fun getaway! And, I bet Alfie liked sleeping on the floor. It’s like a campout for kids.

  11. Jealous! What a lovely vacation with your family! Looks like a gorgeous location.

  12. This looks like a great get-away. So fun to have the entire family together. Treasure these days, that coming from a mom with two children living 10 hours apart from each other, us in the middle. Fortunately the third is only an hour away.

  13. How much fun that you and your family were able to connect with Maureen, who I follow, and Claire, who I didn’t know about yet but am checking out. This looks like a lovely holiday spot and seems like y’all had a great time in spite of cramped quarters. So glad you could get away for a family retreat. Happy New Year!

  14. Sounds like a terrific time! And you had great visitors, too! Wonderful vacation – thanks for sharing with us.

  15. That sounds like a super relaxing and brilliant holiday plus connecting with Claire and Maureen must have been such a treat 🙂

    Happy New Year
    Choc Chip Uru

  16. Sounds like you had a fabulous time! Happy New Year, darling! xx

  17. How lovely to have the whole family together. I know how hard it is as the kids get older. Our son is almost 23 and though my husband and I have each somehow separately spent time with him, the three of us together is surprisingly rare, which is too bad. The whole trip sounds just wonderful. Am so glad you had such a satisfying time.

  18. This post brings great memories from dinner last week. Thank you again for a lovely evening. I wish you’d sneaked photos of your gorgeous beef and curry! It was as beautiful to look at as it was to eat. Next time though, you plan things so YOU do the visiting and eating and the relaxing.

  19. Looks like a lovely break although I’m sorry to hear you lost your phone and also about all the mishaps on the plane!

  20. It was so great to meet the family Charlie I’m only sorry I couldn’t stay longer and Will couldn’t join (stupid golf!). We’ll just have to save it for next time. Glad we put on the good weather for you too. x

  21. What a great little getaway you had with the family putting aside the few mishaps you went through.

  22. We have made that drive many, many, many times and I have to congratulate you on your wise decision to fly instead!
    I also love that you used a blow up bed instead of paying such a ridiculous amount for a bed that wouldn’t have fitted anywhere anyway.
    I glad you could rise above these and the other petty issues (VnT?? is NOT GnT!) and enjoy yourselves anyway 🙂
    I hope the rest of the year is as relaxed, restful and fun as the way it started out xox

  23. Really great photos! And wow look at that apple pie, I could go for some right now.

  24. Oh I love Noosa and I think I know that spot. I’ve been twice and always as an escape with a girlfriend. It would be a good place with the family too, but shhhh… I want to keep it for myself. Glad you enjoyed your break.

  25. You are to be commended for scheduling a week away for your entire family. It is one thing when the kids are Alfie’s age but, with one in Uni and the other just finishing high school, it’s a wonder you got them to come at all. Glad you did, though, Sounds like your family had a great time together. You guys needed it.

  26. How wonderful that you got the whole family away together. Great start to a new year.
    🙂 Mandy xo

  27. We too experienced Jetstars ‘service’ with a 5 hour delay and no apology. Our hotel was no where near as nice as this! Well done 🙂 It looks beautiful. Glad you guys had the chance to finally get away!

  28. What fun!! And what a lovely view from the terrace. It has been very cold here. Sunny though, which is nice. I could certainly use a few hours on a nice, warm terrace! 🙂

    It’s amazing what hotels charge for “extras”. Tony travels a lot and stays at Marriot hotels, so when we travel, we typically stay for free. All the way across the country on our way to NH they waived the pet fee because Tony is an MVP, however, when we hit Boston, they basically laughed at us and charged us a $100 fee for the dogs…for ONE night and $38 per day for parking. Clearly, we’re in the wrong business. 😉

  29. How lovely! Love the action shot in the pool — too fun. Warm apple pie and homemade ice cream is a dreamy dessert, hard to beat that.

  30. Sounds like a great family getaway Charlie! I can’t believe both you and Carl almost lost your phones! It must be a vacation mindset thing…we’ve done that a few times on vacation ourselves. 😉

  31. What a great looking place, and even with all the issues in getting there, it sounds like you and your family had a wonderful time. I assume the apartment was an efficiency unit that you had a full kitchen…I wonder what wonderful dinner you served Maureen and John? I am rather jealous of your weather…it’s a bit on the cold side today, but at least we had a bit of sun today. By week’s end, the weathermen are claiming our temperatures will reach 9°C which will melt all the snow. Just as well, it’s so trampled through now, it just looks hideous.

  32. Looks like a fabulous week of fun in the sun!

  33. Looks like a wonderfully relaxing vacation!

  34. Nothing beats a good vacation. I’m glad you and your family had a good time.

  35. I loved looking at your pictures Charlie! My husband toss my son in the pool and he loves it. Your picture made me smile… haha. I’m so jealous of your warm weather! It’s been so cold here. 🙂

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