Noosa Heads is not generally considered a vacation destination for workers. The lodge along the beach facing Hasting Street is the exclusive property of the wealthy. However, there are many activities that the “not good” can do without costing them a “penny.” Let me tell you how.

The beach and Hasting Street are still available to everyone who wants to walk along the beach or the path adjacent to the beach; swim in the patrolled area or fish off the jetty in the middle of the beach. (Noosa Beach faces north and is a safe beach for children while allowing swimmers to enjoy body surfing.) Alternatively, one can window-shop along Hasting Street, have ice cream, or eat at the Noosa Lifesavers Club overlooking the beach.

If you like to walk, you can take either direction along the beach. If you go left (west) along the beach, you will reach the mouth of the Noosa River. This gives you a great view of The Noosa North Shore and if you look upstream you will see a beautiful view of the river valley and inland. This area is known as The Spit. There are many quiet spots along the river here for sunbathing and swimming, plus a number of walking trails. The mouth of the river is also a popular fishing spot.

If you go right (east) along the beach walkway, you will come to a path that follows the coast to Noosa National Park. Stop by Little Cove, a great place to swim and sunbathe away from the Noosa Beach crowds. You will then come across surfers riding the waves as you enter the national park compound. At the entrance of the park, beyond the parking areas, there is an information center that displays maps of the various walks available, from short walks through the nearby rainforest to much longer walks along the coastline, all roads through Alexander Bay (a nude beach) and Devil’s Kitchen (a spectacular seascape) to Sunshine Beach. Koalas are often seen in the gum trees on the trail throughout the early parts of this hike. This road is mostly flat. If you are fit and more adventurous, there are several other trails, one of which takes the hiker to the top of Noosa Hill, where there is a spectacular lookout that shows visitors views of the Noosa Valley and mountains to the west. This viewpoint is accessible by car on Viewland Road, near the Noosa Hotel.

If you are a keen fisherman, there are many places in the national park where you can rock fish. But if beach fishing is your favorite, then Alexander Bay is worth going to, as well as Sunshine Beach at the park’s southern entrance.

Sunrise and sunset can provide excellent photo opportunities. The best spots may be the river mouth and Noosa Hill Lookout, especially at sunset.

Another way to enjoy Noosa’s surroundings is to take a ferry from the pier behind Hasting Street to the river to Tewantin and back.

A trip upriver from Noosa Heads takes you through Noosaville (where you can sunbathe and swim on the sandy riverside beaches) and to Tewantin Village. If you continue on Tewantin along the road to Cooroy, you can detour to the Mount Tinbeerwah Lookout, which gives you panoramic views of the Noosa River Valley and Great Sandy National Park with the ocean beyond.

Except for ice cream on Hasting Street or lunch at Lifesavers’ club, all of these activities are free. All you need to do is arrive to enjoy a very special place. Many of these activities can be done together in one day. If the worker can find affordable family accommodation outside of Noosa Heads, then they can enjoy more time exploring the secrets of Noosa Heads and the Noosa River Valley and come to understand why it is one of the most special places in Australia.