Thursday, July 15, 2010

Noosa Woods Camping Area

Continuing this week's wooden theme, I tip the briney cap to the old Noosa Woods Camping area - now gone, but at least a relatively natural park.
In 1975, the main drag - Hastings Street - at Noosa Heads ended with a public camping area which was beside the rivermouth. As post-War kids, we were spoilt for choice diving into the river from a home made springboard, body surfing on the surf side or paddling home made canoes around the mangrove isalnds (which are now multi-million dollar McMansions). Apart from the killer sand flies (midges) at dusk it was paradise on a shoestring budget for Aussie battlers and boardriders on surfari (or on the dole!)
Pic by Hughie
By1985 the suits and the heavy earth moving gear had moved in to town. The camping area was eventually closed and the rivermouth moved a good kilometer to the west so as to protect the ex-mangrove McMansions from cyclonic surges. The swells and the cyclones and the endless flat spells came and went as part of the cycle of the sea that we are all part of.
Can land developers tame the power of the waves, the cyclonic surges, natures cycles? And if so for how long? 
Do we own the land or does the land own us?
Do we own the sea or does the sea own us?

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