Tag Archives: Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast Christmas Lights Competition 2010 (with map)

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I decided to publish the list of entrants in the Sunshine Coast Daily’s Christmas Light Competition on my blog, since I had extreme difficulty locating this list anywhere online. And unless you purchased the paper on either Saturday 4th, Monday 6th, Tuesday 9th, Saturday 11th, Monday 13th or Thursday 16th December, then bad luck – you’re not going to find the list.

I managed to hunt down a newsagent who still had a copy of yesterday’s paper, and thus was able to locate the list. If I wasn’t going out tonight with friends purely to look at the houses in the competition I wouldn’t have cared so much, but alas I made the effort just to make sure we knew where we were going.

So without further adieu, here are the houses competing in the Sunshine Coast Daily’s 2010 Christmas Lights Competition (list sorted by suburbs, google map link at the bottom)

  • Alexandra Headlands – Unit 31, 6 Marina Walk
  • Beerwah – 3 Chantilly Crescent
  • Bli Bli – 11 Mona Court, 93 Francis Road
  • Buderim – 8 Ivy Court, 17 Kerenjon Ave, 2 Nara Court
  • Burnside – 6 Dalzel Court, 7 Flinders Ave
  • Coolum Beach – 9 Kanooka Ave
  • Cooran – 6 Elizabeth St
  • Cooroy - Maple St, 13 Koala Cres (Lake Macdonald)
  • Currimundi – 14 Coraki St, 2 Tibouchina Pl
  • Dulong – 241-243 Dulong Rd
  • Glenview – 393 Glenview Road
  • Landsborough – 10-44 Caloundra St, 3324 Old Gympie Rd
  • Maroochydore – 23 Valencia St
  • Meridian Plains - 7 Lacebark St
  • Minyama – 32 Chelsea Cres
  • Mooloolaba – 24/94 River Esplanade
  • Nambour – 8 Princess Cres, 2 Yarrawah St, 39 Washington St, 7 Bilby Crt
  • Palmwoods – 16 Bonaparte Pl, 32 Jane St, 12 Palmwoods School Rd
  • Peachester – 487 Commissioners Flat Rd
  • Sippy Downs – 7 Ribbonwood St, 3 Courtenay Pl, 4 Elston Crt, 263 University Way
  • Sunrise Beach – Cnr Boxsell Rise & Wollamia Way
  • Tanawha – 143-163 Tanawha Rd
  • Tewantin – 28 Coreen Ave, 4 Fyne Crt, 6 Homestead Drive, 12 Murra Court
  • Warana – 94 Nicklin Way
  • Woombye – 6 Homestead Pl
  • Wurtulla – 22 Helm Cres, 1 Warattah Crt, 29 Halyard Dr
  • Yandina - 26 Fleming St

View Sunshine Coast Christmas Lights Competition 2010 in a larger map

Coffee Review: Starbucks Mooloolaba

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Starbucks Mooloolaba

Starbucks Mooloolaba

A well-known chain coffee brand, Starbucks usually has its critics. It also hasn’t had the best run in Australia, recently having to close 60% of its shops on Aussie shores.  However “large scale” they may be, I think they have still managed to capture a small business feel through their outstanding service.

Price: $3.80 for a tall takeaway skinny cappuccino

Presentation: 5/5 – They got a couple of bonus points here for the presentation of the takeaway cup (which is hard to make unique). There was the standard takeaway cup with lid, but I was happy to see they’ve embraced the festive season through the use of Christmas themed cups. The clincher to get them to a 5/5 rating was they put on a cardboard band around the middle, which helps to hold the cup while it’s hot. It’s been quite rare to find this in Mooloolaba, and when you’re walking back to the office with a coffee it can sometimes be unpleasant. Or maybe I just have girly hands…whatever.

Atmosphere: 4/5 – It’s the typical “Starbucks” affair, which doesn’t change much from store to store. Inside was a big display of food items, and everything was fitted out with the red/wood theme. There are some comfortable couches surrounding a number of tables and chairs (including some couches facing the beach), and for the corporate clientele there are some power points available. If you’re an iinet customer, there’s also wi-fi available as well. It’s well placed on the esplanade, having a great view of the beach and situated within the beautiful Sirocco hotel complex.

Service: 5/5 – The lady who greeted me had a smile, and a ton of personality. She made my visit seem personal, and we had a bit of a laugh together. Definitely a reason to come back.

The taste: 4/5 – Good temperature, decent coffee. Not enough to make me scream “that is an awesome coffee”, but it definitely satisfied my need for caffeine.

Overall score: 18/20

**Update**
I wrote this update yesterday, went back this morning to get a coffee and it was the same lady that was working yesterday. Amazingly, she remembered my name. I knew she had great service skills, but that just made me even more impressed.

Starbucks Mooloolaba
Shop 108, Sirocco
51-57 Mooloolaba Esplanade,
Mooloolaba QLD 4557

Coffee Review: Jamaica Blue

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Jamaica Blue, Mooloolaba

A takeaway coffee from Jamaica Blue

 

I was attracted to this shop because of the words “Fine Coffee” after the company name, and was impressed by the range of the coffees available on the menu board.

Price: $4 for the second smallest size, which looked like a large to me? I couldn’t see anything that explained what each size was.

Presentation: 4/5 – Nicely branded coffee cups, but again, nothing spectacular. In itself, that’s a good thing. I think it’s probably a good thing that I don’t have much to say in this section, because the negatives or extreme positives are the standouts. No news is good news, right?

Atmosphere: 4/5 – A nice coffee lounge feel. This is the kind of place that would appeal for those with laptops, looking for a quiet place to have a coffee and get a bit of work done at the same time. There’s a couple of tables inside, while outside a giant shared eating area (shared amongst a few cafes) is also available for those looking for a view of the beach.

Service: 4/5 – Immediately served when I stood at the counter, and greeted with a smile. Can’t ask for much more than that!

The taste: 3/5 – Almost burned my mouth when having the coffee, so that affected the score. However, once I had brought the coffee back to the office and let it cool down a bit, I enjoyed the coffee. Still not fantastic though.

Overall score: 15/20

Jamaica Blue
Zanzibar Resort, 47-51 The Esplanade, Mooloolaba
Website: http://www.jamaicablue.com.au/

Coffee Review: Olivers Mooloolaba

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Olivers Cafe Mooloolaba

Olivers Cafe Mooloolaba

For the first review I thought I would go to a coffee shop that I hadn’t tried yet. Maybe I should have waited.

Price: $4 for a large takeaway skinny cappuccino

Presentation: 3/5 – It had all the basics. Takeaway cup, chocolate on top, no mess on the sides. Didn’t rock my socks, but it was sufficient.

Atmosphere: 4/5 – Compared to the rest of the places on Mooloolaba, this one had a very low-key casual vibe about it. The music was maybe a little bit loud, as I had to repeat my order to the waitress (she didn’t hear me the first time). Bonus points for being a pet-friendly cafe; as a dog lover I definitely appreciated the gesture. Dogs are limited to sitting around the outside tables with their owners, but one of the staff members brought out a water bowl for a dog laying down, which I thought was pretty great. The seating area outside felt (and looked) a little bit chaotic though.

Service: 3/5 – Maybe a little harsh, and could be pushed up to 3.5. The waitress was nice, but she thought it was a good idea to refill the not-empty straw jar while making my coffee. Huh? But again, nothing to rock my socks off and it was sufficient service.

The taste: 1/5 – The most important part of the whole review, and what determined if I will be buying coffee there again. Put simply, I won’t. The waitress asked if I wanted any sugar (I have one teaspoon with my coffee), but when I got back to the office it was pretty clear she had forgotten to add any. The coffee was bitter, and I didn’t enjoy it. The proof was the fact that I found I had left almost half of my coffee in the cup when I looked at it an hour later in the office. There just wasn’t enough there to make me want to keep drinking it.

Overall score: 11/20

Oliver’s Cafe
Unit 116, 57 The Esplanade Esp, Mooloolaba

Coffee reviews

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I have just moved offices to Mooloolaba (still haven’t blogged it – sorry! It’s coming, I promise) which has thrust me into the world of almost endless coffee shops and lunch spots. At my old office, while it was a dodgy box that felt like a jail cell, I was spoilt by being made privvy to the best coffee shop on the Sunshine Coast, Veneziano. Alas, it’s too far away for a quick visit during the working day, so I’m on the hunt again for that new “great” coffee.

I decided I would share my hunt for the best coffee with you, and will be reviewing the various places around Mooloolaba. I should emphasise that I am in no means a coffee connoisseur; my experience is limited to “did it taste good – Y/N”. I will be also rating the atmosphere of the place, the service I get, the price and the presentation of the coffee. I’m a cappuccino lover, so there’s plenty of room there for great presentation. If I get handed something with milk dripping down the side, I’ll let you know. I’ll also be gushing if I get handed a coffee with various decorative pattens on the top. Also, all of my coffees will be takeaways, since I don’t really have the time to sit down and enjoy the coffee there; I need to get back to work!

If there’s anything else you think I should be including, please let me know. Otherwise, onwards with the reviews!