There are heaps of "free things" to do around Brisbane (like beaches and bush walks), and after an expensive trip to Cairns, that's exactly what I was looking for this long Labour Day weekend. On Saturday morning, I woke up bright and early and drove up to the Sunshine Coast to climb a mountain with Kelsey. Mount Coolum is a volcanic dome, and after a challenging hike, scrambling up rock-like stairs for 45 minutes, you are rewarded with an awesome 360 degree view - you can see the Glass House Mountains and coastal beaches. By the time we reached the top, we were out of breath, but it was totally worth this:

Panoramic view from Mount Coolum

Glass House Mountains

On the way back to Brisbane, we drove along the coast and made a couple impromptu stops. We pulled over in Mooloolaba and spent a couple hours sun baking on the beach, and later we passed a sign for Wild Horse Lookout and climbed a 700 meter hill for yet another breathtaking view. We cruised home along the coast, windows rolled down, wearing nothing but our bikinis. Since the radio speakers had been broken, we just drove in content silence, hearing nothing but the wind whistling in our ears. But as we pulled onto the highway after stopping at Wild Horse, we hit a bump that sent our car flying while simultaneously and magically fixing the radio, and this song filled the journey home.