If you find yourself in the Sunshine Coast hinterland on a Wednesday, take a trip to the bohemian market town of Eumundi. Wander around the stalls to the sound of didgeridoos, have a relaxing massage or perhaps some refloxology and even find out your destiny at one of the fortune-telling tents – as long as you don’t mind an audience! When you’re done, I recommend that you go into Eumundi’s main street and browse through Berkelouw’s Books – ‘new, secondhand and rare books since 1812’. (www.berkelouw.com.au) I think I may have excess luggage to get through the airport; woops!. I also met a couple of local writers, including the incredibly enthusiastic children’s writer and teacher Chris Collins, whose tales of Aussie animals mirror the Australian psyche with humour – for example, Funky Chicken, a bushy tale of crocs and chooks, warns against bragging (tall poppy syndrome has never been appreciated here!). I also chatted with Ian ‘Johno’ Johnson  (‘Healing meditations and Shamanic Walks’), the self-styled ‘White fella dreaming’ (www.whitefelladreaming.com.au) – he insists we were destined to meet; obviously that’s the reason I was drawn to Eumundi markets (I did try and point out that it’s widely advertised and there were hundreds of others ‘drawn’ there at the same time, but hey, who am I to question spiritual forces?!

Special mention to my new-found friend Emma and her husband Paul, originally from Usk in Wales and now making some great food and fab coffee in ‘first batch’ at the end of Memorial Drive. Do pop in and say ‘hi’, I recommend the Eggs Benedict for brekky. 🙂