A well needed mid-week reset was in order, so we decided to make the short journey out of Brisbane up to Bribie Island, and have ourselves two nights of luxury and leisure in a beautifully designed villa 2 minutes walking distance from the beach.

The hosts were great and welcomed us into The Shell House. They offered us local recommendations as to where we could eat, drink and sightsee. The first thing you notice as you walk through the doors is the beachy vibe of the space. The windows were open so the linen curtains floated in the breeze. The feel was truly peaceful and breezy.

We were tired from our journey so we decided to stay in and enjoy our gorgeous accommodation with a nap on the huge lounge. We popped on some Netflix to unwind and relax in anticipation for the evening ahead.

At about 6pm, we packed up a picnic blanket and basket that the hosts provided to us. We drove over to Sylvan Beach (via the local, drive-through “bottlo”!!) and set out our picnic fare. Sylvan Beach faces West and is by the bridge that connects the mainland to the island. We watched the sunset over the spectacular Glasshouse Mountains, turning the sky several shades of colours. Then we walked along the esplanade to the sound of water lapping at our feet.

After a walk, we were hungry so we made our way back to the surf beach and ordered Moroccan chicken wraps from the local cafe, Pigface. We ate them at a picnic table by the sand. The wraps were unexpectedly good!

We ended the night with a well lit walk through the park back to The Shell House. We could hear the native wildlife around us and I bet there were a few possums about!

The next morning we woke up, lifted up the blinds and admired the beautiful birds in the garden. The Shell House was well equipped with everything a couple would need to relax, cook if you wish, or to have a drink and chill. However, we love food so we decided to visit the local arts and crafts festival for some breakfast and to sample the local produce. Bribie Island hosts markets every weekend with a different location each time. We wandered through the market and enjoyed the best acai bowl ever as well as a delicious savoury crepe. We perused the stalls and tried some locally made chilly jam. We also enjoyed ice tea and a homemade ginger beer that the gentleman poured from a tapped, wooden barrel.

On our way back from the market, we walked past a jet-ski race meet. We stopped and watched from the jetty as jet-skiers flew over the calm water in Pumicestone Passage.

Back at The Shell House, we decided to rest on the comfy lounge again. We enjoyed snuggling until we were ready to head to the beach.

The beach was unusually windy that weekend. We could hear the surf roar as we walked down the bush track to the ocean. We brought the boogie boards and the sunshade, settling in for a couple of hours. We are both from the UK so we were excited to try the Australian pastime of boogie boarding! We caught a wave each but mostly they passed us by so we gave up after a while. Instead, we enjoyed jumping over the small waves and paddling in the warm water.

Woorim surf beach is a great stretch of sand with multiple access points. Nearest to The Shell House, it almost felt like a private beach as we were the only ones there.

We walked a short way to the patrolled section of the beach where there were more people and then up the sand dunes to Pigface again. We showered off, and enjoyed frothy milkshakes and healthy, dairy-free smoothies.

Then we walked along the quiet street back to The Shell House. We admired the cute, undeveloped beach shacks along the way. They are straight from the 60s.

In the afternoon, the light fell softly over the marble dining table and the kitchen bench. We enjoyed a quiet cup of coffee from the Nespresso machine. We also gorged ourselves on delicious pastries that we bought from the cake lady and the French patisserie van at the market this morning. The chocolate chip biscuit was so full of chocolate chips! We had chocolate smeared all over us by the time that we had finished eating!

That evening we dropped by The Surf Club for a beer. We sat by the bar with cold schooners and watched the stunning view out of the water from the deck.

At dinnertime, we made our way to the new Mexican restaurant that just opened by the surf beach; Pigface’s Mexican cousin “El Pigface”! The atmosphere was festive and the owner, Ross, came to our table to talk with us. We enjoyed a good conversation about the Mexican flan, which is the chef’s grandmother’s recipe. We highly recommend the Mexican flan!!

On our last morning, we enjoyed a quiet cup of coffee on the terrace under the trees, listening to the birdsong. The trees provided good shade and gently swayed in the breeze. It was a nice, early morning spot.

About mid-morning we jumped over to another part of the island for breakfast at a local cafe. The prices were reasonable and we enjoyed a great Big Brekky by the water.

Then we wandered over to the local shops to look at the crafts and antiques. There was another market, which was ace because we love markets! This market had different stalls and was being held down by the jetty. We had an enjoyable morning fossicking through the markets and sitting under the shaded trees.

We watched families with young children jumping into the water and some people were fishing too. The jetty had a nice, relaxed, islander vibe to it.

Finally we made our way back to The Shell House to check out. Check out was easy due to the electronic lock. We enjoyed our last glimpse of the Glass House Mountains and Pumicestone Passage as we passed over the bridge back to the mainland. We will certainly be back.

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