Agnes Water and the Town of 1770

Soon after we arrived in Australia, Alan’s brother and family invited us for a week’s getaway in [eafl id=”2239″ name=”Agnes Water” text=”Agnes Water, Queensland”].  I had heard of this town before but didn’t know much about it, other than it is in the Pacific and a small town, so not much knowledge there.  However, you had me at ‘Pacific’.  With a little research, we learned that Agnes Water sits at the most southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef and is highly regarded for its beaches, surf, access to the reef, and its simple/laid-back way of life.  We packed our bags, er, grabbed our already packed bags since we had lived out of them for the past month already, and began our journey north from the Gold Coast.  The total drive was about 7 hours, including a few stops for snacks, bathroom breaks, and petrol (fuel).  The drive took us through the Sunshine Coast and Bundaberg, two places worth stopping if you have the time – we didn’t as we were a day late in getting up there to meet our family.  Next time!

Accommodation Recommendation –

Upon pulling up to our accommodation for the week, [eafl id=”2238″ name=”Agnes Water Accommodation” text=”LaLaPanzi”] – meaning a place of rest, we burst out of the car and ran inside to explore!  LaLaPanzi is a quaint house at the end of a cul-de-sac just outside of town on the way to the Town of 1770.  It is a perfect beachfront hideaway!  The house itself satisfied all of our needs – four bedrooms, plenty of beds and space for the kids to roam and play, functional kitchen, and a large deck out back.  The front yard was massive (space for boats – we chose to leave ours at home, I wish – and vehicles) and the backyard was well maintained for the kiddies to run and play as well.  The best part of this house, however, was its location!  It sits on the backside of a sand dune that overlooks the rolling waves of the Pacific and Agnes Water beach.  There was a short trail that led to the expansive beach – not too difficult for our young ones, other than the HOT sand on sunny days.  Seriously, most days we were the only ones splashing in the water, boogie boarding in the waves, or building sand castles on the shore.  Walkers and joggers came and went, but we felt like we had our own private paradise!  For a little exercise, walking down to Main Beach is a great morning or afternoon activity – lots of swimming and surfing to watch/enjoy in the safety of surf lifesavers.

Recommended Beaches –

Honestly, once we all settled in, we really had no need to go anywhere else.  We discussed options for exploring the area and possible activities for the week (which there are MANY good ones), but the kids just wanted to swim and play on the beach!  So, that’s just what we did – the adults didn’t mind much as this was FREE.  If we weren’t down at our “private beach” near our house on Main Beach (mentioned above) or in our house lounging, you could find us in 1770 at the public beach, where there is a perfect cove-like beach for swimming and splashing while watching the sailboats and fishing boats passing by in the channel.  The surf here was calm and just what the little ones needed to fully enjoy the water.  We ended up visiting this beach daily.  There was, however, a small hiccup when we first came to this beach – see photo below – but we figured they were just being “safe”.  This was until we asked for clarification on our last day and learned there was, in fact, a saltwater croc sighting not far from where we were swimming, only days before we arrived.  ‘Living on the edge’ is now on our list of tribal qualities!  Needless to say, we survived our near croc encounter!  We also attempted to go to Chinaman’s Beach one day to swim and play, but the surf was so volatile that we couldn’t stay as it would have been too dangerous for the kids.  Alan’s eyes lit up when he saw the waves, but I was able to peel him away without too much drama.  Chinamans, known as locals’ secret beach, is one I am sure we will visit again when our kids are a tad older!

Agnes Main Beach –

1770 Public Beach – 

 

 

Chinamans Beach – 

Best View Recommendation –

The Lookout at the headland in 1770 was one of our favorite ‘finds’.  We ended up driving there a couple of times to enjoy the panoramic view (and sunset on our last night – one of the few places you can actually watch the sunset over water in Australia).  It provided us all with a better understanding of where we actually were on the coastline and solidified that 1770 and Agnes are magnificent places to visit and explore – we barely scratched the surface!

 

Restaurant Recommendation –

The [eafl id=”2236″ name=”Getaway Garden Cafe” text=”Getaway Garden Cafe”], located just south of Agnes on beautiful grounds, is a must.  Between the option of accommodation in private villas (maybe next time), lush tropical gardens, and the café, a visit to 1770 Getaway ranked as a top highlight.  If you plan a visit for a meal, be sure to check out their operating hours – they are not open on Saturdays and dinner on Wednesday and Sunday requires reservations.  We chose to dine on a Wednesday, so we made reservations in advance and had to pre-order our meals – wood-fired pizzas for the guys and children and a full lamb dinner with all the fixins for my sister-in-law and me.  We arrived a tad early, thinking things would be ready, but instead, we had to wait over an hour for our meals. We later learned things do not get served until 6:30 pm or later – we walked in at 5:15 pm!  Our early arrival gave us time to explore the gardens, pat the resident horse, view some kangaroos enjoying their dinner on the grounds, almost step on a cane toad, and see several spiders spinning webs – oh, and get eaten alive by the mozzies!  It also gave me plenty of time to enjoy TWO glasses of the most scrumptious Kombucha I have ever tasted – citrusy, sweet, and bubbly goodness (not to mention the added health benefits of the fermented drink).  YUM!  Dinner was delish, once if finally was served.  But it was the homemade desserts that truly spoke to our palettes – cream-filled cakes, vanilla slice, and more!   Definitely, add a stop to the Getaway Cafe to your Agnes Water visit!

Overall, A Traveling Tribe gave this week’s vacation a whopping 12 thumbs up!!!  The tribe agreed that another visit to Agnes Water and 1770 is in our future – and should be in yours too! #visitagnes1770