This morning we walked down to Kirra Beach and then along the foreshore footpath to Queen Elizabeth Park to have a look at the fortnightly Coolangatta Beach Market. As we walked along we saw plenty of people enjoying breakfast in the seaside eating establishments. Looking up just past the Kirra Surf Life Saving Club we could see the "Sea Eagle" sculpture high up at the Kira Hill Lookout. Commissioned by the Gold Coast City Council, the sculpture was created in 1983 by Craig Medson.

There was plenty on offer from the stall holders with the majority being clothing, jewelry and food, plus of course the obligatory pain relief remedies!

 

We recharged ourselves for the 2 ¹/₂ km walk back to the van with a sandwich and cup of tea at The Strand. While the steepness of the path up to the Kirra Hill Lookout atop the R T Peak Memorial Park looked a little daunting, we couldn't miss the prospect of a great view. 

 

And indeed it was worth the effort because the view was simply amazing. The panoramic view extends from Main Beach in the North to Snapper Rocks in the South. An added bonus was we could see the telltale signs of whales out to sea, although it was too far to capture with the camera.

It was also interesting to see that besides the two electric BBQs adjacent to the lookout shelter, there was a hot water dispenser which had a protective fence with child-proof access gate. Certainly not something we've seen before.

We made our way down the other side of the Hill via the grounds of the Kirra Hill Community and Cultural Centre (formerly the Coolangatta State School) via a 75 step concrete stairway.  The Coolangatta State School which was established in 1919. On 26 January 1919 the Queensland/New South Wales border was closed because of an influenza epidemic, which prevented the 57 students living in Queensland from crossing the border to attend the Tweed Public School. 

We couldn't resist buying a couple of cream cakes as we passed by the Kirra Beach Bakery. We enjoyed those with a cup of tea when we got back to the van and reckon they were a couple of the best cakes we've had on this trip.

Lucinda's been on the lookout for a sun hat which performs better in the wind than her current one and while walking she saw a lady with one. She said she'd bought it at a surf shop in Kingscliff and so after consuming our cakes, we took the 15 minute drive over the border to Kingscliff. Indeed the surf shop had a good range and Lucinda made a selection.

Kingscliff looks like a very nice place to holiday. The sculpture at the Cudgen Headland Surf Life Saving Club is a tribute to the memory of locals who have served the SLSC and each of the characters has been carved from a separate tree variety: Tallowood, Cadaghi and Brush Box.

Tonight's pizza was simply Salmon and Feta and it was very nice. We've been having a bit of a problem with the pizza base sticking even though we floured the pizza tray and so tonight we tried oiling rather than flouring the tray. That looks to be a winner! Dessert was peaches with ice-cream and custard.