Sound idyllic? It is. Which makes it a perfect place for visitors who like to feel right at home when they holiday.

Browsing the eclectic shops, grabbing a bite for lunch or dining out for an evening meal, you’ll be greeted by cheery locals, always ready to connect and make you feel welcome.

Speaking of connectivity, here’s a new fact that’s good to know when you next visit. Thanks to some very forward-thinking Peregian Beach locals, the village square now provides free wifi!

No hourly login cost, no cumbersome conditions – just generous wireless access when you base yourself in the village. Grab a coffee in one of our cosy cafés or a glass of wine and a meal at any number of eateries and settle in to check your emails, tell your friends about Peregian on Facebook and stay connected.

Click here for more information on Peregian Beach Free Wifi.

So many visitors miss out on discovering its beach village charms because they head straight into Noosa, never having heard of this place that they find hard to say and even harder to spell. And equally, too many locals miss out because it seems ‘too far’ from the hub of things. I was one of those deluded locals until I started working with Rod here at Horizons, driving the short distance south from my home at Sunshine Beach a few times a week.

Now its energy, its Peregianality I like to call it, is under my skin.

Truth is, Peregian Beach is only about 20 minutes drive from Hastings Street, hugging a stunning coastal road that eases your mind as you wind through the small adjoining communities of Sunshine, Sunrise and Marcus Beaches. Slowing to 40kms per hour as you hit the village itself also reminds you that you’re now entering a calmer pace of life.

For a small community, Peregian (which is said to be an indigenous word meaning ‘emu’ or ‘mangrove seeds’) has a lot on offer to keep its followers entertained, energised and well-fed. Within the village square itself, surely no larger than 50m by 50m and with a grass-edged play-platform for kids at its heart, are a mix of shops, cafes, restaurants and services that seem designed to offer everything so you never need to go anywhere else. In the square you’ll find fresh baked authentic German breads, coffee virtually on each of the four sides, easy take-aways for a quick feed or elegant sit-down dinner options, peaceful beneath trees. Boutique browsing is never better with mouth-watering fabrics and homewares, exotic furnishings, nifty nik-naks and clothes shops that rack everything from edgy designer to bright hippy clothes and maternity couture to groovy glad-rags for juniors.

Peregian Originals

A two second stroll across from the square to the new part of Peregian, a retail and hospitality development unveiled in 2011, and there’s more. More authentic European fare for starters with the best croissants I’ve inhaled outside France, outrageously healthy options, pizzas and pasta and red wine… it goes on.

You can tell, as you complete a lap of the small settlement and scour its stores, that it’s a fit, aware, creative bunch that Peregian magnetises – surfboards for sale, organic goods, rows of books on shelves, tea houses, massage heaven tucked into quiet side-lanes. My favourite store name, even though I’m not a mum myself, is a place for ‘mum.baby.home’ and it’s called Evolve – very Peregian.

The soundtrack to all this goodness is the sound of crashing waves, caught on the ocean breeze and wafted to you through the minty needles of the shore-lined pine trees. You can see and hear and feel all this from your croissant and café au lait, so it’s not far to travel when you’re ready to have your toes in the sand and the salt-air in your hair.

En route to the dunes is a fantastic skate park for speedy teens, a gloriously gritty surf club with great pub grub and a park expanse that everyday draws little tackers to a sturdy playscape to climb and slide and swing and squeal and smile.

And on the first and third Sunday of each month is the day that draws locals in droves and takes visitors by surprise. From the crack of dawn until one o’clock the beach park is packed with the colourful and crafty stallholders of the local markets (thirsty work so be sure to try one of the fresh homemade lemonades – no fancy bubbles, just pure, real, sweet citrus juice). Then, from one until five-ish, it’s on – what has really made Peregian’s name. The Peregian Originals – an afternoon of live music, strictly no covers allowed. Just self-penned tunes, happy faces, dancing feet, the smell of a sausage sizzle and the exaltation of a community creating beautiful music, in all senses of the expression.

And I think this is what I’ve found is the strong booming heart-tick of Peregian – a community creating beautiful music together; lyrical, melodic, harmonious. Peregianality – it’s a tune that stays in your mind, that you find yourself unconsciously singing along to and that becomes so addictive you could listen to it over and over and over again.

To tune in to the music yourself, come and visit us at Horizons soon!

Welcome to the Noosa Jazz Festival Listen to the glissando along the ivories, the shrill cry of a trumpet sounding Smell the delectable scents and listen to laughter scattered through conversation… enjoy a fine wine…

One of the busiest times of year for Horizon’s at Peregian is the Noosa Jazz Festival (1st-4th Sept 2011). We are proud to be supporters of this event and often host musicians, artists and performers at our popular resort. The festival is open to all Noosa visitors as well as local residents to enjoy the constant stream of open-air performances, historical jazz feature-shows and daily free gigs to experience the huge variety of jazz these talented musicians have to offer. This year will mark 19 years of bringing the very best of Australian and International Jazz talent to the beautiful Noosa Heads. 2011’s theme is ‘Jazz Party’’, and the Noosa region will host iconic musicians fusing together the traditional sounds of Jazz within the Bicentennial Hall, followed by swing, modern, funk and blues along Hastings Street and in the Festival Village. It is a superb ambience to enjoy fine wine and elegant foods with a backdrop of ocean sounds This year’s festival welcomes back artists who are the ‘back bone’ of the Australian jazz scene, Bob Barnard, Allan Browne, Dan Barnett, Geoff Bull and George Golla, amongst many others. Noosa is blessed with pristine beaches, beautiful national parkland and a magnificent river, but when the jazz festival comes to town, jazz lovers can enjoy one of the most unique holidays imaginable.

The Festival was originally created to celebrate the start of Spring, a plays an important role in attracting tourists to the region who are looking for an escape from the winter climate. From humble beginnings of one restaurant, the festival today boasts over 90 performances in multiple venues along the infamous Hastings Street strip, a large purpose built jazz stage in Noosa Woods overlooking the beautiful Noosa River, Bicentennial Hall, which is the home of the Noosa Jazz Club and venues all the way to Noosaville come alive to the great sound of jazz music every year. Today, the festival has grown from a community event to a sophisticated celebration of jazz which is a respected festival attracting thousand’s of jazz lovers to South East Queensland.

This month Horizon’s at Peregian once again makes a splash by playing host to a collaboration of great minds investigating the effects of seismic air guns on the behaviour of humpback whales during their migratory path. A record 80 marine biology students from all parts of the world together with the scientific team are headquartered here at Peregian Beach for this two-month project. This project is known by the acronym BRAHSS (Behavioral response of Australian Humpback whales to seismic surveys) and is led by the University of Queensland. The Participating Institutions include the Universities of Queensland, Sydney, Newcastle and the Curtin University of Technology in addition to the Australian Antarctic Division and the Australian Defense Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO). This is a four year project and follows on from several smaller studies previously conducted by the university studying the effects of sound on humpback behaviour. The study will be one of the largest and most comprehensive studies on the effects of noise on whales ever undertaken. Guests of Horizons during the project period would have the unique opportunity of being invited to the research centre where they will be able to listen to the whales as they communicate. Stay tuned for further updates regarding this exciting project.

King of the Mountain Winner 2011 Neil Labinsky

 Who won the Pomona King of the Mountain 2011? Neil Labinsky was almost unable to compete at this year’s race as he suffered an Achilles tendon injury at Christmas.  “The injury put me out of action for months” said Neil who as a result significantly had to compromise his training time this year. Neil works as a fruit-picker and believes this held him in good stead for the competition. 

Neil Labinsky is this years winner of The Pomona King of the Mountain Festival and race.  The race was held on Sunday the 24th of July 2011.  This marks Neil’s sixth consecutive win.  He has now matched the existing record set by George Fewtrell in the early 1890s.   This will surely make next year’s event that much more exhilarating as we may see the record broken for the first time in just over three decades! Congratulations Neil!

Why was Neil Labinsky almost unable to compete at this years event?

What is the Pomona King of the Mountain?

The Pomona King of the Mountain is the annual race to the summit of Mount Cooroora.  The race begins in the centre of the Pomona Township and heads towards Mount Cooroora.  There is a series of low hills before the mountain track itself.  It is an extremely steep gradient, almost a vertical climb.

How long has the Pomona King of the Mountain race been held for?

Having commenced in 1979, The Pomona King of the Mountain race has been in operation for 32 years. 

Horizon’s Prize Package / King of the Mountain Winner

Horizons at Peregian prides itself on being a sponsor of local and national community events and we look forward to seeing the 2011 winner of the Pomona King of the Mountain Race Neil Labinsky when he redeems one of his prizes – accommodation at our excellent establishment.

Welcome back to another Horizons at Peregian Update…

As recently featured in the successful Courier Mail publication QWeekend, Horizons at Peregian was noted for its hospitality not only to its bipedal guests but also to its feathered and furry friends alike…

  It can be quite difficult finding suitable pet friendly accommodation, especially accommodation that isn’t littered (pun intended) with the tell-tale markings: worn, tattered furniture and scattered matted hair (yuck!) is not acceptable in any circumstances! The expression ‘looks as though the dogs been at it’ doesn’t ring any more true than in situations such as these.

   It can be quite unpleasant when you’ve arrived at your destination (after all the jet setting rigmarole) only to discover the establishment that looked like paradise according to the advertising brochure was actually to the contrary, and you are left feeling more than a little deflated.  It is our job at Horizons at Peregian to ensure that you never have to endure an experience such as this.

  Finding adequate accommodation that satisfies both you and yours can be challenging enough so you want to make sure that you are in the best hands, and we have the track record.  As writer Leisa Scott mentioned in her review of Horizons at Peregian ‘…we know we have found a place with soul, we will return.’

  Horizons at Peregian offers exquisite accommodation for you and your small pet: fully self-contained spacious two and three bedroom apartments, all individually decorated with comfortable, modern furniture and accompaniments.  Features such as gourmet kitchens complete with cooking utensils, cutlery and crockery, two bathrooms and full laundry facilities including a washer and dryer makes Horizons at Peregian your home away from home and a holiday destination that represents quality and value for holiday makers.  

 Pooch Petiquette – The Finer Points

We have catered to birds, puppies, cats, fish and hermit crabs without there being a shred of evidence of their stay.  There is never the sensation of being on an ark, nor is it reminiscent (I couldn’t help myself) of Dr Doolittle at the immaculately presented resort.

Pets are not permitted in the bedrooms or on the furniture, or by our heated pool of course :) However he or she is sure to enjoy the spacious living rooms and courtyards as well as the local beaches, parks, and other areas. 

  Horizons  is located directly opposite the best of Noosa’s dog permissible beaches and is the ideal location to enjoy your holiday.  There is 5km of pristine beachfront for you and your dogs to enjoy.  Go fetch!  You can bring your pooches very own bed for he or she to snuggle up in to enjoy some shut eye after the excitement of the day.  Small to medium dogs only please. If the dog’s barking is problematic to other guests the owners will need to remove them, of course this is excessive barking. (HUSHpuppies) :) 

HORIZON’S QUICKFACT

The nose knows – your canine kid has an amazing sense of smell.  About 4 times as many scent cells as a cat and 14 times more than a human!

   No need to be like a dog with its bone when it comes to chewing over the best holiday accommodation on the Sunshine Coast for both you and your best friend – contact us  now for further information and availability. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Thank You

Our thanks to Leisa Scott for her colourful article, as well as the Q Weekend Magazine & Courier Mail publications for the Horizons at Peregian review on our pet friendly accommodation.  A special thank you must be mentioned to all of our blog readers!  See you next time!

It’s that time of the year again, so get your running shoes on and make ready for the Pomona King of the Mountain Festival and Race this Sunday the 24^th of July 2011! And, for the less adventurous amongst you (i.e. the couch potatoes) for the very first time in the history of the Bendigo Bank International Mountain Challenge you will be able to enjoy live footage on the Big Screen at the event.

Neil Labinsky

Sunshine Coast runner Neil Labinsky has won the previous four races so it will be very interesting to see who will be this year’s Mountain King or Queen.  Neil’s record time is less than 24 minutes!!! A superhuman feat!  The ‘’word on the street’’ is that we have some very fierce New Zealand competition this year so be on the look out!

The event is held at Stan Topper Park, Pomona in the beautiful Noosa Hinterland, between 7am – 5pm, with the main event, the race itself being held at 3:00pm. Witness local and international athletes take on the most grueling and historic mountain race in Australia.   

If mountaineering isn’t your cup of tea, the Pomona Township will be “alive’’ with the hustle and bustle of many other events being enjoyed throughout the day.  It begins with the recommended Bush Poets Breakfast at Stan Topper Park.

Bush Poets Breakfast

Tuck in to a tasty traditional breakfast of sumptuous bacon, eggs, sausages, tomato and hash browns and enjoy the fantastic local and international bush poets at Pomona’s seventh annual Bush Poets Breakfast.

This year’s line up includes the talents of Shirley Friend, Brad Maclean, Gregory North and Mr Marco Gliori.  Entry to the breakfast is strictly by ticket admission as space is limited, so be sure to get your tickets at only $20 per ticket, or alternatively prebook and pay prior to the day for only $17.50.  To purchase tickets contact Nadine on (07) 54 85 1960.

There will also be competitions galore, amusement rides, and activities for all ages.  The Heritage market will operate all day with a variety of stalls.  There will be skateboarding demonstrations, thong throwing competitions (that’s the Australian thong for the Americans amongst you!)  Be sure to visit the Antiques and Collectables Fair located in the Pomona Hall, open all day Saturday and Sunday (contact Clive Ford on (07) 54 852028)

Should you be unable to attend the festivities, Mt Cooroora is still a recommended journey.  The summit offers exquisite views, so be sure to pack water, sunscreen and a hat!  

Getting There

From Noosa, it is a pleasant 20 minute drive to reach Pomona via Cooroy.

 Coming from Gympie travel south along the Bruce Highway for about half an hour and take the Pomona exit at the top of Black Mountain.

 Brisbane folk, head north along the Bruce Highway for about 1.5 hours, take the Pomona (Pioneer Road) exit. 

Nearing Pomona the successful event will be well signed so enjoy a great day! For any further information visit the official  King of the Mountain  site, and to the athletes… Break a leg!

From Mountaintops to Pristine Beaches…

 Horizon’s Resort at Peregian is proud to give back to the local community and has been a sponsor of the King of the Mountain Festival for four years now!  Stop by and say hello, we can organize any of your future accommodation needs or simply CLICK HERE to make a booking.

HORIZON’S QUICKFACT

Named after the Roman Goddess of fruits and orchards, Pomona was originally called Pinbarren Siding.  It was renamed in 1906.

Cover Boi 2011

One of the biggest gay events on the Sunshine Coast, the Q News ‘Mr Q Search for a Cover Boi’ competition was held this year at the Big Gay Day.  Following on from the massive response to the event last year the Cover Boi search headed further South to garner a new audience.

Mr Q Search 2011

This years winner of the Q News ‘Mr Q Search for a Cover Boi is Brisbane based psychologist Ryan Callaghan, having taken out competition against Queensland’s best with heats held at Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.  A great time was had by all.

The Final was held at Brisbane’s Wickham Hotel, and Ryan took away more than $6,500 in prizes, in addition to a shooting for the  cover of QNews (stay tuned!). According to Q News Ryan “…won the competition not just because of his defined body and smile. His charisma helped the judges to decide that he deserved to win”. Also included in the prize package was a two night stay at our very own Horizon`s at Peregian.

The stay was a welcome reprieve for Ryan who swapped the hustle and bustle of city life for sun-drenched days where he enjoyed the local beaches and restaurants with friends Frank & Brad.

“I had a great time and can’t wait to come back”… It was all smiles for the boys from Brisbane.

Once again, our congratulations to Ryan and our thanks go out to Q News and all associated with the event  for continuing to support and contribute to the GALTA community, particularly here on the beautiful Sunshine Coast.

Ryan, Frank & Brad

We are already quite busy with bookings for September and Christmas holidays … check your dates and book early to avoid disappointment. Also, a reminder that we have some excellent apartments available for longer term winter bookings starting at $600 pw.

We have the best location and deals for you to relax, walk on the beach and enjoy a holiday escape. Our aim is to make your visit to the Sunshine Coast unforgettable.

The very best way to have an enjoyable day out and to visit Hervey Bay and the Wide Bay region is to book one of our excursions that include lunch and refreshments during your journey.

The calmer waters of Hervey Bay are ideal for a relaxed day watching and photographing the whales and there are usually plenty of dolphins around as well. Storeyline Tours will be operating these tours from August and special all inclusive accommodation packages are available from Horizons.

Whale Watching from Peregian Beach…Ever heard a whale sing?

Horizons at Peregian has again been selected as the headquarters for the University of Queensland Humpback Acoustic Research Collaboration project. (HARC). 
Click here to see our Sunshine Coast whale watching packages and come and experience the Whale watching on the Sunshine Coast from Peregian Beach and Horizons Peregian.

Click here to read a recent article about the whale researchers gathered at Horizons Peregian Beach, studying the impacts of undersea oil and gas exploration methods on the Eastern Australian Humpback whale population.