After weeks and weeks of less than perfect weather, it is so wonderful to finally see days on end of nothing but the sun! The weather has cooled down dramatically and everything is looking pristine and sparkly.
I paid a visit to Kirra Point Lookout the other day, knowing I had the perfect weather for taking some great photos of the ocean.
From the lookout to the north is Kirra Beach, usually jammed packed full of surfers. Kirra Beach is world-famous for its surfing conditions. In fact, it was at Kirra that the second Surf Life Saving Club was established in Queenland, at a meeting held on January 7th 1916, with the Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club, established in 1911 being the oldest in the state.
As you can see here, Kirra Beach was almost deserted. Perhaps the surfing conditions were not as they should be, even on the sunniest of days…
Coolangatta Beach too, to the south of the lookout, was all but deserted.
I loved the blueness of the sky as a backdrop for this white apartment building in Coolangatta.
Over the last twenty-five to thirty years a number of older style beachside apartment buildings have been demolished, in favour of these multi-story apartment buildings and holiday units.
A monument of a large iron eagle, with the appearance of it soaring through the air towards the ocean, has been erected at Kirra Point Lookout. Whilst it is very interesting to see the iron eagle, I don’t know the significance of it.
I wonder if there is a significance, or whether someone simply liked the idea?…I’ll keep asking around.
Whilst I stood at Kirra Point Lookout, clicking away in this direction and that with my camera, I spotted an old church, nestled beside some other buildings, up on a hill in the distance at Coolangatta.
It started me thinking and casting my mind back to the Tweed Heads and Coolangatta area that I first knew, back in the days before the new apartment buildings and holiday lets were constructed.
How many old buildings remain in the area?
The weatherboard holiday lets along the beach – gone, and replaced with highrise buildings.
The row of shops containing two cinemas – gone, and replaced with a multi-level shopping centre, office space and one new cinema.
An old roller skating rink ~ gone, and replaced by a car park.
The original lighthouse at Point Danger ~ gone, and replaced by the Captain Cook Memorial Lighthouse.
I have decided that, by and large, Australians are an unsentimental (is that a word?) race of people and prefer to re-built rather than refurbish and extend!
Anyway, yesterday I took myself off to the old church on the hill and took a number of photos. I found another church of a similar vintage just around the corner also, but have yet to find any other old buildings in this area!
Next post, I’ll share with you my two old churches, (and any other old buildings I may come across in the meantime, if they exist!)
In My World 
A fascinating series. I especially like the first photo. Well done.
LikeLike
Thank you Roger. So nice of you to drop by. I’m sure that the photos you have seen here are a stark contrast to your beautiful English countryside. 🙂
LikeLike
The photos are great! I think that’s what appeals to me about parts of the Midwest and eastern parts of our country, and some of Europe – the history, the architecture of the old areas, the old buildings. It seems the thing to do in our disposable society, out with the old, in with the new. Sadly.
LikeLike
Thank you Carol. Yes, it is sad. I imagine that I would think I was in seventh heaven, visiting Europe and England! All I would need is a camera in my hand, and off I’d go, click, click, click, in between oooing and arring at the sights! For the time being though, I have to make do with the more modern history of Australia. 🙂
LikeLike
What lovely beaches you have there, Joanne. The perspective in the first picture is amazing! What a sweeping vista! The horizon seems almost as curved as the road. The blues and whites in all the pictures are striking. What a gorgeous day you had for your camera. 🙂 Looking forward to your historical photos, too.
LikeLike
Thank you Barbara. Yes, we do have beautiful beaches here. The first photo is my favourite as well, and I noticed the curve in the horizon too. When I showed my husband, he said it was probably a fault the camera made! How logical!! I like the curved horizon idea myself. 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Jo,
On a good day Kirra Point is the best address on earth – as shown in your pics – well maybe not quite the BEST – My heart still believes that Kingscliff is impossible to beat.
Your pics show Kirra on a good day – I had the excitement of seeing Kirra Point on a very BAD day – or night – January 28th 1967 Cyclone Dinah.(I was young at the time but Yes I am getting old ) I was flying from Sydney to Coolangatta – Cyclone Dinah was raging – the flight was diverted to Brisbane and on arrival in Brisbane they put us in taxi-cabs to get us to our destinations on the Gold Coast -the other passengers who shared the Taxi were going to Surfers – it was torrential rain and wind all the way – I was going to Tweed Heads.As we approached Kirra Point the waves were breaking over the road and we were at risk of being wash away.
Have you been out to the Tweed District Historical Society at 230 Kennedy Drive Tweed Heads? They have an amazing re-coloured picture/photograph of Greenmount and Kirra about 50 years ago with all of the old buildings and landmarks identified.As I think about Greenmount – I recall RONRICO the Magnificent – Hypnotist and entertainer on Greenmount Beach.
Thanks Jo for a great site – do some googling and you will find some more stuff about the neighbourhood.
Chris
LikeLike
Hello Chris! It’s nice to see you here again! 🙂
I enjoyed your story about trying to fly into Coolangatta during Cyclone Dinah. I didn’t live here in 1967, and asked my husband (who was born in Murwillumbah) why you would have been diverted to Brisbane, where the cyclone would have been also. He said that since Coolangatta airport has been upgraded, and has become an international airport, they probably could land during a cyclone now. I’ve heard stories of the waves breaking over the road at Kirra Point before. It sounds scary!
Funny you should mention the historical society on Kennedy Drive. My husband and I were talking about the place this morning, before I found your comment, and yes, I plan on making a visit there! I’m hoping they will have all kinds of information there for me to work with, for future stories on this website. There’s also one in Murwillumbah, which I will be visiting. 🙂
LikeLike
Ohhh, to be beside the foaming lapping sea… this is a lovely post, Joanne. Do you celebrate Mother’s Day? If so (or not) I wish you the blessings of Mother’s Day.
LikeLike
Thank you Kathy. 🙂 Yes, we do celebrate Mother’s Day here, which was last Sunday. I had a very nice day, with my inlaws, my husband, and my four babies!
Blessing to you also, dear Kathy. 🙂
LikeLike
Great photos! I love it when the beaches are deserted frankly! Yes, the first photo is truly a nice shot.
LikeLike
Thank you Adrian, I’m glad you liked them ( and the first photo is my favourite too!) 🙂
LikeLike
Wonderful series of photos, Joanne. Such a beautiful place. And those skies! Amazing. 🙂
We tear things down here, too. One of the things that struck me (and still does) during our visits to England and Scotland is how OLD some of the buildings and sites are there. It was almost mind-boggling.
LikeLike
Thank you Robin. It’s a fantastic time of year for the blue skies here. Autumn is my favourite season.
I do believe that seeing the old buildings in the U.K. would be like being in paradise! Hopefully some of the new buildings around here will be well maintained, and one day will be “old”, for future generations to enjoy. 🙂
LikeLike