Why not give Dad the unforgettable experience of zooming up the Noosa River in a gorgeous, handcrafted mahogany classic power boat as his Fathers’ Day gift.

There’s something simply captivating about the sight and throaty sound of a classic wooden powerboat.

And the experience of riding in one, as it skims along the water, is totally unique. You’re taken back to the golden era of boating when boats were designed to be sleek, speedy and beautiful.

Dads of all ages just love riding in classic boats !

Woo Hoo ... is this fast enough?

A Noosa Dreamboats gift voucher will give Dad ( and his fortunate guests ) memories that will last a lifetime. Gift Vouchers are available for all our different cruise options and for our special packages too. Call us on 0414 990 708 to discuss the different options.

Special Fathers’ Day offer

Purchase a Noosa Dreamboats Gift Voucher for Fathers’ Day and receive a complimentary Noosa Dreamboats classic boat T Shirt for Dad.

Note: This special offer is only available with gift vouchers purchased before Sunday 4 September 2011 and you must mention the T Shirt bonus when ordering to receive this gift.

Cheers for now,

Skipper Michael

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Hidden on the Noosa River lies Makepeace Island, the private Australian home of Sir Richard Branson.

Until now, this idyllic and remote Balinese inspired island retreat has been the private domain of Sir Richard Branson and his Australian business partner, Brett Godfrey. Only available for family and close friends.

Makepeace Island Noosa River *

Today it was announced that Makepeace Island will be available for private hire, on an exclusive “all of island” basis. Rates will start at AUD $7,900 per day and the inclusions are suitably extensive.

Will you be one of the first to hire this slice of paradise on the Noosa River?

If you do, may we suggest complementing your island hire with a thrilling ride on the Noosa River and lakes on our gorgeous, hand crafted mahogany classic power boat, Noosa Dream. We would be delighted to collect you and drop you off at your private beach on Makepeace Island.

En route to Makepeace Island

If your holiday plans don’t quite extend to hiring your own private island, we can still give you a taste of that billionaire lifestyle with a private,exclusive classic boat cruise departing from the Sheraton wharf at Noosa Heads or other locations by arrangement.

On your chauffeured cruise you will experience the natural beauty of the Noosa River and its lakes, discover Makepeace Island (and perhaps see who is staying there) and enjoy the timelessness and glamour  of riding in a hand crafted 1940′s inspired mahogany powerboat.

Towards the Noosa river mouth on board Noosa Dream

The arrival of Makepeace Island as an exclusive and unique new tourism destination on the Sunshine Coast is wonderful news.

Cheers for now,

Michael

* Island photo sourced from Makepeace Island website.

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Noosa, at the northern end of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is renowned for its beaches, the Noosa national park, Hastings Street  shopping and dining and the beautiful Noosa River. Of course there is also the stunning hinterland, which offers fantastic day trip possibilities and lots of fresh air and lovely views of the coast and country.

Less well known to many is the fact that Noosa is also surrounded by 6 wonderful lakes. These are Lake Weyba, Doonella Lake, Lake Cooroibah, Lake Cootharaba, Lake Cooloola and Lake Como.

Noosa Dream crosses Lake Cooroibah on the June long weekend 2011

Lake Weyba is a large, shallow and tidal lake that sits inland from Castaways Breach and Marcus Beach. It is joined to the Noosa River by Weyba Creek and the best way to visit the lake from Noosa Sound is by canoe or small boat, as the approaches are quite shallow at low tide.

Doonella Lake is a small and very shallow lake near Tewantin. Its entrance is immediately adjacent to the Noosa Marina, where there are restaurants, shops and a ferry stop.

Noosa River, Makepeace Island and Lake Cooroibah

Lake Cooroibah is a beautiful large lake to the north of Tewantin. It lies just beyond Makepeace Island, the private retreat of Sir Richard Branson.

Lake Cooroibah is shallow with a well marked channel crossing its Eastern section. The southern entrance to the lake is a favourite fishing spot for locals. Lake Cooroibah offers wonderful views of the hinterland and some of the mountains nearby, including Mt. Cooroy, Mt Tinbeerwah and Mt. Cooroora. At the Northern end of the lake there is also a small island which reveals a sandbar that is just perfect for picnics at low tide.

Reflections crossing Lake Cooroibah - June long weekend 2011

To the North of Lake Cooroibah lies Lake Cootharaba, the largest of the Noosa lakes. Lake Cootharaba lies within the Cooloola National Park and is home to Boreen Point. It’s also the gateway to the Noosa Everglades. Beyond Cootharaba, lies Lake Como which is accessible by boat and Lake Cooloola, which is a freshwater lake that is land locked.

Noosa Dream entering Lake Cootharaba on a Noosa Dreamboats cruise

So when you are next visiting the Noosa region, consider allowing some time to see some of Noosa’s great lakes.

It doesn’t take long to travel up the river on a fast boat like the Noosa Dream and if you appreciate natural beauty, views and solitude you will surely enjoy exploring this less well known dimension of Noosa.

Cheers for now,

Michael

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Recently we received some exciting news! Noosa Dreamboats has just been awarded a 2011 Certificate of Excellence by the leading travel website, TripAdvisor. The accolade is awarded to attractions that consistently receive excellent ratings from travelers.

To qualify for the Award, businesses must maintain an average rating of four or higher out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor. Additional criteria include volume of reviews and how recently they have been submitted.

Noosa Dreamboats  received the maximum possible rating of five out of five in all the reviews placed by customers on the TripAdvisor website.

Sandy and I love sharing the experience of riding in a handmade, mahogany classic American powerboat surrounded by the natural beauty of the Noosa River and lakes.

One of the best things about what we do is helping people celebrate special occasions in their lives in a really memorable way.

When we learned that we had been awarded the 2011 Certificate of Excellence based on reviews by our customers, we were absolutely thrilled.

Cheers,
Michael and Sandy

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Well it’s  the end of a long Easter and ANZAC Day holiday weekend and what a fantastic time it has been in Noosa !

For the most part the weather was just brilliant with several of those amazing, blue sky days for which Queensland is world renowned.

Noosa was busier than we have seen in a long time and it was wonderful to see the streets, shops, restaurants, beach and the river teeming with people enjoying themselves. I can’t recall seeing so many boats full of people on the water in ages.

We  had Noosa Dream out amidst the amazing conditions over the weekend, and had the pleasure of hosting some family groups as they explored the river and lakes on our lovely classic boat.

Family fun on the Noosa Dream

Our guests are often couples or groups of adults celebrating a special occasion, which is fantastic to be part of.

Having children on board often adds an element of spontaneity and fun that’s really delightful and that was the case again this weekend as we raced up the river with 3 young boys from country Queensland in the back, while Dad kept me company up front.

It was also our pleasure this weekend to host a lovely family from Victoria on a private picnic cruise on the Noosa River. This was a surprise trip, organised by Mum for Dad and 2 lovely teenage daughters.

Family picnic cruise on the Noosa River

We all had a great time, and it was a lovely surprise to receive this message from Mum after the experience:

Cheers for now,

Michael

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A few weeks ago we had a call from Tourism Queensland, on behalf of Tourism Australia. They were letting us know that Tourism Australia was sponsoring the second annual YouTube Symphony Orchestra, which was culminating in a huge concert at the Sydney Opera House on the 20th of March  2011. Tourism Australia had seen images of our Noosa Dreamboats cruises and asked if we would take a couple of the 2011 YouTube musicians out on the Noosa Dream, as they travelled the Fraser Coast and Sunshine Coast gaining inspiration for a songwriting and musical collaboration. Not a typical cruise for us – but with film crew in tow to record the event, one we couldn’t say no to.

I recalled seeing stories about a year ago on ABC TV about the inaugural YouTube Symphony Orchestra, which flew classical musicians from all around the world to New York City for a concert. Aspiring musicians post audition tapes on YouTube and a panel of professional musicians wade their way through the thousands of submissions to select an extremely talented and dedicated group of classical artists keen to showcase their talents to the world.

This year, four of the selected musicians had the additional privilege of traveling to Australia a few weeks before the Grand Finale and working with local musicians to produce an original piece of music, inspired in some way by their travels. We were lucky enough to have YouTube Orchestra member Samuel Blair (a Bassoonist) and Australian Indie pop musician Stu Cullen join us for some fun on the Noosa River.

Samuel Blair and Stu Cullen on the Noosa Dream

The weather could not have been more perfect for the two young musicians who were loving their travels in this beautiful part of the world and really enjoying making music together. Noosa was sparkling and Samuel and Stu seemed very relaxed with both local photographers popping by and the film crew following their journey.

Lots of media attention for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra travel of Sam and Stu

It was great to show off our beautiful Noosa river and waterways and judging by the grins on their faces, the boys really enjoyed themselves, especially when we picked up speed.

Samuel Blair and Stu Cullen enjoying the Noosa river with Noosa Dreamboats

Stu and Samuel’s journey to Canberra, Fraser Island, The Glasshouse Mountains, Noosa and Coolum were beautifully recorded by Grainger Productions and the resulting video is a gorgeous showcase of both their talent and the stunning places they visited. Judging from the comments from those who have watched the video so far (more than 240,000 views as I write), everyone is loving both their music and the scenery. Check it out for yourself at:

Samuel Blair and Stu Cullen: YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 Making Tracks in Queensland and ACT

Since we got to spend some time with Stu and Samuel, they have travelled to Sydney and after a week of rehearsals the YouTube Symphony Orchestra performed for a packed crowd at the Opera House last Sunday night.

You can see the Grand Finale concert here:

YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 Grand Finale – Sydney, Australia

Great to see such innovation and brilliant use of the technology of today to bring together such talent. We wish all the participants a wonderful career in their chosen musical fields and hope they return to see more of Australia some day.

Thanks for the opportunity to be a part of a fantastic event.

Sandy and Michael.

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Romance is alive and well on the Noosa River

Glamour & Romance aboard the Noosa Dream for Kristi & Billy

I’m not sure if it is through good fortune or good management or a bit of both, but quite a few of the brides and grooms we have taken on our Noosa Dreamboat wedding cruises have chosen Sunshine Coast photographer Jodi McDonald as their wedding photographer. We have always found Jodi fantastic to work with and she always gets the shots. Magic happens – Jodi has a knack for making her wedding groups relaxed and happy and the joy comes out in the photos.

Jodi recently sent us a disc with photos from three of the weddings we have done together in the last few months and as always, they are beautiful. So we thought we should share a few. Thanks also to our wonderful brides and grooms – Kath & Damian, Lisa & Andrew and Kristi & Billy for choosing to have us be part of your very special day.

Kristi with her Dad on their way to her Noosa wedding

Kristi & Billy cruising past the Noosa Waterfront Restaurant after their waterfront wedding ceremony

Just married! Kristi & Billy head off for some wedding photos on the Noosa Dream

A joyful wedding day in Noosa for Lisa & Andrew

Lisa & Andrew cruising in Noosa Dreamboats classic style

Happy, Happy day for Lisa & Andrew on the Noosa Dream

Noosa River Sandbar magic for Kath & Damian on their wedding day

Kath & Damian's Noosa wedding cruise

Kath & Damian on the Noosa Dream

Kath & Damian's wedding cruise on the Noosa Dream

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The sun is shining, the water is warm and Noosa is looking absolutely sparkling and beautiful at the moment. Spend some time to refresh and rejuvenate on the Sunshine Coast this Summer and you will feel very welcome.

The rain of past weeks has gone. We want to help share the message out that Noosa (and the whole Sunshine Coast) are in great shape, open for business and looking forward to welcoming visitors again.

Sunset on the river after a spectacular Australia Day in Noosa Heads

This week we were asked by Tourism Queensland to take part in a promotional video designed to help spread the message that the Sunshine Coast is looking great right now, and ready to welcome visitors with open arms. It’s a proactive step by TQ towards changing the incorrect perception held by some potential visitors that most of Queensland’s holiday areas were knocked out by the recent floods.

On a picture perfect Noosa day, Sandy and I had the pleasure of taking video producers, Sharen and Ian from Palatine Productions, out for a spin on Noosa Dream. We appreciated the opportunity to help promote the Sunshine Coast and Noosa because for ourselves, and for many colleagues in the tourism and services sectors here, this has been a challenging season.

Sharen and Ian from Palatine Productions filming Noosa on board the Noosa Dream

Tourism Queensland’s Sunshine Coast campaign was launched today, and here is the video that was filmed in Noosa this week.

We certainly hope that this new campaign will help encourage local and international holiday makers to include the Sunshine Coast in their plans in coming months.

Cheers for now,

Michael

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It’s another rainy day here in Noosa and instead of being out for the sunset cruise we had planned for this afternoon, I’m sitting at my desk looking at the rain pouring down and the wind thrashing the palm trees in our neighbour’s back yard. Today Noosa is experiencing the considerable after effects of Tropical Cyclone Tasha, which crossed Queensland’s far north coast a few days ago.

I’m sure everyone in town is pretty well and truly over the bad weather at this stage, perhaps unless they own a video hire store, a cinema complex or a bowling alley !

At Noosa Dreamboats we are certainly looking forward to the return of the sun (and we are focusing on the power of positive thinking at this stage). The latest weather forecast is suggesting that a high pressure system will move in from the South and push all this rainy weather out to sea. Bring it on we say !!

So, in the spirit of optimism and positivity I’m going to put out there a few pictures of how we would like evenings in Noosa to look again, and that would be in the near future too  thank you very much !  These particular shots were actually taken just one week ago.

It was at the end of a 90 minute cruise and I had never seen so many stunning birds in one place at the same time. We were literally surrounded by thousands and thousands of beautiful terns during sunset at the river mouth, and our guests, a delightful couple from Canada, were simply amazed!

Stunning views on the Noosa River

A constellation of beautiful birds at the river mouth

Twilight at the Noosa River sandbar

So that’s it then. We want lots of fine and sunny weather on the menu from now on.

If all of us in Noosa send out positive thoughts about the return of sunshine and blue skies to the Sunshine Coast, then it has to make a difference doesn’t it?

Cheers for now,

Michael

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Christmas in Noosa is a very special time. I know that a lot of people never go away for Christmas, preferring to spend the day with the extended family at their home but we really love Christmas away from home and have  enjoyed many, just us and our two children,  whilst on holiday somewhere very special.

One of our absolute best was Christmas Day at Machu Picchu in Peru – an absolutely awe inspiring place to be at any time, but even more special to be there at Christmas. Our glorious morning traipsing around the ruins in the sunshine quickly changed to being drenched in torrential rain and finding our way back down to the town of Aguas Caliente, at the base of the mountain, for a simple but delicious vegetarian meal in a local restaurant. We will never forget that one.

This year we will be at home in Noosa…and so we decided that we wanted to offer an unique and memorable option for one small group of Noosa holiday makers on Christmas Day.

We were thinking a sandbar picnic and cruise would be perfect – but were uncertain of what should be on the menu until our friends at Red Mango Roll launched their Christmas Seafood and Sushi Platter. What could be better for a Christmas Day Noosa Dreamboats picnic?

Seafood and Sushi Platter

So, for one group of up to 5 persons, this Christmas you can cruise on the beautiful Noosa Dream and enjoy a sumptuous picnic feast. Your  booking will include 3  hours of cruising and dining with a 60pc Seafood and Sushi Platter, a fresh seasonal fruit platter and 15 pieces of hand made chocolates. The Seafood and Sushi Platter (pictured above) includes: Lobster caviar sushi rolls, fresh prawns, ngiri sushi, fresh oysters with wakame salsa and assorted sushi rolls.

Michael will collect you from the Sheraton jetty, Hastings St at 11am and then return you about 2pm. During your cruise you will explore Noosa Sound, head up river past Noosaville and Tewantin, check out what’s happening at Sir Richard Branson’s Makepeace Island and cross peaceful Lake Cooroibah before heading back to Noosa for your exclusive sandbar picnic at the river mouth.

We will supply all you need including ice bucket and glasses, picnic blanket, beach umbrella and all your food and dining needs. BYO swimmers, towels, hats and drinks.

This exclusive Noosa Dreamboats Christmas Day picnic and cruise is available for 2 to 5 persons and is $750 all inclusive for both the cruise and lunch.

Create your own special Christmas Day memories with us this year.  Call Sandy on 0414 990 708 to book.

Note: First in best dressed and this cruise must be pre booked.

Fancy a Christmas Day Noosa Dreamboats cruise?

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