Australia, Queensland, Sunshine Coast at Bli Bli; The Finnish Memorial Park

On the Finland Rd at Bli Bli, at the Sunshine Coast, there is a park that would interest the Finnish immigrant population to Australia, if not all the immigrants to Australia. It is the Finnish Memorial Park, created by the Finnish cane cutter families that lived there during the times when cane was still cut at the Sunshine Coast.

It was about 17-years ago that I had last visited this place. Then it was just cane fields, but the place for the park had been selected and the organisers of the planned park were just getting to ordering the memorial sculpture. After much discussion they settled in inviting Martti Väänänen, a sculpturer from Kiiminki in Finland to create the memorial. The park itself was opened in 1997. At the same time it was also donated to the Council for upkeep.

The Finland Rd as such is a long and lumpy ride amongst the last cane fields at Sunshine Coast. Not much of them is left as the new suburbs are born across the coastline. However, it is a delight to suddenly end up in a small, well tendered park that makes one remember those people who came to Australia on ships, after spending weeks on the oceans, and months on the migration centers in the south and ending up in Queensland on the cane fields.

The Migration Museum at Peräseinäjoki in Finland, previously presented on this blog, carries matching information about the emigration of the Finnish people to around the world. I am hearing that more than million Finnish people live permanently abroad.

One of the highlights of the Finnish Migration Museum is the cane cutters cottage that was actually dissembled in Ingham, Queensland and sent to the Museum at Peräseinäjoki, where it was reassembled in a totally new surroundings to the delight of many people interested in the migration history of the people of the area.

The Finnish Memorial Park at Bli Bli carries on the delightful tradition of people building spaces for themselves where they can comfortably meet and have a picnic in memory of the times gone by. I, for one, can very well see this park as a functional meeting place for a family gathering, even a wedding as there is a kind of Finnish style pavilion included in the park just inviting dancing.

When choosing a place where people could meet at Sunshine Coast for a celebration, the Finnish Memorial Park is a good pick. It is well kept, secluded and spacious. See you there sometime on your travels.

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Australia, Queensland, Sunshine Coast; Bellingham Maze

If you are looking for a very cool, wonderful and compassionate day with your family, friends or business partners at Sunshine Coast, Queensland and unsure of what to do, I would recommend choosing to 'get lost' at the Bellingham Maze. A day of fun and games there will make your visit a memorable addition and give your brains some extra exercise. The main attraction of the site, a large star shaped hedge maze was designed and planted in 1991.

According to maze masters website 'a maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route.

Mazes have a long history, the famous Cretan Labyrinth being the oldest and the most famous one. It was where the king kept a minotaur. Hedge mazes have been planted since the 16th Century in Britain. This is when gardens became places for games and fun for the noble families.

The original hedges at the Bellingham Maze are of Cypress Tree, but they are now being replaced with the native Australian plants for better sustainability.

I can just imagine the start of it. About 20 years ago, somebody at Sunshine Coast, who was fond of British mazes and puzzles had a bright idea of starting a tourism business. You can clearly see that the place has been developed with love and compassion for the environment. It is a nice Australian adaptation of the European mazes.

There is a very curious water fall to walk through at the entrance, a tropical garden, plenty of purposefully designed puzzles to solve, a friendly cafe to rest you feet at, have a 'cuppa' and discuss some serious or frivolous problem solving issues. The large aviary is a nice addition, displaying local birds.


The maze itself is good fun. It will take a while to solve. At the same time, the visitor can look for how many gnomes are hiding in the maze. Your reward is finding the secret fountain in the middle. And then you have to find your way out, or, you could find the 'give up gate' like my friend did.


It is possible for a family or a group to spend a whole day at the
Bellingham Maze solving puzzles, playing around, drinking tea, walking in the forest, looking for birds and visiting the Snow White House. Apparently, she even shows up at the house herself. The place calls for a peaceful and friendly day amongst the busy time during holiday or weekend fun. There is a natural feel to it! That is it's charm. I would definitely classify this attraction as a compassionate place to visit.

We dragged a wheelchair along the corridors of the maze with some effort, but it worked and provided lots of fun and entertainment to try to get through the openings. Finding our way back was a 'piece of cake' as our 'tracker' just followed the previous wheel tracks in the gravel. Very clever of her, I thought. I am certainly looking forward to taking my family there another time and seeing how the new Australian type of maze will look like.
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Australia, Sunshine Coast, Bli Bli; The Sunshine Castle

For a compassionate world traveler interested in the historical sights of the world visiting the Sunshine Castle at Bli Bli in the Sunshine Coast of Australia is a curiosity without question.

History

The Bli Bli castle is a modern replica of a Norman medieval castle. The building of it started in the early 1970's by an enthusiast who thought to build a castle in Australia.

The first time my family visited the castle was in 1996. We were told by friends that this is a curiosity that we just must see. And truly, even then while we were swept beyond belief by the idea that someone would build a castle in such a place, we were also charmed by it, especially by the then new doll displays.

Visiting the castle today when it has grown and flourished into a real awarded tourist attraction is greatly inspiring.

The castle is a compelling experience of mixed and matched kind

The compassionate visitor is introduced to the medieval life through the objects and signs around the castle, including a considerable display of swords.

Visitors can dress the part, walk around the battlements hunting clues to the questions about the life in the medieval times and at the same time get the more frivolous fairytale feel of childhood memories through marveling the expanded doll exhibition and the fairytale panoramas scattered around the place. There is also a nice miniature train display to see.

Our only disappointment was that there is no access for the higher parts of the castle to people with wheelchairs. Some creative thinking would be greatly appreciated in getting the young disabled persons to see the dolls and experience the spectacular battlement views over the coastal area.

One of the highlights of the exhibitions is the room displaying different castles around the world. It is on the ground floor and would be accessible even to the people in wheelchairs. It truly shows the owner's love of castles, especially the German ones.

The other curiosity that greatly interested our younger mediaevalist minded friends is the original chair that was used in the production of the Hercules and Xena TV series.

The second highlight of our visit was the castle shop. It is filled with quality toys and figurines of knights, fairies and castles.

Our experience

All in all our visit was highly enjoyable. Our friend, who has lived near the castle for a long time, but never visited it before commented that it will be a great place to bring her grand children over the summer holidays. "It is just a place to wake their curiosity", she said. Be prepared to spend a much longer time there than originally planned.

If a visitor were to spend a longer time in the costal area there are scheduled events, such as opera and other theater events throughout the year, including a Medieval Fair.

The Sunshine Castle is a place that a traveler can visit again and again as it keeps growing and developing just like the old castles did. It's presence has been printed in my mind for the last 15 years and I look forward to taking my friends and family for renewed visits there in the future.

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Australia, Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Chenrezig Institute a Centre of Buddhist Study

Chenrezig Institute at Eudlo, Sunshine Coast hinterland is a centre for Buddhist study, retreat, meditation and practice. It is one of the oldest established Buddhist centers in the Western World, being founded in the early 1970's.

It is a delightful experience for the compassionate traveler to spend a few hours there, having lunch and partaking in a discussion on the meaning of the Buddhist tradition. You can also spend longer time there in a retreat enjoying Buddhist teachings. Currently the Centre is a home of two Tibetan Lamas and a community of ordained nuns and monks, students, residents, volunteers and guests.


To get there requires a drive up the hill and an effort to walk lots of steps or drag a wheelchair up a steep hill but it is really worth it. The lunch at the cafe is excellent. The scenery and the atmosphere is breathtaking. Even the insects like it as they are not harmed or killed for sticking to your fingers.

What you need to do though, when planning your visit, is to get on Internet, check the current program and either send them an email or phone to book your lunch and other planned activities.

If you require wheelchair access or otherwise need help, you need to let them know. The centre is not well prepared for this as it is very high on the hills with gravel roads and steps everywhere. There is lots of goodwill and kindness available and thus all the hardship will be overcome.


A visit to the Garden of Enlightenment at the retreat is also a treat. It has a large Stupa that is surrounded with a lovely garden hosting smaller Stupas.





Our time was well spent there. We also took some time visiting the gift shop listening to music, browsing books and other information about the centre, it's activities and the general Buddhist way of life.

If a compassionate traveler would like to know more about the Buddhist tradition. The Chenrezig Institute is a member of the Foundation of Preserving the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Lots of worthwhile information about this can be found by googling the Internet.

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