One of the great benefits of living in Brisbane is that you’re only a short drive away from some of the best coastal regions in Australia.

The Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast, and Byron Bay are all within a couple hours’ drive, and are popular destinations anytime the boys are looking for somewhere to relax and unwind.

A brief getaway to one of these places – even if it’s only for a day or two – can make a world of difference to you both physically and mentally.

The Club has been taking advantage of its proximity to the Sunshine Coast, in particular, this season by routinely sending a small group of guys to Noosa for a couple of nights as part of their recovery program.

Only a few players go each time – usually those on de-load weeks – and the Club generally sends a good mixture of senior and younger blokes.

We get to stay at an amazing house, which is located in the heart of Hastings Street overlooking Noosa Main Beach, and spend the bulk of our time doing recovery – things like getting massages, swimming in the ocean, and going on some light jogs.

The place is owned by one of our supporters, who generously offered the house for the Club to use for such purposes whenever it was available.

If you follow Tom Rockliff on Instagram, you might have already seen some of the snaps from when he stayed there last month with Lewy Taylor and Aishy. Robbo, Sammy Mayes and Luke McGuane were also there a few weeks back.

I had the pleasure of checking the place out myself this week – along with Jack Redden and Darcy Gardiner – and couldn’t help but post an Instagram pic myself while admiring the view from the balcony.

Some fans might see it as just a bit of a luxury for us players, but it’s much more than that.

It’s an important part of our recovery program, but is unique because it brings the Club, and players, together in a new environment – much like we’ve had with those trips to Arizona in recent years.   

It also helps some of our younger guys, in particular, become familiar with Queensland, and gives them a chance to explore their new home a bit more.

Having small groups of players go up also helps us build stronger relationships with each other.

It might sound strange given we spend almost every waking minute together at the Gabba, but it’s rare that you get the chance to hang out with your teammates in that sort of relaxed environment.

I think it’s a great initiative by the Club, and the feedback from the boys that have been so far has been really positive.