Room check: Culgoa Point Beach Resort, Noosa Heads

Children play on the banks of the Noosa River at Culgoa Point Beach Resort as the sun sets. Photo / Eveline Harvey

Eveline Harvey stays at a largely quiet spot alongside a picturesque Queensland river.

Getting there: From Sunshine Coast Airport a taxi costs about A$75 ($82), or around A$25 if you use a shuttle service. If you're flying to Brisbane, your best bet is probably to hire a car and self-drive.

Check-in experience? We were greeted by the friendly staff at reception who happily answered questions.

Price? Ranges from A$160 a night for a one-bedroom marina apartment in the low season to A$520 a night for a three-bedroom premium beachfront apartment in the high season (late December to mid-January). There are discounted weekly rates available for all the apartments and minimum-stay periods at certain times.

Room? A ground-floor, beachfront apartment that offered wonderful sunset views out across the Noosa River. Equipped with its own kitchen and laundry, the apartment had everything an independent traveller required.

What's so good about this place? It's tucked away at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac and its grounds are dotted with gorgeous tropical plants. The Noosa River wraps around the point where the resort is situated so you can stroll along the private beach or get out on the water by hiring a paddleboard or kayak. The staff go above and beyond: during our stay media passes to an event had been left for us at reception but they couldn't be located when we asked. Ten minutes later, as we were walking along the road to Noosa, we heard a car horn and turned around — the lady from reception had found our passes and chased after us to deliver them.

What's in the neighbourhood? The elegant Rickys River Bar + Restaurant is a short stroll along the road. The Q Place stop on the ferry, which runs between Tewantin and Noosa is just up the road.

Toiletries? Soaps, shampoo and conditioner.

Food and drink? There are no dining venues onsite as the apartments allow for self-catering, however it's only a short drive or ferry ride (or a slightly longer walk) to Noosa proper, where you can take your pick from a wide variety of bars, cafes and restaurants.

The bed? Perfectly comfortable without being the most luxurious I've ever slept in.

Noise? For the majority of my stay the only noise was the screech of native parrots. On my penultimate night however, the neighbours in the apartment upstairs came home at midnight and carried on their party above my head until 3am.

Exercise facilities? No gym, but there's a half-sized tennis court and a large heated pool in addition to the watersports activities available on the river.

Perfect for? Families, couples, groups of friends.

Would I return? Yes — though if the neighbours started a midnight racket again I'd probably say something instead of suffering in sleepless silence.

The author stayed as a guest of Culgoa Point Beach Resort.