So with a week in Cairns under my belt, it was time to look at what was outstanding on the "Must do" list of Northern Queensland. I'd done the Bungee, explored Cape Tribulation via the Daintree Rain forest and enjoyed a brief trip through Port Douglas. I'd spent time lounging in the hostel pool and the public Lagoon, and spent rainy afternoons in the shopping centre, and watching an awful film at the Cinema (If you get the chance to see The Good Shepherd... don't!). the only thing left was to go and visit the only living thing that you can see from space (And the thing that kills the surf on the top half of the coast!)... The Great Barrier Reef. So on Monday morning, bright and early I jumped on the shuttle bus from my new, out in the middle of nowhere hostel (Well, I had a couple of free nights to use up!), to be on the deck of the twin hulled Ocean Spirit by 8:00, to head to the rather exclusive Michaelmas Cay.
So with a safe flight to Darwin under my belt I leave the East Coast behind. I've had a lot of fun over the last few weeks traveling up the coast, have met some really fantastic people, and made some great friends. These are not just people I want have met traveling, but people that I want to continue to have in my life in some way or another, all of which I'd like to see again, whether it's in England... or when they next visit the Land Down Under!
Well, tomorrow I start my journey around the Northern Territory, the Red Center, South Australia, and then Victoria ending in Melbourne... once I've had my fill of Australia's second city, I'll be back in Sydney to face reality! It's going to be a very busy 3 weeks or so!
Much love to everyone.
Michaelmas Cay is one of the most important reserves for marine bird life on the Great Barrier Reef, and is surrounded by a 7Km stretch of the reef itself. There are only 3 tour boats that are licensed to stop there, so even at it's busiest there is still plenty of space for everyone to snorkel (Only 50 people at a time are allowed onto the Island itself). And after 2.5 hours under engine power we arrived, and with clear blue skies and the sun shining, it was perfect snorkeling weather... so snorkel we did! After donning stinger suits to help prevent Jellyfish stings, and slipping on the rather cumbersome flippers, mask and snorkel, it was time to once again enter another world!
The corals themselves were just about the same as I'd already seen around the Whitsunday islands, but nothing could prepare me for the massive array of tropical fish and other aquatic life under the shimmering ocean surface. The stretch of reef around Michaelmas Cay is home to 1000 different species of fish, and other weird and wonderful life forms such as Sea Slugs and Giant Clams. As you can imagine, upon plunging into the tropical waters I was faces with a rainbow's worth of colourful fish, some plain, some intricately patterned but all fascinating, ranging from less than an inch long, to over 2 feet! In a way I wish I knew more about exactly what it was I was looking at, but in no way did that detract from the visual spectacle on offer!
The two stints of snorkeling were broken up with a tour on a glass bottom boat, where we got to see some of the reef a little further out from the island itself, during which we saw a massive Manta that was around 1.5 metres in diameter, impressive stuff! We were also served with a delicious buffet meal including an array of cold meats and fresh, in the shell prawns... yummy! With all the fun of the day over with, we headed back for Cairns under sail power, driven by winds of up to 25knots. This was accompanied with live music and a chilled glass of Aussie Sparkling Wine, all in all a very civilised was to spend a day at the reef (Especially as we paid $70 less than everyone else, I love free upgrades!). The evening was spent in the rather less civilised surroundings of The Woolshed, a backpacker bar that had become a bit of a regular place for us to spend our evenings!
My last morning was spent checking out of my hostel and getting back into the Cairns CBD, booking accomidation for the next couple of nights in Darwin, and organisig transport to and from the Airport. This was rewarded by spending my last afternoon with friends, havinf a fun time swimming and relaxing in the Lagoon, and sharing some food and Ice Cream before saying goodbye for one last time, well 4 or 5 times actually!So with a safe flight to Darwin under my belt I leave the East Coast behind. I've had a lot of fun over the last few weeks traveling up the coast, have met some really fantastic people, and made some great friends. These are not just people I want have met traveling, but people that I want to continue to have in my life in some way or another, all of which I'd like to see again, whether it's in England... or when they next visit the Land Down Under!
Well, tomorrow I start my journey around the Northern Territory, the Red Center, South Australia, and then Victoria ending in Melbourne... once I've had my fill of Australia's second city, I'll be back in Sydney to face reality! It's going to be a very busy 3 weeks or so!
Much love to everyone.
So upon arriving in Cairns I met up with a lovely chap called Matt that I've not seen for a little while, we shared a drink or two to catch up on what we'd both been up to and then Matt mentioned he might be doing a Bungee jump... and after turning to my chum Ed and grinning, we'd agreed to join. Now it's very easy to say yes to something like that from the comfort of a bench in a bar with a cold beer in front of you... which is why on Monday morning we weren't quite so sure it was a good idea... turns out no-one was sure it was a good idea. Now the Bungee site is about a 20 minute drive out of town, and the oly way the company will come ond pick you up is if someone has paid to do the jump in advance... turns out that person was me, and then inspired by my actions 2 others agreed and did the same so we could take a few spectators along! So with our money handed over all that was left was to wait for about an hour to be picked up.... a surprisingly long hour! Once in the minibus disclamer sheets were handed round, basically signing away any right to take legal action against the organisers in case something was to go... ahem.... wrong, they really know how to install a sense of confidence don't they?! Upon arriving we suddenly realised that 50 meters isn't so high up after-all, once again... very easy to think that whilst your feet are placed firmly on the ground! So we were all revved up to go, only to be told it would be another half hour or so as the crew were on their lunch break, awesome, more waiting! As the minutes ticked by, we all started to go a bit quieter as we had time to lok up at the platform, which startet to look higher and higher as time ticked on! Finally the time had come, and we started the long walk up the staircase to one side of the tower to the jump platform. I can safely say that the higher we got, the more it was sinking in exactly what we were about to do, and the crazier it seemed! Once at the top I had a few minutes to contimplate whether I actually wanted to do this, that question popped into my head again as the towel was being wrapped round my ankles (They assured me it was a NASA certified towel!), and then again as I had to hop towards the edge... and looked over, and the countdown begins...
5... what am I doing.
4... I can't do this.
3... it's only $100 wasted.
2... right I'm outta here...
1... No I'm not, I'm so jumping.
GO!... **** it!
I'm so pleased I jumped, the freefall was awesome, scary, thrilling, seeing the ground approaching fast, feeling the cord take the strain, and seeing the world disapear again as I spring back into the air being tossed around like a ragdoll! Naturally as I was hanging there waiting for the Dinghy to paddle out to come fetch me I had a massive grin on my face. Any regrests? Sure, I didn't go up for another jump... still, it was only 50 meters, there are bigger jumps out there for me to challenge myself with!
After that I needed to do something a bit more low key, so for the next day 8 of us hired a people carrier, and went up the coast to Cape Tribulation, and the Daintree rainforest. We got up noce and early to make the most of the day, and after stopping off for a bit of brekkie made ourway up to Daintree, where we stopped off for a nice stroll in the rainforest towards Mossman Gorge. Naturally the forest was a humid mass of trees, weird and wonderful plant life, and as many bugs as you could want to see. How the humidity might have been a bit of an irritation, were it not for taking a swim in the fast flowing waters of the river running through the gorge. I went in for a bit of a paddle, and jus as my feet started to go numb I knew I had to take a dip, I think it was just about the most refreshing sensation I've felt in a long time, icy cold water running past you as you hold onto a rock to avoid being washed away! After hopping out of the water after 15 minutes or so, we moved a litle further north to take in a river tour where we saw wild saltwater Crocs, treesnakes and tree frogs, we also had the rare oppertunity of seeing a Crocodile nest being guarded by the expectant Mum, who didn't look too happy to see us, so naturally we made a hasty retreat before heading back to the shore. Again more driving north to Cape Tribulation itself, where we wandered down to the beach for a bit of a walk, and a head to head race between Lucy and myself (Well I needed my adrenaline rush for the day!), I'll be a gent and not publish the outcome... ;-) As it was getting dark it was time to head back to Cairns via Port Douglas, for a couple of quiet drinks and an early-ish night!
We've had a couple of lazy days since, although I hope to make a trip to the Reef before I fly to Darwin on Tuesday for the next leg of my travels... the long slog back to Sydney!
Much Love to everyone.
5... what am I doing.
4... I can't do this.
3... it's only $100 wasted.
2... right I'm outta here...
1... No I'm not, I'm so jumping.
GO!... **** it!
I'm so pleased I jumped, the freefall was awesome, scary, thrilling, seeing the ground approaching fast, feeling the cord take the strain, and seeing the world disapear again as I spring back into the air being tossed around like a ragdoll! Naturally as I was hanging there waiting for the Dinghy to paddle out to come fetch me I had a massive grin on my face. Any regrests? Sure, I didn't go up for another jump... still, it was only 50 meters, there are bigger jumps out there for me to challenge myself with!
After that I needed to do something a bit more low key, so for the next day 8 of us hired a people carrier, and went up the coast to Cape Tribulation, and the Daintree rainforest. We got up noce and early to make the most of the day, and after stopping off for a bit of brekkie made ourway up to Daintree, where we stopped off for a nice stroll in the rainforest towards Mossman Gorge. Naturally the forest was a humid mass of trees, weird and wonderful plant life, and as many bugs as you could want to see. How the humidity might have been a bit of an irritation, were it not for taking a swim in the fast flowing waters of the river running through the gorge. I went in for a bit of a paddle, and jus as my feet started to go numb I knew I had to take a dip, I think it was just about the most refreshing sensation I've felt in a long time, icy cold water running past you as you hold onto a rock to avoid being washed away! After hopping out of the water after 15 minutes or so, we moved a litle further north to take in a river tour where we saw wild saltwater Crocs, treesnakes and tree frogs, we also had the rare oppertunity of seeing a Crocodile nest being guarded by the expectant Mum, who didn't look too happy to see us, so naturally we made a hasty retreat before heading back to the shore. Again more driving north to Cape Tribulation itself, where we wandered down to the beach for a bit of a walk, and a head to head race between Lucy and myself (Well I needed my adrenaline rush for the day!), I'll be a gent and not publish the outcome... ;-) As it was getting dark it was time to head back to Cairns via Port Douglas, for a couple of quiet drinks and an early-ish night!
We've had a couple of lazy days since, although I hope to make a trip to the Reef before I fly to Darwin on Tuesday for the next leg of my travels... the long slog back to Sydney!
Much Love to everyone.
BUNGEE!!!
Hello again, well I'm moving up the coast fast so I had better give you all another update! First up, sailing... well I say sailing, but for that you need wind, what we had was a slight breeze! That small fact aside it was a lot of fun! The boat I was on was a Maxi class racing boat called Condor, in its day it was quite the champion, winning most of the races in the Maxi class, including the Sydney to Hobart 3 times! Now I'm not sure what I was expecting, but let's say the sleeping arrangements were, erm, snug at best! And due to a lack of air con and a lot of sunny weather, below deck things were rather hot and stuffy, by the second night I'd learnt my lesson... sleep on deck! All the air conditioning you need, and what better way to be woken up than by the sun creeping over the horizon, awesome! The 3 days on the boat were spent mainly sunning ourselves on the deck (There's not much to do on a racing boat with no wind!), reading, and naturally as soon as was socially acceptable, enjoying a drink or two. However these stints of inactivity were nicely broken up by a stop off at the stunning Whitehaven beach, which was stunning, white sand so fine you can polish your jewelery with, and so pure that it doesn't need refining to be made into glass! We also had a couple of opertunities to snorkle over the reefs that grow round some of the 74 islands that make up The Whitsundays. Having never snorkled before this was a pretty amazing experience, a window into an utterly alien landscape filled with some really weird stuff! Good pratice for snorkling over the Great Barrier Reef, which is something I hope to do over the next few days or so. We had a really nice gorup on the boat, a good mix of guys, girls and nationalities that made the lack of wind not so much of a problem! Upon returning to Airlie Beach I had a chilled evening with a few friends, in preparation for my last early bus on the East Coast... next stop Townsville!
Now, Townsville is really just a gateway to get to Magnetic Island, just about the last place going north that you can see Koalas in the wild. Now there isn't a whole lot to do on Magnetic Island other than relax, which is no bad thing! A bit of a bonus was that myself and a friend were looking through their jukebox casully and were asked to do a bit of manual labour, lugging 20 or so beer kegs into the Hostel's cellar, in exchange for free drinks at the bar and a cooked breakfast the next day... nice, and well worth half an hour of our time! I did at last get to see a wild Koala though, a few of us went down to a local animal sanctury to see (and handle!) some of the local wildlife, incluing Crocs, Lizards and snakes, and on the way out did a little bush walk and saw a lone, motionless Koala! I don't think it was stuffed! The bar at the Hostel was just about the only nightlife on the island, but a fun time was had, and once again I found myself dancing on tabletops with a little cheer squad... I'm a shy retiring one... honest! In all fairness it was at the request of the barman, and in exchance for a couple of shots of Tequila... good deal if you ask me!
Now if all that relaxing wasn't enough, the next stop up the coast, Mission Beach, was yet another relaxathon! The weather was awful, so we just spent our time round the rather lovely Hostel, which was just a big house converted for backpackers. Really nothing to report from there, we sat around chatting, playing pool, making cups of tea, relaxing in the pool, and watching the occasional movie... and in my case bouncing around due to a build up of energy with no real release! That'll be something I plan to fix now I'm back in civilisation, Cairns! With any luck I'll manage to find an outlet for some of this energy before I jump in a car with a trio of girls that I'm going to Cape Tribulation and Port Douglas with... otherwise I'll drive them mad!
Well, take care everyone, hopefully I'll have something exciting to report in the next day or so!
Now, Townsville is really just a gateway to get to Magnetic Island, just about the last place going north that you can see Koalas in the wild. Now there isn't a whole lot to do on Magnetic Island other than relax, which is no bad thing! A bit of a bonus was that myself and a friend were looking through their jukebox casully and were asked to do a bit of manual labour, lugging 20 or so beer kegs into the Hostel's cellar, in exchange for free drinks at the bar and a cooked breakfast the next day... nice, and well worth half an hour of our time! I did at last get to see a wild Koala though, a few of us went down to a local animal sanctury to see (and handle!) some of the local wildlife, incluing Crocs, Lizards and snakes, and on the way out did a little bush walk and saw a lone, motionless Koala! I don't think it was stuffed! The bar at the Hostel was just about the only nightlife on the island, but a fun time was had, and once again I found myself dancing on tabletops with a little cheer squad... I'm a shy retiring one... honest! In all fairness it was at the request of the barman, and in exchance for a couple of shots of Tequila... good deal if you ask me!
Now if all that relaxing wasn't enough, the next stop up the coast, Mission Beach, was yet another relaxathon! The weather was awful, so we just spent our time round the rather lovely Hostel, which was just a big house converted for backpackers. Really nothing to report from there, we sat around chatting, playing pool, making cups of tea, relaxing in the pool, and watching the occasional movie... and in my case bouncing around due to a build up of energy with no real release! That'll be something I plan to fix now I'm back in civilisation, Cairns! With any luck I'll manage to find an outlet for some of this energy before I jump in a car with a trio of girls that I'm going to Cape Tribulation and Port Douglas with... otherwise I'll drive them mad!
Well, take care everyone, hopefully I'll have something exciting to report in the next day or so!
Phew, finally in an air conditioned internet cafe! So where was I... oh yes, Fraser Island.
We had a fairly short drive from Noosa to get to Hervey Bay, the main access point to Fraser Island, it only took 4 hours or so. In the evening we grabbed some food at the obligatory Irish Pub, and then went to just about the single worst club I've ever experienced, this place had a capacity of about 200... there were less than 20 people there! Our driver joined up for the fun as he's a regular there, he assured us that that was as busy as it gets! Still we had a bit of a boogie and then high tailed it out of there as we had a 6:00 start the next day to get to the 4x4 hire place. After a bit of food shopping and a few formalities, 10 of us were bundled into a Toyota 4x4 and set off to get the ferry across to the quite frankly awesome Fraser Island.
Upon arriving we started driving straight across the bumpy sand track that forms the island's roads to our first stop. Now I'd bee told great things about this place from one of it's biggest fans, so I was expecting good things, and that's what I got by the bucketload! Our first stop was Lake Wabby, we hopped out of the 4x4 and started a walk down a long and winding path down towards the lake, at then e4nd of the path we weren't faced with glistening water, but by a mountain of glistening sand. Hot and sweaty we slowly made out way up the slope, I was a little ahead of everyone which I'm rather greatful for now, as upon reaching the crest of this massive sand blow, the stunning Lake Wabby was revealed in all it's glory. I'd like to say that I stood there and took in the view few a few minutes... forget that... I ran down the slope the other side and got straight into the refreshing deep blue/green water, how wonderfully refreshing, a great reward for the walk up! With plenty to see before getting to the camp site at 4:30, and a fair bit of driving ahead we only stayed for about a hour, but it was long enough to know I loved Fraser! The next stop was Eli Creek, a wonderful creek that you can relax in as it gently pushes you back towards the beach.
Now I could go on describing the places we saw, the Champagne Pools, Lake Makenzie and many other great spots on the island, but I'm not sure words would do then justice. Hopefully once I'm back in Sydney with my laptop I'll be able to sort out my pictures and get them online, but I don't think anything can explain how special the place is, you just need to go there! We camped for 2 nights and were on the Island for 3 days, and rather unsurprisingly I bumped into Michelle again whilst there! It was odd to be completely out of contact with the outside world, no reception on the mobile, no pay-phones, and no radio. We become so used to be able to be in contact at the drop of a hat, it makes me wonder how many ancient forms of communication have been lost through time.
Upon arriving back in Hervey Bay, we were all so tired, we just grabbed some food and then hit the hay, we were all in bed by 9:30... what party animals! I also had the excuse of yet another early bus, 7:00 in the morning, that would be taking me to a Cattle station in Kroombit for the afternoon, and an overnight stay! For the first time our bus headed not straight up the coast, but inland through Sugar Cane plantations and old Gold mining towns, and to the isolated but charming Kroombit Cattle Station... and once again... no mobile, no payphones, no internet, I love it!
Now I'll start by saying the hours that made up the afternoon and evening are some of the most fun I've had in years, and make me pretty sure I was a cowboy in a former life! The first thing we got up to was jumping on the back of a horse, and herding up a load of goats spread across the massice cattle station. Now this was a lot of fun, I loved being on horse back, more than I imagined I would, and had no problem yelling and whooping at the stubborn goats to drive them into their pens! we were a nice small group of 6, but still we rounded up the tricky billy goats and nanny goats in pretty quick time, giving us the chance to go on a nice little trek through some of the rockier terrain surrounding us. In all we were with the horses for a good couple of hours, and it's certainly something I'd like to have a go at again!
Next up was a goat rodeo! Well, just a couple of team events, first we had to get in the pen with all the goats we'd just rounded up, catch ourselves a nanny, milk it, and then drink the milk. It was a fun little team event, although it was a little worrying having the head of a very lively goat clamped between my thighs! The second event was a "branding" exercise, with a fake brand naturally! we had to catch and brand yet another lively wee critter! With some effort we succeeded in our task with the best time! Good stuff. Now next up was clay pigeon shooting, we only got 5 clays each, and our driver bet us a beer that no-one would be able to beat him, he shot first and hit only one of the clays, so as you can imagine we were all up for at least getting 2 clean hits... not that any of us had ever even held a shotgun before! Still I waited in line watching the other newbies having a go, it swung between great success of hitting 2 clays, and what I was expecting, hitting none at all! Finally it was my time, do I stepped up to the shooting position, and after a quick bit of guidance popped on the ear defenders ready to take my first shot... "Pull" as the bright orange clay was flung into the air I tracked it and pulled the trigger... poof it turned into dust... beginners luck I was sure. After a cheer from the guys behind me and a quick reload I was ready to go again... "Pull" once again I got a hit... and again... and again... and again! 5 out of 5, I came away beaming... and a little worried that I'd performed quite so well! Maybe I missed my calling in life!
After all that was over and we'd taken a little drive, we all relaxed with roast beef from the station, a few beers and an evening of whip cracking, bull riding, and game playing with the staff. A lot of fun was has and we were all a little sad to say goodbye to this fantastic place as we boarded the bus to Airlie Beach.
And Airlie Beach is where I am now, having a quiet couple of days before I set sail round the Whitsunday Islands on a Maxi class, race winning Yacht. Should be a lot of fun, but until Saturday which is when I set sail, I have some washing to catch up on, so I should go!
Much love to you all, take care, and I hope all is well wherever you are.
We had a fairly short drive from Noosa to get to Hervey Bay, the main access point to Fraser Island, it only took 4 hours or so. In the evening we grabbed some food at the obligatory Irish Pub, and then went to just about the single worst club I've ever experienced, this place had a capacity of about 200... there were less than 20 people there! Our driver joined up for the fun as he's a regular there, he assured us that that was as busy as it gets! Still we had a bit of a boogie and then high tailed it out of there as we had a 6:00 start the next day to get to the 4x4 hire place. After a bit of food shopping and a few formalities, 10 of us were bundled into a Toyota 4x4 and set off to get the ferry across to the quite frankly awesome Fraser Island.
Upon arriving we started driving straight across the bumpy sand track that forms the island's roads to our first stop. Now I'd bee told great things about this place from one of it's biggest fans, so I was expecting good things, and that's what I got by the bucketload! Our first stop was Lake Wabby, we hopped out of the 4x4 and started a walk down a long and winding path down towards the lake, at then e4nd of the path we weren't faced with glistening water, but by a mountain of glistening sand. Hot and sweaty we slowly made out way up the slope, I was a little ahead of everyone which I'm rather greatful for now, as upon reaching the crest of this massive sand blow, the stunning Lake Wabby was revealed in all it's glory. I'd like to say that I stood there and took in the view few a few minutes... forget that... I ran down the slope the other side and got straight into the refreshing deep blue/green water, how wonderfully refreshing, a great reward for the walk up! With plenty to see before getting to the camp site at 4:30, and a fair bit of driving ahead we only stayed for about a hour, but it was long enough to know I loved Fraser! The next stop was Eli Creek, a wonderful creek that you can relax in as it gently pushes you back towards the beach.
Now I could go on describing the places we saw, the Champagne Pools, Lake Makenzie and many other great spots on the island, but I'm not sure words would do then justice. Hopefully once I'm back in Sydney with my laptop I'll be able to sort out my pictures and get them online, but I don't think anything can explain how special the place is, you just need to go there! We camped for 2 nights and were on the Island for 3 days, and rather unsurprisingly I bumped into Michelle again whilst there! It was odd to be completely out of contact with the outside world, no reception on the mobile, no pay-phones, and no radio. We become so used to be able to be in contact at the drop of a hat, it makes me wonder how many ancient forms of communication have been lost through time.
Upon arriving back in Hervey Bay, we were all so tired, we just grabbed some food and then hit the hay, we were all in bed by 9:30... what party animals! I also had the excuse of yet another early bus, 7:00 in the morning, that would be taking me to a Cattle station in Kroombit for the afternoon, and an overnight stay! For the first time our bus headed not straight up the coast, but inland through Sugar Cane plantations and old Gold mining towns, and to the isolated but charming Kroombit Cattle Station... and once again... no mobile, no payphones, no internet, I love it!
Now I'll start by saying the hours that made up the afternoon and evening are some of the most fun I've had in years, and make me pretty sure I was a cowboy in a former life! The first thing we got up to was jumping on the back of a horse, and herding up a load of goats spread across the massice cattle station. Now this was a lot of fun, I loved being on horse back, more than I imagined I would, and had no problem yelling and whooping at the stubborn goats to drive them into their pens! we were a nice small group of 6, but still we rounded up the tricky billy goats and nanny goats in pretty quick time, giving us the chance to go on a nice little trek through some of the rockier terrain surrounding us. In all we were with the horses for a good couple of hours, and it's certainly something I'd like to have a go at again!
Next up was a goat rodeo! Well, just a couple of team events, first we had to get in the pen with all the goats we'd just rounded up, catch ourselves a nanny, milk it, and then drink the milk. It was a fun little team event, although it was a little worrying having the head of a very lively goat clamped between my thighs! The second event was a "branding" exercise, with a fake brand naturally! we had to catch and brand yet another lively wee critter! With some effort we succeeded in our task with the best time! Good stuff. Now next up was clay pigeon shooting, we only got 5 clays each, and our driver bet us a beer that no-one would be able to beat him, he shot first and hit only one of the clays, so as you can imagine we were all up for at least getting 2 clean hits... not that any of us had ever even held a shotgun before! Still I waited in line watching the other newbies having a go, it swung between great success of hitting 2 clays, and what I was expecting, hitting none at all! Finally it was my time, do I stepped up to the shooting position, and after a quick bit of guidance popped on the ear defenders ready to take my first shot... "Pull" as the bright orange clay was flung into the air I tracked it and pulled the trigger... poof it turned into dust... beginners luck I was sure. After a cheer from the guys behind me and a quick reload I was ready to go again... "Pull" once again I got a hit... and again... and again... and again! 5 out of 5, I came away beaming... and a little worried that I'd performed quite so well! Maybe I missed my calling in life!
After all that was over and we'd taken a little drive, we all relaxed with roast beef from the station, a few beers and an evening of whip cracking, bull riding, and game playing with the staff. A lot of fun was has and we were all a little sad to say goodbye to this fantastic place as we boarded the bus to Airlie Beach.
And Airlie Beach is where I am now, having a quiet couple of days before I set sail round the Whitsunday Islands on a Maxi class, race winning Yacht. Should be a lot of fun, but until Saturday which is when I set sail, I have some washing to catch up on, so I should go!
Much love to you all, take care, and I hope all is well wherever you are.
Hello! Phew it's been a while so there is rather a lot to report! Right, Brisbane first...
Now,, I was told by the bus driver on the way up to Brisbane that as a rule backpackers didn't like the place, I was sure I'd be the exception... I wasn't! The drive into the city was actually quite nice, the tree lined river snaking through the city was rather lovely, punctuated by a bridge designed by the chap that was responsible for the harbour bridge in Sydney. The city sadly however lacked atmostphere, not helped by the fact that round every corner was another set of roadworks! The city is so far spread out it took me a good 30 minutes to walk from my hostel into town where I was meeting some friends! We had a great evening catching up and dancing the night away, and I got to see everyone from the first bus that I made a good friendship with which was really good.
The next day was spent wandering round the city, going up to the viewing tower in the town hall, which might have once been a great lookout onto the city, sadly as the city has grown upwards the view has been obscured by high rises leaving me rather underwhelmed! I also had a long wander around the botanic gardens which were lovely, and then chacked out the4 Brisbane Museum, which once again was rather lacklustre! Thankfully day 2 was spent with my Kayaking Byron Buddy who became my Hiking Brissie Buddy (I'll just call her Michelle from now on!). We went on a 4 hour walk round Mount Coo-tha which did offer some pretty great views of Brisbane and the river, and a sadly very dry set of Waterfalls!
An early night was to be had as another early start was in store the next day. What took me by surprise as I drifted off to sleep was that I realised I was missing Sydney, odd sensation to have after only spending 3 weeks there... of course that was all blown straight out of the water as I arrived in my next destination, Noosa.
There aren't many places that have made such an instant impact on me as Noosa, within 10 minutes of arriving I alreadly loved the place! You may ask why, and to be honest I'm not 100% sure, I think it was a mixture of the wonderful beach, the great mational park, the the local planning restriction that won't allow any buildings taller than the highest tree on their plot of land. The place had a really great atmosphere, chilled cafe culture with just enough nightlife to keep you ticking over! This was all topped off by the fact the hostel I was staying in was absolutely fantastic, a lovely wooden collonial building that had a very chilled and friendly atmosphere.
Once again I met up with a group of people I had already met on the way to Byron Bay, including a lovely couple called Ed and Fiona, who rather coincidentally are from Crowborough! We had a great evening just relaxing and having a few drinks from the hostel Bar.
The next morning I went out to grab some food for the next couple of days, and then returned to the Hostel to reward my efforts with a big chunk of watermellon. So I'm sitting enjoying the sweet yummy melon, chatting with a couple of girls from the UK when I get a tap on the shoulder, I turn round and who should it be but Michelle again! It's funny how you're constantly seeing people around that you've met further down the coast! After a very quick catch up with her Ed, Fiona and I found a Kayak hire place and went out for a relaxing couple of hours paddling up the river round which Nossa is built. That was folowed by an afternoon of Pool with Michelle, and another evening of drinking and debate with pretty much everyone I'd met up the coast so far which was great fun! Discussions went from politics to euthinasia via Israel and Iraq, all good meaty topics for a warm evening in late summer!
The next morning was spent walking round the national park with Michelle before she got on her coach up the coast, and after spending the afternoon gently toasting myself on the beach we went out dancing in celebration of one of the Hostel barman's birthday! Saydly having a fun packed few days with friends meant that all too quickly it was time to leave Noosa, 3 days really wasn't enough, but I had already booked my travel to Hervey Bay, and a tour of the next must-see place up the coast, the magnificent Fraser Island.
Well I'm gonna sign off for now, I need a feed and I'm sitting in an internet cafe with no air-con! Check back very soon to hear about what else I've been up to between Noosa and Airlie Beach.
Much love to you all!
Now,, I was told by the bus driver on the way up to Brisbane that as a rule backpackers didn't like the place, I was sure I'd be the exception... I wasn't! The drive into the city was actually quite nice, the tree lined river snaking through the city was rather lovely, punctuated by a bridge designed by the chap that was responsible for the harbour bridge in Sydney. The city sadly however lacked atmostphere, not helped by the fact that round every corner was another set of roadworks! The city is so far spread out it took me a good 30 minutes to walk from my hostel into town where I was meeting some friends! We had a great evening catching up and dancing the night away, and I got to see everyone from the first bus that I made a good friendship with which was really good.
The next day was spent wandering round the city, going up to the viewing tower in the town hall, which might have once been a great lookout onto the city, sadly as the city has grown upwards the view has been obscured by high rises leaving me rather underwhelmed! I also had a long wander around the botanic gardens which were lovely, and then chacked out the4 Brisbane Museum, which once again was rather lacklustre! Thankfully day 2 was spent with my Kayaking Byron Buddy who became my Hiking Brissie Buddy (I'll just call her Michelle from now on!). We went on a 4 hour walk round Mount Coo-tha which did offer some pretty great views of Brisbane and the river, and a sadly very dry set of Waterfalls!
An early night was to be had as another early start was in store the next day. What took me by surprise as I drifted off to sleep was that I realised I was missing Sydney, odd sensation to have after only spending 3 weeks there... of course that was all blown straight out of the water as I arrived in my next destination, Noosa.
There aren't many places that have made such an instant impact on me as Noosa, within 10 minutes of arriving I alreadly loved the place! You may ask why, and to be honest I'm not 100% sure, I think it was a mixture of the wonderful beach, the great mational park, the the local planning restriction that won't allow any buildings taller than the highest tree on their plot of land. The place had a really great atmosphere, chilled cafe culture with just enough nightlife to keep you ticking over! This was all topped off by the fact the hostel I was staying in was absolutely fantastic, a lovely wooden collonial building that had a very chilled and friendly atmosphere.
Once again I met up with a group of people I had already met on the way to Byron Bay, including a lovely couple called Ed and Fiona, who rather coincidentally are from Crowborough! We had a great evening just relaxing and having a few drinks from the hostel Bar.
The next morning I went out to grab some food for the next couple of days, and then returned to the Hostel to reward my efforts with a big chunk of watermellon. So I'm sitting enjoying the sweet yummy melon, chatting with a couple of girls from the UK when I get a tap on the shoulder, I turn round and who should it be but Michelle again! It's funny how you're constantly seeing people around that you've met further down the coast! After a very quick catch up with her Ed, Fiona and I found a Kayak hire place and went out for a relaxing couple of hours paddling up the river round which Nossa is built. That was folowed by an afternoon of Pool with Michelle, and another evening of drinking and debate with pretty much everyone I'd met up the coast so far which was great fun! Discussions went from politics to euthinasia via Israel and Iraq, all good meaty topics for a warm evening in late summer!
The next morning was spent walking round the national park with Michelle before she got on her coach up the coast, and after spending the afternoon gently toasting myself on the beach we went out dancing in celebration of one of the Hostel barman's birthday! Saydly having a fun packed few days with friends meant that all too quickly it was time to leave Noosa, 3 days really wasn't enough, but I had already booked my travel to Hervey Bay, and a tour of the next must-see place up the coast, the magnificent Fraser Island.
Well I'm gonna sign off for now, I need a feed and I'm sitting in an internet cafe with no air-con! Check back very soon to hear about what else I've been up to between Noosa and Airlie Beach.
Much love to you all!
