Throw another shrimp on the barbie!

Wednesday 14th February

Its officially 3 months since I left a very autumny Sheffield and embarked on my worldwide adventure. I have been in Australia for 2 months and I have had a wonderful time. I would first like to thank my dear friend Fiona who is up to her eyes in work work work right now who put me up for a few weeks in the Dandenong Ranges, who I shared some fantastic experiences with, cooking some taste popping meals, chatting and geeking and playing tourist. I would also like to give big virtual hugs out to Aussie Mummy and Daddy Forsyth who made me feel so at home over Christmas, took me in and ensured I was well looked after. What wonderful people their hearts are so in the right place. Of course I miss Molly the dog who I became really good friends with too – so Molly this is for you: Woof woof woof woof slurp. So I depart Australia after seeing New South Wales, Melbourne and Victoria, spending new year at Uluru – The Red Center and travelling down the East coast of Queensland. I’ve met some great people on the East Coast and shared some fantastic times. From walking in authentic rainforest, to diving the Great Barrier Reef and Stradbroke Island, to camping on the largest sand island in the world, not to forget the torrential rains around Rockhampton, and the magic of Coconut bowling on Magnetic Island. Not bad for 8 weeks and 3 weeks of that monging doing website work. I want to come back one day and do the West Coast (WA) and Northern Territory – Darwin down to Perth trail, sleep in a swag and dive with Shark Whales off the West Coast. One day. So as I depart Australia for the second time in my lifespan, I give you a song – everyone sing along with me: Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong, Under the shade of a coolibah tree, And he sang as he watched and waited ’til his billy boiled “Who’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?” Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda Who’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me And he sang as he watched and waited ’til his billy boiled “Who’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?” Down came a jumbuck to drink from the billabong, Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee, And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag, “You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”. Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda “You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me” And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag, “You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”. Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred, Down came the troopers, one, two, three, “Where’s that jolly jumbuck you’ve got in your tucker bag?” “You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”. Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda “You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me” “Where’s that jolly jumbuck you’ve got in your tucker bag?”, “You’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”. Up jumped the swagman, leapt into the billabong, “You’ll never catch me alive,” said he, And his ghost may be heard as you pass by the billabong, “Who’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me”. Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda Who’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me And his ghost may be heard as you pass by the billabong, “Who’ll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?”

Just Because…

Tuesday 13th February

Today’s weather report – Its the coldest February in 4 years here in Brisbane, with inches of rain on the sunshine coast and gold coast. It reminds me of a wet weekend in London. Brisbane reminds me of London full stop. There’s a south bank that looks like the South Bank in London, a 1960s concrete montrosoty, global stores including a Borders books which is exactly the same as the one in Oxford Street. Communters rushing around thinking the world will stop if they stop. I am getting entangled in urban life and I don’t like it. I feel stressed. Is it making me feel homesick? I don’t know but I feel wierd today. Is it because I know I am leaving Australia on Thursday? Is it because I know my parents are now in Auckland and I am wanting to see them. Is it because this is the most unfriendly hostel on all of my travels lacking character and atmosphere. Is it because I ran out of tea bags at lunch time today, is it because I have been on the road 12 weeks now (3 months). Or is it just because? It’s because. I bought another 50 tea bags anyway.

Back to Brisbane

Monday 12th February

Time to depart the idilic life of Stradbrook Island back to the concrete apartment blocks and the traffic choked centre of Brisbane. Last night I was unable to get a bed at the hostel but they’d freed a few up this morning. Unfortantly I had to take an 8 bed mixed dorm. Someone is not going to get much sleep tonight. Back in Brisbane the heavens decided to open all afternoon. Needed milk for my tea of course so took myself off shopping. Not as busy this time around which felt much better. Hostel room is as expected, scanky. If it wasn’t for the free internet I would be going elsewhere. At least tomorrow and the following day I am in a 6 bed female dorm. There just seems a strange smell everywhere and no one seems to know how to clean up after themselves. A huge contrast from Straddy thats for sure.

Straddy Island III

Sunday 11th February

Dive dive dive. I was up again at 6am – my body alarm clock keeps waking me up at this unearthly hour. My dive wasn’t until 11am. 2 dives in total, one at flat rock (because its….flat) and one at Shag Island because of the birds. Both dives endured strong currents and I did feel quite queesy on the boat whilst having our rest between dives. However I made both dives all good. Great experience, seeing turtles and many other fish life. Visibility wasn’t too bad neither was the water temperature at about 26 degrees. (Outside temp was 31 degrees). Nice. A relaxing evening playing scrabble with my newly found friends before I found myself drifting off into the land of nod.

Straddy Island II

Saturday 10th February

I really like this hostel, many of the people here are staff of the dive centre. Met a lovley girl my age from Singapore and a friendly couple from Cheshire as well. The hostel is so clean and not full of pretentious travellers. Phoned the parents to wish them well on their trip to New Zealand. They are deep in snow there so fingers crossed they can get to the station to get down to Heathrow. Can’t wait to see them next week. Word of mouth is always the best advice, so off to Brown Lake I went, a lake that is full of tea tree oil. After enduring a 3km walk to get there (avoiding the spiders and snakes) I went straight in to give myself a pamper. Lovely. Some silky skin and hair hours later I emerged for a spot of lunch and a lovelyh 3km walk back. The sun was at its best, not too hot not too cold. A delicious day. Gave my lovely Kiwi friend Mel a ring tonight to say hi and confirm my arrival to Kiwiland on Thursday. I am most excited after hearing her gorgeous Kiwi accent.

City Life

Thursday 8th February

Off to Brisbane today on the 8am coach. I’ve got into a routine of going to bed early and getting up early so to catch an 8am coach was so easy for me. I was wide awake at 5.30am. The kitchen unfortantly didnt open until 7am so I sorted out a few of my photos whilst in bed. Waving goodbye to the Nottingham girls I set on my way, my last leg on the Greyhound bus. My ticket cost me about £100 to travel from Cairnes to Brisbane within 45 days and stopping off whereever. Its the easist way to travel in Australia. I’ve really enjoyed it. I must admit however the drivers aren’t quite as friendly as their neighbouring kiwi Intercity drivers but more friendly and helpful than National Express thats for sure. I’ve not really heard many really positive things about Brisbane so 1 day and 1 night will allow me to stock up on food for the island (I have a bit of pasta and rice but need veggies to go with it). Later in Brissy Arrived at the City Backpackers hostel – near to the train station and painted bright orange. Free wireless internet though OMG. Bu the worst hostel I have stayed in. The room was dark and dingy and there was porridge oats all over the floor. The kitchen was an absolute mess as well. The lounge is ok though and there are nice views over Brisbane. More of a younger lot here. It’s ok but I did go and check out the YHA next door but they are doing it up so that looks just as bad. However seeing a familiar face or two in there was grand, people who I had met in Airlie Beach, Rockhampton and Hervey Bay. Rock on YHA’s.

Frazer Island III

Tuesday 6th February

Our last day on Frazer Island. I was the first up at 5am, so got breakfast all ready for the rest of the guys whilst they took down the tents. I also made sure I got my cup of tea this morning, and sure enough half the group then wanted a cup of tea too – see its catching this tea thing. A full day ahead to vist 4 freshwater lakes and drive down the 75 mile beach. Along the way we helped people who had got stuck in the soft sand, dig dig dig, push push push, bump bump bump. But all in the name of beautiful fresh water lakes where you would find no where else. Well worth it. The treat of the day was the last lake – Lake McKenzie. Pristine white sands trickled down to the most gorgeous postcard shot of a turquoise blue lake. Although a little busy as it was the most popular lake on the island it was easy to see why it was so popular, so perfect. A perfect ending to a fantastic 3 day trip. Back at the hostel a shower was the first thing on the agenda, a nice long hot shower. Yum! I was unable to find accomodation for tomorrow night in a place called Noosa, though my coach is booked down the coast to Noosa Heads. So I am off again to a place where I haven’t been before where no one is expecting me. All in the name of travel.

Frazer Island II

Monday 5th February

Here I was driving along 75 mile beach at 6am in the morning in a 4×4 white sand streching as far as the eye could see. Where else could you do that at 6am in the morning? What fun it is to drive on a beach at 6am in the morning. Even if I didnt get a cup of tea today. The early start was necessary due to the tides. We had to get to a place callee Indian head before 7am. Even with my driving we made it. I did however let the swedish guy who had army training take over in the soft sand as we along with other 4×4s got stuck in the sand on several occasions. Rather than bump bump bump it was dig dig dig! A 2km walk along pristine beachs to a place called champagne rock pools was a little dispointing because the tide was in, so our group headed back for an early lunch en route avoiding the dings. The Island is full of “be dingo aware” signs as they can be vicious. We saw a couple along the way but they were just keeping themselves to themselves. The afternoon was bump bump bump up the sand tracks to another lake where we were able to relax in a natural paradise of water and rainforest. This unspoilt island wilderness was just stunning. The group dynanics were working out quite well – this can either make or break the experience. Lucky for us it made it. However I am the only one who drinks tea and I haven’t had a cup all day. I was having withdrawal symptoms even though I am back on the decaf. The first thing I did was get the water boiling when I got back to base camp for a nice cup of tea. You guys stick to your beers or whatever I want a nice cup of tea. Arrr that’s better – I am now alive and kicking again.

Frazer Island

Sunday 4th February

The sun is shining – its going to be a beautiful day, I can feel it in the air. An early rise for a transfer to another hostel where we met the rest of our group to take on this 3 day 2 night sand island adventure. 4 sweet Irish girls, 2 english girls and 1 english guy, a swedish couple, myself and Jenny who is Isreali made a good group dynamic. Another van of 10 went out with the same company who we would camp along side with, but it looked like we were already forming our two groups quite nicely. We had to first do the shopping for 3 days, where we all put in $15 and then two of us bought the goods. That was good fun. Half the group could drive which was also beneficial. After a briefing we set off on our adventure via the 40 minute barge trip to the Island. So mid morning we arrived on the Worlds largest sand island – Frazer Island. No roads existed here, just sand tracks. Bump bump bump. Bump bump bump. Bump. After 45 minutes of bump bump bump we arrived at the other side of the island to a view of an endless horizon of sand fringed by the ocean. Driving on the beach was so sureal. Playing splat with the jellyfish, avoiding the small creeks created by the sand and dodging the waves. What immence fun and we’d only just started the adventure. Our first stop was Lake Wabby nestled in the middle of the rainforest enduring a good 2.3km walk. Almost untouched giant sand dunes rose above the pristine lake. A beautiful sight. I was one of the first in the water everyone eventually followed – gorgeous. Amongst other things we visited a fresh water creek and a stunning shipwreck, – Maheno – a former ww1 hospital ship neslted in the sand. Then the pincacles – a natural formation of rock pointing upwards. Just soaking in this magnificant open beach was enough for me. We were with a company who base themselves at “base camp” – an area that provides BBQ’s. toilets, showers and camping facilities. Other groups camp on the beach. If I am honest I would have prefered the more authentic option of camping on the beach but I didnt get a choice of tours when I booked. Although the facilities were nice it did loose a bit of the outdorr authenticitiy for me. Some of the more girly girls were pleased though especially as they needed to fix their foundation and eye liner. Please girls you’re on an outdoor adventure is it really necessary? Cooking tea on a BBQ was fun, salad, vegi burgers, meat burgers and sausages soon filled our hungry rummbly tummies. It goes dark quite early on the Island so we all headed to bed pretty early (before 9pm anyway) – Day 1 – what a great day!

Milton Keynes by the sea side…

Saturday 3rd February

… by the sea Finally got the hell out of Rockhampton and arrived at Hervey Bay at 2am in the morning. Another two girls who got stuck on a coach for 20 hours were going to the YHA too so we shared a taxi. Good job we did it cost us $18 (about £7) as it was quite a distance from the coach terminal. The hostel looked good even at 2am in the morning, no bunk beds, clean, en suite bathroom, only four to a room, nice. There were only 2 of us left by 7.30am and we got chatting to find that we were both wanting to book on a Frazer Island 4×4 self drive group tour, so we booked together. These tours are very popular with backpackers the experience however depends on the dynamics of the group. We were both keen not to have a “party” group so fingers crossed that we got a good group. We’re off on tomorrows trip at 6am. I had already bumped into a guy who we travelled down to Rockhampton with a few days previous. Its good to see a familiar face – swap experiences and talk about onward journeys. I haven’t yet met anyone who I have wanted to avoid which is a good sign. Hervey bay is like Casper the ghost town. Its very spread out and about as interesting as a windy day in Margate. In fact it may even be twinned with Margate. Who knows. Had planned to relax and geek in the afternoon but again the PC’s didnt allow USB or wireless access – come on Australia if China can do it then you guys can do it. Annyoing as I have loads of emails to send written on my laptop and a website to upload. The hostel is lovely though, very clean, nice swimming pool, lounges, lake, ducks, nice spacious eating place, and the staff are very helpful and friendly. All you need for a great stay even if Hervey bay is as interesting as a wet weekend in Milton Keynes.