Last hoorah at Wirrimbirra

DAY 20
Location: Campbelltown/Kirrawamba
Temp: 17 C
Weather: Sunny!
Activities: Family outing to Wirrimbirra Flora and Fauna Sanctuary
Accommodation: Last night at the Selby resort

Yes, yes, I'm guilty! I'm writing this almost two months after this day actually happened, but I'll try to report it as accurately as possible.

I believe this morning was the one I joined Paul and his family to their pregnancy check-up at the local hospital. Cath, who has since had a healthy, beautiful little girl! (Congratulations, sweetheart!), was a bit anxious at the time--even impatient to have her baby which I found understandable. This one was her first and apparently the firsts are the trickiest ones, often going past due dates and whatnot.

This hospital trip was particularly educational to me and my host family were all too happy to illuminate the finer details of child birth which I also hope helped keep their minds a little freer of anxiety. Cath and her bub checked out just fine, if a bit late on the due date. I kept wondering what would happen if Cath gave birth while I was there and how I would just be in the way; never mind if I was mentally able to witness a birth. I could have managed house sitting, I think. It really magnified just how hospitable this family was to me. I love you guys!

After the check-up, we debated on what to do. We all went down to a visitor center (I believe) in Campbelltown to come up with some idea of what to do and Cath or Cath's mother picked up a brochure for Wirrimbirra Flora and Fauna Sanctuary which sounded like a lot of fun! They had emu, wallaby, kangaroo, wombat, and dingo exhibits to explore. That would be next on our itenirary.

First we swung around to what I believe was the Campbelltown Arts Centre which showcased the artwork of mental patients at the time. Some of the pieces inspired real base feelings. One that really stood out to me was an image of a single girl with her back to us, standing alone in this swirling vortex of scratchy lines. It won a prize. I agreed with that.

We also visited a modest Chinese garden on the lee side of the arts building which again, reminded me of home. Clean swept zen gardens, oriental buildings, koi fish. It was a lovely place!

Afterward we ran around to McDonalds for dinner (Paul and his were uber generous and treated! Thank you!!) and piled in the car to hit the Wirrimbirra Sanctuary. It was a fun drive too with Paul's family telling me about the board games they liked to play, games I'd never heard of. I enjoyed watching the scenery roll by in that late afternoon

A pair of emu hanging out by the fence line. I half expected to get pecked at.

A couple of wallabies gorging on good eats.

Most of the wallabies scampered out of reach as we walked by. This one leapt off the trail and turned back to watch us.

On the left is the Australian Grey Kangaroo, and on the right is a wallaby! The kangaroo has bigger ears and a bit more of what I consider a 'horse face.' They're also much larger than wallabies. I was ready to box if it came to that.

Here we have a wombat. Or more precisely a wombat's backside. This fella was big! I thought wombats were the size of guinea pigs, but this one was as big as a medium sized dog! Wow!

No, that isn't a burn, etching, or pen marking, this 'scribble' on the tree bark is actually the larva of the aptly named Scribbly Gum Moth that burrows in these Scribbly Gum trees. 

This is the Australia's flower, the Golden wattle!

I really enjoyed the park which was free. They welcome donations of course and I scrounged up a couple gold coins for my contribution. On our way out we chatted with the lady in charge of the place and she spoke of their plans for Wirrimbirra. It was neat to get the insider dish on the park.

The family headed home and we played Skip-Bo, a card game somewhat similar to Uno, well into the night. The game involves closing out 'decks' of cards while trying to block other players from getting rid of their cards--there is a lot of strategy involved and there's a steep learning curve with this family! We had a lot of fun! I was treated to warm coffee and Tim Tams for dessert, so sorry I was slated to leave the next day already.

Wandering Coffs bluffs and the road to Newcastle

DAY 14
Location: Coffs Harbour/Newcastle
Temp: 20 C
Weather: Beautiful clear morning, to rainy afternoon.
Activities: Walk to Muttonbird Island, and another long bus ride
Accommodation: YHA Newcastle

I got up late in attempt to recover from the evening prior but remembered I still needed to check out. It was 8:30 a.m. and I woke my roommates, my two new French friends, just before 9 to give them a running start as well. I packed up and went to the kitchens to eat where I ran into my Japanese friend and we ate breakfast together. I now had toast and he shared his butter and milk. These guys, they were just so great!! I gave them some momentos from Hawaii and they loved them.

I gave my friends hugs and said I hoped to see them in the islands someday before going to check out.

Thank God I had the milk because I went on quite a walk to Muttonbird Island on the far end of Coffs Harbour. The morning was beautiful and I wasn't about to waste this little blessing after the inclement weather yesterday. So I took off down the road around 9:30 a.m. or so, walked through the park, over the Coffs Stream, through the south part of the park and through the boating harbor to the island. The ascent was pretty verticle but manageable and I walked over this narrow brick trail hunting for Shearwater birds, only to learn they'd all gone for the year. But the whales would be here instead. I followed the path until it ended on the very eastern end of the island in an overlook. I watched the waves crash on the rocks awhile before going to sit on the bench and debate whether to buy lunch here or get it somewhere during the bus ride at 2:00 p.m.

I spotted a puff white over the sea in the distance and there were whales breaching out there! They were breaching like crazy! Every few seconds I'd see a body and a splash of white. It was neat to watch even though it was a little hard to see since they were so far out. I frowned on a fishing boat spying the commotion and arcing toward the gentle giants. I headed up and out of the island then and back on the far side I saw the boat had reached the spot the whales were playing, but the whales were no longer breaching. So fishing boat, take a cue and leave the whales alone--you ruined their fun with your noisy dingy.

I wandered back and at around 1:20 p.m. I popped into the reception to see if the man in charge was ready to take me back to the bus station. He told me to come back in 15 minutes and I went to the restaurant in the corner where I asked the girl at the counter if she could have a meal out in short order. When did I have to leave? I had 10 minutes to eat lunch. Yeah, I knew it was impossible, but she stopped me and pulled a chicken parmigini off the line and pushed it into my hands where I thanked her profusely for allowing me to cut ahead of the waiting lunch pack like that.

I tucked in to my meal, grateful to eat something instead of hoping for the best and cleaned my plate. Then I headed back to reception where Frank was ready and out we went to the stop. I inquired a bit about the money woes he seemed to be having and he told me about his grand designs for the Howie Mowie. I'm not normally all that interested in business, but his ideas were fascinating.

I thanked Frank for the ride because it was pretty far from the hostel and lugged my things down the walk to drop them next to the other backpacker waiting for the bus. It had been late yesterday, it certainly would be again today. And it was by 45 minutes. But I was fed and made a friend, so I'm not complaining.

The bus was supposed to show at 2, it came at 2:45 p.m. and we piled in for the long haul to Newcastle due to arrive at 9:10 p.m. We stopped at a BP for a dinner break and I got a burger. I just wanted some meat to tide me over to tomorrow, and I sat down with my friend from the bus stop to eat where a new girl joined us and I discovered we were both going to the same hostel. Sweet! I didn't have to walk Newcastle alone at night!

Despite the delay, we actually reached Newcastle on time and didn't quite know which way to go. I went over to some backpackers down the way to ask directions and they pointed us down one street. My Netherland friend and I went that way and could not find the street, but some guy walking up the street asked us if we were lost and led us to a hostel on Pacific St, where I knew the hostel was located. But we went in and the guy at the counter said this was not the YHA and directed us a little further up the street. We finally found it, yay! Normally I would have been agitated by the whole thing, but I just rolled with it, surprised and happy to have received so much willing help.

This YHA is cool! It's like this old English style school building! I was supposed to be in a 6-share, but got upgraded to a 4--and there's NO one here but me! I might actually have the place to myself tonight. Yeah! I'm really excited to check out Newcastle tomorrow. I'm glad I cleared up some time in my schedule to get a rough n' tough idea of the place before hitting Sydney.

Coffs Harbour harboring my friends

DAY 13
Location: Byron Bay/Coffs Harbour
Temp: 10 C
Weather: Rainy
Activities: Making new friends
Accommodation: Howie Mowie

A bitter cold morning in Byron Bay made for a slow checkout, but I got up early enough to catch the first morning shuttle to town at 8:30 a.m. so I could visit the Travel Bugs conveniently located across from the bus stop!

Happily chewing up the hour or so wait for the bus online, I skipped right back out again to make the 10:40 a.m. bus to Coffs Harbour which would arrive at 2 p.m.

The nasty weather chased us all the way down the coast and it was rainy and cold in Coffs too which didn't bode well for much exploration. Our bus was also late, dumping us off at 2:30, so none of the shuttles were around to get us. And since we were behind schedule, we never stopped for a break to grab lunch or anything, so I was absolutely starving by this point. I went up to the information station on the corner and got bounced by this old Aussie codger who more or less told me to shut up, sit down and wait, the shuttles would be there. Sheesh, easy guy! Too much to ask for a ring just to be sure?

But the shuttles did appear and the guy actually in charge of the hostel was the one who picked me up, drove me to see the local sites, checked me in, and showed me to my room. Talk about service. I dropped my things and teetered over whether to walk the 10 minutes to the Woolworth for food or just eat now because I'd suffered on the bus ride there, my stomach was very unhappy. I snagged the last of my emergency noodle stash and went to the kitchens to prepare a late lunch.

My decision was instantly rewarded. Check this out.

A small group of folks sat jamming around one computer in the kitchen and I announced myself by asking if this was indeed the kitchen. They all replied in the affirmative and I went about cooking up my last saimin. My first snag struck when the stove didn't light--but one of the girls lent me her lighter and I got a fire going! It was apparently her birthday and she wanted to do something exciting, but the weather was misbehaving. The boys suggested she skinny dip in the ocean and she refused as it was cold. I laughed along over my cooking and the group took notice as I brought my bowl over to eat.

"You hungry?" The big New Zealander said. Yes, I was! And he left and came back with sausages, bread, and package of noodles. "I'm leaving tomorrow and it'll all just go to waste. You eat it." I was so touched! I tore into the already cooked sausages until I was full, thanked my benefactor profusely,  and we all got to talking the usual hostel exchange. I now had four new friends--one from New Zealand, one from Japan, and two from France. When I belted out some simple conversational French, they both got so excited!

I suggested we go to the mall for something to do and the idea floated. So not long afterward, we wandered the mall I'd intended to run to right away, but I went in a car with four new friends. We spent about an hour there before returning to play several rounds of card games with a five liter box of wine. I'm happy to report I learned a fun new card game gambling on ace "horses." It was so much fun. We ate carrots, again because our Kiwi was leaving, ordered a pizza, and just had good times all around!

We debated on all going to a club, but the group dispersed somewhat and I hung back to shower and get some sleep.

It proved to be quite a night!

There's gold in them thar dunes

DAY 12
Location: Byron Bay
Temp: 10 C (Brr!)
Weather: Overcast with patches of sun. Would have been much warmer without the breeze.
Activities: Walk to the lighthouse, surfing!
Accommodation: Backpackers Inn

The view opened up on the path to the lighthouse and I was just blown away by the sight. Byron Bay, you should belong to Gold Coast because you are golden.

Well, I technically passed the Gold Coast last night, but there is certainly something magical about Byron Bay.

Maybe it's the perpetual orange and pink blaze over the rugged purple coast of New South Wales, or the seemingly endless rights crumbling in a surfer's dream over the shore, or the easy, relaxed demeanor of its residents, but Byron Bay is a beauty on all counts. I think I can grasp why Australians swear on the cool sands and warm waves of this bay over Brisbane. Having been here for a full day, I really wish I could have stayed longer even as my schedule pushes me farther down the coast.

I had a bit of a rough night last night. I was in a 4-bed dorm and quickly made friends with  Tasha, my only roommate for the night and a vegan surfer girl. We both agreed on the merits of going to bed early to get up early and we did just that. But the room we're in is freakin' cold. I actually couldn't fall asleep until I unwound my sleeping bag and lay under it, my sheet, and my blanket to get warm. It was just that cold. (I think our sliding door doesn't seal properly, so all the cold just leaks in. It was terrible, but the fleece sleeping bag saved me.)

I studied this map awhile trying to choose the best route to the lighthouse and ended up taking the longest way around. It was a workout but worth it.

Sleeping in longer than I'd meant, I finally rolled out of bed around 9 a.m. and decided to walk the 3 miles or so to the famous lighthouse over Byron from the hostel. Happily, I had a gone shopping the day before and had a fruit bar, Snickers, and half a baguette left to my name. I ate the fruit bar and packed the rest for the hike because it was going to be a long one!

I came across this sign on the walk and was surprised to see it in two languages:  English and one I assumed to be aboriginal. The declaration above is in fact from the Bundjulung Jugun peoples that populated the space between Port Macquarie and Moreton Bay.

I set out around 10 a.m. and I checked out the little corner mom and pop stores bursting with character all along the way before turning off on the beach path and heading to the hike around the eastern-most point of Australia. I stopped several times because I was caught watching this diagonal surf crumbling in these beautiful, clean cut, perfect rights and the surfers just slicing along the crystal faces. The place was called the Pass. A-freakin-mazing. I wanted to go in right then it looked like so much fun! But I continued on the hilly, roundabout path to the lighthouse.

Behold the easternmost point in Australia. I was a bit too tired to walk the trail down the finger, but it was still neat to see.

The estimated hour it was supposed to take took me about double that as I paused to watch this huge pod of dolphins catching the surf on the eastern side of the horn. There had to be 30+ individuals just hanging out, having fun. I spoke with some locals as I wheezed hello on the crest of a hill and they knew I was American right away. They commended me for walking and I told them they were smart to drive.

Success! The Cape Byron Lighthouse at last!  This is a picture of the lighthouse from the Wategos Beach trail.

But I finally made it to the modest white lighthouse and took in all the surrounding panoramic views of the coast. Marveling at the perpetual sunset on the horizon and the dolphin pod on the other end. I wandered into the lighthouse museum and made fast friends with one of the volunteers there who took it upon himself to educate me on some of the more interesting bits of the tower.

I didn't see any whales this time around, there was a massive pod of dolphins playing in the surf. I found this board informative.

He took good care of me and gave me the last ticket for the 12:15 p.m. tour of the lighthouse light. So, 25 minutes later, I was standing at the top of the lighthouse and snapping more pictures of the fantastic view at a new vantage. It was gorgeous! I chatted a bit with my tour guide also, who nailed that I was American from the start, I keep wondering what gives it away, my "accent" or my dress. We talked about the dolphins and he enquired where I was from, always a fun exchange.

If you watch very carefully, you can see dolphins jumping out the backs of these waves.

I headed back down the winding path and paused at one overlook to eat my leftover baguette, but really didn't need to as I stopped at the Pass Cafe for some lunch around 1:45 p.m. I decided to indulge for this lunch because one, I was hungry, and two, this place was just neat! The laid back atmosphere, wooden deck overlook, I'd seen it on the way out and already knew I wanted to stop there for a bite.

I'd guzzled most of my moccha waiting for my cheeseburger-without-cheese-please to come out. It was delicious treat after I'd starved myself for so long. Budget be damned, I'm at the Pass!

I ordered a cheeseburger without cheese, simply because it was the cheapest meat item on the menu, and got weird looks for it. "You want a cheeseburger...without the cheese? So...you just want...the meat...and the bun?" Even the cook teased me about it. But whatever, I had chips and ketchup (er, tomato sauce...) so it was all good! I also ordered a moccha (correct spelling) which was delicious and just the pick-me-up I needed. It still made for an expensive lunch though. To my surprise, everyone I'd spoken to at the lighthouse, the volunteer, guide, and another guy, all showed up to eat there for lunch! I waved hello and they grinned and waved back. 

As I got my order, a cheeky magpie flew down on the deck rail, three feet from me I kid you not, and eyed my fries. Beautiful bird. We watched each other very closely, but with very different motives. My lighthouse volunteer friend leaned in and asked "Making friends with the wildlife already?" I sure was. The magpie eventually gave up, but not until my plate was clean. I wished a good lunch to my lighthouse friends and headed back along the beach where I stopped next to an Aussie man watching the surf.

LOOK! Look at those clean, even sets! There was a surfer on each rivet at one point, just gliding along. And the 'sunset' colors may not be so apparent here, but I swear, Byron Bay was this perpetual sunset place! I wanted to get out in that.

We chatted a good twenty minutes me and this surfer. He told me all about the area and how he'd surfed it for thirty years. I wanted to get out there too and he encouraged me to go! He was wondering if he should go back in himself as the waves had cleaned up that afternoon. My clock was reading 2:30 p.m. or so, still plenty of time to shred, but he said the little voice was telling him to go home and I advised him to listen to it, I always regretted it when I didn't.

I continued on along the beach, watching the cut-glass surf, the surfers, and just the people lounging about on the headland watching. The wave symphony went from the gentle applause of rain to the roar of commercial jets and back again as it ran up the beach. The soft pastels, the caress of the breeze. And the magic set in. Wow, I can't even describe it, this vibe. Peace, maybe.

Another shot of those gorgeous waves coming in from the Wategos Beach trail.

I passed my hostel on the way back but navigated to it in short order and teetered on the edge of whether or not to rent a board myself. The air was cold. The water had to be colder. But as I watched the newbies struggle and flop, my mind made up, and I raced back to the hostel to rent a board. I was back on the beach in my gear and board under my arm in a flash.

The surfing rules in Waikiki are--there are none. The constant influx of tourists who have no idea what they're doing choke the beaches and the instructors are no better. I was all too happy to be educated by this board board before starting a surfin' turf war with the locals.

It was 3:30 p.m. by this time and the sun was already setting. Studying the waves a bit, I chose a spot that was relatively free of surfers but still had a decent break and I went in. To my surprise, the water was warm. Warmer than the air anyway which really threw me, but I plunged in and hopped on my board. The first thing I noticed was the board was shorter than my longboard back home. My 8'8" supported my whole body and then some, this 7' was a shock as my feet dangled for shark bait, but I actually managed to catch and ride my first attempt, though it was short-lived. I tried for a few more and found myself either sliding off because of the poor wax job or falling out the back as the wave diminished. That, and the freakin' current was unreal! I'd be neatly lined up and 10 seconds later, I was thirty feet down the coast, I'm not even kidding.

Tired of fighting the current, I gave up early and trudged up the beach to sit in full melancholy over the less than stellar experience. And while I sat miserable, dripping in the cold, I turned my eyes to where the rest of the surfers were by the  hooked mast of The Wreck, an actual sunken boat maybe 50 yards out from shore, and hesitated. Pros mixed with newbies in two distinct sets, an inner and an outer. I paid $16 for 3 hours on this board, I'll be damned if I didn't catch a decent wave in Oz. Maybe I could try the inner set. So I set out again.

This time was MUCH better. The current was still rough and hauled me down the beach, but I could walk on the bottom here and I fought to get myself in position. Here they came. These sweeping mountains of liquid majesty. I jumped on my board and shoved through the first set because I wasn't quite in the right spot to launch, but as that set diminished and I paddled out, the next one came.

I spun my board back to shore as this monster came bearing down on me and I paddled, paddled, paddled, felt the lift, seized the rails, popped up and sliced all in once motion. It was the most beautiful, most awesome moment ever as I shredded the face of this curling wave as tall as I was like some seasoned surfer on this 7' board; cutting back, sliding down to a bottom turn again, and falling out the back when the wave closed out.

It. Was. AWESOME.

I caught a few more until  the fierce current coupled with my exhaustion and I was done. I had to have been out a good hour and a half, at least an hour in the water--I always lose track. I caught one last wave, mostly white wash, to save myself the paddle in and made it to the beach. The air was absolutely frigid coming out of the water and I hopped back to the hostel for a very hot shower, feeling accomplished and more than a bit buzzed by the experience. Might have graduated to a new level there. 

I took one last jaunt to secure some dinner because saimin just wasn't going to cut it tonight, so I hiked to Woolworth's for a bag of salad, I hovered over the chicken, but it was just too much to eat in one sitting. And I didn't plan to stay overnight, no way I was spending money on expensive food I would not eat. I settled for the salad to tide me over to tomorrow.

I can readily admit I'll be sad to leave this little paradise of Byron Bay. I hardly knew you.

Breezy, brizzy Brisbane

DAY 10
 Location: Noosa/Brisbane
Temp: 20 C
Weather: Sunny
Activities: Noosa National Park, Brisbane South Bank
Accommodation: Tinbilly (XBase)

My day was neatly cleaved down the middle by the bus ride to Brisbane right at noon, but I managed to seize what I could of the morning despite 'sleeping in' to 7 a.m. Flashpackers was good enough to provide a free breakfast and I stuffed myself full of toast, cereal, and tea, and promptly packed up the last of my belongings to check out before boarding the courtesy shuttle into town.

Noosa National Park's hiking map posted at the park entrance. I followed the Coastal Track to Granite Bay and back with some construction detours on the path.

I was back on Noosa Beach and walked the good half mile or so to Noosa National Park where I'd planned to hike the easy 30-minute Palm Circuit trail they have, but ended up getting diverted to the Coastal Track because of construction.

If I'd had more time I would have explored this inlet a little more fully from swimming to bouldering!

The Coastal Track was on the 4 of 5 difficulty rating and I hoped my breakfast would hold out as I embarked on the hilly trail. But it was as gorgeous as it was busy! Families walking together, pairs, runners choked the trail, but I managed to secure a couple pictures relatively free of foot traffic. I got as far as Granite Bay before having to turn around to find lunch and catch the 11:10 a.m. shuttle back to the hostel. My bus would be leaving at 12:40 p.m.

Granite Bay. Beautiful!

I walked fast down to the Bay Village food court and submitted to Subway again because despite it's outrageous cost, it was still the cheapest (and fastest) eatery there. I got there about at 10:50 or so and had to hurry back to make the shuttle.

I ate while I waited, hopped the shuttle, did some last minute mail check and such while I still had free WiFi, and had another cup of tea to tide me over. I gave my German friend a trinket from Hawaii which he enjoyed, it was the least I could do for his sharing beer the other night. And we went together on the same shuttle to the Greyhound terminal about a half hour later.

The coast quickly dropped out of sight as we headed inland to Brisbane--where our driver estimated we would arrive at 2:50 instead of 3:15 p.m. Suits me. I distinctly remember the bus slinking into this super long tunnel in the suburbs and popping up on the other side into city. WHAM! Where the heck did this concrete jungle come from? Having come from coastal town to coastal town, Brisbane was a sock to the teeth.

And don't get me started on the bus terminal. This monster was three stories tall and naturally, we were on the third floor and I had to work my way to the bottom to find my accommodation for the night. I had a map of the immediate quarter, but coming out onto the street, I tried to get oriented to the streets. I let intuition guide me to one corner and like magic, there was Tinbilly's just sitting there on the corner! Lucky.

The view from my bunk at the Tinbilly in Brisbane. All the beds were taken except for this top bunk. 

I checked in and found I'm in a 10-bed dorm. I hope I sleep tonight...

Dropping my stuff, I was back out on the street and on my way to Queen's Street Mall, several streets up the way, but I found all sorts of helpful things walking like the proper ATM, Travelbugs (where I am using their internet to post this blog entry!), and a number of eateries. But tonight I'm dining in as Tinbilly's feeds their guests rice and pasta for free! Like hey I'm passing that up. I'll probably eat it for breakfast too!

The Brisbane Treasury building and a structure that took me a moment to discern was a soccer ball in front.

I made it to Queen Street and meant to turn left toward the shops, but I looked right and saw the art and entertainment quarter of the city and I went straight for it.

A map of the arts district across the Brisbane River and I ran the gamut of them from the outside. The State Library of Queensland was neat and the Sciencenter looked like it would have been really cool to see, but I had to contend myself with what South Bank had to offer.

I looked up at just the right moment to see these jeweled bugs hanging out on this bean pod outside of the state library. I hopped up on a wall to snap a quick picture of them. I'm not a bug girl, but there's something to appreciate in these colorful little guys.

Crossing the Victoria St. Bridge, I meandered into the Queensland Library first and their bookshop and cafe; it was neat seeing all the Australian authors and their books lining the shelves. From the library I discovered the Sciencenter and went over the busy street via the Melbourne Pass and found myself on South Bank--which I fully intended to explore.

I believe this structure was wedged by "The Edge" building. You can see Brisbane proper across the way.

I got this shot of Victoria Bridge from the Melbourne Pass that links the northern bank of the arts district to the Performing Arts Center and Brisbane's Wheel on South Bank. Wow, what a nice afternoon.

I passed the Queensland Performing Arts Center (and wanted to walk around in it but decided against it), Brisbane's Opera House (where I found I'd just missed Julie Andrews yesterday...), and the Wheel of Brisbane. All very cool, all things I would like to do, but would like to do more in Sydney. It was still neat to find all these places I wanted to see right out of the starting gates though!

The Arbour on South Bank was in bloom and lent a whimsical floral banquet on this winding path in Brisbane. 

One of the lagoons on South Bank. It was a little too chilly to swim in my opinion but there were kids playing in the Aquativity park.

I walked beneath the green and purple flowering Arbour walkway, along swimming lagoons, shops, restaurants, cafes, street performers, a number of ice cream parlors, and got as far as the Arbour View Cafes area before turning back because it was starting to get dark. I saw the ferries running up and down the river, but wanted to walk despite my legs being sore after my long hike this morning. But I pressed on as the sun set and the temperatures dropped.

I'm so glad I got to post today, I didn't think I'd get the chance! And now I'm looking forward to pasta and rice. More Brisbane exploration tomorrow.

4WD 4 U N I

DAY 9
Location: Fraser Island via Noosa
Temp: 10 C/23 C
Weather: Clear skies!
Activities: Fraser Island Adventure Tour in 4WD monster vehicle, swimming Lake McKenzie, rainforest walk, scenic drive home
Accommodation: Noosa Flashpackers

This image was taken from the brochure of the Fraser Island Adventure Tour. You can see where we came from, where we launched on the ferry, and our loop around Lake McKenzie. And yes, dingos!!

My earliest wake up call yet at 5:20 a.m., I threw on my clothes from yesterday since again, I was the first up and trying to remain quiet in our room of six. I waited outside in the bitter cold waiting for my 6:10 a.m. pick up for the tour. An Aussie man straight out of a movie came walking up and ushered me to his ritzy POV and his wife drove us through Noosa to the Noosa Marina where this 15-foot truck came snorting up.

My solo travel finally rewarded me with the shotgun seat of this monster and I literally had to climb to get up into it. Our driver and guide, Peter, wasted no time getting the beast off the road and onto a beach drive up the coast, where us Noosa boardees were treated to a quick jaunt up Red Canyon for a taste of Teewah Colored Sands in Cooloola National Park. The dramatic red sand sculptures looked like rock, but they really were just weathered sand peaks. I got some great pictures of them as the sun rose!

A view atop the Red Canyon in Cooloola National Park. This was before we even hit Fraser Island. I literally ran out ahead of the group and up the dunes to just revel in how red and crumbly they were. This was shot from the highest 'climbable' peak toward the Pacific.

I took this to give a sense of scale. Folks from our group climbed where they pleased around these great, fragile sand peaks.

Then we nosed off the beach and rolled, bumped, and jibbed into a sand-trap of a road through scrub and jungle which I'm sure knocked people's fillings loose. This trip is not for those pregnant, nursing, or have bad backs. We picked up eight more people at Rainbow Beach and, now with a full truck, made our way up to Fraser Island.

Our behemoth 4x4 on the ferry to Fraser. Yep, I was sitting up front on what I felt was the driver's side--but was not--and loved every minute of it.

We trundled over another beach to a ferry crossing and rolled right onto the floating concrete slab that powered us the 1k over swift water to the largest sand island in the world. Rolling off of Hook Point, we ripped up the east coast of Fraser Island, 75 Mile Beach, during the low tide and waved to other 4x4 vehicles tearing along the super sand 'highway.'

I remember watching this jeep and thinking "No way. No way are they just going to plow right throug--okay, okay, go for it, guy. You do your thing."

We paused at one rust-colored freshwater stream emptying into the sea and had morning tea and bicky (cookies). We spotted a sleepy dingo lying on the beach, entirely unbothered by us, before moving inland past the resorts and into Sandy Forest filled to bursting to Black Butt, Satinays and Kauri trees of every size. This hairy stretch of sand had us bouncing all over the place and jerking the truck to odd angles.

My first dingo sighting was pretty exciting. The wild dog hardly took any notice of us, he was too busy sunning to be buggered.

We finally reached the loop that emptied into Lake McKenzie, a clear freshwater lake filled by rainwater alone. The water was a bit cool, but a quick dive and hard stroke had me warm up quick and flipping about disturbing the peace. I loved it! The water was so clear and crisp! I enjoyed the freshwater so much that I was last to lunch. Peter said that was typical since I was a Pacific baby. No objections here.

LOOK AT IT! It's freaking beautiful!
Lake McKenzie, with your basin of collected rain water--how I was born again in your cool bosom. This was definitely one of the high points of my entire trip. Beautiful, breathtaking Lake McKenzie.

Happier than a fish in water. Just look at how CLEAR it is! I didn't want to get out! A nice group of middle-aged folks chatted with me while I floated along and offered to take my picture, which they then sent along to me afterward. I was touched by the kindness.

Our bush lunch consisted of steak, prawns, a variety of salads, sausages, fruit, and free beer, wine and soda! Up until this point, I had teased all my tour guides about having steak for lunch, but this one actually delivered! It was a bit tough, but still, it's freakin' steak!

I'll readily admit I'm a water lover, so our little hike alongside this quiet crystal stream was just such a treat. I trotted down the path as far as our time allotted us to. 

Yes, that's still part of the river. It doesn't look like anything is even there--that's just how clear it was! And so quiet! It didn't make a sound. "What strea--" SPLOOSH

After lunch, more bouncity bounce until we reached a rainforest walk along a pristine stream as silent as the day is long. Most creeks talk on their way downhill, but this one was perfectly still as it slipped along. I pushed out in front and got nearly a mile before having to turn back to not get left behind, but I chatted with the folks who kept up with my long stride.

Homeward bound saw us at high tide traveling south on the 75 Mile Beach which made for much more swervy driving. We stopped for afternoon tea and those yummy Lamington cakes, before we were forced inland by the tide to rush back to the ferry.

I love afternoon tea. And morning tea for the matter. Seriously, why isn't this a thing here in the States?

Our guide took us on a scenic drive for the two hours back to Noosa and I spotted some kangaroos! But I was starting to get awful sleepy after having to get up so early. And as per usual, I was the last to get dropped off. I thanked Peter for the lovely full day, "Bye Possum!" He said, and now I'm off to find dinner of some kind.

I'm hoping to sleep in tomorrow morning and squeeze in a morning nature hike. Wish me luck!

Noosa, Noosa, what to say about yousa

DAY 8
Location: Noosa
Temp: 24 C
Weather: Sunny, cool (to me)
Activities: Long bus ride mostly
Accommodation: Flashpackers (Free WiFi and cookies and tea! Woo!)

Longest bus ride of my life clocking in at 17 hours.

I woke up every hour almost on the hour according to the bus clock as I switched side over side to sleep. I had one 2-hour stretch of 'sleep' I guess you could call it, but I'm pretty out of sorts.

We stopped...somewhere for breakfast and I stepped out into the frigid air. First time in three years I've seen my breath cloud and I beat quickly inside the gas station where I had an egg and bacon sandwich which did an excellent job of keeping me full. I fell asleep again for another two hours between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. and remained awake after that, listening to music and watching the countryside flash by.

We stopped at Matilda for lunch around 11 a.m. where I had chicken nuggets and chips (the French fry kind, not the bag) and did some exploring before sitting with some folks I knew were on my bus where we exchanged the usual backpacker questions: Where are you from? How long are you here? Where have you been? Where will you go next? And so on. I made fast friends with a guy from Germany the evening prior when we discovered we were both staying at Flashpackers in Noosa. He dined with me for breakfast and I found him for lunch.

We stuck together to find our shuttle once we finally got off that too-long bus ride and made rough plans for the remainder of the day.

I was expecting our arrival to be at 1:55 p.m. but we got in at just before noon. No complaints, I was ready to be off the bus. And here I am happy with free WiFi, tea, and cookies! Yay!

The charming town of Noosa just inland of the beach. It had lots of cozy little shops and unique dining spots littered along the sea strand. I was still getting used to traffic running on the opposite side of the road.

I took the first few hours to pound out the blog for yesterday and check mail, then headed downstairs for tea, only to decide to hop the bus to the beach because this would be the only chance I would have to check it out without rushing. So around 4 p.m. I boarded the hostel shuttle, wound my way through the terrifying traffic and was out on Noosa Beach in short order.

The western end of Noosa Beach.

...and the eastern end of Noosa Beach.

I had a couple hours to kill until the last bus appeared at 6 p.m. and I meandered the length of the beach watching kids play in the gentle shore break and came back round the other way to discover a footpath. Ding.

My curiosity and adventuresome explorer attitude catapaulted me to bliss faster than a jet fueled airliner with a wine glass full of joy. I was in heaven wandering this beautiful path at sunset.

My curiosity meter went off and off I went on this wide wooden path set above the beach. I followed it turn after turn, goaded by the sharp clean smell of eucalyptus and eventually stumbled upon Noosa National Park--something I want to explore if I have the time after my stint through Fraser Island.

I happily stumbled upon the national park and poked around its trail maps and open-air exhibit detailing a bit about Aboriginal culture and their land.

I snapped pictures of the information boards and had my first koala spotting! It was this little gray fuzzball about three stories up resting in the fork of some branches. I got tipped off by the three or so people aiming their cameras into the trees.

The one wild koala I saw during my trip. Can you find him? He's the circular blob in the forking branches.

But with sunset on my heels and the temperature rapidly dropping, I beat a quick retreat and was welcomed to a view of the orange-stained sands of Noosa Beach mirroring the sunset. Gorgeous. I made my way back to where the shuttle dropped me and waited an hour in the chill for the shuttle to appear. That wasn't fun.

But when I got back, the hostel was hosting a BBQ with free sausages! Yay, dinner! And we all participated in this game while we waited for the food to cook. We had to lean down to pick up an empty wine box with our teeth, without letting our hands or knees touch the ground. The first round was easy. Then they cut two inches off the box. One guy who was just to tall to bend that low was eliminated. By the forth round, we had maybe half an inch to negotiate and I ended up using a yoga position--balancing my knees on my elbows and leaning forward--to nab the box. I was runner-up in the finals and lovingly dubbed "Hawaii." I got teased relentlessly for being cold. I can't get a break.

I dined on three sausages with my German friend and we chatted a good while before he offered me one of his beers which I accepted and we chatted until well past 9 p.m. I would have been glad to talk more if I didn't have my earliest wake up tomorrow and zero sleep the night before.

Onward and upward!

All's well in Airlie

DAY 6
Location: Townsville/Airlie Beach
Temp: 26 C
Activities: Return ferry from Magnetic Island, Townsville proper, killing time, bus ride to Airlie, Airlie welcome drink at Down Under Bar!
Accommodation: XBase Airlie Beach Resort

I've fallen into this up-before-everyone-else trend. The nice bit is I usually have whatever place I'm at to myself in the early morning. I walked into Thomas as I went to get my breakfast purchased yesterday alongside the milk I needed for my pasta lunch, and we double-checked where our parties would be in the coming days. Thomas promised me his famous 'Australian Care Package' in exchange for doing some 'cheaper' shopping back in the states. Because seriously, things here are wicked expensive. My six-inch sub lunch at Subway cost $10! But I digress, we again agreed to meet at Noosa and I went to check on my clothes still hanging up on the line. Nothing stolen. That's nice. They were still a bit damp, and I went back to the bungalow to catch up on blog entries before my alarm went off and I had to pack up to check out. My clothes were still a bit damp when I yanked them from the line, but I got everything tucked away and was sorry to check out--this place was really neat!

I snuck aboard the top deck on the return trip from Magnetic Island to Townsville on the SeaLink ferry. This is us waiting in Nelly Bay.

Shuttle to ferry to Townsville took about forty minutes all together and I was starving when I got back to town, so I hauled my heavy backpack down mainstreet and pondered whether to shore up the cash for another Marlin Tavern repeat when I espied a Subway down Falinger St. As you've read, lunch was outrageous, but I exchanged banter with the girl working the counter as she apologized for not having the fixings for whatever a "Philly Cheesesteak" was. She asked me how Subway was different in the States and I told her more cheese selection, more toppings, and cheaper by far! She laughed about that.

Townsville's prominent face: Castle Hill as pictured from the SeaLink ferry. I regret not having the time to climb the beast.

Townsville's Great Barrier Reef Aquarium. I didn't feel inclined to see it after having dived the actual reef, but there it is!

This terrifying superstructure of a spider stretched its metal-work web above the street. Seriously, that thing was as big as the cars directly below it. 

I sat down to eat and glowered at majestic Castle Hill, the facing monolith rock of Townsville, and how I didn't have the time to hike it with my heavy load and get back to the bus stop in time. I headed back down the main drag and stopped in Anzac Memorial Park to swing for a bit, then continued on to the ferry station which also ports the Greyhound.

I wandered around Townsville's Anzac Memorial Park to kill some time waiting for the bus.

 I made friends with a Japanese girl who looked tired standing with all her things and scooted over for her to sit. When I tell folks out here I'm from Hawaii they freak out. "You're from...huh? ...HAWAII!?" Half don't believe me, and the other half ask what they should do for their vacation there. A handful have already been and they dish about their conquests which is always fun.

It was a long bus ride from Townsville to Airlie Beach and I almost tried to board a northbound bus. The driver took it in stride though, he must get that a lot. (In my own defense, our bus was late.) From 3:15, sunset chased us until 7 when we arrived. The bus roared past the XBase hostel and went on and on and I was like "Stop please, please stop! I already forget where it was..." but thankfully I wasn't the only one disoriented. A couple of riders were going to the same place and we banded together after getting directions from someone who overheard our directional troubles. Again the whole "WHERE are we going now that we're here?!" Thing. Plus it was dark! But man, even in the dark my first impression of this place is backpacker party central. Bars and al fresco eats were packed, disco lights flashing, pounding music, and somehow it only seemed to be getting started. If I was with a group of friends, I would be out in it, schedule be damned.

Despite being the very last hostel on the strip and farthest from the bus stop, this place is all right. It's a hostel that tries to act like a hotel, which suits me fine. I got soap! I was happy to be told I'd been upgraded to a 4-bed female dorm free of charge, and feeling glad for that, purchased a WiFi allowance to post since I've been disconnected for more than 48 hours; 47 hours too long. I also received a free drink voucher from the local bar, so after showering, posting catalogued blog posts, and checking mail, I went out to collect my free cocktail--a Sprite mixer with something blue and something purple--the bartender called it a "blue tingly" I believe. It was very good! I still have yet to try a XXXX, but I did have a can of Toohey which was actually quite good! I might become a beer drinker yet. I watched a pair of guys play a game of pool before taking my leave. The music was a bit too loud to start any conversations and I would have preferred having a wingman (lady?) to watch my back out there.

It's just as well, I have a date ripping around the Whitsundays tomorrow morning.