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.

Brisbane, Day 2

The plates on the gates to one of the entrances to the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens.

DAY 11
Location: Brisbane
Temp: 17 C
Weather: Sunny, but brisk
Activities: City Botanic Gardens, Queen Street Mall
Accommodation: Backpackers Inn (Byron Bay)

To recap last night, Tinbilly didn't actually have any pasta and rice--apparently all the backpackers had the same idea and gorged on the lot while I was away. Somehow, I'm not surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised. So I ended up going back across the street to Subway and ate the same thing I did for lunch yesterday. Lame. But I didn't feel the most comfortable wandering the city alone at night, so I opted for what was nearby.

Despite being in a 10-bed dorm, I slept relatively well. The bad thing about sharing a dorm with guys is they snore. Seriously. I've never had any girls snore in any of the dorms I've stayed in. But I dropped off to sleep around 8 p.m. really for lack of anything better to do. No free WiFi, no one really to talk to, no food. Meh. I swear, I feel the most alone in the biggest groups. So I prepped what I could last night to check out early today and conked out. I would rather sleep the night away and get up early the next anyway.

I got up around 6, but slept in 'til 7 a.m. because it was cold! I swear it must have been below 10 C (50 F), hey that's cold to me, folks. And besides, most stores are closed until 9 a.m. I didn't have any eats for breakfast, but I hit the street around 8 anyway and secured a liquid protein breakfast before heading for Brisbane's City Botanic Gardens.

I remember walking up to this building and spying the statue from a distance and thinking to myself: "...That looks like Queen Victoria." BAM. It was. She stands tall and proud outside of the Conrad Hotel--what used to be the Lands Administration building off George Street.

Farther down George Street, I spied this statue in profile and though to myself: "...And that looks like Queen Elizabeth II." BAM! It was.

A narrow shot of the impressive Parliament House directly across from the City Botanic Gardens. They had tours, but I hadn't planned for them and I was trapped in my rigid bus schedule.

It was chilly and I walked with the working crowd all the way down George Street until I came up to Queensland's Parliament house and the gardens across the street. I wandered up and down the familiar tropical flora and saw some new ones (Turkish Pine among them) until I stumbled across the Queensland University of Technology and this place just looked like a science school. Clean, new, unusual architecture--Can I enrol?

Maps. Take pictures of maps in case you get lost!  I did get turned around once or twice in this garden--mostly when I walked out of it and back in another way.

This was the Formal Flower Garden and central feature of the park. The park, according to a plaque in the gazebo I took this picture from, was declared a Sri Chinmoy Peace Garden in March, 31, 1993. 

Having walked about the school and back into the gardens, I found the City Council actually hosts free WiFi! Three-hundred minutes worth! I thought that was pretty neat.

A live snapshot of the Queen Street Mall. I shot Lush in particular because my mom is a big fan of their products and I was surprised to find one here in Oz myself.

Afterward, I made my way to Queen Street Mall and entered several of the touristy shops looking for gifts and postcards and collective bric-a-brac for friends and balked at the prices. Sheesh, why does 'Straya have to be so expensive? It may be a mistake to wait until Sydney to make my buys, but at least then I can say these items came from Sydney--I just hope the prices don't gut me or my shrinking wallet.

A couple more shots from the gardens! There were some awfully noisy birds here. The ibis were unassuming, it was some other species that shrieked something fowl (haha). Otherwise it was peaceful.

There was this odd warped square structure on the northern end of the gardens. Some brazen tourists were actually climbing on it while I just snapped a quick one directly into a hard angle of the structure.

I found the local Woolworth's and shopped a bit for my next week's worth of breakfasts, a prepared bag of Caesar salad and baguette for lunch. I took my purchases up to the food court and ignored the wayward stares as I put together my salad, tossed, and ate straight out of the bag. It works AND saves on dishes! I polished off half of the baguette and continued my stroll around the mall, though it was starting to get pretty busy at this point--foot traffic pulsing in the hundreds.

I moved off the main drag and back onto George Street toward TravelBugs where I am again writing this blog post from! I also booked my last few days in Australia down the coast with them--so there's some piece of mind. The YHA (Youth Hostel Association) I wanted to stay at was overbooked, so I had to look elsewhere. But the one I have booked now is still pretty centrally located. I'll be in Sydney in no time flat!

I remember being startled when locals told me not to stay in Brisbane too long--three days was too much, two days was pushing it. But having been here, I can sort of understand that notion. I saw the arts and cultural quarter yesterday and city central and its gardens today. I think I'm good here. But everyone swears by Byron Bay, so I'm pretty excited to see what all the fuss is about there and return to the quieter streets of the coast. Don't get me wrong--Brisbane was neat and worth seeing, but I'm good!

I think I'll post this blog early while I still have free internet; the remainder of my day is mostly getting ready for the bus and then the four-hour bus ride down the coast. And I have to research the places I'm staying so I know where to go once I hop off the 'hound.

I hope to post again soon!  

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!

Rip-snorting, sand-squeaking, ant-lickin' good times

DAY  7
Location: Whitsundays
Temp: 27 C
Weather: Overcast, drilling rain on return trip
Activities: Big Fury boat ride around the Whitsundays
Accommodation: The bus (-_-) zzz

Holy frijole, this was a high octane day.

I woke up everyone again this morning, but instead of the groaning and rolling over, the girls actually woke up with me. We all had plans that morning. We ripped off our bed linens, dressed, and walked down to the office for a $5 breakfast of cereal, tea, toast, orange juice. My toast got stuck on the back of the conveyor belt and one of the hosts was brave enough to dig it out. I sat down and one of my roomies, from Denmark, joined me. I got that wide-eyed look again when I said where I was from but I shot it right back when the chick told me she was  journalist. Small world. We chatted until she had to catch her sailing boat and I took the extra hour to explore Airlie Beach since this is the only chance I would get.

And it was a beautiful beach walk. A bit overcast and wet, which would portend my night to come...

I love taking pictures of maps. It not only documents and dates the place, but also gives folks who haven't been there an idea of just what I was working with. Only trouble is gauging the scale. 

Here was the lovely lagoon at Airlie. I kicked off my slippers and stepped into the water which was cool and refreshing. I wish I could have stuck around to do some swimming, but the day's plans called me onward.

I took a stroll around the scenic and calm lagoon, snapped some pictures, and waded a bit--the water was lukewarm, then I continued down the line looking for the Domino's Pizza where my shuttle would pick me up at 9:40 a.m. Some nice Aussie ladies in a bathing suit shop pointed me in the right direction when I couldn't find it.

I was first to get to the stop and it quickly filled to 10; 9:40 came and went and I spazzed a bit when I saw a Big Fury shuttle zip by and I wondered what I would do if I didn't make the boat. Could I even get my money back? All these thoughts zipped through my mind until our shuttle appeared at 10:10 and eight of us got up to board.

Look! An Aussie post box just outside of Abel Point Marina.

 We continued on to the Abel Point Marina, paid up, and about 45 of us all went to the four-engine power boat. Our guide was hilarious, cracking wise as he went through the itinerary and safety protocols. I made friends with a middle-aged couple and we chatted as we got underway, ripping past Hook Island and the pass between it and Whitsunday Island (the largest of the Whitsunday Islands), before stopping at Border Island for a snorkel. My suit and rash shirt still stank of wetsuit from my dive on the Great Barrier Reef, but I wriggled into it, snapped on mask and flippers and jumped off the boat.

One of the only decent shots I managed to shoot around tourists flocking the rails, salt spray, and the general blurring speed of the power boat. I believe this is a stretch of Whitehaven Beach.

The threat of 'stingers' in the water made my snorkel a bit hesitant, particularly since the spot the boat anchored had no visible bottom. But I kicked hard to the reef and saw plenty of fish, coral, anemones, a clam. I was very cold though and hovered over whatever hot pockets I could find until the waves shoved me off. I dove down the dropoff and still couldn't see the bottom, but I did see plenty of large fish hiding in the secretive dark crevices.

Unable to stand the freeze any longer, I returned to the boat and practiced some French with a trio of France natives at the bow of the boat. Everyone and everything secure 20 minutes later, we headed toward Whitsunday Island's Whitehaven Beach. This beautiful stretch of coastline is composed of 95% silica and it squeaked when you walked on it. It was lusciously fine and pristine and I couldn't get enough of it as I ran up and down the beach like a 5-year-old on the sand for the first time.

PROOF!

This was our boat, the Big Fury. Aptly named. You can't see it in this shot but there are four engines on the stern of that thing and it certainly felt like it. We covered a lot of 'ground' in that ripper.

Our picnic area was thick with slinking goannas all hopeful for a dribbled morsel of lunch. I had to kick sand in the face of a persistent one. Nothing personal, mate.

I followed our funny host back while he prepared lunch to a swath of hissing goannas (I counted six around the modest bush picnic area) as he described a bit of the area and said he'd roast a goanna if we caught one. In jest. Mostly. Besides the lingering, hungry goannas was this monster spider sitting on its web in the trees and our host said that was the reason he didn't climb trees anymore. Agreed. Lunch consisted of rolls, an assortment of meats, salad, fruit, pasta salad, and prawns and I gorged! It was a pretty good lunch!

Do you see the giant spider? I take no responsibility for whiplash.

Afterward, our host fed some green ants to the ant lions hiding in their whirlpool holes below the trees and that was neat! Then he asked if any of us were brave enough to lick ant butt. It tasted like lemon. "NO WAY!" And he handed me a green ant. I took it by the head and gave its abdomen a lick while everyone else looked on in measures of morbid humor and disgust as my face puckered. Holy crap, it really did taste like lemon. A sock to the tongue indeed! Our guide explained the Aborigines used to swirl the green ants around in warm water and drink the water. It also provides an excellent source of vitamin C. No one else licked ant arse.

Yours truly on beautiful Whitehaven Beach!

I went for a 1.2k bush walk with the husband of my new middle-aged friends, because his wife squealed at the impinging goannas looking for a bite, and we went up to the lookout. I snapped some shots and we headed out the other side of the quiet forest which spit us out right back at the beach! It was absolutely lovely.

One of the views from the top of our bush walk on Whitehaven Beach. It was a wonderful walk except I was freaking out about walking into spider webs.

From there we all piled back onto the boat for the hour drive back to cookies and bicky (?) and they insisted I try a Lamington, a square spongecake layered in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut. It was very good!

The ride back was chilly, but nothing until the rain came. And since we were zipping along at 50k/hr, the rain came right in horizontally. We had two inches of water in the boat by the time we pulled into port.

I was lucky enough to board the first shuttle back because it was already after 5p.m. and I had to be at the bus stop at the other end of town at 6:55p.m. XBase was kind enough to let me use their showers and warm up before I hopped over to the Down Under Bar for a $7 thin crust pizza and a pint of XXXX Gold beer! Australia's favorite Oz-made brew! I finally drank the popular Australian beer and it's not half bad; light, simple taste. It went well with the pizza. I may be made a beer-drinker yet. I chowed down, grabbed my things and made the miserable walk to the bus stop, soaking and freezing.

Our bus was an hour late, arriving at 8p.m., I was still soaking, and would have to sleep in my damp clothes on the cramped seats. Life in transit, what are you gonna do? We stopped once at 11p.m. for a break and I chatted with our driver when he told me the fish I was gawking at were used for bait. Fish that big?? He asked where I was from, even though he knew I was an American, and told me about his plans to go through the states--all cities I've been to--and he asked what I recommended. I was happy to keep him company while he ate his dinner. Anything was preferable to sitting.

But soon enough we were back on the bus and I attempted to sleep into Day 8...

Less than 24 hours

This is the Greyhound Australia bus route. A 90-day, hop on/hop off pass dubbed the "Mini-Traveller" runs $410 for Sydney-Cairns, Cairns-Sydney. You choose one direction and continue on it, no backtracking. For safety reasons, I won't post my itinerary, but I plan to unveil each city as I go along! That's 1600 miles, 48 hours of bus time, in three weeks. Wish me luck! (Picture from Greyhound Australia)

I won't lie, I got some jitters, but the excitement balances the nerves. I leave for Cairns tomorrow at 2:20 p.m.!

My first international flight is proving to be very involved. Where I usually get to check in 24 hours prior and print my boarding pass, I'll actually have to go up to the reservations desk to get my passport verified before I receive my tickets. Never mind customs on the other side. I'm learning all sorts of things. I sincerely hope Guam doesn't have me jump through any hoops as my layover there is only fifty minutes, hardly enough time to stretch my legs and restock food and water before diving in again.

I went out to purchase a roll-up keyboard the other day and save yourself the headache of ever getting one. My words came out looking like th beaus i js ty e to fa. So that little piggy goes back to the market. Other wireless 'hard' keyboards are at $80 a pop, more for bluetooth. It's money I'd sooner drop on a day trip than a keyboard. Oh well, whatever happens, I'll make it work to maintain the blog.

May 9th for all intents and purposes is my lost day in every sense of the term. My magical 6-hour day which will be spent in transit. I'll never get it back. Ah, but I'll get back a day when I fly in the other direction--not so! May 9, 2013 will be gone forever! Which is pretty humbling in a way. Likewise when I fly out of Sydney, I'll have arrived before I've even left and you better believe I'll be saying that to random passersby all over the airport. "Hey, I don't take off from Australia for another two hours, but look, I'm HERE!" I'll wring every minute out of that insanity. I should journal about that feeling. OO! I should sit somewhere and compose a story about the time paradox. I'll be occupying two places in the same stretch of time! *Head spinning* So many options!

Suffice it to say, I will not be posting on the 9th or tomorrow. Or will I? After all, I'll be a day ahead of most of you sneaking around the back hedge like that. Hmm.

Quick shout out to all my friends who got in touch with me these last few days! You've all been really supportive and I appreciate the enthusiasm! Expect some goodies from down under, ey? Don't worry, this boomerang will come back. Probably.

So wish me luck all, I'll see you on the other side!

Itemizing the Items

I've finally moved into the packing stages. The point where you lay everything on your bed and realize you're carrying (or toting) your world on your back for the next 'X' weeks. Step aside Atlas, I got this one.

In effort to pack light, I've laid out four days worth of clothing that should last me a week in the field between washings. Some hostels I've researched have laundry facilities, not all, but for those that don't I have a Tide detergent to do laundry in the sink AND a clothesline. Yes, I'm going to be that odd backpacker somewhere between sun-tan lotioned tourist and light overnight camper.

The seasons in Australia are reversed! So while the northern hemisphere swings into summer, the southern embraces its winter and I've got to pack accordingly. Here are some notes about going to Oz in May:

Yay for May!
-Off season. Flights, accommodations, tour packages are cheaper!
-Ergo, options are open on said accommodations and tour packages and less competition in last minute bookings.
-In-between brutal summer heat waves (Outback, northern territories) and short days in frigid winter chill (Victoria, southern stretch), unless your aim is to ski Australia of course.
-April to November is considered the "Dry" along the tropical coast, i.e. Queensland, and pretty balmy. (But that may well change the farther south I travel.)

Nay in May...
-Forget sharks. Box jellyfish inhabit the coastal waters from October to May. These translucent, I-didn't-see-it-there! buggers can kill you. I've had my share of jelly stings and Hawaii does get its monthly influx of them, but I have no intention of swinging with these stingers. Australia actually enclose portions of their beaches for swimmers. (Fun fact: Box jellyfish stingers are triggered by chemicals on the skin.)

Ellis beach in Queensland enclosed from box jellyfish. Sharks go wherever they like.

-They also have crocs around the northern bit of the coast. Not just in May, but I wanted to note that.
-Inclement weather. Fall can be rainy on the coast. (I just checked the weather the day of my arrival, 72° high and a 50% chance of rain.) I'm hoping it won't affect my outdoor activities too much, God forbid it rains in the rain forest.

It's fall. I'll be dressing in layers where I can manage it. And should the need call for it, I can always purchase another shirt or umbrella on that end.

Other things I'm packing:
- Cards. It's a wonderful icebreaker and a great way to teach or learn new games with other travelers in transit.
- Key chains. To give away to kind or helpful folks because, whether I like it or not, I am a diplomat for my country. My attitude and bearing speak for not only myself, but U.S. as well. A little token might go a long way in making someones day--I'll report back on those stories here.
- Sleeping Bag. For questionable hostel beds and also because I plan to camp on at least one island at the Whitsundays.

Whiteheaven Beach. (Photo by Jose Porras)

- Eye mask and ear plugs. For those times I'll actually need to sleep.
- Journal. "But Rochelle, you're keeping a blog!" And I will document my information, fun, and mishaps, but what lady gives away all her secrets about the cute Aussie saluting with his XXXX? (It's beer, you naughties.)

And with my last load of laundry done, I'm back to packing!