East Coast part 2

After returning from Frazer Island we stayed one more night in Hervey Bay and early the next morning we headed off continuing our journey south. We were heading for Noosa which is the start of the Sunshine Coast and a popular surfing town. On checking out camp site we found them to be too expensive along this coast so we stayed in a free camp in a service station on the Bruce Highway. It was nice there, we camped by the lake and had the birds for company but so noisy first thing in the morning. We headed into Noosa early and did a coastal walk to the Devils Gate which is out to a rocky headland where the sea is very rough. All along the coast were surfers and it was nice to sit and watch them doing something I can't, they make it look so easy. The following week Noosa was holding their yearly festival of surfing so the town was gearing up for that. We had a swim in the sea but kept getting stung by something in the water, the life guard announced that they were harmless and just take a shower once out of the sea. After our shower we found some shade and had a nice picnic on the beach and fed the bush turkeys. Decided to drive the 30km back to our free camp for the night as it had everything we needed, even hot showers in the truckers area for $3
Up early with the birds to a very wet tent and camp due to it raining most of the night but we managed to dry the tent before heading off. We drove down the coast stopping at a few of the beaches but none as nice as Noosa and the rain didn't help much. We found Mt Coolum after going around in circles for awhile and it was still raining but we decided that we still wanted to climb it. Mt. Coolum is 208m up a track mainly of steps and then at the top it became rocky. Once at the top we could hardly see due to the low cloud and drizzle, so coming back down was a bit tricky.
Although these sorts of climbs kill my knees on the decent I am still keeping my watch happy and completing my daily challenges it sets me.
So moving further down the south coast we thought maybe it would get cheaper but no, so we headed inland a found a great camp site in Landsborough for $30 which is what we normally would pay.
What we didn't realize was that the Australian Zoo was just down the road from the camp site so come rain or shine we were going there the next day. I don't normally like zoos but I must admit that Steve Irwin and his family have done a great job with this place. The animal enclosures are large and open and there is a lot of interaction with the animals. Staff walk around with all sorts of animals and you can hold, pat or stroke them and they all seem very knowledgable about the animals in their care. Staying another night in the same site as we want to go inland to what they call the Hinterland and there is a loop road that stops at all the places of interest and the funny little towns.
The first town we hit is Maleny which is just one street and every other shop is a cafe and everyone of them was full. The shops were like tourist gift shops, we had a quick walk around then headed on our way. We stopped at the cheese factory for some free samples at Kenilworth and brought a small piece of cheese and a ice lolly. Carrying on round the loop we did the fig tree walk which had some huge interesting trees but lots of warnings about the leaves and not to touch them. Due to the state not having their annual rain fall most of the waterfalls in the area are dry but we still went to Mapleton and did the walk around the forest. The lookout there was also closed due to a recent land slide. The town of Flaxton still had water in Kondalilla falls and people were swimming in the rock pool but the walk to get there was enough for me but we did cool our feet off in the rock pool.
On the back part of the loop we came to the town of Montville with its English, Irish and German influence, again just one street with lots of coffee and gift shops. Had to have a coffee and a cake to finish a nice day off. On the way back to the camp we made a quick stop at Gardeners Falls to see if it had any water in it and yes lots, so that was nice to see.
So after 3 days in the Hinterland region we moved on to Caloundra, this is the last area of the Sunshine Coast. It had your basic town with all the big shops and then some little independent shops. The beaches were lovely and sandy with a salt water pool at Kings Beach. We thought we would have a swim in the pool then go play in the waves after, the waves were big and rolling but a lot of people were in the water. The flags were out and we know to swim between them which we did but the currant was very strong and we became separated. As I drifted and as much as I tried I just couldn't get back to the beach so I signaled for help. Sally was already back on the beach and also signaled the lifeguards that I was in trouble. Before I knew it a lifeguard was by my side on his board which I grabbed hold off and we were soon back on the beach. I was exhausted and a bit shocked that a play in the waves changed so quickly  into a nightmare, after this that part of the beach was closed due to the rip that was there. Still a bit shaken by this we had a shower and headed into town for some food and a drink and decided just to find a camp site and relax.
We ended up at a farm which was very nice but the lack of facilities ruined it, no water, shower, or kitchen and only a bush toilet.
The glass house mountains are a range of mountains, 16 in total of various height and shape. Only 3 of them can be climbed, so we first went to the look out where you can see them all in their glory.
Mt. Ngungun is 253m and 2.5km to walk so we opted for this one and it was a very nice climb to the summit. After that climb we did the Mt. Tibrogargan circuit walk which was 3km. It was raining on and off all day but that just made it humid and steamy. Really nice area but it's a shame you can't climb more of the mountains, bloody health and safety.
Now in a really nice and quite area called Beachmere where we are staying for 2 nights just to relax really after a couple of hectic days. The camp site is owned by the RSL club which is next door so that night we went and had a beer which was a nice change. Rained again in the night but lovely sunshine by the morning, had a lazy start to the day as no real plans. Decided to drive to the nearby island of Bribie which is the only Aussie island that has a bridge over to it, it also has a aqua center and we both wanted a swim. Bribie is a small island with most of it a national park and only has 4x4 access. So we walked around the town and beaches and then went for our swim in another great Aussie pool, after our swim we had a picnic on the beach, nice way to end the day with. Another night of rain.......
Moving on and a week to kill until our house sit we headed to Samford where we stayed two nights in the show ground, this is a massive place where local events are held. We were heading into Brisbane city center the next day for our Story bridge climb but we wanted to sort out our train Go Cards and find the station. Go Cards sorted so we head into the little town and did a few walks around some parks. We also found at Yugar a disused railway tunnel that the bats now use, we started to enter the tunnel but torch wasn't strong enough and it was scary in there. So the day of the bridge climb and it was hammering down, the train took 30 minutes into central then we took the bus over the bridge to the start. By now the rain had stopped and it was just a light drizzle. There was 10 people on the climb but half way up one guy couldn't go no further so we all had to return so he could be met by another member of staff to take him back. Due to the drizzle the views were not that good, the climb lasted about an hour and was quite tiring due to the steepness.
The Story Bridge done which means we have now climbed the only 3 bridges in the world that can be legally climbed. Story Bridge, Sydney Harbor and the Auckland Bridge.
Brisbane has a free bus route in the center and a free ferry that goes up and down the Brisbane river. We jumped on the ferry to get to the South Bank where there is a beach pool, entertainment center, museums and the library which we needed. Once done in the library we walked over the Victoria Bridge where we found a food market where food from all around the world is sold.
The old city hall has a museum and a clock tower which you can take a free guided tour off, amazing old tower which still has the old working clock faces. So back on the train for another night at the show ground and an evening in the rain with the crane toads.
We also stayed a night at the local scout camp which is a huge place but really neglected with awful amenities for campers to use. No caretaker was there either so we set up camp and would pay him in the morning but after a shower and some breakfast he still didn't show so we left without paying. We were now heading into a place called Ipswich which is another suburb of Brisbane and guess what another cheap show ground to camp in. These show grounds only have toilets and showers so all cooking is done from the back of the van and we had to find a launderette as we had run out of clothes. We also found a nice pool in town so that evening we had a nice swim under the stars. At a lost of what to do for the weekend I suggested that we head back to Bribie Island and spend the weekend at the beach.
We stayed in the camp site on the surf side of the island as the reviews we better and as there is only two camp sites not much competition really. The camp was nice as it had a tv room to sit in the evenings while it rained again and again. The mornings were really hot and we went into the sea but come lunch time it poured down again. Saturday night we decided to try the Surf Club for dinner and a drink and it was really nice food and drinks were not too expensive either.
So Sunday has arrived and we are heading to Burpengary for our two week house sit, we have a 3 month old springer puppy and a cross springer with something. Minnie is a black and white cutie and I love her already, Ralphy is a rescue dog so Mark and Sharon are not sure of his background, age or even breed but his a lovable old dog that just sleeps and wants cuddles. Their home is on 3/4 of an acre of land with 5 bedrooms and a pool, they are both professional career people with no children.
Our 2 week stay was all about relaxing, doing some admin and most importantly getting to know Ralphy and Minnie. Mark had a day off so that afternoon we went to the cinema to watch Zootopia a new Disney film, was a funny film but felt a bit out of place with all the kids watching it. To keep myself busy I trimmed a couple of the hedges for Mark and he showed me how to use his sit on lawn mower so I could cut the massive lawn for them. There was a huge town pool which we went too a couple of times but with there being a pool in the garden I used that for my exercise. While in the pool Minnie kept jumping in and out onto the first step which was getting her use to the water as before she wouldn't go near the water. There is a huge shopping center where we did shopping and also got a cheap hair cut. On another day Mark took us to some new show houses as we were curious what new Aussie homes were like and of course the price. Well impressed with both the houses and prices. Our only other chore was to get the car serviced and hopefully this would be the last one. Was very sad to leave the dogs and all the home comforts that Mark and Sharon offered us in exchange for caring for their dogs but our time was up and we had to leave. On a sad note Ralphy hurt his paw on our last day but Mark has since assured us that it improved throughout the day. I feel we will stay in touch with them as we all got on really well and hopefully we will all meet up again.

Frazer Island

We decided to book a two day tour with Frazer Explorer as it was the best option for us not having a 4 wheeled drive vehicle. We were picked up at our campsite at 7.20am and after a few more pick ups we headed to River Head where the barge leaves from to Kingfisher Bay. Dead on 8am we were heading across the Great Sandy Strait to Frazer Island, after an hour the barge was docking to let everyone off. Once we walked the jetty we was met by Steve our driver and tour guide for the next two days on the island. Our off road bus was a 30 seater so the 9 of us had plenty of room to spread out. Within minutes we were off road and onto sand and it was bumpy, amazed that our bus managed to get around but they were built in Germany especially for the island tracks.
Frazer Island is the worlds largest sand island and has a beach that is 75 miles long, the island also has two resorts on either side of the island. We were staying the night at Eurong Beach Resort on the west side of the island, built in the 60's it's a bit run down unlike the Kingfisher Bay Resort which is 5*
Steve was a great driver and very knowledgeable on everything about the island, it's history, the wildlife and the plants and trees that grow there. Our first stop was to Lake McKenzie which is fresh water with a micro sand that you rub all over and it's good for the skin, I must say mine did feel good afterwards. There is a few lakes on Frazer and we also went to Lake Wabby that they say in 30 years the sands would off taken over and the lake won't be there anymore. To get to the lake we had a 2km walk up the dunes which was very hard work but it was worth it to see the disappearing lake. Lake Birrabeen is also a lake that has micro sand but when we got there is started to rain but this didn't stop me from swimming. The 3 lakes we went to I swan in them all but I must say Lake McKenzie is my favorite.
On 75 mile beach is the wreck of the Maheno a large luxury liner that after her service was sold to the Chinese for scrap but unfortunately she was washed ashore on Frazer after a huge storm. There was no loss of life as she was being towed but still a shame that such a grand ship should ends her days as scrap.
Along the beach you also find the Pinnacles which are colored sand dunes that have become colored by the minerals in the sand. Eli Creek is a fast flowing river that leads to the sea and you walk a short distance then float down it to the beach but the river was quite low and I couldn't float that well but still great fun.
At the northern part of the island is Indian Head, Captain Cook named this as he saw the natives sitting on the Rock and he referred to them as Indians. The local people used to sit high up on the rock to look for fish in the sea below for hunting.
Further up the coast is the Champagne Rock Pools, called this as the waves crush into the pools causing lots of bubbles. The sea was very rough and the waves would send you all over the place when they crushed into the pools but good fun.
When the loggers were on the island that laid a railway for moving the logs across the island and they set up base called Central Station. Nothing is left there as when the government told then to leave the island they took everything with them. We walked to Central Station by way of the Wanggoolba Creek which treks through the rain forest part of the island.
Our accommodation that night is a 4 bed dorm that we shared with the two other girls on the tour, one was Italian and the other was Czech so not much talking between us all. After we had dinner the group headed to the bar where we had a few drinks and played pool. It was a good night and a good laugh with other travelers from around the world.
I really enjoyed Frazer Island and my only wish is that I had hired a 4x4 vehicle and did some driving over there.

East Coast part 1

Had a fantastic day out snorkeling with Passions of Paradise, it was an early start as the boat left at 8am. Although it was a very calm day I still took a travel sickness tablet to be sure. It took 2hrs to get out to Michaelmas Cay which is a little piece of sand inhabited by thousands of nesting sea birds. We kitted up in our stinger suits and jumped in, I have mixed feelings about the barrier reef as its not what I expected. There is a lot of damage to the reef caused by cyclones and the parrot fish don't help. We snorkeled for half an hour as we were going to do a try dive to see how we felt about being under the water again. The dive went well, we only went to 8m and I had no problems  with my ears. After the dive was complete we went back in the water for another snorkel and saw a couple of turtles and a blue spotted ray. Back on the boat it was lunchtime and as normal nothing I liked so had 2 bread rolls and some fruit. We then headed for Paradise reef which took about an hour, the sea was a bit more choppy here but we jumped in for another swim. This reef was much like the other one but we did see a couple of turtles and a huge potato cod. Once back on the boat a head count was done and then headed back to Cairns where we hit a massive downpour just as we got into the harbor. That night we went into town for a meal, while walking around town we found the night market so went in for a look. We ended up having a Chinese pressure point massage and OMG I felt like I had been beaten up by the smallest of ladies. She knew where to put those elbows, palms and thumbs to inflict the most pain.
I was surprised the next morning that I didn't hurt but didn't jump out of bed feeling great either. I brought an activity watch that tracks your sleep pattern and mine isn't good, I'm in and out of a deep and light sleep all night. It also tracks your activities or lack of them in my case but I am keeping up with the challenges it sets me.
Leaving Cairns we head for Port Douglas where the barrier reef is at its closest the land and the reef is meant to be better as well. Port Douglas is a really nice place, quite small and has a colonial feel to it. Booked into a camp site for two nights as the next day we are heading out on another boat to do some diving hopefully. The site is right on the beach but unfortunately the beach was closed due to a guy being stung by a jellyfish, the type that kills you in 2hrs.
We boarded the Poseidon at 8am and an hour and half later we were kitting up for our first dive, I think we were both feeling nervous but Tom our dive master was great. First dive was to 18 meters and we had a great time, the reef is better with more color and plenty of fish around. So after doing 3 dives and seeing turtles, white and black tip sharks, a huge grouper and a million over types of fish we are both happy we took the plunge again.
We decided to stay an extra night at this site as the next day we are heading to Daintree and the rain forest which is about 2hrs away.
So up early and we headed up the coast to Daintree but we first had to pay to cross the Daintree River by ferry, the river is fast flowing and was told full of crocs. We headed for the furthest point of Cape Tribulation which basically is just a beach and the chance of seeing the large Emu type bird called a Cassowary. We were told that only about 1000 are left in the wild so was lucky to see one with her chick on the Jindalba walk. On the way back we called in at the Daintree Ice Cream farm where they grow all their own fruit to make the ice cream. A few minutes down the road was another ice cream place called Floravilla, so we had to compare the two places.
The rain forest is a hot and humid place with such dense forest it's like night when you walk through it so taking photos was tricky.
Back at the camp site and straight into the pool to cool off but the weather changed and it rained very hard and it didn't stop, by morning everything was wet but we managed to get it all dry before we left the camp to head back to Cairns.
We didn't really stop at Cairns but we did want to visit the botanic gardens just outside town, spent an hour walking around but it wasn't as large as some gardens we had been too.
On the way back down the east coast we stopped at the Babinda Boulders which are huge boulders in the Babinda Creek. Swimming is allowed in one area by the car park, it was pouring with rain and as I was already soaked I went for a dip. The water was cold but very refreshing and you could feel the currant running. The weather didn't improve so we didn't stop anywhere else just headed for a campsite at Innisfail. This campsite had a great pool so before we left that morning I went for a swim, nice way to start the day.
We only had a short drive to Paronella Park and the Mena Falls, we arrived at lunch time and brought our entry tickets and was booked on the next tour. The entry price also gives you a nights camping if you want it and if you camp you can go on a night tour which is similar the day tour but you get to see the palace lit up. The castle was the dream of Jose Paronella who started the build in the 1930's but died at an early age from a heart attack so although the park was finished he never got to enjoy it's beauty. From then on the castle and the park started to deteragate and Mother Nature also played her part with floods and cyclones.
So onwards to Townsville as we were booked in to have two new tires fitted as our back ones were as smooth as a baby's bum. It was late afternoon by the time we were done at the garage but we wanted to carry on to Ayr for the night and go to the drive in cinema. Booked into the camp site, tent up and a quick meal then off to the Stardust Drive In where we thought we were going to watch a film called "Sisters" but the first film was "The Dress Marker" and then "Sisters" came on. Both were good films and we both really enjoyed the evening and we never got back to the site until 11.30pm. The site has a 50m pool so once we were up at 7.20 we headed for a swim, I'm now only doing half a mile as my shoulder is playing up again.
Another short drive to Airlie Beach which is the gate way to the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. On route we stopped at lots of towns and their gorgeous beaches for some walks and to keep my watch happy as if I sit still too long it buzzes me to get moving.
Checked into a Big4 site as they were doing a special of pay for 2 nights get the third for free, this suits us as our boat trip is on Monday. There are hundreds of islands but only a handful that are inhabited and you can visit. The closest to Airlie Beach is Day Dream Island and it's a 30 minute boat ride so that's what we did. It's such a small island and you can easily walk around it and with only one resort which as a day visitor you can use all the amenities they have. We still needed suits to snorkel due to the season for stringers in the water but we still had a great afternoon on Lovers Beach but the water was a bit milky. Spent the last hour by the pool before the ferry takes us back and then discover that the island has lots of Wallaroos and I fed one, he was so cute.
We had a good 3 days at Airlie and the Whitsundays could spend more time but we have to move on. Heading further south on the Bruce Highway we turned off to Cape Hillsborough where we walked along the beach to Wedge Island as the tide was out we could reach it. I got stuck in the sand/mud and was covered in it, I think that's the end of my Keen sandals now. We reached Mackay which is a huge city which we are not use too but I guess the whole east coast will be like this. We didn't stay in Mackay but headed inland to the Eungella National Park, as it was late afternoon we started the drive but stopped at Finch Hatton as that's where the gorge is we want to see. We camped in the towns show ground which is cheap as it only had showers and toilets but it was a nice setting.
The gorge road was a bit rough and I had to drive through 3 river crossings but they wasn't deep. It was a 2km walk to the cascades, which is a series of waterfalls and a lovely but freezing pool at the top to cool off in. After a swim we head to Wild Fire falls another 2km up the track, this also had a huge pool to swim in and even colder or maybe we were hotter. After a cooling swim we head back down the gorge to the car and head to Broken River where we are going to camp by the river in the hope of seeing some platypus. This will be the third time we have sat and waited for them at different locations and finally early evening our luck is in and we see loads of them. As the light was fading it was hard to get any good photos so fingers cross we will see them again in the morning. Nightmare it rained most of the night and I was actually cold, luckily in the morning it was sunny so we could dry the tent out. So camera and cup of tea in hand we headed down to the river bank and yes we saw some more platypus not as many as the night before but who's counting.
Everything packed away we headed back to Mackay and the Bruce Highway to continue our drive south. Just outside Mackay was the Sugar Hut which is a miniature sugar refinery for visitors to see how the sugar cane is turned into sugar and a million other things. Really good tour and learnt that Queensland is the largest producers of sugar in the world and exports 80% of the sugar cane. It also makes ice cream and the lady gave me a tub of licorice ice cream as I didn't taste any of the other samples on offer, very nice.
A few more miles and we are in Green Hill at a camp site by the beach, washing done and a walk on the beach and time for dinner. This site is infested with mosquitos and they drove me crazy, even with a spray they still managed to bite me on my hands and feet. It was also very hot in the night and didn't sleep too well but at least in the morning we were only driving a short distance to Rockhampton.
A bit of a boring drive along the Bruce Highway for 250km to Rockhampton but once there we had a walk around the city zoo and the botanical gardens which was nice, also found the city pool and had a swim for an hour. Just outside Rockhampton we are camped in Gracemere on the Capricorn Highway as we are driving to the emerald and sapphire fields in the morning. Rained most of the night but as normal it was brilliant sunshine in the morning so while the tent was drying out we jumped into the pool to cool off. Finally got on the road at 9.30 once everything had dried out and packed away. We drove 300km to Sapphire to find everything is closed because it's too hot, crazy country. Went to a lovely campsite that the owners said camp anywhere and do a self registration as they don't work weekends and as normal we were the only campers here apart from a couple of residents. It's nice having everything to yourself but makes you wonder where everyone else is and are we missing something.
Up with the sun rise to see lots of wallabies and kangaroos bouncing around in the woods so took a walk in the rising sun. We are aiming on trying to find Carnarvon Gorge which is in a national park just pass Rolleston. Once we turn off the main road we had to drive into a cattle station where the cattle are all over the road but they do move once you get close enough. This was for 20km then it was off road for another 6km before we reached the campsite which is the gateway to the gorge. Takarakka is a haven for kangaroos they are everywhere in the site, also they claim that there are platypus in the river but after two nights of looking we didn't see any. We also spotted Rat Kangaroos which we had never seen before, these are the smaller kangaroo known.
The lady in the camp suggested we head to Mickey's Creek as it was only a 3km walk up to the gorge and to look at the Rock pool after as it was so hot. Mickey's Creek lead into an amazing gorge that got really narrow and dark but kind of magical as well. The rock pool was nice and people were swimming in it but it was covered in mosquitos and I've been bitten enough.
Up early to walk the gorge and by 8.30 we were hiking up the path way but we needed to be earlier really as it was so hot. I think this is my favorite national park so far as the walks are really nice and the stepping stones over the river are beautiful. On route up to the Art Gallery are lots of other tracks that lead to other special places but they advise you go to the furthest point first which we did. The art gallery is a large cliff wall with Aboriginal paintings, not sure what I expected but it was just a wall of hands, tools and symbols explaining their history. Anyway we had a drink and some fruit before we headed back down to Wards Canyon. The canyon is a track between the rocks a bit like a gorge, very dark, damp and eerie. Further down you take the track to the amphitheater which was an amazing place, you climb a ladder to get to a gap that you walk through and then you come out into this place completely surrounded by high cliffs with the sun filtering through the trees high on the ridge. The sounds in there are great, I had never heard anything like it before. Nearly back down there was the Moss Garden which was ok but not worth the walk to get there, it was basically  where rain water filters through the rocks and creates the moss on the cliff face.
So after walking 14km we were at the bottom and the last river crossing so we sat on the rocks and bathed our feet as mine were so hot due to wearing my walking boots. Really enjoyed my day in the gorge even through my knees are killing me and I will ache tomorrow.
Today is a driving day which is good as after yesterday's long hike I need the sit down, we are driving back to the coast via Gladstone and then heading south along the coastal road. After lots of stops on route we are camped in a great little site in Benaraby and once again we are the only campers. This little camp site was right on the Bruce Highway so very noisy that night, I was up at 5.30 as couldn't sleep no longer.
Carrying on along the Bruce Highway we stop of at Bundaberg which is famous for its rum and ginger beer but also it has one of Australia's largest breeding beaches for loggerhead turtles.
Mon Repos is the beach where the turtles lay their eggs and at this time it's the hatchlings that are on the beach. For $11 you get to see them dig their way out of the sandy nest and head for the safety of the ocean. I was one of the lucky ones that got picked to guide their way down the beach, I had to stand with my torch in a line with some others and the hatchlings follow the light to the ocean. Absolutely amazing to watch and the efforts the volunteers and ranges go to ensure the survival of these loggerheads.
Now heading to Hervey Bay where we made a quick stop at Childers, a little old fashioned town with a history. A few years ago a backpackers hostel was burnt down killing 15 backpackers which 5 were British. The town has never forgotten those that lost their life's that night and there is a memorial to them in the information center, very moving. We are in Hervey Bay in a lovely site right on the beach and it's a sandy beach which you can swim in. Booked in for 3 nights as we are off to Frazer Island and we will leave our van in the site.