So the day has arrived and we are leaving Australia for the last time. The flight to Kuala Lumpur was a strange one due to the fact it was empty and we all had a row of seats each. We had a good flight until we came to land and then the trouble started. There was a storm at the airport and after two attempts to land the Captain announced that we were now going to land in Singapore. I was really sick by now and felt awful, I just wanted to land. So we land at Singapore half an hour later and the plane had to refuel and then it took of again as the storm had passed. By the time we landed I was ill and never wanted to get back on a plane but a couple of hours later I was back on a plane to Hanoi. This flight was just over 3hrs and was a calm flight but I'm still hating flying at the moment.
We were met by our driver who drove us to our hotel. We were hot, tired and hungry by now but glad that when we arrived we found a lovely hotel waiting for us. The hotel is right in the hub of things with street markets all around. Plenty of cafes and shops to choose from also. We ventured out that night after a short nap just to buy some water and get something to eat. I'm sure Sally would eat from the street venders but I won't, so pizza it was for me.
We are just a short walk from Hoan Kien Lake also called Lake of the Restored Sword. Within the lake is the Temple of the Jade Mountain, you walk over a picturesque red bridge to get to the island. Up the far end of the lake is the Turtle Tower, Vietnamese people have 4 holy beasts which are the Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise and the Phoenix. So in all the temples and monuments are reminders of their scared animals.
It is very hot today so we continuously stopped for drinks and a short rest as the heat is very draining. Next stop is Hoa Lo Prison or Hanoi Hilton as named by the US pilots that were imprisoned there during the war. Originally built by the French for political prisoners so the conditions were very harsh for them with many dying while there.
The Temple of Literature is thought to be the first university in the world, built by the King to educate his scholars.
The day of our Halong Bay trip and the coach picks us up at 8.30 and the journey takes 3 1/2hrs to get to the boat. The bay is beautiful and is now one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The V'Spirit boat is a traditional Vietnamese wooden boat with its two sails. We sail out into the bay for about an hour and then take the small tender to the island that has the huge Sung Sot Cave. The cave has 3 chambers and the last one is huge, one of the nicest caves I've been in. The crew had organised a sunset party on the deck and then after dinner we tried our hand at fishing for squid, but no luck.
Up early to watch the sunrise and they have a Tai Chi class on deck which I didn't do, I just sat and watched. After breakfast the tender takes us to a floating home where we use the kayaks for an hour. After kayaking we went for a swim, the water was very warm and I'm sure not clean enough to swim in but it has to be done. The floating home has one family that live there and never leave, they have a net in the water full of fish and a puppy dog that is not a pet. Seeing it a lot now in Vietnam, puppies for sale and have been told that 85% of Vietnamese eat dog meat.
Once back onboard we shower and then lunch is served while we head back to the port where our bus is waiting to take us back to Hanoi.
Once back in Hanoi we recheck in the the same hotel and sort our kit out before heading out for some dinner. Being Friday night a lot of the streets were closed to traffic while street artist perform and market traders sell their fake gear.
Up early for our coach pick up at 6.30am as we have a 5 1/2hr trip to the northern city of Sapa. Our coach was a normal size but had seats that lay flat into beds, very comfortable. We have wifi but not that good so just played games and read for the whole time, I tried to sleep but no joy. The mountain city is very poor with lots of village people that walk miles everyday to come into the city to hassle the tourists. We arrived around 1pm to a very busy place and straight away the mountain people zone into us as fresh meat to sell to. After lunch we put our boots on and head down into the valley to the village of Lao Chai. We are followed by some ladies from that village who chat away to us but also help us get down the muddy slopes. The walk was one of the best I've done, walking through paddy and corn fields. After walking for 4hrs we get to Lao Chai where we rest awhile and have a drink. We buy some brackets from the village ladies to say thanks for the help down. We walk through the town where our mini bus is waiting to take us back to Sapa. A well earned shower and a short rest before we have dinner and then a walk into the centre. I opted for for a 30 minute foot massage which only cost £3 and my legs and feet felt so much better after. Woke early as there is a lot of building work around the hotel and as we weren't being picked up until 9.45 we had breakfast and went for a walk. Our itinerary stated that we were going to be driven to CatCat village so I wore flip flops but our guide said we were walking for 7km which in the rain I cannot do in that foot wear. I ended up staying at the hotel while the rain fell heavily outside, it gave me the opportunity to catch up on my blog and photos. Later that afternoon we were back on the bus for the long journey back to Hanoi.
The next morning we headed to the Woman's Museum which was basically the history of Vietnamese woman and what they endured. We also went to Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, we were unable to enter but the outside is a magnificent building with a huge area in front where the military do their parades. It rained very heavy today and we got soaked but due to it being so hot it was quite nice. This was our last day in Hanoi and was sad to leave as I really enjoyed myself here.
Our next stop is Hue and a 13 hour train journey in a 4 bed carriage. We started the journey with a gran mother and her two grand children but when I woke in the morning we were sharing our carriage with a father and his son. The train got into Hue at 9am and we were met by our driver who took us to the hotel but as it was so early we couldn't check in. We left our bags and went for a walk for some breakfast. It's quite a small place on the Perfume River but just as lively and crazy as Hanoi. I have now been unwell for 5 days now and with a rough night on the train I stayed in the hotel room for the rest of the day. Ventured out that night for something to eat but just had a bowl of soup with some bread but still no better.
We had an early pick up that morning as we have a long day of visiting some tombs and a dragon boat river trip.
The first tomb we arrive at was Minh Mang who was a much loved King, his tomb was in a huge area and very magnificent. Khai Dinh tomb was kinda small as he was not a respected King due to the fact his people believed him to be gay. His tomb does suggest this as it was very colourful and decorated with gems and pottery from around the world. Tu Duc was another disliked King and his tomb was a bit of a dump compared the the others but it's the only one actually confirmed his body is in the tomb.
From there we were taken to a martial arts display and a village where they made incense sticks and hats. Now for another buffet lunch where I sat and ate water melon, I hate this food.
We are then taken to the Citadel where royal family lived but much of it was destroyed by the Americans in the war. Thien Mu Pagoda is a huge pagoda on the river bank where lots of Buddhist monks are trained and live. After along day we are finally on a dragon boat cruising up the Perfume River back to our hotel. Another exhausting day with the tour group, will be glad when tour is over and we decide what we visit and in what time span.
Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Sunday, 5 June 2016
Final Leg Back to Sydney part 2
I happened to notice a house sit just for the weekend on route so I emailed the family and we were accepted to care for their 3 pets while they went to Melbourne for the weekend. As we were not staying at the house on Thursday night we went to the camp site at Lane Cove National Park. The home was in Thornleigh, a Sydney suburb and we were caring for a little Kelpie called Milly and two cats called Princess and Sammy. Sammy was an outdoors cat so didn't see her much, only at feeding time, Princess like her name was one and only stayed indoors. Milly was a lovely kelpie who didn't need much care but I did get a cuddle from her. Thursday night we drove to Thornleigh to meet the family and their pets, Ian advised us of their routine and then we left to allow them to get on with their packing. We arrived at the home Friday morning and made friends with the pets and stayed and played with Milly awhile before we went out for a couple of hours. We were told of a really nice place called Berowra Waters and Galston Gorge, nice drive out and a short ferry crossing to get to the gorge.
As we were that close to Sydney we jumped on the train for the 50 minute journey, like when we were here 7 months ago it was raining. Luckily we were only going to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art where there was a exhibition from the British artist Grayson Perry. An unusual display of pottery and tapestries by the artist, I believe they portray his outlook on life.
Didn't do much on Sunday but we walked Milly for an hour, tidied the house and done some washing. We left the home at 5.30pm and headed back to the Lane Cove camp site for the night.
Monday was a really nice day so we walked through the park along the river for a couple of hours then headed for the Royal Park. We got to the park but as it was ANZAC day it was still busy and we couldn't find a camp site so we got back in the van and headed south. Our final destination is Batemans Bay so we are heading there now and will visit the park on our way back to Sydney before we sell the van back to Travel Wheels.
That night we stayed in a large site on the beach called Corrimal, a pretty coastal town with a few shops and a gorgeous beach. Finally arrived at Batemans Bay to find the camp sites expensive so we drove 6km on to Sunshine Bay and booked into Caseys Beach for 3 nights. This site had a great kitchen and TV room which nobody used so it was like having our own little lounge for 3 nights. This area has some great bays and lots of islands off shore so we headed a bit further south to Mossy Point and Broulee. Broulee Beach has an island which you can walk around and if the tide is right sit and watch the blow hole. From here we then drove down to a place called Moruya to an ice cream parlour for some heavenly ice cream.
Batemans Bay has a bat colony which has taken over a park area which the local residents are complaining about the noise and the smell. There is now 250,000 bats but they are protected so the council cannot touch them. We sat and watched them for awhile as I find bats fascinating.
Had a walk around the harbour while eating liquorice flavoured ice cream. So after 3 restful days here we started the drive back towards Sydney and the National Park. On the route out we had one last look at the bats and against the blue sky they looked even more amazing.
We took a slight detour to the Boorderee National Park, the park charges but you can camp and entry fee all for $21 which is great value. The park is along the coast line and the camp was a bush camp with showers but still a nice place to stay. We had wallabies run through our camp, parrots on the roof of the car but also leaches to watch out for. While out on a walk right across our pathway was a Red Bellied Black Snake, we managed to get a photo before it slid off into the bush. Also a black frog with yellow strips was spotted but don't know what it was and Google never found it either. We did some nice walking around the park and yet again the rugged coastline made for a great unexpected 2 days.
Back on the road we stopped at Kiama to watch the sea at its best and the towns famous blowhole. Australia has some amazing lighthouses and Kiama was no exception but I think this one had just been painted as it was blinding in the sunlight.
Berry is another one drive through cowboy street with shops along the sides which I imagine in their day were everyday household shops but now they are coffee and ice cream shops.
Before we got to the park we drove over the Sea Cliff Bridge which is about 1km long over the sea, a nice walk over and back on quite a windy day.
Finally make it back to Royal National Park, second oldest park in the world, the first being Yellowstone in the States. We parked just outside the park to avoid paying the entry fee of $12, every little saving helps. We wanted to walk to the figure of eight rock formation on the coast line that you can sit in and the waves come up over you. In the past people have been sweep away by some huge waves so they advise you not to go there. We did the 12km walk but maybe fortunately we couldn't fine the path down to the coast. It was a great walk through some really thick bush and the views were great of a large pod of dolphins we spotted. We drove back over the sea cliff bridge to the camp site on the beach at Coledale and watched an amazing sunset.
After leaving Coledale and our beautiful beach setting we headed back through the park and back to Sydney and as Lane Cove is really the only camp site in Sydney we booked into there for 4 nights.
I found a new house sit in Ryde another Sydney suburb, this is only for 3 nights and it's to care for another rescue dog called Tilley. The family wanted to meet us so after a lovely swim in the Sydney 2000 Olympic pool we went and met them. Once back at Lane Cove we had some dinner and stayed in the TV room and watched Netflix on our iPads.
We spent the day in Sydney and had a nice meal at Circluar Quay, it was a very warm day and was lovely just to sit and people watch. The house sit we are doing in Sydney said it was ok to leave a bag with them while we were in Fiji as half the kit we had was not needed there. We had agreed to take the van back to Travel Wheels in Botany Bay on Friday as we were flying out early Saturday morning. We agreed a buy back figure so just waiting for the money transfer to take place. Due to the time of our flight to Melbourne we stayed at the airport Friday night in some armchairs but didn't get much sleep.
Landed back at Sydney Airport at 9pm and had a short train journey to central where we are booked into the Railway Square YHA. We were sharing a train carriage with two young girls who were the messiest people I have ever seen. Climbed into our top bunk about 1am only to be woken up at 3am with one of the girls coming into the room. Then at 5am I could hear all the station announcements so no more sleep for me so headed for the shower. Spent the day in Sydney as we could leave our bags at the hostel and also we didn't need to be in Gerringong until 6pm
Bonny and Clyde are brother and sister and are a cross Maltese/Shin Zu. They are the cutest pups I've ever known, all they wanted is human company and cuddles. The house is right in the center of Gerringong and we had lovely walks to the beach and the cliff tops. The next town heading north is Kiama and there is a costal walk path to there, although it said it was 6km we ended up walking 17km that day including the dog walks. The town has a town hall where you can pick up free wifi so we managed to get our flights, tours and accommodation all booked for Vietnam. Prior to getting this house sit we had booked up a whale watching tour back in Sydney but I was a bit worried about leaving the dogs all day. We headed back to Sydney for our trip and we had an amazing time, a female hump back and her two calfs spent about two hours along side our boat. We had great views of them all as they came so close to the boat and it was their choice to do so, the skipper did not hassle them in anyway. Got back to the pups and they were very happy to see us and they were fine being on their own all day.
We jumped on the train and went to another town south of Gerringong called Berry where we had a lovely afternoon tea and a walk around the the town. Back at the house we started to sort our stuff out getting ready for the off and back to Sydney. It was sad to leave our little pups but their mummy is coming home and we have a train to catch.
We have booked into a serviced studio apartment for the week in Brookvale just north of Sydney. Our little studio is brilliant, has everything that you need and its opposite one of NSW's biggest shopping mall. We had 5 good busy days here, we did a lot of research on Vietnam as we had unlimited wifi. Jumped on a bus and went into Manly for the day and on another day we went into Sydney for the Great Explorers exhibition at the Australian Museum. While at the museum they had a David Attenborough 360* show, this was based on his recent visit to the Great Barrier Reef.
We are now at our final house sit, caring for Tilly in Ryde which is a Sydney suburb. She is another rescue dog but again so loveable. We are only here for 3 days and then we fly to Vietnam so wanted to make the most of our last few days here. I booked for us to have a Elegant High Tea at one of Sydney's oldest hotel, Sir Stamford overlooking Circular Quay. Really nice snacks, cakes tea and a glass of champagne to wash it all down. That night at 6pm Sydney stated its Vivid light show, this is where they have light shows on famous land marks. We stayed and watched some of it but felt we needed to get back to Tilly. Our friends we met up at Cairns who live in Newcastle came down to spend the day with us before we leave Australia. Went out for a really nice meal and drive to Palm Beach, hopefully we will all see each other again. Our family arrive home and Tilly was very happy to see them. After a chat and a drink they took us to the airport which took about an hour so was very nice of them to do that.
As we were that close to Sydney we jumped on the train for the 50 minute journey, like when we were here 7 months ago it was raining. Luckily we were only going to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art where there was a exhibition from the British artist Grayson Perry. An unusual display of pottery and tapestries by the artist, I believe they portray his outlook on life.
Didn't do much on Sunday but we walked Milly for an hour, tidied the house and done some washing. We left the home at 5.30pm and headed back to the Lane Cove camp site for the night.
Monday was a really nice day so we walked through the park along the river for a couple of hours then headed for the Royal Park. We got to the park but as it was ANZAC day it was still busy and we couldn't find a camp site so we got back in the van and headed south. Our final destination is Batemans Bay so we are heading there now and will visit the park on our way back to Sydney before we sell the van back to Travel Wheels.
That night we stayed in a large site on the beach called Corrimal, a pretty coastal town with a few shops and a gorgeous beach. Finally arrived at Batemans Bay to find the camp sites expensive so we drove 6km on to Sunshine Bay and booked into Caseys Beach for 3 nights. This site had a great kitchen and TV room which nobody used so it was like having our own little lounge for 3 nights. This area has some great bays and lots of islands off shore so we headed a bit further south to Mossy Point and Broulee. Broulee Beach has an island which you can walk around and if the tide is right sit and watch the blow hole. From here we then drove down to a place called Moruya to an ice cream parlour for some heavenly ice cream.
Batemans Bay has a bat colony which has taken over a park area which the local residents are complaining about the noise and the smell. There is now 250,000 bats but they are protected so the council cannot touch them. We sat and watched them for awhile as I find bats fascinating.
Had a walk around the harbour while eating liquorice flavoured ice cream. So after 3 restful days here we started the drive back towards Sydney and the National Park. On the route out we had one last look at the bats and against the blue sky they looked even more amazing.
We took a slight detour to the Boorderee National Park, the park charges but you can camp and entry fee all for $21 which is great value. The park is along the coast line and the camp was a bush camp with showers but still a nice place to stay. We had wallabies run through our camp, parrots on the roof of the car but also leaches to watch out for. While out on a walk right across our pathway was a Red Bellied Black Snake, we managed to get a photo before it slid off into the bush. Also a black frog with yellow strips was spotted but don't know what it was and Google never found it either. We did some nice walking around the park and yet again the rugged coastline made for a great unexpected 2 days.
Back on the road we stopped at Kiama to watch the sea at its best and the towns famous blowhole. Australia has some amazing lighthouses and Kiama was no exception but I think this one had just been painted as it was blinding in the sunlight.
Berry is another one drive through cowboy street with shops along the sides which I imagine in their day were everyday household shops but now they are coffee and ice cream shops.
Before we got to the park we drove over the Sea Cliff Bridge which is about 1km long over the sea, a nice walk over and back on quite a windy day.
Finally make it back to Royal National Park, second oldest park in the world, the first being Yellowstone in the States. We parked just outside the park to avoid paying the entry fee of $12, every little saving helps. We wanted to walk to the figure of eight rock formation on the coast line that you can sit in and the waves come up over you. In the past people have been sweep away by some huge waves so they advise you not to go there. We did the 12km walk but maybe fortunately we couldn't fine the path down to the coast. It was a great walk through some really thick bush and the views were great of a large pod of dolphins we spotted. We drove back over the sea cliff bridge to the camp site on the beach at Coledale and watched an amazing sunset.
After leaving Coledale and our beautiful beach setting we headed back through the park and back to Sydney and as Lane Cove is really the only camp site in Sydney we booked into there for 4 nights.
I found a new house sit in Ryde another Sydney suburb, this is only for 3 nights and it's to care for another rescue dog called Tilley. The family wanted to meet us so after a lovely swim in the Sydney 2000 Olympic pool we went and met them. Once back at Lane Cove we had some dinner and stayed in the TV room and watched Netflix on our iPads.
We spent the day in Sydney and had a nice meal at Circluar Quay, it was a very warm day and was lovely just to sit and people watch. The house sit we are doing in Sydney said it was ok to leave a bag with them while we were in Fiji as half the kit we had was not needed there. We had agreed to take the van back to Travel Wheels in Botany Bay on Friday as we were flying out early Saturday morning. We agreed a buy back figure so just waiting for the money transfer to take place. Due to the time of our flight to Melbourne we stayed at the airport Friday night in some armchairs but didn't get much sleep.
Landed back at Sydney Airport at 9pm and had a short train journey to central where we are booked into the Railway Square YHA. We were sharing a train carriage with two young girls who were the messiest people I have ever seen. Climbed into our top bunk about 1am only to be woken up at 3am with one of the girls coming into the room. Then at 5am I could hear all the station announcements so no more sleep for me so headed for the shower. Spent the day in Sydney as we could leave our bags at the hostel and also we didn't need to be in Gerringong until 6pm
Bonny and Clyde are brother and sister and are a cross Maltese/Shin Zu. They are the cutest pups I've ever known, all they wanted is human company and cuddles. The house is right in the center of Gerringong and we had lovely walks to the beach and the cliff tops. The next town heading north is Kiama and there is a costal walk path to there, although it said it was 6km we ended up walking 17km that day including the dog walks. The town has a town hall where you can pick up free wifi so we managed to get our flights, tours and accommodation all booked for Vietnam. Prior to getting this house sit we had booked up a whale watching tour back in Sydney but I was a bit worried about leaving the dogs all day. We headed back to Sydney for our trip and we had an amazing time, a female hump back and her two calfs spent about two hours along side our boat. We had great views of them all as they came so close to the boat and it was their choice to do so, the skipper did not hassle them in anyway. Got back to the pups and they were very happy to see us and they were fine being on their own all day.
We jumped on the train and went to another town south of Gerringong called Berry where we had a lovely afternoon tea and a walk around the the town. Back at the house we started to sort our stuff out getting ready for the off and back to Sydney. It was sad to leave our little pups but their mummy is coming home and we have a train to catch.
We have booked into a serviced studio apartment for the week in Brookvale just north of Sydney. Our little studio is brilliant, has everything that you need and its opposite one of NSW's biggest shopping mall. We had 5 good busy days here, we did a lot of research on Vietnam as we had unlimited wifi. Jumped on a bus and went into Manly for the day and on another day we went into Sydney for the Great Explorers exhibition at the Australian Museum. While at the museum they had a David Attenborough 360* show, this was based on his recent visit to the Great Barrier Reef.
We are now at our final house sit, caring for Tilly in Ryde which is a Sydney suburb. She is another rescue dog but again so loveable. We are only here for 3 days and then we fly to Vietnam so wanted to make the most of our last few days here. I booked for us to have a Elegant High Tea at one of Sydney's oldest hotel, Sir Stamford overlooking Circular Quay. Really nice snacks, cakes tea and a glass of champagne to wash it all down. That night at 6pm Sydney stated its Vivid light show, this is where they have light shows on famous land marks. We stayed and watched some of it but felt we needed to get back to Tilly. Our friends we met up at Cairns who live in Newcastle came down to spend the day with us before we leave Australia. Went out for a really nice meal and drive to Palm Beach, hopefully we will all see each other again. Our family arrive home and Tilly was very happy to see them. After a chat and a drink they took us to the airport which took about an hour so was very nice of them to do that.
Final Leg Back to Sydney part 1
Very sad to leave Ralphy and Minnie and their lovely home but it was time to move on with our journey around Australia. We had wanted to go to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary which was south of Brisbane so that's where we were going to spend our last day in the Brisbane area.
The sanctuary was a small place where koala live out their days due to illness or accidents and they cannot survive back in the wild. I still hate to see animals in cages or pens but at least these animals were safe and being cared for. Due to us now heading for the Gold Coast we found that camp sites were getting really expensive and it was school holidays for Queenslanders. We found a really nice free camp in Beenleigh about 20km outside Southport, the start of the Gold Coast. The coast line is beautiful along here but very touristy and over priced. We got parked just back from the beach so we didn't have to pay and by now I'm used to walking everywhere. We spent 2 days at Surfers Paradise but one of the days it rained, really nice atmosphere on the street due to it having a street performing acts competition. We headed out of town to park up for the night, in a side street close to a McDonalds for the toilet and a morning coffee off course. Southport had a really nice aqua center so we headed there for a swim and our morning shower as no matter where or how we sleep we always manage to find a shower the next day. This day wasn't so good as it rained again so we spent some time in an outlet shopping center before we headed out of town and into the national parks. We stayed in a small camp site in Advancedtown as now away from the coast the sites were back to normal prices. We drove to Mount Tamborine NP where the town is perched on its plateau and hand gliders fly from its mountain side. Within the park is a pretty little street called Gallery Walk where you find your cafes, fudge and ice creameries and off course souvenir shops. We did the Curtis Falls and Cedar Creek walks which were quite hard on the legs. That night we stayed at Canungra show ground before heading back to the coast and Broadbeach to continue further down the Gold Coast. The next night we stayed at Burleigh Heads right on the beach front which was great, we sat and watched the sun set over the coast line of high raised hotels along the Gold Coast. That night we chatted with a Dutch couple who were just starting out on there trip around Australia so it was nice to help them with lots of advice and places to visit and stay.
As the sun was out the next day we spent it at the beach but mainly in the shade and only popping out for a dip or an ice cream. In the camp site someone recommend that we visit Mount Cougar NP as it had lovely rock pools to swim in. Currumbin rock pools were large but the water didn't look very inviting so we just sat and watched others.
Our next inland place we drove to was Natural Bridge, there we stayed in a church owned camp site so the usual rules apply, no drugs, alcohol, smoking or pets. Great place as wallabies were out and about and in the camp kitchen were skink lizards. That night we went to the natural bridge to see the glow worms in the cave, very dark walk down to the cave and water fall. On the 5 minute drive there was a carpet Python moving across the road so I stopped for a photo of this huge snake.
The next morning while we waited for our washing to dry we headed down the track to another rock pool and this one was inviting but we didn't carry our kit with us to swim. We now headed back to the Natural Bridge to see it in daylight and what an amazing place. It's a cave full of bats and glow worms with a waterfall that cascades through a huge hole in the cave roof which forms a natural bridge. We are now only a few kilometers from the border back into NSW but we were not going to cross just yet as we wanted to visit Springbrook Mountain. This mountain range again is on a plateau and on route are lots of look outs and walks. We walked the 10km to the Twin Falls which takes you through the rain forest and on route are lots of little falls and amazing rock formations. That night we stayed at Austinville, another small town inland so cheaper than the coastal sites. Now we are on the last stretch of road down the Gold Coast and the NSW border, the border town is Coolangatta and a really nice place. We spent a couple of hours messing about on the beach as the sun was shining today. That afternoon we drove to a small town called Billinudgel where they have a pub that allows you to camp in their garden for free. Great idea but very busy with campers but we managed to find a small patch to pitch our tent, we got a shower as well for $5 There was a great atmosphere in this pub, the building itself was lopsided and it made me feel funny walking around upstairs where the $5 shower was.
The first place we go to in NSW is Byron Bay, everybody we met all raved about it and it's hippy culture. It is a great place but expensive to park but we still had two great days there, even hired a surfboard for half a day to mess around with and no still can't stand up on the bloody thing. We stayed a little bit outside the town in a show ground site and the town had yet another great pool. That night we just managed to cook dinner when our gas bottle run out so no morning cuppa for me.
After leaving Byron Bay we headed for a place called Yamba where the camp site was based at a lovely river setting. After a quick visit around the small town we did a small coastal walk to keep my steps up, not that I'm losing any weight but I do feel fitter. Still moving south down the east coast of Australia we stayed at a beautiful camp site at Moonee Beach. Once again we were the only campers among the trees but we had a great view of the estuary and with the tide out it was so picturesque. The area had a headland walk which we did the next morning and as the tide was out we walked back along the shore line. To avoid an incoming wave I jumped onto a rock and of course I slipped, badly bruised leg and cut to the elbow but I'm sure I will survive. We left shortly after and drove to Coffs Harbour and did a nice walk around the harbour where there is a hill top walk which has a large rookery. From the top we got an amazing view of the coast line which stretched for miles.
Back in land again to another national park called Dorrigo where we stayed in a farmers field which backed onto Dangar Falls. Quite a steep walk down to the falls but they were worth it just a shame it's now too cold for a swim. Due to being quite high up the night was very cold in our tent and the sun was up early to warm our chilled bones. After breakfast we drove to the rain forest center which has a sky walk and a 6.8km walk to the Tristania and Crystal Shower Falls. Both were lovely waterfalls and a well deserved coffee when we got back to the center. Both Dorrigo and Bellingen remind me of old western towns and at any moment there could be a gun fight. At Bellingen we had a nice picnic by the river side before heading back to the Pacific Highway and onto Urunga.
The small coastal town of South West Rocks had a vintage caravan rally which were being towed by cars just as old as the caravans. The coast line is very rocky and we went for a walk to the famous lighthouse and Captain Cooks lookout hill. From there we watched two pods of dolphins moving along the shallows, I think they were feeding.
On route to Port Macquarie we stopped at Kempsey, a large town but of no interest but worthy of a walk around. At Port Macquarie we went to the koala hospital, this is where koalas involved in car accidents or are found. They are cared for and hopefully returned to the wild once fit enough to care for themselves. In the same estate is Roto House, one of the oldest houses in the area which belonged to a family that helped build the town up.
We got to Bonny Hills camp site on a very windy afternoon so a walk along the beach was out the question. We were told about the V Wall that is at the beach and it's where you can paint what ever you like, most people use it as a memory to lost love ones. We have just be booked for another house sit in Newcastle for a week looking after 2 Labradors (Max and Ben) and Koda the Dachshund. Before we arrived into Newcastle we drove to Tuncurry and Port Stephens for a quick look and to see if it was worth going back later on in the week.
Now heading to Charlestown, a suburb of Newcastle where our next house sit is. We are met by 3 very excitable dogs who are also very loving when they calmed down. The family take us out for a meal that night before they leave for their holiday to the Gold Coast. The next morning they leave early and we are left in charge of the house and dogs for a week. It proved impossible to walk all 3 dogs together so we walked Koda two laps around the block and then together we would walk a lab one at a time. Max proved the hardest as he managed to escape his harass but we managed to catch him and get him home, thank God. We booked a surf lesson down at Nobby's Beach as they said it was excellent for beginners but that day the surf was really bad and we both took some bad tumbles in the surf until the instructor said it had become too rough for us.
We were invited for a bbq with some ladies we had met up at Cairns on a dive boot. We had a lovely evening with them and we arranged to meet up later in the week. Newcastle is a coal mining city and one side of the town has big super tankers coming in and the other side has been renovated to stylist apartments along the foreshore. Along with restaurants and cafes is an observation tower which we had too climb for the view but got a bit dizzy climbing the stairs.
One day we went to Nelson Bay and had a walk around the marina and went and had a go on the toboggan run that's there. Also down that way is Anna Beach where at Birubi Point we did sand boarding on the largest mobile sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. The dunes measure 35km and move inland by 5 meters every year. Had a brilliant time in the dunes and was completely knackered after a couple of hours, didn't managed to stand on the board through.
Mitchell's took us boggy boarding on Redhead Beach one morning and I had a great time in the surf but Sally didn't go in as I think our previous surf lesson had put her off going into the sea.
Our family returned late Sunday night so we stayed that night and made ready to leave Monday morning. Bron took us for a lovely breakfast in a place called 3 Monkeys, very nice pancakes.
After leaving the house we had called home for a week we headed to Redhead to stay with Michelle and Pam for a few days. On Tuesday we spent the day at Hunter Valley which is another wine region and the oldest but not the best but it was still a nice day out.
Said farewell to Michelle on Thursday morning to start our journey down to Sydney and a house sit in Gerringong for a week.
The sanctuary was a small place where koala live out their days due to illness or accidents and they cannot survive back in the wild. I still hate to see animals in cages or pens but at least these animals were safe and being cared for. Due to us now heading for the Gold Coast we found that camp sites were getting really expensive and it was school holidays for Queenslanders. We found a really nice free camp in Beenleigh about 20km outside Southport, the start of the Gold Coast. The coast line is beautiful along here but very touristy and over priced. We got parked just back from the beach so we didn't have to pay and by now I'm used to walking everywhere. We spent 2 days at Surfers Paradise but one of the days it rained, really nice atmosphere on the street due to it having a street performing acts competition. We headed out of town to park up for the night, in a side street close to a McDonalds for the toilet and a morning coffee off course. Southport had a really nice aqua center so we headed there for a swim and our morning shower as no matter where or how we sleep we always manage to find a shower the next day. This day wasn't so good as it rained again so we spent some time in an outlet shopping center before we headed out of town and into the national parks. We stayed in a small camp site in Advancedtown as now away from the coast the sites were back to normal prices. We drove to Mount Tamborine NP where the town is perched on its plateau and hand gliders fly from its mountain side. Within the park is a pretty little street called Gallery Walk where you find your cafes, fudge and ice creameries and off course souvenir shops. We did the Curtis Falls and Cedar Creek walks which were quite hard on the legs. That night we stayed at Canungra show ground before heading back to the coast and Broadbeach to continue further down the Gold Coast. The next night we stayed at Burleigh Heads right on the beach front which was great, we sat and watched the sun set over the coast line of high raised hotels along the Gold Coast. That night we chatted with a Dutch couple who were just starting out on there trip around Australia so it was nice to help them with lots of advice and places to visit and stay.
As the sun was out the next day we spent it at the beach but mainly in the shade and only popping out for a dip or an ice cream. In the camp site someone recommend that we visit Mount Cougar NP as it had lovely rock pools to swim in. Currumbin rock pools were large but the water didn't look very inviting so we just sat and watched others.
Our next inland place we drove to was Natural Bridge, there we stayed in a church owned camp site so the usual rules apply, no drugs, alcohol, smoking or pets. Great place as wallabies were out and about and in the camp kitchen were skink lizards. That night we went to the natural bridge to see the glow worms in the cave, very dark walk down to the cave and water fall. On the 5 minute drive there was a carpet Python moving across the road so I stopped for a photo of this huge snake.
The next morning while we waited for our washing to dry we headed down the track to another rock pool and this one was inviting but we didn't carry our kit with us to swim. We now headed back to the Natural Bridge to see it in daylight and what an amazing place. It's a cave full of bats and glow worms with a waterfall that cascades through a huge hole in the cave roof which forms a natural bridge. We are now only a few kilometers from the border back into NSW but we were not going to cross just yet as we wanted to visit Springbrook Mountain. This mountain range again is on a plateau and on route are lots of look outs and walks. We walked the 10km to the Twin Falls which takes you through the rain forest and on route are lots of little falls and amazing rock formations. That night we stayed at Austinville, another small town inland so cheaper than the coastal sites. Now we are on the last stretch of road down the Gold Coast and the NSW border, the border town is Coolangatta and a really nice place. We spent a couple of hours messing about on the beach as the sun was shining today. That afternoon we drove to a small town called Billinudgel where they have a pub that allows you to camp in their garden for free. Great idea but very busy with campers but we managed to find a small patch to pitch our tent, we got a shower as well for $5 There was a great atmosphere in this pub, the building itself was lopsided and it made me feel funny walking around upstairs where the $5 shower was.
The first place we go to in NSW is Byron Bay, everybody we met all raved about it and it's hippy culture. It is a great place but expensive to park but we still had two great days there, even hired a surfboard for half a day to mess around with and no still can't stand up on the bloody thing. We stayed a little bit outside the town in a show ground site and the town had yet another great pool. That night we just managed to cook dinner when our gas bottle run out so no morning cuppa for me.
After leaving Byron Bay we headed for a place called Yamba where the camp site was based at a lovely river setting. After a quick visit around the small town we did a small coastal walk to keep my steps up, not that I'm losing any weight but I do feel fitter. Still moving south down the east coast of Australia we stayed at a beautiful camp site at Moonee Beach. Once again we were the only campers among the trees but we had a great view of the estuary and with the tide out it was so picturesque. The area had a headland walk which we did the next morning and as the tide was out we walked back along the shore line. To avoid an incoming wave I jumped onto a rock and of course I slipped, badly bruised leg and cut to the elbow but I'm sure I will survive. We left shortly after and drove to Coffs Harbour and did a nice walk around the harbour where there is a hill top walk which has a large rookery. From the top we got an amazing view of the coast line which stretched for miles.
Back in land again to another national park called Dorrigo where we stayed in a farmers field which backed onto Dangar Falls. Quite a steep walk down to the falls but they were worth it just a shame it's now too cold for a swim. Due to being quite high up the night was very cold in our tent and the sun was up early to warm our chilled bones. After breakfast we drove to the rain forest center which has a sky walk and a 6.8km walk to the Tristania and Crystal Shower Falls. Both were lovely waterfalls and a well deserved coffee when we got back to the center. Both Dorrigo and Bellingen remind me of old western towns and at any moment there could be a gun fight. At Bellingen we had a nice picnic by the river side before heading back to the Pacific Highway and onto Urunga.
The small coastal town of South West Rocks had a vintage caravan rally which were being towed by cars just as old as the caravans. The coast line is very rocky and we went for a walk to the famous lighthouse and Captain Cooks lookout hill. From there we watched two pods of dolphins moving along the shallows, I think they were feeding.
On route to Port Macquarie we stopped at Kempsey, a large town but of no interest but worthy of a walk around. At Port Macquarie we went to the koala hospital, this is where koalas involved in car accidents or are found. They are cared for and hopefully returned to the wild once fit enough to care for themselves. In the same estate is Roto House, one of the oldest houses in the area which belonged to a family that helped build the town up.
We got to Bonny Hills camp site on a very windy afternoon so a walk along the beach was out the question. We were told about the V Wall that is at the beach and it's where you can paint what ever you like, most people use it as a memory to lost love ones. We have just be booked for another house sit in Newcastle for a week looking after 2 Labradors (Max and Ben) and Koda the Dachshund. Before we arrived into Newcastle we drove to Tuncurry and Port Stephens for a quick look and to see if it was worth going back later on in the week.
Now heading to Charlestown, a suburb of Newcastle where our next house sit is. We are met by 3 very excitable dogs who are also very loving when they calmed down. The family take us out for a meal that night before they leave for their holiday to the Gold Coast. The next morning they leave early and we are left in charge of the house and dogs for a week. It proved impossible to walk all 3 dogs together so we walked Koda two laps around the block and then together we would walk a lab one at a time. Max proved the hardest as he managed to escape his harass but we managed to catch him and get him home, thank God. We booked a surf lesson down at Nobby's Beach as they said it was excellent for beginners but that day the surf was really bad and we both took some bad tumbles in the surf until the instructor said it had become too rough for us.
We were invited for a bbq with some ladies we had met up at Cairns on a dive boot. We had a lovely evening with them and we arranged to meet up later in the week. Newcastle is a coal mining city and one side of the town has big super tankers coming in and the other side has been renovated to stylist apartments along the foreshore. Along with restaurants and cafes is an observation tower which we had too climb for the view but got a bit dizzy climbing the stairs.
One day we went to Nelson Bay and had a walk around the marina and went and had a go on the toboggan run that's there. Also down that way is Anna Beach where at Birubi Point we did sand boarding on the largest mobile sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. The dunes measure 35km and move inland by 5 meters every year. Had a brilliant time in the dunes and was completely knackered after a couple of hours, didn't managed to stand on the board through.
Mitchell's took us boggy boarding on Redhead Beach one morning and I had a great time in the surf but Sally didn't go in as I think our previous surf lesson had put her off going into the sea.
Our family returned late Sunday night so we stayed that night and made ready to leave Monday morning. Bron took us for a lovely breakfast in a place called 3 Monkeys, very nice pancakes.
After leaving the house we had called home for a week we headed to Redhead to stay with Michelle and Pam for a few days. On Tuesday we spent the day at Hunter Valley which is another wine region and the oldest but not the best but it was still a nice day out.
Said farewell to Michelle on Thursday morning to start our journey down to Sydney and a house sit in Gerringong for a week.
Tuesday, 17 May 2016
Fiji
After a restless night at Sydney airport we were finally boarding our flight to Melbourne where we then boarded our flight to Nadi in Fiji. Both flights were good, we flew with Virgin and their planes don't have TV's in the rear of the seats but you download an app on your device and watch all the films on that. Brilliant idea from Virgin.
The journey to the hotel was about 10 minutes through some rough towns and it's then you realize that Fiji is still a third world country. Our hotel was nowhere near a beach but in a small town called Martintar. The Capricorn Hotel is very run down and just the basic maintenance has not been maintained but I suppose it will do for a week. The TV has only two channels but you do get a nightly film, our shower had no hot water and the sink tap wouldn't turn off. We were given another room to shower in and then reluctantly they gave us a new room. The new room was no different but at least there was water in the shower and it was hot.
The main port where all the cruises sail out from is Port Denarau, we caught the dollar bus and headed there. It's your normal cruise terminal which tourist shops and agents selling day trips.
We opted for a cruise to the island of Tivua onboard a tall ship. We booked the cruise with Captain Cook cruises, we booked for Wednesday as the weather is meant to be better. After some lunch we caught the bus back into Nadi town center where we walked around the local market and watch a singer in the street. Not sure who he was but he was very popular as he was also being filmed.
On Tuesday the weather was overcast all day so we went for a walk to the nearest coast line and hopefully a beach. Well there is a beach but it's not a beach to sit on and the sea didn't look very inviting either, so we just walked. The town we are in has a new cinema and it was half price Tuesday so we headed there and for £2 we watched The Jungle Book, oh what childhood memories of the original film.
The sun did indeed come out on Wednesday and we had a great day out on our private island Tivua. The tall ship that sailed us there was a 66 year old vessel MV Ramarama. It took 90 minutes to get to Tivua and once there we grabbed a drink and a kayak and paddled around the island. It's a very small island and you can walk around it in 5 minutes so the paddle didn't take us too long. We then had lunch which looked a lovely spread but I settled for a bread roll and a sausage and some fruit washed down with another beer. Once finished we headed for the water and a snorkel, once again the reef is almost dead. A lot has been destroyed by the recent cyclone Winston, such a shame as I'm sure this was a beautiful reef. Once back onboard we were served tea and biscuits while the ship sailed back to Port Denarau. Had a really nice time on the island but it just wasn't long enough to chill out. We tried to book another trip to different island but a cruise ship was in and it kinda took over everything. Our last two days we went for long walks and then spent the rest of the day at the hotel pool and topped our tans up.
With hindsight we should of booked an island stay and not the main island as to visit the outer islands you have to take day tours and we all know how expensive they can be. A lesson learnt but I still enjoyed my week on Fiji in the Pacific Ocean.
Monday, 28 March 2016
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.
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.
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
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.
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.
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.
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