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The trek just got going, or so it seems!
The weather has really improved and the sun is shining finally!
The 60 inhabitants of Moreton Island may not know it, but I have decided that I am going to be the next Lord Mayor, and possibly run a fish restaurant on the side. It is a small island of golden sands, lush foliage and clear waters, and would be the ideal place to bury some pirate gold.
We spent the Friday we went to a cold-water lake called the Blue Lagoon, where we went for a dip (don't worry, we're not in croc country yet!) in the freezing waters. I also tried a snorkel for the first time, to practice for the Great Barrier Reef. Needless to say it was not my finest hour, as it's a very surreal experience that required a level of coordination. You have a piece of plastic that goes over your nose, and then you have to breathe through the snorkel, but just using your mouth. I've got a couple more tries before Cairns though, and I'm determined to crack it! I also got to try bodyboarding, which is like surfing, except that you lie down instead: great for the coordinationally challenged!
The Saturday, we went for hike up Mt Tempest in the centre of the island, which is the highest coastal and the highest vegetated sand-dune in the world. It was quite a trek, but well worth it, as my photos will show you all when I get back! Then, we went to the central 'Desert', where we went sandboarding. Now, when I imagined sandboarding, I thought there would be lots of high-tech equipment to make sure that you can reach the highest speeds possible.
That is not the case! We went down these 80ft dunes on a piece of MDF that had been waxed with a candle. You then lie on your belly on the board, and pull the edge towards you to make a sledge. Keeping your elbows and knees off the sand, you can reach up to 60kph. Being me, I couldn't quite master this feat, but did manage to get sand in every available orafice, and was picking sand out my nose for over two days after. It was great fun though, especially on the second try out. The only problem was getting back up! You use the board as an anchor, as every step taken slides you back half a step.
After that, there was time to take a 4WD tour of the island, and go for a quick dip, where I came very close to mastering snorkelling before we got the ferry back!
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