So, the Aussie Chapter is nearly over. Two months, constant rain and a whole lot of dollars later we have reached the end of our road in tropical Cairns. After driving between Sydney and Brisbane in the campa we boarded the Greyhound for the next part of the journey. After an hillarious day running around the ultimate crocodile hunter Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo, being throughoutly entertained by the Crocas and Kangas. Who ever decided that Graham, Annie and Colin were the best names for the beastly Crocas must have been a pure Joker. Steve, RIP.
For the next adventure we moved into the wild ourselves; bush camping and canoeing in the Noosa National Park; a 'free trip' as part of our package from WIcked Travel. Can see exactly why it was free, basically staying in a swamp swarming with mosquitos, although luckily had the weather for the canoeing. Set off on day one with the goal of reaching the pub for a well needed schooner of XXXX. Good motivation although still was a battle to get there against the tide and river flow. After three nights of camping with the mozzies we had definately had our fill so escaped back to ultra posh Noosa Heads, and carried on back up to Rainbow Beach. Treated ourselves to a bit of an upgrade for the night in the form of an apartment for the night, AMAZING after a month of sleeping in the camper van or camping; King Sized Bed, massive over plan living space, own swimming pool and Jacuzzi and best of all a washing machine. Pretty quickly made the apartment look like a chinese laundry after emptyingour backpacks in the washing machine. Clean clothes and an amazing sleep later we boarded the bus again for Hervey Bay, the gateway to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world.
Basically giving forty backpackers, five massive 4x4s, ten tents, a vague map and itinery and many boxes of goon was always going to be a good couple of days especially when you throw in the added adventure of dingos and the rumours that they particularly like to attack female backpackers in the dark on 'toilet trips'. Every group has their own Dingo story my particular favourite from our camp involves a particular cheeky dingo who decided somehow to steal a whole bottle of the frenchies vodka, dragging it 30 metres into the undergrowth, just have an image of Dan the Dingo sitting there, chilling out with his bottle of Smirnoff.
Jess and I got behind the wheel on day two speeding up the beach to reach Indian Heads on the far North East of the island. Stunning drive along eighty kilometres of coastline.