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East Coast continued- Agnes Water, Noosa, Fraser Island, Brisbane, Surfers Paradise and Byron Bay
Byron Bay, New South Wales
Agnes Water to Byron Bay.....the East Coast Adventure continues.....
Hi everyone,
Okay I know I have been a bit slack (quite a few people have pointed this out) I've been busy making a dent in my books and sampling the local beer - you would all expect me to and would be disappointed if I didn't. I am pleased to report the quality of the beer remains very good and strong in some cases! Anyway enough about that. I hope you are all well! I escaped cairns in good time and Cyclone Ita isn't anywhere near me! What is near me at the moment are a huge number of Mosquitos with a death wish, as I type I have already crushed one on my arm.
So I boarded the night bus at Airlie having said goodbye to the Solway Lass crew and more new friends. After about 10 hours in the greyhound bus and no sleep it arrive at Agnes Water at 9.45am and luckily I can check straight in. The hostel in set in acres of land and I am in a hut called Scotland. The boring stuff first, laundry, and a whole weeks worth, I find the laundry do the washing only to then discover that all the dryers have stopped working and as it's raining there's no way of getting anything dry. Now at this point I have very little clean stuff left and the stuff that is clean is drenched from all the other rain we have had. So, we find another hostel who we know someone that works at and sneak our washing in, not only did they do it for free it got delivered back to my hostel. The only down side being I had to search through another blokes (clean) washing to find mine as it all got put in together!
Day 2 at Agnes Water, it has literally not stopped raining all day and I mean the type of rain you can't do anything in, it's the most rain they have had in years, it was torrential! Even the waterproof was totally pointless. I have to admit I was beginning to get a bit bored, I had uploaded all my photos, read my book and done the blog - there was nothing else to do. I ventured into town to get some food, one the way back I ditched my flip flops and sprinted for the bus, and got soaked! On the way back in the hostel bus I saw my first wild kangaroo, that was until the bus hit it! There was no way it could be avoided, if they had swerved to avoid it in the rain the bus would have rolled. It was very sad. Loads of the other buses were cancelled tonight due to flooding. My tours had been cancelled too so I was really hoping the greyhound bus in the morning wouldn't be as I needed to be in Noosa the next day for my Fraser Island trip.
We get the greyhound at 6:30am - yay, it had arrived, we were sooooo pleased, that was until after travelling for 30mins we hit flooding which was half a metre deep - the bus wasn't going though this. We waited for the water to subside whilst our intrepid bus driver walked through to the test the current - it was very fast to be fair. But after 45 mins we went through, good job really as there was no alternative route out! We arrive in Noosa, and I get to quite possibly the most awful hostel I've been too so far. The place was filthy, stupidly hot and toilets which were disgusting, thank god I leave at 7am the following morning. We had our Fraser Island briefing on how to drive 4x4 on the sand and how to avoid problems with the Dingos.
Up early today for the 2hr journey to Rainbow Beach where we pick up the 4x4s. Woo-hoo the sun is out and it not raining! We got the ferry across to Fraser Island which is the worlds largest sand island. The drive across the beach is fantastic, the sand is golden and the sea a stunning mix of different blues. It made me think this would be the perfect setting for a Top Gear special.the first place we drove to was lake Mackenzie and I was driving haha! Not driven since I left the UK! Such good fun, not sure it was so good for the people in the back though, apparently the 4x4 behind us said we were bumping all over the place, seemed fine from the front. It would appear my 4x4 skills are not much better than when I narrowly missed a large hole in Cyprus, hey Dad :). Anyway the lake was fab and gorgeous to swim in. The next day we had a full itinerary, we started off by floating down Eli Creek which was great fun. Then we headed off to Indian Heads, the views were breath taking which you will see from the pictures. The drop from the rocks was pretty steep, you didn't want to get too close, although not that that stopped some of the group ( don't worry mum not me) All in one piece we all headed off to Champagne Falls, these are two massive rock pools which resemble champagne bubbles in the water when the wave crash over. Again a lovely little stop off. In the evening it was time for drinks I resisted to drink the box of goon (really really nasty cheap warm wine) and opted for a couple of pints which I was made to down as a result of unknowingly getting caught up in a drinking game! You would think I would have noticed, but no! A very funny night, the other tour group staying at the same place as us then all stripped and went into the pool. I not sure I would've stripped if I was them. Very very funny sights, but ones to be forgotten lol! I headed to the beach in a group, you are not allowed on the beach in groups smaller than 4 people because of the digos. The night sky was stunning, the stars were something else, I could even see the Milky Way and then I saw my first ever shooting star. Something I won't ever forget.
Today we left Fraser Island, but before that we went to the sand dunes and Wobbly Lake ( I think that what it was called) a bit disconcerting to swim in because it looks black, you can't see anything underneath you when swimming. Then it started to rain so we headed back to the 4x4. We started our journey back to Noosa. Driving through the beaches was incredible and something I won't ever forget, it was just great! None of us wanted to leave, we had a great tour guide and an even better group, so back to the hostel for the Fraser Island after party!
Luckily for me the bus to Brisbane was not an early one, the Fraser Island after party was a bit of a late one! I arrived at Brisbane, i only have 2 nights in Brisbane which I consequently discovered wasn't long enough. Anyway, went for a long walk in the afternoon and got hopelessly lost, yep the map reading is still rubbish! Saw a bit of Brisbane but not really enough, and tomorrow I headed off to Australia zoo.
The zoo was good fun, especially the croc show in the crocosium, you can certainly see the passion that Steve Irwin bought to the zoo is being carried on by the team there. The zoo was very impressive as you will see from the pictures.
The next day I leave Brisbane for Surfers Paradise where I meet up with Katie and Janine. Surfers is great, the beach is fab and there is somewhere I can skate!!! We only had two nights here, so on the first night we headed out with the hostel lot for cheap drinks in some dodgy club, we lasted till 11pm and then headed back. The next day was beach day. It was great the sun was shining, we had a very chilled day and then planned a bit of the NZ leg of the trip - snowboarding and skydiving!
The next day we all had buses to catch, but before that I managed to get a little skate in before we left - very worth it! And the surfers were very impressed with my old Skool skates! Apparently they used to skate on them years ago to Tina Turner!
Next stop Byron Bay for some sitting on a beach with my book! I am staying ( and still here at the mo) at the Arts Factory, a really cool hostel/lodge place with a very a hippy vibe. a very cool and chilled out place full of different characters. I am staying in a nice hut around a lake, the only problem being it's full of Mosquitos, the last count was 60 bites! Gary and Matt who I met in magnetic island are also in Byron at the same time so will be meeting up with them too. As is my tradition on arriving at a new place, we all headed to the pub!
The next day is sea Kayaking. This was great fun, although getting out through the waves was interesting, I nearly fell out as we got 2 metres of air as we hit the waves and yes I was in the front. A little bit bruised and battered we made our way out. Not long after getting further out we see dolphins, and eventually they came within 2metres of our kayak, it was brilliant. We also saw a turtle. The way back was quite funny. The first thing they tell you about kayak safety is that you never stand in front of one as if it gets taken by a wave you will also be taken out by the kayak.so on the way back we try a bit of kayak surfing, we did well, we stayed in the boat, I screamed a bit and then as we approached the beach another girl from the group just stood in front of us. She was then taken out by out kayak, and I have it all on my GoPro! We did laugh a little bit after making sure she was okay.
The next day it rained so I didn't do much. But in the hostel that's have their very own resident Crocodile Dundee, who goes by the name of Cockatoo Paul. This guy lives out in the bush and gives lessons on all sorts of stuff, today we made bracelets out of plants. The day after we went on a bushwalk and the day after it was more bracelet making and basket making all good fun and you get a free beer after! The rain has now stopped so it's time for some serious tanning......
I also made it up the the lighthouse, which is the most easterly part of oz, it was quite a tough hot walk, but well worth, the views were stunning amid we even saw a pod of dolphins, 12 I managed to count...Byron Bay is great, Fiona and Andy were certainly right, I love it here!
So I have a couple of days left here and plan to head to Nimbin before i leave, it's then an overnight bus to Sydney on Monday.....
Sorry, this was a bit of a long one, I'll try to keep more up to date!!!
Photos to follow (hopefully today)
Take it easy.
Lou xx
- comments
John Still having a great time I see. You'll enjoy Sydney.....but its not cheap!
Dave Sweet Hi Lou, sounds like you are still living life to the max every day, and having great fun. Keep smiling and enjoy Sydney. You may get some better wine there!
Mum At last I hear everyone say! Glad you were far away from cyclone Ita I must admit I was watching it make its way towards Cairns! Great conversation in M&S this morning Louise, good clear line, suspect it was laced with a beer or two! Take care out there - don't like the sound of those dingos! Lots of love to you Xxx