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We drove to a free campsite a few hours away from Cairns, we had a nice spot right next to a forest. After we had finished dinner and the sun had gone down we could all hear rustles in the forest and it was getting louder. Gem thought it was a kangaroo but when we shined the torch towards the noise a bid possum was staring back at us! It wasn´t shy at all and let us follow it back into the forest. It has to be said that none of us were too sure what it was and it was only after asking a workman who was yielding a stop sign and decided to come and chat to us that it was confirmed. We showed him the picture on the camera and he said, "Yep, that´s definitely a possum!".
The following day after lots of roadworks (and time to ask the guy about the possum) we stopped at a fruit and veg stall on the side of the road and bought some spuds and fruit, very cheap and it meant we were looking forward to a change from pasta that night! Matt picked a free camp spot that he wanted to stay at. More for the name than anything else, it was a beach spot called Funny Dunny. He didn´t tell Gem (who was driving) that it would mean a gruelling half hour drive on a dirt road to get there.... We had signed a waiver with our camper company to say that we wouldn´t drive on any dirt roads and this one certainly showed us why. After driving at the speed of a snail (much at the annoyance of Matt and Scott) we finally arrived at camp.
Gem boiled up the potatoes and heated our can of chilli. The meal would have been really nice but by the time it was ready the sun was going down and we were attacked by mosquitos like never before. By the time we had packed everything away we decided the only thing to do was to go to bed. We left one light on and spent the next half hour squatting every mozzie that had entered the van. We used Scotts Ryan Giggs autobiography to kill them, it was good for the job as Scott had finished reading it during the hours of relaxing in the back whilst Gem or Matt were driving! The following morning we ate some Kangabangers (kangaroo sausages) and beans for breakfast. We all decided they weren´t too nice, whether this was because they were discounted due to being on their sell by date or not we will never know!
That day we drove to a payabale caravan site for the night as we all needed a nice hot shower and were looking forward to having a camp kitchen so we could have curry and rice, amazing what you look forward to when life is at a more basic level. The lads excuse for wanting a caravan site was so that they could wake up at 2am and watch the last grand prix. That day was a very long drive and Gem drove so when she was woken by Matt at 2am she passed up on the opportunity to watch it!
Our next destination was to be somewhere close enough to Steve Irwin´s zoo to go there the following day. We made it to a free rest stop for the night, made a pasta dinner and got up nice and early to get to the zoo when it opened. What a day! It was very expensive to visit the zoo but we saw and did so much there it was worth it. We saw a brilliant live bird and crocodile show with massive parrots and a big vulture doing a fly-by right near our heads! We were able to stroke kangaroos, pat a koala, spot a Cassowary (at last!). We also saw wombats and a tasmanian devil and even got to visit the koala hospital there. It was a great day, when we were reflecting and asking eachother what our favourite animal was Scott´s was the best answer..... the otters.....
The next day we made it to Brisbane and went for a swim in the "street beach". It was a gorgeous afternoon and none of us wanted to leave but we needed to get going down to the Byron Bay if Scott wanted to get there and the Gold Coast before we left. We stayed at a rest stop in the forest and had a relatively early night ready to set off early. Byron Bay did not let us down! We checked in at a great hostel called the Arts Factory and went off to the beach to play some frisbee. It was very busy in Byron Bay as the school kids had just broken up for the summer so they were all there partying and the hippies were on the beach selling necklaces and bracelets they had made. The hostel were holding a quiz night that night and we decided it would be rude not to partake. We lost! We did have a great night though and our heads were very heavy the next morning when we went to cook breakfast. Gem even shouted a French guy for stealing some of our butter when she left the kitchen....if only he had asked!
The next day we made it to the Gold Coast and Scott paid for us to stay in a caravan site near Surfers Paradise as it was his last night...Thanks Scott - hot showers 2 nights in a row, bliss!!! We walked the whole way along the beach and had a fish and chip dinner as Scott´s last supper, washed down with a few beers at an Irish pub.
We returned to the campsite and demolished the last box of goon whilst playing Uno. One last funny night was had by all :)
The following morning Gem drove to Brisbane and we dropped Scotty off at the airport, a sad goodbye but some fantastic memories that will last a life time. Thanks for coming to stay with us and making the trip such fun!x
- comments
Scott It was a fun trip, a great journey and two fantastic friends to share it with. Thank you for letting me tag along. GOON ARMY!!!!! xx