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Fri 30th,Woke up and treated ourselfs to a nice full English breakfast for $8,had a walk round trying to get a good deal to do some diving in the Great Barrier Reef,got quite a few prices from different companie's but I had to go with an SSI company rather than a PADDI so I could finish my open water course,we had planned on having a night on the town but it started to rain quite heavy so the change of plan was to stay in the hostel and forced to drink a few jugs of Carlton.
Sat 1st,Booked our dive in the Great Barrier Reef,$305 for my 2 dives and $220 for Jamie and Ian as they had already finshed thier open water course,rang Luke in Koh Toa again to e-mail my re-ferral notes through.Met up with Marc in our hostel,had lunch and a couple of beers in P J O'Brians and arranged to meet up again later in the Famous Woolshed,had a lovely big steak dinner,Marc only stayed for about an hour before he had to leave but said he would be back(never made it),we had a good night in there and left about 4am.
Sun 2nd,Got up about 12.30 and had a walk round town and down to the harbour to see the boat we would be going out on tomorrow morning,I had to go to the 24hour clinic to get an Oz medical done so I could be given the ok to dive at a cost of $55,went to the pub on the corner,The c*** & Ball to have dinner and watch Chelsea beat Liverpool 2 0 well got kicked out with 15mins to go as they were closing.
Mon 3rd,Early start this morning 6am,had to pop into the dive shop before I got on the boat to see if Koh Toa had finally e-mailed my papers through but still no luck,all got on the boat together,the Tusa 5 dive boat,Ian and Jamie were in a group of 4 to do thier 3 dives,I was in the snorkel group first before my 2 dives,Ian and Jamie did'nt see too much on the dive as the visibility was'nt great probably the same as the snorkeling,on the 2nd dive I had my own instructor Yumi from Japan,we all saw the same thing's this time,a white tipped reef shark and a stingray along with colourful fish and coral reef,the 3rd dive was much the same, both being good dives but visibility only about 12m,but we had just dived in the Great Barrier Reef,Awesome!!!!!,back to the hostel at 4pm,all a bit tired but myself and Jamie made it to the bar for a few jugs and met up with Marina from Switzerland.
Tues 4th,Walked into town(about 5kms)myself and Jamie block booked our next few trips and hostels and also our Greyhound bus ticket through Backpackers Travel,$1,200 in total(Ian was going to see his cousin in New Caladonia)this included a 3 day cruise around the Whitsunday's,4x4 trip to Fraser Island,surf lesson in Agnes Water all our accomadation and the Greyhound bus ticket that will take us from Cairns through to Melbourne so a lot of things sorted,to celebrate we had dinner and a few jugs in the Woolshed which lasted quite a long time but again a good night.
Wed 5th,Lazy day today just laying about in the sun,had to check out at 10 but left the bag's in the luggage hold at the hostel,sat around waiting for the 12.25am bus to Townsville.
Thurs 6th,Arrived in Townsville about an hour and 1/2 late as the bus broke down and we had to wait for another one to take us the reat of the way just what you need on just a few hours sleep,made it to the ferry port to catch the 7.45 to Magnetic island,20mins later we were on the mini bus to our Base hostel,we were plesantly suprised to find it is located right on the beach so we had breakfast on the decking looking out to see lovely!!!!,we were sharing an 8 bed dorm with Marc,Harriott and Vanessa and 2 other girls,we had our regular walk along the beach,got back and finished fourth in the quiz later in the hostel(there was more than 5 teams entered).
Fri 7th,We hired a small 4x4 today so we could see a bit of the island $75 between 4 of us,we hired snorkel gear including stinger suits and headed out to Arthur Bay supposed to be the best place to go snorkeling but we were dissapointed when we got in,the water was really cloudy,we did see some fish and some coral but not very clear,we sat in the sun for a while then drove to 2 scenic spots,Radical bay and Florence bay,we arranged to pick up Harriott and Vanessa at the hostel to go to WestPoint to see the sunset,we all just about managed to squeeze in and drove up some sandy lanes and made it in time to see a lovely sunset over the sea,got back to the hostel in time to have some goon(wine in a box,fav for backpackers)actually did'nt taste too bad and then back to the bar for a few drinks.
Sat 8th,Got up early to drop the car back off,but first had to drop the boy's off at the port to catch the ferry back to Townsville,bit of a mad rush in the end as the manager of the hire car company was'nt there so had to wait till he got back so he could drive me to the port,as we turned up they were about to shut the gate quickly nipped through and we were on our way,we did'nt have to wait for the bus the other side as it was waiting for us,couple of hours down the road we arrived at our next destination,Rainbow Beach,booked into our hostel,Magnums,a really big place with 2 big bars and a club,we were in a 8 bed dorm sharing with Fraya and Claire(2 english girls)Marc booked into a dorm opposite,walked around the town and onto the beach,in the evening went to the Beaches hostel to listen to a good band(we bought thier cd)stayed till late.(happy birthday to Anya,Ian's sister).
Sun 9th,Walked to the harbour to see Marc onto his boat he was sailing on around the Whitsunday's,myself and Jamie then checked in to our boat that was leaving in the morning,Wings 2 a big 24 berth catermaran,Ian was hoping to see his cousin in New Caladonia so did'nt book the trip with us but he was going to England so bad timing,went back to Beaches again to see the same band play,when they had finished went along to Shananigans bar(the name might give it away,Irish pub)watched Chelsea win the league,a few disgruntled Man u fans(such a shame)then ended up in the Mama Africa club.
Mon 10th,Myself and Jamie heading off to our boat for our 3 day cruise around the Whitsunday Islands,a good crew and a nice bunch of people on with us,some of the boats are just for young party animals but this one is a bit more chilled,parked up at our first stop,Luncheon Bay,did snorkeling here,myself and Jamie swam with a turtle which was great,we saw so many fish,never seen so many in one place before,about 7pm myself Jamie and 2 others did a night dive,it was like being a commando,going out in a small dingy in the pitch black and then all falling out backwards at the same time,it was my first night dive so made it even more spooky,Jamie had already done one in Thailand,all you have is a small torch in front of you and can only see a few feet in front but saw some different fish that only come out at night,really enjoyed it then back on board for dinner,had a couple of cans then bed by 11pm.
Tues 11th,Up at 6am and ready to go diving again at 7.10am,we had moved a bit further around the bay to Manta Ray Bay,did'nt see a great deal on this dive as visibility was only about 10m,went back to Luncheon Bay,some people dived again but myself and Jamie decided to save some money and sunbathe on the deck instead,we all piled into a small boat which took us over to Whithaven National Park,walked up to the lookout and saw an amazing view,the tide had gone out and it was just like a picture postcard with the lovely white sand and the patterns it made,stayed here for a couple of hours and got back on the boat for about 5pm,had a few drinks with a few of the passengers and some of the crew.
Wed 12th,Jamie got talked into paying for another dive I did another snorkel,would have done the dive if visability was better,saw another turtle,we then had the 2 hour trip back to shore,our skipper Kirk let me drive the boat,I ended up at the wheel for ages(did'nt hit anything)arrived back about 11am,said our goodbye's and met up with Ian and Marc,we had a table booked at Beaches in the evening,all the boats do this when they get back,only about 5 turned up from our boat(a poor show),had a couple of drinks then missed the deadline to get a cheap dinner so left and went to the Phoenix bar to meet up with Fraya and Claire and exchange our sailing experience's,Ian and Jamie went to bed so I headed to Shananigans and met up with the mad Isish lad's who led me astray and ended up in Mama Africa again.
Thurs 13th,Got up about midday and had a nice Macdonalds dinner,then just laid by the lagoon till sunset,got back and showered and changed ready for our $10 steak and chips meal,back to Beaches and then Mama Africa.
Fri 14th,All 4 of us decided to walk into Cannonville(about 8km)it was a nice day so why not?had a look round some of the shops,Marc got a phone call from home saying his girlfriend had been in a car accident and it was quite a serious one,so he went back to book his flight home,shame because he is a good lad and was going to stay with us for a while,we did have a didgeredoo(not sure if right spelling)lesson booked for 5 but the trainer had to cancel,met up with Marc again,he was leaving on the same bus as us later but staying on and going to Brisbane,stayed in Magnums with our packed bags,and watched the pub games going on in the bar,left at 11pm and walked to coach park to get the midnight bus to Agnes Water.
Sat 15th,Slept a few hours on the bus,bus broke down about 6.30am and we had to wait another hour till another bus turned up to finish the journey,wathed a good film(second hand lions)with Michael Caine,said goodbye to Marc and walked to our hostel 1770 bacpackers,in a 10 bed dorm,walked for ages along the lovely beach,popped into IGA to buy some food we could cook back in the kitchen,we had chinesse style beef,so with a few people in the lounge area to watch the FA cup final.
Sun 16th,Picked up at 9.20am for our surf lesson,Luke from Lazy lizard was our cool surf dude,did all our moves on the board on the beach and we all felt fairly confident,that soon goe's when your struggling to stay on the board just getting out to the waves when your lying down,Jamie managed to get to his feet for a second before falling off,that was better than myself and Ian could do,Ian looked like he was cuddling his board rather than riding it,was good fun although Luke did say the waves and conditions were'nt very good,will do it again somewhere else.We got back to the hostel and got ready for our next activity,the Scooter Roo Ride,a trip around the island on 90cc chopper bikes,there must have been about 80 bikes all going out together all at different levels,again it was good fun,stopped off to watch the sun set then back to hostel for a nice egg and bacon roll.
Mon 17th,Up at 5.30 ready for the 6.30am bus to Rainbow Beach,no problems with the bus this time so arrived at 12.30 right on time,booked into our 9 bed dorm and went for our customary walk round the town and down to Rainbow beach,had a few jugs in the hostel and that was about it for today.
Tues 18th,Myself and Jamie were on our way to having a run along the beach when we bumped into Harriott and Vanessa,H had booked in to do a skydive landing on the beach so we carried on and did our run,got back to the room,showered and had breakfast and got back in time to see H make a nice landing on the beach,got back to the hostel at 2pm for our briefing on our next adveture trip to Fraser Island,a 3 day trip with 8 people no guide in 4x4's,with 2 other groups 22 of us all together,met up with the Irish lads again so knew we would have a few drinks with them,we bought 24 cans for the trip they bought 90 and 4 boxes of goon,well there was 5 of them.At 4pm we went with a lad called Luke who worked at the hostel to do the Sand Blow walk,an amazing place that was once a forest but over the years the wind has blown the sand up and covered over the trees hence the name,he took some boomerangs with him and some sand boards,he said the first person to throw and catch the boomerang would get a drink from him,on my first go I caught it(could be the aboriginal beer I have been drinking)so 1 drink for me,nobody else managed it even Luke,his next challenge was anyone standing on the board all the way from top to bottom would gey a drink,it looked like Jamie was going to do it but he feel off with inches to go,I went down a different track and went flying and that was sitting on it,it's harder than it looks,watched the sunset and had a nice walk back along the beach,then back for a couple of jugs.
Wed 19th,Fraser Island day,we met up with everyone doing the trip at 7am,along with myself Jamie and ian we had 5 English with us,4 from Newcastle, 3 lasses and thier gay friend Gary and a lad having a uni break,on these trips you have to be over 21 and have your licence with you to drive the 4x4's this was handy for us as only myself and Jamie would drive,we picked our tents and other equipment up from the depot then had to follow a car showing us the way to the ferry,not a good start for one of our cars as the accelerator cable broke so they had to change cars,we caught the Mantary ferry over to fraser island and changed to 4 wheel drive,Jamie was driving our car,a good day for him as this was the best day for proper off roading,great fun for him in the front not so good in the back but got us to Lake Birrabeen safe and sound,great driving along the beach with the sea crashing down to our right,after driving for a while we found a place in happy Valley to camp for the night,our group and the Irish lads all stuck together but the last group wanted to be on there own so we hardly spoke with them(not a problem though)we called them the United Nations as they were all from different countries,had a few cans and went to bed about 11,not very comfortable but not too bad as Ian slept in the car so no ear plugs required.
Thurs 20th,Up at 8am,my turn to drive today a nice drive along the beach,stopped off to see Maheno shipwreck which was washed up on the beach in 1935,then drove to the top of the island to Indian Head,some great views out to see over the cliff edge,myself and Jamie then walked a fair distance to see the Champagne Pools,a nice lagoon with waves from the sea crashing over the rocks,stayed here for a while watching people get soaked by the waves,back to the shipwreck to find somewhere to camp for the night,found a good spot and helped the irish lads finish off thier drink,it's good that we were on hand to help them out.
Fri 21st,Woke up to rain,outside and inside of the tent,we were due to go to Lake Wabby but as it was still raining we decided to head back to the ferry,rough road again in the back but arrived in one piece and no damage to the car,back to the depot for 12.30,had the car checked over then we were free to go,we were hoping to have a few drinks with the Irish lads but they needed to get to Brisbane so they packed thier car and left,had some drinks by the pool with a few guitar playing people so not a bad night.
Sat 22nd,Checked out at 9.30 and walked the short distance to the bus stop in time for the 10.00am bus to Noosa Heads,again no problem and arrived at 1pm,we had no accomadation booked so just turned up but what we did'nt know was there was a big tri-athlon going on over the weekend and nearly all places were booked,we managed to get booked into the Dolphin hostel,a bit far out but they had a shuttle bus to and from town,myself and Jamie were going to do the 10km run in the morning but when they said it was $50 to enter and you dont get anything for doing it we decided to have a few beers instead,booked our next bus trip at the helpful visitors shop then walked into town to Murphys Irish pub,a 2 piece band were playing so stayed here all night,not a late one though.
Sun 23rd,Caught the 1.10 bus to Brisbane,only a short trip and arrived at 3.30,walked from the bus station to Base hostel about 20min walk,always seems longer when we are carrying all our gear,the hostel is a 100 year old building and used by the salvation army,on 5 floors with 2 good bars below,did'nt venture too far and stayed in the hostel,a beer and food for $10 helped us make up our minds not to go to far.
Mon 24th,Myself and Jamie visited the Steve Irwin zoo while Ian went to see a mate of his who lives out here,it takes about an hour to get to the zoo from Brisbane,was a bit cheaper and nearer from Noosa,it's agood place to visit as we had wanted to get close to the kangaroos for ages,here they are so chilled out just lazing around got some good photo's,we also stroked a koala the only one that was awake,the little sleepy heads,we saw a good show in the main arena with snakes,birds and crocs,would have been so much better if Steve was still messing about with the crocs but still good,got back at 6pm and had a few drinks in the hostel bar.
Tues 25th,had a walk round town,Ian needed some jeans so myself and Jamie did a walking tour around the city,crossing a couple of bridges,walking round by the river and through the botanical gardens,tried to find a different place to go for a drink but ended back at the hostel for ladies night,I had to wear a dress to get served,not my colour but still looked good.
Wed 26th,Jamie and Ian hung around the hostel waiting for the 11.30 bus to Surfers Paradise,I went to Wacol to visit my niece Kayleigh,only 20mins away from Brisbane,we first went up yo the look out at mt Cootha with great views over the city,then back to thier house for a nice lunch,got the train back just in time to catch the 7.30 bus to meet up with the boy's again,checked in to the Sleep in hostel,a quick change of clothes then we were heading out on a pub crawl $18 gives you free entry to the four clubs with a free drink,the clubs were good but the music was the same in every bar so early night for us as we left about 2am.
Thurs 27th,Had a nice lay in up at 12.30,nice day so stayed on the beach untill it came over a bit cloudy,was'nt having a late night tonight so paid $6 for all you can eat Dominos pizza in the hostel then sat in an old bus that has been converted into a tv room,we were looking forward to watching Hostel but the cd was crap so ended up watching a different film,Stay Alive,not a bad film.
Fri 28th,Went down to the beach to watch some people having surf lessons while we were waiting for the 12.30 bus to Byron Bay,only a hour journey so there for 14.30,booked into the Nomads hostel after a recommendation from someone,met up with Harriott and had a walk up to Cape Byron Conservation Park,a nice walk along the beach and then onto Captain Cook lookout to see the surfers,with a final stop at the lighthouse,back to base and then onto Cheeky Monkies bar for a cheap dinner and drink.
Sat 29th,Two new people in our dorm,Tom and Kieran from Portsmouth,good lads having a break from uni,myself and Jamie stayed down the beach,we all went to the lovely Cheeky Monkies and had 1 or 2 drinks.
Sun 30th,Not a cloud in the sky so down to the beach untill sunset,Cheeky Monkies closed so had to pay $12 for a roast dinner,nice though,made a change and went to Beaches bar for a few drinks.
Mon 31st,Same as yesterday lovely weather and beach,went to the Monkey bar met up with Dan from Toronto,myself Jamie and Ian went to the Northern pub to listen to a lady with a guitar(will find out her ame when they send me an e mail.
Tues 1st,Booked our next bus to Sydney the 20.05,the over night bus will save us a nights accomodation as we arrive there 9.30,going out wit Tom and Kieran to yes you guest it the CHEEKY MONKIES you cant beat it,next stop Sydney.
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