Major Travel Day # 2

Yesterday I took a five hour bus ride back to Brisbane from Rainbow Beach and stayed the night in Brisbane. Early this morning I started my travels at about 4:30 am where I took a 20 minute train from Brisbane to the airport. At 6:30 am I boarded a flight to Sydney which was about an hour and a half trip. Two hours later I boarded my second flight of the day for a two and a half hour flight to Alice Springs, where just shortly after noon I landed at my third airport of the day.

I am now in Alice Springs, Northern Territory...the Red Centre...THE OUTBACK!

For the next 4 days I will be exploring the outback and will get to see the mysterious Uluru/Ayer's Rock!

I am really excited to be here, as this was something I was hoping I would be able to do!

Fraser Island

*PHOTOS TO BE LOADED ONCE I GET A CONNECTION*

This past weekend I went to Fraser Island for three days and two nights camping.

Fraser Island is an island right off of the coast about twenty minutes from Rainbow Beach. We went in groups of about seven or eight people in a 4-wheel drive car. This tour we got to direct and drive ourselves, which was pretty fun.

In order to get to Fraser Island, we had to jump on a boat that took about ten minutes to get across to the island.

Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island, so as soon as we arrived on the island, we had to switch into 4-wheel drive and start our journey along the sandy beach.

On our first day we went to take a look at beautiful Lake Mackenzie. All of the lakes on Fraser Island are fresh water lakes. Lake Mackenzie was such a hidden little paradise with crystal clear turquoise water, and silica fine sand. We spent about an hour swimming and sunbathing along the beach.

After Lake Mackenzie, we started our journey to our campsite, where we made dinner, and settled in for the night. At night is when the dingo’s are known to come out. The island is known to have a huge population of Australia’s dingo’s, who can become quite vicious if provoked or bothered. Before we got to the island we were briefed on how to handle dingo encounters.

While we were eating dinner we did come across a few dingo’s hunting around our campsite in hope of finding some food. Thankfully they did not cause harm or come too close, they just curiously looked on.

The next day we went to check out a look out point called Indian Head. Since we are in the middle of whale season at the moment, we were lucky enough to see groups of humpback whales jumping right off the coast. It was really amazing to watch the enormous creatures jump and play in the water.
After Indian Head, we were taken to a stream that flows rapid enough that if you just sit in it, it will push you along. It was a little bit cold, but pretty fun to walk through.

Along one of the beaches is a boat that has been shipwrecked against the shore since 1935. The boat was said to be one of the fastest luxury liners that sailed frequently from Australia to New Zealand, Japan and even Canada. As it got old the Japanese decided they wanted to take the ship for scrap metal and they decided to tow the boat to Japan. During this time there happened to be a big storm, and the line in the tow snapped, which caused the boat to drift into Fraser's shores. Thankfully no one was hurt.

Later on that night, we once again went back to our campsite, and enjoyed some hanging out on the beach.

On our last day, we headed off to one of the other lakes on the island. This is surrounded basically by a desert and is pushed in the corner by a huge sand dune. This sand dune is an ever-moving desert, that one day will completely fill the lake up. It was really fun to run across the sand desert, and then make your way down into the lake.

On our drive home, I was lucky enough to have a friend teach me how to drive our vehicle, as I have never drove a car that was manual before. At first it was kind of confusing to understand and get used to, but once we started going, I was able to catch on and feel out when the gears should be changed. It was a lot of fun powering through the sand right next to the ocean.

Our car became like a little family, where we cooked, cleaned, and played games together. It was a really fun weekend, and we were lucky enough to explore more of Australia’s beautiful nature, scenery and wildlife.

Rainbow Beach

After an hour bus ride at 2:45 am to Cairns...waiting until 6:00 am at the airport for my flight...flight being delayed an hour and a half...finally arriving in Brisbane at 9:30 am...taking a 30 minute train into the city...waiting until 2:00 pm for my five hour bus ride...arriving at Rainbow Beach at 7:00 pm....I AM FINALLY HERE!

As soon as I got to my hostel, I set up my bed, socialized a little bit with my new roommates and went RIGHT TO SLEEP. I don't think I have had such an amazing sleep as I did last night! Now I am all refreshed about getting ready to go to Fraser Island tomorrow.

Since I have come from the North, the weather is definitely a lot colder than it was when I was living in Port Douglas. I am sure none of you feel sorry for me...but it is quite difficult to get used to not permanently being in a bathing suit!

Bye Port Douglas!

Today I leave Port Douglas, and head back South to Brisbane, and then it is onto Fraser Island.

I have lived in Port Douglas for just about a month, and it has been amazing.

Parrotfish Lodge was such an amazing hostel with free breakfast, free internet, free bike hire, two free BBQs a week, and much more. In the hostel we developed such a tight knit group of us, who all hung out together all the time. I am quite sad to leave the group of friends I have made here, as I do not know if I will ever see any of them again.





Bon fires on the beach

On my last few days here, I really made sure that I enjoyed not only the town but the company. We went on another BBQ boat ride, went night fishing, had pool parties and had tons of laughs.

Sunday's at the Port Douglas Market having a shaved coconut with banana!
Best thing to have after a Saturday night!

But now I have to move on, and get to my next adventure. In the next few days I will have a lot of travel under my belt as I have a two hour plane ride from Cairns to Brisbane, than have a four hour bus ride from Brisbane to Rainbow Beach.

I am so excited to finally get to Fraser Island, and continue my adventures.

Addicted to the Reef

*MORE UNDERWATER PHOTOS TO COME ONCE I AM ABLE TO DEVELOP THEM*


Last week I couldn't help myself and booked another reef trip!

I felt that it was necessary to scuba dive once more, as I live right on the Barrier Reef and it is easily accessible as the marina is about a five-minute walk from my hostel.

This time I booked with a company that leaves right from Port Douglas. They were called Poseidon. The boat, and the crew were so helpful, and incredibly patient with all of the divers and snorkelers. They instantly made you feel safe and prepared, and they were extremely friendly and professional.

This reef trip was about 1000x better then my first one from Cairns. The water was extremely clear, the weather was perfect, and I was truly spoiled with the amazing marine life that I got to see.

I did two dives and one snorkel. On my first dive, we saw loads of fish, and the most amazing coral. So beautiful and colourful.


On my snorkel, I saw two turtles! One that was right at the bottom of the reef, and one that was swimming right beside me. The turtles looked so peaceful and they were so calm while we swam around them.

On my second dive, we went to one of the most amazing reefs, and I was blown away with what I saw.

At one point, the instructor pulled me to apart of the reef and pointed to a place in the sand. At first I didn't see anything there, but as I looked closer I could see that there was something under the sand. At first sight I thought that maybe it was a crab or a lobster, then he clapped his hand by it and it started to erupt out of the sand and to my surprise a white stingray flapped from under the sand and up. It was such a pretty sight to see as it flapped from right under us and onto another place on the ocean floor.

As we continued checking out a part of the coral, the instructor pointed in the distance, and suddenly there was a SHARK swimming right by us!!! Surprisingly I wasn't scared at all, but extremely fascinated at how beautiful and calm it was. I am sure the shark was aware that we were there, but it did not seem to be bothered by us, or even be the slightest bit interested in us. It just carried on stalking the waters for prey and minded it's own business. It was such a magical experience seeing a shark swim in the waters with you. This is the complete opposite of how I have felt about them in the past.


After we saw a shark we were able to check out some clams, and even were able to pick up a sea cucumber. When we picked them up, they stick to you as a defense mechanism, kind of like a band-aid or two pieces of Velcro. It was such an unreal feeling, a sea animal sticking to you.

As soon as I got out of the water, it was like coming back to a different reality. Like I have mentioned before, diving is an experience that you cannot explain, or cannot define. You feel like you are sucked into an unknown, secret, sacred world that only you can experience and discover for yourself.

It was incredible how different the locations were that I went to when I dove in Cairns, and when I dove in Port Douglas. Apparently the best diving is up where I am living, as Cairns is a little too overdone with tourists, and the reef up here is still untouched and undiscovered. Everyday is paradise here!

Party with the Crocs

Last weekend we rented a pontoon boat for a few hours drove up the river in search for crocs!






We were able to drive the boat and have a BBQ. It was so fun to relax and take our own pace down the river.





We saw three different crocodiles...but this was the BIGGEST one!
CRIKEY!

Port Douglas: Where the Rain Forest meets the Reef

I now live in Port Douglas, Queensland. It is at the very top North Eastern corner of Australia.

I have been living here for about two weeks now, and am working almost every day at the Courthouse Hotel as a bartender. I am really enjoying my job, and the people I work with. It is such a laid back place, and the people are so nice. Everyone is on vacation here! My friend James came up to meet me from Bundaburg and he now lives here to Port Douglas is a beautiful little harbour town, right at the edge of the Barrier Reef and next to endless mountains of rain forest.

There is a beautiful beach here called Four Mile Beach...it actually is a little bit longer than four miles I have heard.


On my days off I like to rent a bike from my hostel, and ride around the town. It is so relaxing, and brings me back to my childhood days of bike riding.

Every Wednesday in town, if you make your way to the Yacht Club, some of the locals are nice enough to bring you out on their boats for a sunset cruise.
Yesterday, we were lucky enough to make it on one! James and I met with some other people in our hostel to take a cruise by the Port Douglas harbour, and out into the ocean for about an hour and a half cruise.

It was a lot of fun, and the sunset was beautiful. We even got to drive the boat!