No Pockets in Shrouds – November 1 1999

Monday, November 1st

After the sand and surf of Byron Bay I wanted to get away and relax for a few days, so I decided to go to Murwillumbah which is about 1 hour by coach from Byron Bay. It is inland near Mt Warning and the Tweed River runs through the middle of the town.

I felt optimistic about the weather as the sun was shining as I left Byron. When the bus dropped me off at Murwillumbah a dark cloud was forming and within 10 minutes it started to rain and it never stopped until I was sat on the seat 4 days later waiting for my bus to leave.

It was a shame because the YHA hostel is a great place. It is right next to the river and has a lot of charm about it. It is an old building and very basic but that was what I was looking for.

Due to the weather I never really got to see any of the sights. There is a beautiful walk up Mt Warning that you can do. The owner of the hostel takes you to the bottom of the mountain and picks you up a few hours later. People had actually gone on the walk the day that I arrived but with the rain coming down they came back soaked. To make matters worse the rain had brought leeches out and everybody had loads of them. I would recommend anybody wanting a few days of relaxation to go to Murwillumbah but hopefully you will have better weather than I did.

Murwillumbah

Thursday, November 4th

My next stop was Noosa for one night. I had heard a lot about Noosa from people travelling and I wanted to see for myself what it was like.

The YHA building is stunning. It is right next to the bus station and is an 1888 Queenslander building. If you stay there then make sure you have breakfast on the verandah near where the lorikeets feed. They are very tame and will come and try and eat of your plate.

Noosa itself is quite spread out and with only staying for one night I couldn’t do it justice. I actually wanted to stay longer but there was no accommodation anywhere as there was an international triathlon event taking place.

What I saw of Noosa was pretty good. The beach was clean and there seemed plenty of facilities for the tourists. The hostel has its own bar and restaurant so it was the only place that I drank while there.

Noosa

Friday, November 5th

I was on the road again to Hervey Bay with my ultimate destination being Fraser Island, which is the largest sand island in the world.

Hervey Bay is a sprawling place. The YHA Colonial Backpackers Resort is 7km from the bus station but there is a courtesy bus to pick you up and return you when you are leaving. The hostel runs self-drive trips to Fraser Island every day. When you check in at the hostel, ask the reception staff and they will be able to help you. There are also a couple of guided tours of Fraser Island and I decided to go for one of those.

I couldn’t get on a tour until Sunday the 6th so I wanted something to do on the Saturday. I asked the reception people for a recommendation and they told me to try Natureworld. I thoroughly enjoyed my day and for A$10 it is money well spent. They pick you up at your hostel and return you later in the day. It is a very low-key affair with friendly, attentive and knowledgeable staff. If you have a few hours or a day to spare in Hervey Bay then give Natureworld a try.

The next day was my trip to Fraser Island and I had decided to go with Kingfisher Wilderness Tours and it was excellent. Another excellent site, packed with information, is this one on Fraser Island. The self-drive tours provide everything that you will need apart from food. You are expected to fend for yourselves and camp out at night. I am glad that I decided to go for the guided tour as we were staying in cabins and it absolutely poured down both nights that I was there. Thankfully the rain kept away during the day and in fact the weather was stunning.

Fraser Island is a World Heritage Site and after being on the island for a while you can see why. The island is 137 km long and is all sand. There are lakes on the island and are so clear it looks unreal. We all went swimming in the freshwater lakes and the water was beautiful and warm. We drove along 75 Mile Beach and this is so named because it is a beach and is 75 miles long. I’ve noticed on my travels that the Australians come up with very original names for a lot of things. The beach gets a lot of traffic from 4WD’s and also fishermen. You can take a flight round the island and the plane actually lands on the beach.

Breakfast and dinner are taken at the Wilderness Lodge and the food is excellent. Entertainment is provided on a few nights of the week. There was a karaoke night and a quiz night whilst I was there. I would recommend everybody travelling up or down the Queensland coast to stop at Hervey Bay and visit Fraser Island. It is definitely a MUST SEE.

Hervey Bay

Thanks to the people that have e-mailed me at david_barker50@hotmail.com.

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