December 28th: Queensland Coast
Okay ladies and gents, thanks for being so patient, sometimes the updates are few and far between.
So, three weeks ago we left Sydney, and the car has been running like a top. In the tropical rainstorms, we found a leak, but duct tape has made short work of that. Gas has been running between 70 and 80 cents a litre (about 75 cents CDN/litre or $1.80 US a gallon) We decided to keep going up the coast, and are currently in Airlie Beach, just outside of Mackay (map). We leave to go diving tonight and we’ll be at sea for 3 days, before arriving back on the mainland for New Years.
Now, what we have been up to?
After leaving Byron Bay, we headed North into Queensland. We camped out at the world’s largest Volcanic Crater, Mt Warning, with plans to hike in the morning. When morning came it was pouring, so we just took a short hike. On this hike, we discovered two new species (well, to us). The first was a group of rock wallabies that were bouncing around the huge fig trees. While we were watching these I discovered a small leech on my leg. Mari was not impressed at this, or at finding two on her own body. I am not allowed to describe how she actually reacted, but she has threatened to be very violent to me if I do.
We decided to keep going north, and got to a little town of Noosa Heads. After two days of free camping and hiking, we were given the boot by the local cops. We received a picture of a Ford Falcon with a big cross through it, and were told we would be fined $5000 if we free camped again. We left very confused (I mean if I had $5000 I wouldn’t be sleeping in my car).
We got the lucky opportunity to see some common bottlenose dolphins on one hike near the coast, and then moved on to Hervey Bay, the access point for Fraser Island. Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island, and we spent three days hiking in the heat. We were actually a little disappointed with the number of tourists burning around in 4WD trucks, but the island was beautiful. Along the trails we got to see monitor lizards, baby turtles, and hear dingoes howling near us. There were several crystal clear lakes that we got to swim in (which is just as well since several tiger sharks were reported off the coast).
Then on Christmas Eve we ended up near Bundaberg. It was here we spent Christmas hitch-hiking, and the night before watching a nesting turtle. If anyone out there gets this chance, please take it. Watching a huge loggerhead turtle, only centimetres away, digging and laying eggs. It was the most amazing thing.
Well everyone, that is it for now. We had a lesson playing the didgeridoo, but are not buying one yet.