Day 81, 82, & 83: Sailing the Whitsundays

Wednesday 24th, Thursday 25th, Friday 26th, February 

Took boat out sailing, no swimming, just chilling

Nachos

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For two nights we lived aboard the British Defender, an ex-racing yacht.

We arrived at the quay mid afternoon. Thus our first day was a short one on our yacht. Sails were hoisted up the mast, volunteers helping by manning the winches. Under sail power we steadily moved out into the islands.

The Whitsundays sit at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. They are each green forested islands with coves, beaches, and surrounded by reefs. That night we would be staying in one of the coves. However, as with the following night, no swimming was allowed. The currents can run fast and aren't obvious. Though being swept away turns out to be just one more potentially lethal risk in these waters.

From the galley nachos appeared. We busily put them away as the rain closed in. Once it had fully arrived though canvas had been spread out from the boom (horizontal bit that sticks out of the mast). We were in a giant swag! After last night we made a few jokes as we ate the rest of dinner.

The next morning we set sail for Whitehaven cove. Here the sand is insanely pure. It's perfectly white. It reflects nearly all of the sun's heat, leaving it constantly cool, whilst threatening to tan your chin. This is due in part due to the singular source of the sand. A pure granite under the water that has been eroded away to form all the sand. This has been followed by thousands of years of washing of the sands by the sea removing impurities. The sands are shifted every day- no two trips here are the same.

This is also a sight for juvenile sharks, sting rays, and turtles. We saw one turtle as we moored on the far side of the island. At Whitehaven itself we saw one large sting ray-someone nearly stood on it despite our best efforts to ensure everything heard us coming. There were also a number of lemon sharks- so called due to their yellow colouring. Don't worry, they're less than a metre in length.

We were also, sort of, watching out for jellyfish. 

After the mandatory human pyramid, being cleaned with the world's purest sand, and checking out the little hidden beach, we got rain! It didn't last long. Just enough to make us retreat back to our depot of packs and gear. Group photo. Find the two absentees. Back to boat we go.

That afternoon I got to try out something I've been wanting to do for years. Most of the group went out snorkelling. Doing this was cheaper (gear was on our yacht) and gave them more time in the water. But I wanted to try out Scuba diving. An introductory course to try it out is being run by a company in the islands. We took mini British Defender over to their boat. It was filled with tanks and apparatus. Time to   become a dolphin. 

Jumping in involved standing on a small ledge of steel overhanging the watery abyss. Which worryingly reminded me of Bungy jumping . But without the plummet of 134m into a rocky stream. Which was nice.

Some people struggled with the fact that we had to solely breath through our mouths. It took some getting used to. I'm not sure I was doing it right- slow steady in, slow steady out. Like meditative breathing. However, I did have some buoyancy issues. As in my feet were at a level with everyone else's heads. We sort of solved this by the instructor putting a large camera in my pocket. Wasn't perfect though. I'll ask for more weights next time- I was on +8kg this time.

The visibility here isn't great at this time of year. The currents are wrong and there's lots of plankton in the area. Still it was an opportunity to try it out, whilst seeing the reef. We did see a lot of fish, some less than technicolour coral, but nothing too dangerous. I'd love to do a proper training course and be able to come back and see more of the reef. It gets much better as one travels further into it, apparently. Maybe another year.

That evening we had a costume party. We'd bought lots of fluorescent clothes, glow sticks, and I both a knock off lightsaber. Wonder what e other boats in the bay thought of us? Light show, loud music, some seamanly drinking. We had a great time of it. Then the yoga mats wre brought out and a few of us set up to sleep on the deck under the stars.

In the morning the boat set off, despite a lack of wind, bright and early. It was our last morning. We were set to make it count.

Being at the southern extent of the Great Barrier Reef there's some excellent spots for snorkelling. Having been to just one yesterday it would be a sate not to go to another. Turtles, parrotfish, soft coral, hard coral, and a multitude of tiny fish. All out by a sandy peninsula. 

Why did we have to leave for Ailisle Beach???

The afternoon was free. We slept, did laundry, hunted for wifi, and ran between the wonderful cover of air con. It was a humid 38C. What fun we had.

The hostel was an interesting cooperative resort run jointly by two of Austrilasia's largest hostel companies. Base and Nomads run nearly all of the larger hostels I've had to stay at- some are amazing and characterful, some are huge and sterile. In this one there were a number of little houses, seperated into apartments, each with a patio or balcony. There were a number of small pools, birds and flying foxes hanging around, the odd gecko feeding of the insects. If it wasn't for the heat it would be a lovely place.

We left at 4:20am...Day 84 was terrible....

Day 80: Nigh under Aussie style canvas...mostly

Tuesday 23rd February

Staying our (most of) the night in swags

Rain!

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We began today with a quick canoe down the river before breakfast. It seemed like a great chance to actually get some exercise before we got on our transport for the day. 6 hours on a train. In Britain this would be a terrible prospect. Here it's great! Like a plane but with bigger seat. And leg room. And I may have brought a sweet white wine goon as a friend.

After many hours of reading and a nap we were still an hours bus ride from the night's stop. We were going to a cattle station for the night. Here the plan was to eat beef stew, tell stories by the camp fire, have a relaxing night in Australian swags, and the following morning go down to the hobby farm. We managed the first two, then things fell apart.

The cattle station is out in the Australian wilds, surrounded by bush and pasture. Our campsite had a small dorm shed and a large barn. Within the barn were our bathrooms and cooking facility- a charcoal fire. Beef stew had been prepared here for us, along with damper- a beer based bread that tastes like British dumplings. We ate by the campfire, roasted marshmallows, chatted, then began to prepare for bed.

In one of the Scandanavian countries (I forget which) someone has had a "revolutionary" idea. Why carry a tent, sleeping mat, and a sleeping bag? Why not roll them all into one? And so that's what they've done. They will be on sale shortly, made of the most modern, high tech, light weight materials. 

But it's not "revolutionary". The Aussies did it first. The swag was invented a long time ago as stockmen travelled across the land on farms the size of countries (and not small countries). A simple and straight forward design. A canvas sleeping bag, foam padding in the bottom, one pole to hold open the end, 2 guide ropes to hold the pole up, and a fly net to keep out the locals. Nifty, eh?

The Scandanavian design does win out on two fronts compared to our swags though. Our old school swags were big and heavy. There's better available now, but these old ones were carried on trucks and horses. I wasn't going to lug it across any landscape with a rucksack on as well. Also ours were "water resistant", not "waterproof". Doesn't rain much here. Why would you be out in the wet season? As I say, modern improvements have been made. But we didn't have them.

At 11pm we lay in the dark looking up at the stars. The sky was clear, the breeze cool, and most of us had taken the top of the swag. We lay there on the foam and slept.

It was around 3am that I was worked by a spattering of water on my face. Rain! Around me others woke as well. Poles were hastily re-erected and we hid under our canvas. Safe from the wee bit of rain. Until drips began to make their way through my canvas. The rain stopped. A little wat wasn't an issue. We went back to sleep.

Boom! Whoosh! 5am arrived in a torrential downpour. I didn't feel it this time. I was simply awoken by the sound. Yeh, being brave would have been fine. Stay there, get a little wet, manage the full night. Yet breakfast was at 6am. I watched as just about everyone ran, dragging their swag, into the barn. Sod this, I jumped out and pulled my bed with me.

From inside we could watch as the rain fell in a manner rarely seen here. All of us but our new Katie. An Irish lass she slept through the whole thing. I guess that sort of rain is the daily minimum for the Emerald Isle.

Breakfast was bacon, eggs, and baked beans. As we ate our host announced that we weren't able to go the the farm. With all of the rain over night and tracks being mud roads there was no way to get us in and out. It had become a quagmire. No one seemed particularly distraught. Instead we would be having a more relaxed trip out to our next stop. A yacht! On the Whitsundays!

Day 78: Fraser Island

Sunday 21st February 

4x4 Warrior- a truck with huge wheels and passenger compartment- onto Fraser Island via the barge.

World's largest sand island, explore beaches, forest, rainforests, lakes, native and industrial history, ship wreck, and then some rain!

Distance: 370km

Total Distance:12492km

Having taken a bus out of Brisbane we were met by our formidable transport, a Warrior 4x4. Designed and built in Scandinavia it has been modified with larger tyres and a passenger compartment so that one can travel up and over and sand one sees fit. Thus we went over the sandy peninsula and out to the barge. A steel craft in green, simple, stout, a ramp at either end and enough deck to fit us alongside a troop of Utes and Land Rovers. We were twice the height of anything there. And twice the length. And somewhat wider too. After a very short journey of 15 minutes we disembarked on Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island.

I was expecting a giant sand bank, maybe a few palm trees, some bushes. It's far larger than that! We hit the local highway, generally known as a beach, and passed dense forests. This carried on for over an hour. Sandy beach. Waves from the Pacific. A forest built on sandbanks.

Eventually we reached the one town on the island. There are a few tourist enclosures here, but this is the only town, though it mostly caters for the tourist trade. We passed over an electrified cattle grid and high fences. These aren't to keep livestock in or out. These are for the Dingoes.

The Australian Dingo has been on the continent for around 4000 years. Descended from south East Asian wolves it somehow got here. Over time it became its own species, a dog-like hunter and scavenger. Fraser Island has around 200 patrolling the beaches, forests, and lakes. They are something of an asset for the tourist trade. But also a danger. Whilst this is perhaps the best place to see a wild dingo one does want to be careful. They have been known to be aggressive, especially with a history of feeding. Settlements and picnic area have the fences, gates, and grids to keep them out. The grids had to be electrified as dingoes are (obviously) smarter and more nimble than cattle.

We left town to go up to Lake Mackenzie. There are three types of lake in the island. Window lakes- holes in the sand that are deep enough to be below the water table. Dams- were a shifting dune has moved over the path of a creek (sand beavers!). Finally depressions- on dunes some of the sand can be scooped out. If this bowl filled with enough debris an impermeable layer can form preventing rain water from falling through the sand. Without an outflow the area fills. This is Lake Mackenzie. A blue lagoon atop a dune, surrounded by a dense forest of brush and tall, straight trees. The water goes down to 12 metres at its deepest. With no inlet/outlet virtually nothing lives in the waters, though this also makes pollution a real risk- nothing gets washed away. Amazing place though, beautiful clear warm waters. The shore is also made up of fine white sand. Apparently it's rejuvenating to smear it on you skin. Forgive me for laughing at the 3 spoilt brats we have in the group. You know the sort, won't join group games, communicate in snide comments, can't possibly get dirty. They were sat on the shore liberally plastering themselves in this stuff whilst the rest of us played in the waters. 

We stopped off at Central Station next. This has once been the centre of custom built railway for getting timber from the centre of the island. The timber here was both incredibly unusual and valuable- for 30 years no one in the trade even believed the reports of trees growing so well on a sand island. That sand prevents the trees having a solid foundation. They are therefore forced to grow in such a manner as to keep nearly all of their weight perfectly centred above the point they grow from. The trunks run straight and tall without imperfections. Long straight timbers can thus be cut from them. One of the trees was even found to be from the terpentine family. The compounds within it prevent rotting even when left underwater for long periods. This makes it valuable for creating docks and waterways, though it is much heavier and harder to harvest. Once found it was used in a rebuild of London docks and to line the Suez Canal. It's still there now.

At the station we had a walk around. They've built replica of the woodman's family homes. There some of the wheels they used on the tracks- they had to be wider, as did the tracks, to prevent the lines sinking into the sand. A board walk leads through the forest. Out guide explained the trees, plants, and history of the place. We passed a few walkers too. Would be a nice lace to come walking. It's possible to walk from one end of the island to the other. Only takes 7 days. Then you have to walk back. I wonder if there's a water taxi you can get?

Back down to the beach and the rain came in! It started thundering down at us, lashing against the bus. We were introduced the the local ship wreck. She's an steel ship used as a luxury craft between Sydney and NZ, then a hospital ship during the war, an after a few years back at home before being sold as scrap, lost in a storm, deposited here, then used as target practice by the military forces. Exciting life story! Now mostly under the sand we could just see the rusted remains in the whistling wind and fierce rain. Still, I'd been swimming, so was already for getting wet!

The rain didn't relent at our penultimate stop either. Just a little creek for us to slowly paddle down. Only a few of us were again in the rain. It was actually beautiful and pleasant slowly swimming down through the overhanging vines and brush as he rain patterned down. Rain? It's only going to make things better! Can you tell I'm from Britain?

Out accommodation for the evening was at a place called Happy Valley. Beyond the dingo fences were a number of small houses and the pub we'd be staying at. I love staying at pubs- don't even have to walk home. Still, we were all knackered by 8pm. It was only by group effort that we decided to stay up until 9. Thank goodness we did. I got chatting to our driver-guide. Great guy. Used to be a zoo keeper. Then he helped breed reptiles for zoo collections. Helped out on croc farms at times. Done wildlife work. Owns a number of lizards and snakes now, his wife has alpacas, plus there's the dogs and cats. Great guy. Even if he did play us 70s disco throughout the day.

Day 77: To Bris-ney Land!

Saturday 20th February 

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary at Brisbane

We fed the kangaroos!!!

Distance: 181km

Total Distance: 12122km

In the morning we drove the long distance from Byron Bay (why are we leaving this place?!?) to Brisbane. From here we'd be leaving behind some members of the team behind (Good Bye Katie, enjoy Oz, I'll come find you in the UK!), but got two new ones (Hello Katie, welcome to the team!)

The main most important activity of the day though was the wildlife sanctuary! The main stars at Lone Pine Koala Reserve have their name on the door. They're cute and cuddly, don't move much until new leaves are added (then they move like cats after nip), and had a million photos taken of them.

We had a quick lunch before splitting into smaller groups to explore. Lone Pine isn't a huge place. It takes maybe 15-20 minutes to get across the public site. Yet the space is actually mostly a pastoral reserve for the kangaroos, with a couple of emus thrown in for company. We bought some kangaroo pellets with lunch then went off to pet roos.

We all had a great time split up amongst the various groups of grazing, sleeping, and playing kangaroos. One youngster bounded over the short grass of the hill from his shade under the eucalyptus tree at the sound of my paper bag. Having fed him I tentatively introduced myself to a mother with a large joey collapsed in her pouch-only hind feet and tail protruding-resting under the shade. I sat down alongside her. She ate hungrily, nearly finishing the bag. That was until the large buck arrived. He came bounding over from the other side of the enclosure, over the shallow hill, and slowed just as his head reached my hand. He wolfed down anything he could get is mouth around. I was a little worried about what he would make of it when I'd run out. Yet I didn't even feel a lived to show him the empty bag, he merely accepted it and chose to move on. To his other hunger for love. We all looked on as he tried to make moves on the mother with joey. Anyway...

We enjoyed watching and feeding them. Their heads look a bit like hares or rabbits, but elongated like a horse. Watching them move was interesting. It's one thing to see the YouTube videos, another to see them really swing their tails for balance in a corner or a whole mob pass across the face of a hill. Of the two emus on was grumpy, but the other one people could stroke its neck.

After a long time here we moved on.

Wombats, fat, round, sleeping on their backs, moving whilst dreaming.

Tasmanian Devils fighting for territory, then going off in a huff before having a bath.

Dingos

Many, many, birds

Platypus!!! One sitting quietly, the other doing laps of the tank.

I'll do a better run down another day. For now, it was amazing.

Day 76: Byron Bay

Friday 19th February 

Sea kayaking cancelled, chilling in Byron Bay

Distance: Walking, 6km

Total Distance: 11941km

Today's Sea Kayaking was cancelled due to weather warnings. I don't mind too much- Byron Bay's an amazing place and we were all happy to have a day to chill out here. Our rainforest glamping enclave was hot and humid so Katie, a Brit, Sarah, of the USA, and I, no known residence, took a stroll down to the beach.

Here the waves were thick and fast- time for a swim! I joined a huge gang of random guys doing something that looked like body boarding but without the board. We'd jump over or swim under little waves getting out and waiting for something larger. Then try to paddle back in fast enough to catch the wave. The times I managed to properly catch the wave were amazingly fun. I might be starting to like beaches!

Once I was tired and dirty it was time to come in. A little dry off time then I wanted to be off- I'm not keen on burning under the strong sun here and I've got a blog to write for you lovely people. Katie wanted a shower so we left Sarah to brown, returning to ByronStock.

By 4pm I was kind of hungry and had been advised to try a Portugese chicken burger joint. Here I found Sarah and we took our succulent meaty treat down to the park. Here, surrounded by people who've maintained Peace & Love mantras since the 60's, and their paduwan learners, I've caught up on the blog. Next up, Yorkshire Tea at the hostel, some reading, them Thai food with the crew, and maybe a paint party. Wish me luck! :)

Day 75: Learning to Surf and the Coolest Hostel in Byron Bay

Thursday 18th February 

I learned to surf! I was amazing! LOL

Distance: Bus, 109km, on a surfboard...~5 feet?

Total Distance: 11826km

Today we were moving out and going surfing! But first we needed breakfast.

Across Australia there are small, beautiful, parks in each township. Many of these, in addition to public toilets and drinking fountains, have public barbecues. They look like a cube made out of brick, with a steel top and a rain cover. This one was beside a river, under the trees, with a circuit box to one side. The circuit box had sockets. We had a kettle. Time for tea!

The public barbecues are gas and the top gears up. We covered them in oil, heated, then threw on bacon and eggs. Breakfast of champions, greasy sandwiches for breakfast followed by watermelon. The barbecues are a great idea and very helpful. Yet they wouldn't work in the UK. Our guide pointed out that they'd get trashed or never cleaned (we cleaned this one thoroughly). I'd like to add that we get so few barbecue days in the UK there'd be a queue. Better to have those disposable barbecues- provided no one sets the bins on fire when disposing of them, as used to happen when I lived in Edinburgh. 

We joined Mojo Surf School at a bay south of Byron Bay. We stretched out all of life's problems and knots in our muscles before we felt hip and cool enough to challenge the surf. Then we clambered around on the sand and over our boards getting the low down on surfing 101. With our rudimentary knowledge we were let lose onto a specific portion of the ocean. For two hours were tried to catch waves and get up, without going to hospital afterwards. At times we had to shift position to ensure we were in the lifeguardable zone for our hosts. Then, one by one, our teachers gave us pointers to improve our game. 

I really enjoyed it! I needed the pointers, but I kept at it. Getting up the few times I did was exhilarating, even though each time I knew I wasn't getting it quite right. The sea was quick to point out my failing and dump me into the water after a few yards. Still, even as I tired (and it is tiring), I tried to get what I could out of experience. I'll have to try it again in the future. I'll never be good, but it's a fun activity to try out.

Afterwards we washed off in the brown, tannin filled, wars of the fresh water lake. It was cool and pleasant. The colour and tannins come from the trees and leaves that fall in the feeding rivers. Supposedly the tannins are very good for you- as they are from tea and red wine. Paddle, wash, dry, then we were off to Byron Bay.

At Bryon Bay our guide took us up the the lighthouse, past some of the most expensive neighbourhoods. He has an ex who has an uncle up here. I wonder if she's still available? Would have to be cougar though, I guess.

Our hostel was the coolest, most hippie hostel I've ever seen! It was used in the film Inbetweeners 2, as backdrop to scream "new age" "hippie" "gap yaah" and "exotic". I can't decided if I love it, or if I merely find it thoroughly entertaining. I'll have to come back for a long holiday to find out.

The main complex has a reception, travel agents, cafe, juice bar, bakery, games room, kitchen, beads, bracelets, and necklace stand. Beyond this is the swimming pool, dorm rooms, beach volleyball court, hammocks, didgeridoo lessons, surfboard repairman, green tropical lagoon, rainforest, and yoga/meditation/card reading workshop area. At the top of the hill is the Mojo Surf School camp site. Outside the hostel is a brewery that also does decent food.

Far behind the hostel is the campsite- it's an education to walk around. "Zero tolerance on marijuana" is obviously being challenged. There are tents on top of tents. Some are huge, some tiny. National and Buddhist flags abound. Plants have been planted and grown. It's like a British festival that's gone on too long. I walked around it casually enough to look like I might belong, rather than looking like a tourist taking a touristy tour of tourists. Talk about meta.

I walked around back to our glamping site deep in the rainforest. The hostel has these tents built as dorm rooms. Like polytunnels (the long white tunnels of plastic they use to grow soft fruits like strawberries), but with heavy coloured plastic, and a canvas building inside, each end solidly build with glass doors. They're lovely- although we have a moat of smelly lagoon water.

The bush turkeys and water dragons deserve a mention too. They're just about, chilling, looking out for scraps and picking up the sun. The dragons range from little ones that would fit in my hand to big guys the size of my arms. I like them- some of the girls are not so keen.

Day 74: Driving to Yamba for the beach

Wednesday 17th February 

Hung over, drove...drove...drove...food in the mountains, down to the beach for a swim

Distance: 430km

Total Distance: 11735km

Mildly hung over we spent much of today driving towards Yamba. The township has been awarded Australia's "Most Beautiful Township" award and is viewed as the next place to grow into significance. 

I can sort of see why people are moving here. It's a nice place. Decent beaches (mind the jellyfish), there's a harbour for all of the fishing boats. The countryside is lush and green from having enough rain (unlike some of Oz). We passed through large fields of sugar cane which is processed locally and exported in huge amounts.

The afternoon was spent on Yamba beach. A few went swimming in the sea until someone got a light jellyfish sting. I got out my miniature kite to play around with as the girls took to sunbathing.

Eventually there was just my German mate, Hendrick, and I left. At one end on the beach there's a sea water pool- a place to swim free of jellyfish! We went to do a few laps, but ended up in the defense pool. With the tremendous waves this beach gets the pool should get swamped every 5 seconds. Instead there's a crenalated wall which reduces the waves power. Behind this is a small pool into which the waves fall, dropping their debris as they lose power. Then a thick, low level wall before the main pool. This keeps the swimming pool relatively flat and clear. It also means there's a poo, full of warm, fresh, sea water that bubbles away- like a spa pool. We joined an Australian couple to enjoy the refreshing, healing, relaxing properties of several tons of the Pacific Ocean pushing us up against the dividing wall a few times a minute.

For dinner I tried the local Fish and Chips. Not as good as NZ or the UK! Someone must be doing it wrong, I'll have to try again elsewhere. Equally the beer was good, but not good enough to aid my pool playing. The guide and I won again, but I just wasn't getting my shots in.

We did have a decent chat at dinner though. All the phones were piled in the middle of the table so people would stop worshipping them. After this everyone opened up more. Nothing like proper civilised conversation on an evening.