Australia in a nutshell – Part I

Coming to the conclusion that I am too far behind on this blog in relation to our time in Australia I have decided to provide a summarised version of events. This has been brought on by the fact that we are now in Asia and have found our time here so far to be much more of a cultural change and have much more to write about compared to that of Aus. So here are weeks 5 and 6 from Aus:

Saturday January 22^nd – Woke up again with the stench of garlic…conclusion = the French couple. Headed up the coast to Noosa where having been drenched on short walk to hostel (although Soph stayed dry) we met up with Phil and Jude again for a few drinks.

Jan 23^rd – Went into the town in the morning before heading to the beach in the afternoon. In the evening we went to an Italian whilst England lost another ODI.

Soph with her attempted surfing

Jan 24^th – Our last full day in Noosa spent mostly learning how to surf - 3 hour morning surf lesson followed by a few more hours by ourselves. Unlike the wakeboarding we both managed to stand up although Soph preferred to use the ‘Surf Board’ to body/kneel board back in to shore!

Me riding a wave...sort of!

Jan 25^th – Set off to Rainbow beach where we went to the beach in the afternoon before having a few drinks in the evening with people at the hostel, after a short, steep walk to a sand dune where we failed to “sand board” but did get some decent photos.

Phot from the dunes

Jan 26^th – Australia Day, thus we again went to the beach for a few hours before a meeting to sort out arrangements for our Fraser Island trip the next day. With 30 people signed on to the 4x4 Tag-Along Tour (yes the lamest name a tour could ever have), we were split into 4 groups – me and Soph grouped with 5 Northern Irish and a Dutch girl (who over the next few days we found out to be a bit of an oddball). Amusingly the chap outlining the rules and regulations of the trip was somewhat reminiscent of a hobo - dirty yellow teeth, a dishevelled overgrown beard, and long sweaty hair. He kept on reminding us that each vehicle was equipped with a “Dick Stick” to hit anyone acting in such a way, whilst reiterating the “Peace and Love” we should have for one another as well as that his cars which were his “babies” – “You look after my babies, and they’ll look after you.”

Our 4x4

Jan 27^th – Our convoy of 4x4’s set off on our 3 day tour of Fraser Island – the largest sand island in the world…fact! Driving along the beach and along sandbanks we visited a few sights, including Lake McKenzie, before setting up camp for the night. A great night as a good group of us got rather banjaxed! As the night eventually came to an end – late on for some but not for others, as the beers sent me to sleep a few hours prematurely (as Dan – another Irish guy - continued to point out for the remainder of the trip).

The Crystal waters of Lake Mckenzie

Jan 28^th – With the much of the morning spent at Eli Creek playing volleyball we eventually set off to the champagne pools and Indian Head before arriving back at camp for another night of antics. Beforehand of course the ‘oddball’ Dutch girl asked our tour leader if she could move camps as she was the only one not drinking and moaned that we had been too noisy the night before (bear in mind she was in bed by 8). Having had our dinner cooked by Dino – our Indonesian Chef for the night (whose name we sang to the tune of Ruby – Kaiser Chiefs) we were inundated with dingo’s stealing bin bags with empty cans. Funny for most however, as warned by Merve (the hobo), it was nearly time for the use of the dick stick as one very annoying English lad thought it would be funny every time to chase after them. This may sound slightly harsh of me to indeed portray him as a dick, however over the few days on Fraser, he had become a constant annoyance for all, “I could drive better than any of you on sand” – yet he was under the age of 21 so unfortunately was too young to do so…shame.

Just a few of the dingo pack

Jan 29^th – The final morning in Fraser Island and the majority of the group nursing rather severe hangovers, therefore the Dutch girl put up her hand to offer to drive – and that was quite something in itself, to say we were worried for our lives would be an understatement. When we arrived back at Rainbow beach the majority of us had a barbecue cooked again by chef Dino before heading to our neighbouring hostel for a party!



After the barbecue

Jan 30^th – The dingo pack (named as Fraser is full of wild dingos) was broken up as most went separate ways – ourselves heading North to Agnes Water (Town of 1770).

Jan 31^st – Woke up to news Cyclone Yasi, this one expected to be Category 5 and thus all buses further north were cancelled. We had planned to do a Scooteroo tour in 1770 and then head north to Airlie Beach on an overnight bus however since the buses were cancelled, we rearranged our Scooteroo for the next day as a number of the dingo pack had called to say they were coming up.

February 1^st - Wes, Rochelle, Kieran, Ida and Fil arrived in 1770 the previous night so a few of us headed into town for another surf lesson – reported by the instructor to be their last for days as tides were expected to rise in anticipation of Yasi. Following the lesson we nipped to the booze shop and smuggled some goon into our non bring-your-own alcohol hostel. In the afternoon we all set off on our Scooteroo tour of the town where we rode on scooters which had been converted into Choppers – a great laugh and great sights as we saw wild kangaroos as well as an immaculate sunset.

Me and Soph looking rather cool!

February 2^nd – Wes and Rochelle left early in the morning heading south. In the evening we had hotdogs followed by poker…but not for money of course.

February 3^rd – As we had found out we couldn’t head North until the evening of the fifth, and by now realising how limited 1770 was, (hence the lack of events yesterday) we spent most of the day sorting through photos (exciting aye). Soph went to the beach with Ida and Fil before we played poker in the evening, however this time for money…and fortunately enough yours truly was the victor - $15!

February 4^th – Me and Kieran hired surf boards in the morning. In the evening our hostel presented a Scooteroo tattoo party for all the hostels in town and Soph won the competition for most tattoos on one arm, earning a free T-shirt.

And this girl won a trip to Fraser Island for having most tattoos on her body - over 350!

February 5^th – Finally our last day in Agnes Water, and what a relief it was, stuck in a town with a tiny supermarket, no bars and no fast-food was somewhat of a nightmare. As me, Soph (still scratching her tattoos off), Kieran and Ida set off North on the overnight bus to Airlie Beach along with Stephanie and Mark – the Canadian couple we first met in Surfers Paradise.

Byron to Brisbane - a belated blog!

Having arrived late the previous day and only had little chance to see the beach as well as the local nightlife, we decided to test out the waves with a couple of body boards – rented free from the hostel of course. The waves were probably the highest and strongest I’d seen in my life - surprising considering Bondi is meant to be a surf haven – and towered over those from childhood trips to Wales! Whilst some of the surfers managed to get through to the furthest waves, me and Soph were content with those hitting about 25 metres from shore and riding them in on our body boards.

Me body boarding back into shore

Having spent a number of hours at the beach we head back in preparation for the evenings antics – a trip to Cheeky Monkeys! Pre-drinking the remainder of our goon, again with Phil and Jude, we took the shuttle to the bar come club for dinner and the nights entertainment. 

With the four of us seated, we were accompanied by a chap we called ‘Big Big Dave’ – me obviously being ‘Big Dave’. Following dinner, free drinks and a few games - including a male strip show, which we elected Big Big Dave to take part in of course, we were ready to dance on the tables – the done thing at Cheeky Monkeys.

Me and Soph with the group of people from our hostel at Cheeky Monkeys

The next morning and I felt incredibly hung over – probably the pre-drink goon. Meanwhile Soph was up and doing the washing amongst other things. Following a brief reflection of the night before having looked at a number of horrendous photos it was time to head to the beach again. In the afternoon, we opted to take the 5km scenic walk up to Cape Byron – the most Easterly point in Australia; however I was met with one of my greatest fears…a snake! Now, most may not know how much I fear snakes, however, Soph certainly does. So, as we’re walking along through the bush, there it was, a red bellied black snake – one of Australia’s most deadly varieties, and there Soph was…”take a picture…take a picture.” Myself, obviously slightly more erratic than usual, took a quick photo then walked promptly in the opposite direction whilst Soph studied in more detail. Eventually however we did reach Cape Byron, and following a few photos, we set off back on the 60 minute walk home.

The red-bellied black snake

Cape Byron snapshot

Setting off the next morning to Surfers Paradise via Currumbin Wildlife Park (chosen since it was cheaper than Australia Zoo – the Steve Irwin one) we thought our bus was a 5 minute journey, however being mocked for not realising Queensland did not opt for daylight saving (i.e. an hour behind) we arrived an hour and five minutes later. Upon our arrival we had a quick photo holding a baby croc before heading to the reptile show… “yippee, more snakes!” Following the reptile show Soph chose to hold a snake and I obviously stood back… just to make sure she was ok of course! The rest of the day was spent looking at Koala’s and hand-feeding lots of kangaroos.

Soph feeding Kangaroo mummy

After the wildlife park we head on the bus to Surfer’s Paradise where only myself and Soph were on the bus, so were duly given a commentated tour by our driver. The evening was spent with a $7 steak and chips – a deal put on by our hostel where we met up with Jude and Phil again,  as well as a Canadian couple – Mark and Steph.

The next day was spent lazing around the beach and body boarding, although since the area is known as Surfer’s Paradise we expected spectacular waves, however, instead, they were rather weak and ineffective compared to Byron Bay. In the evening we had a BBQ, again arranged by our hostel and afterwards we played a game called “in the pan” with a couple of guys from the British Armed Forces.

As Wednesday arrived we decided to venture into the main town. However unfortunately there was both little to do and see so instead we went to play crazy golf. Following a close encounter (much to my overly generous rules) we spent a couple of hours on the beach and eventually we journeyed back to the hostel. Since the hostel had not put on anything for dinner we instead chose to cook for ourselves, however the entertainment was not cut short. A rather strange Australian chap decided to attempt to tell every single person how wrong they were cooking their dinner and how instead it should be done; although this may not seem overly strange, it was the way in which he delivered his opinions as well as the way he dressed…jeans and workman’s boots in 30 degree heat, 90% humidity. The best bit of all was when he burnt his own dinner as he was too busy telling others how to cook – the personification of justice!

High and dirty looking Brisbane River

Thursday, and it was time to head to the flood affected Brisbane, where we were treated to the most modern and plush YHA yet! With most avenues for entertainment shut off due to the floods the previous week, there was little option but to roam the main CBD and shopping districts. Southbank, an area south of the river, newly opened to the public the previous year, was completely devastated. With all of the museums closed, as well as the artificial beach, we decided to stay in and cook steak and mini roast potatoes whilst overlooking the serene night scene of Brisbane.

Night scene over Brisbane from our hostel

Following a rather average nights sleep, wholly due to the rather odd smell of garlic which we suspected was due to the French couple sharing the room with us (and I know I haven’t given the greatest testament to the French within these blogs, however, garlic and French people, it’s the only reasonable explanation). Since Brisbane had so little to offer the previous day we headed out to Mount Coot-tha on Friday – a lookout over the city as well as surrounding areas. It does sound rather boring…and yes, it was – even the aboriginal art walk was unfortunately rather drab. Following the overly interesting day, we planned to have a feast of beans on toast. However, something was shining down on us as on the free shelf, there it was, bacon and eggs – a great way to end the day!

Fisheye view over Brisbane from Mount Coot-tha

East Coast, here we come...sort of

Waking up at the ungodly hour of 5.30am and our trip along the East Coast was ready for full swing! With a 7am bus to catch to Tuggerah (just over an hour north of Sydney) we were visiting the family we first met in New Zealand during the Huka Falls River Cruise, Agnes, Scott and their daughter Olivia. Arriving at their beautiful home just a few minutes from our bus stop, we sat and chatted before being treated to an Aussie toastie, lush!

In the afternoon we headed to the beach, where although we were bombarded by blue bottle jellyfish (especially Agnes), we did manage to test out our skimmer ball and play a bit of beach Frisbee. As the evening approached me and Soph were treated to a first as we hand fed a couple of lorokeets and Kookaburras on the veranda.



Lorikeet feeding

After dinner we watched Scott and his band ‘Kotadama’ play at a village pub. Mainly playing covers, the music was brilliant, unlike the venue which as pre-warned by Scott was reminiscent of what can only be described as a red-neck joint. The locals really were a rare breed, however all in all the night was a good laugh! 

With another beach day planned, Soph began the day playing doctors and nurses with Olivia and her toy animals, I was rejected by Olivia and unfortunately not allowed to play…I was devastated of course. Arriving at the beach, we spent most of the time jumping off rocks into the sea, and also testing out our newly fixed skimmer ball thanks to Agnes’s sewing skills. In the evening Soph was again treated to a game of doctors and nurses by the incredibly energetic Olivia before Agnes cooked up some incredible home made pizzas.



Soph and Olivia playing Doctors and Nurses

Afterwards we went out to have an ice cream and watch the sunset, however we ended up watching an old man being rescued from the sea. Not the most pleasant site, however he did seem to gradually recover.

Me and Soph with our adopted family for the weekend

The next morning it was time to depart and catch our next coach to Port Macquarie. Six hours later and we arrived, just in time to visit the Koala hospital for feeding time. Although the hospital is run by volunteers and survives on funding only, the place was in great condition, and all the staff were really keen to let us know what had happened to each of the koalas. The only downside was that the koalas had been in various accidents in the wild, so there was no opportunity to pet or hold them, although Soph did adopt a three-legged Koala for her mum and Sarah for their birthdays, so we felt we had done our bit to help (karma and all that).

Oxley Kaylee - the adopted Koala who has 3 legs following a collision with a car

The next day began with a brief visit to the library for the internet to check emails…and of course the football results. As our coach was due to arrive at 2pm we headed into the ‘main town’ of Port Macquarie, which was none other than a couple of surf shops, a coffee shop and a few food places. With a 3 hour journey to Coffs Harbour planned we eventually arrived, an hour late as the bus had been behind schedule from the start. Along the way we began to see quite a few areas of high water levels and we were warned about potential flooding further up the coast!

In the evening there was quite a low/desperate feeling around the hostel as news bulletins began flying in about areas of flooding beginning to appear both north and south of Coffs Harbour, and by late evening we knew our bus for the next day couldn’t get to our next destination – Yamba.

The majority of Wednesday was spent mulling over possible options and ways of going up the coast, nearly deciding to fly over the floods to Queensland, however we eventually stuck with plan A - which was to sit out the bad weather and then travel up the coast by coach as we had originally planned. As it was raining heavily there was little option to do anything, so barring a 5 minute foray outside we eventually settled for the safety of the hostel and cooked a chilli for dinner before watching England beat Australia in the first of two Twenty20 matches.  

"and it's Leicester City..."

The next morning was a complete contrast from the previous day as bright sun and a clear blue sky welcomed us to the day. With our bus rescheduled for Friday, we spent the morning at the beach before heading on a board-walk along the river in the afternoon, with nothing more to see than thousands of little crabs darting into the sand – clearly highlighting exactly how exciting Coffs Harbour really is… To top off our ‘action packed’ day we headed home and finished the remains of the previous days chilli before packing our bags!

The only wildlife to speak of in Coffs Harbour

6am, and we were ready and waiting for our bus along with a few others that had been stranded much like ourselves. The 5 hour bus journey, which included an inland detour to avoid the water-logged highways, was broken up with a brief stop in Grafton which had been flooded only days before - fields had turned into lakes, whilst a petrol station further along from where we stopped was under water. By 11am we had arrived in Byron Bay which was a welcome change from our previous two stops, as compared to those ‘towns’ it could only be described as a ‘city.’ Most of the day was spent deliberating as whether to book a couple of tours further up along the coast, and having finally settled for a tour through Peter Pans we headed for the beach.

As evening arrived we chose to finally taste the ever popular Goon (the cheapest and most horrible tasting boxed wine) with our new ‘roomies’ Jude and Phil – an English couple from Cumbria. Since our previous few days had been a boring and depressing affair we chose to hit the town, well, one club – Cocomangas. A few drinks and a boogie later, the walk back turned out to be one of the funnier journeys home. Only a stones throw away from our hostel we saw a few 17 and 18 year olds swapping driving a car whilst clearly intoxicated when a police car came up behind. Needless to say two of them were arrested whilst the other three jumped in various bushes as not to be caught up in it all. Whilst we sat and watched, those absconded were taken away before two of the three escapees began canoodling in the bush…hilarious.

The view of Cape Byron (the most Easterly point of Australia) from Byron Bay's Main Beach

Things done:

• Try some goon
• See a koala

Things to do:

• Throw a boomerang
• Surf some waves
• Try some kangaroo meat