Brisbane-Bound

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Hello everyone!!!

we haven't updated in a while because we have been doing some hardcore driving towards Brisbane. But that doesn't mean that there hasn't been anything blog-worthy! There has been a lot of camping lately.

In Airlie Beach (where we left off) we found an offer to rent 2 kayaks and go on an overnight camping trip by ourselves. We took that offer and spent a great day paddling around the WhitSunday Islands until we reached our camping destination - Denman Island. We knew going into that it was small and there could only be a maximum of 2 other people camping on it. It turned out we were the only ones on the island!!! Sounds nice and romantic, huh?

Dinner was around 6:30 as the sun set. We were cooking over our stove and recounting the day's paddle. Then the rustling started. Then a little more from a different area. I caught a glimpse of something extremely rat-like in the beam of my light. Putting on a smile, I told Patsy it was "just one little mouse". That was quickly proved a falsehood as the rats were everywhere.

We beat a hasty retreat to the tent as we began to see bats swooping all around screaching. Fortunately, we didn't put the rain fly on the tent so we could see their enormous forms blot out the moon and the unique and unpleasant sound of their leathery wings as they settled into the trees all around us to rest.

The concern about bats faded as the morning approached. A group of birds (we think) that inhabit the forest floor encircled our tent and began an ungodly cacaphony that didn't relent until the sun had fully risen.

We made it back, although there were a few times in the night we thought we were goners.

We stopped at a cool campground in the Eugella National Park that had no electricity. This was no problem because the owner a wiley bushman (crocodile Dundee style, not W style) had a pet dingo. The showers were heated with a wood stove!!

Now we are safe in Noosa, a California-like (take that as you will) city. We are thinking of you as we hop from juice bar to the beach and back.

Brisbane is up next...Hopefully we will be able to hit the glass house moutains.

matt & patsy

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Photos

home, sweet home
This is Denman...the people before us left homemade coral windchimes hanging from the trees. we wish we had heard those at night :)

kayaking it up!
This was the middle of the first day at Daydream Island after our quick lunch break.

platypus bush camp
Matt and I really wish we had more time here. It had great character (!) an awesome swimming hole, and excellent recycling plans:)

relaxing
I snuck a picture of Matt reading...don't you wish all your reading hideouts looked like this??!!