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Where did the wind go!
Crap were gona have to take up surfing instead! The calm after the storm, East Coast Dreamin, Every Man Is an Island, Bundy and Beyond!
After such a treat of wind at Alva beach an inevitable calm has settled over the east coast, the water is like glass everywhere we go, our wind meter twists lazily at 2 knots, our kites remain deflated and my dreams of the perfect double back roll remain unrealized.
Despite this our spirits remain high, as this is a gorgeous part of the country to be lazy in, the beaches sport yellow to white soft sand, the water although a little cool as winter moves in, is clear and deep blue as are the skies. It seems the perfect time for us to go island hopping!
After a long drive through a sea of Cain plantations and a night at a seedy motel in Macky, we hit the Whitsunday Coast. The home of Backpacker hell holes such as Airle beach, we have made a conscious decision not to visit the Whitsunday islands as we really don’t have the time, we would have to abandon betty and most of our gear to go it on foot, when really this is a place where
Ooooo ok perhaps no surfing ether!
Man the signage in this country realy gets me! you should hire a boat and sail round for a week or more.
Looking at the island from the coast I feel a pang of regret, but promise myself to come back here some day with a yacht and harem.
For our island fix we have chosen the smaller and less touristy, Great Kepple Island, near Rockingham. The island is shaped like a starfish, each of its rocky points shelter a gorgeous sandy bay, there is a coral shelf of fringing reef to snorkel over, and a laid back backpackers with safari style tents to stay in.
We spend two days on this island, meeting some other travelers who have found themselves stuck in paradise. On our first day we hike up to the highest point on the island where we are treated to such a view of stunning empty beaches.
On our first night on Gt Kepple we meet a couple of scandalous galls one English the other Ozzy both far more than either of us would ever want to handle! We dodge round the only bar on the island trying to avoid their appetites, while tame wallabies and veracious Lorakeets hassle us for food. That
View over towards the Whitsundays...
One of many many places that i will have to return to. night as we sneak into our safari tent still blissfully un-ravaged by two girls who could easily have played men’s rugby, when we realize are suck on an island with inevitable trouble! Argh.
The next morning after a very early awakening from the resident galas (safari tents are nice but no good for a lie in or a hangover), a Lorakeet takes a pace of nicely peanut buttered toast right from my hand as I’m eating I begin to have thoughts of going to the nearest Guns n Ammo. Birds are great but really they should KNOW THEIR PLACE! J
We survive Gt Kepple, just! And upon recovering a moody Betty from the security car park, its on south towards Rum Country!
Since we have hit the east coast the lovely old gall she is, Betty has developed another eccentricity, this time it’s the handbrake that’s gone. So bad is it now that our parking is dictated by flat places, we use a old rock and the LP to put behind the wheels, I hope nobody nicks them or she will roll off! Whenever we get in to go on a drive, before we head off the
Long Beach, Great Kepple.
Anybody reading this from their office, i appologies, but really... Wow. driver shouts ‘Chocks Away’ to ensure we don’t flatten the LP or our faithful rock!
Our next stop is the Rum capital of Australia, Bundaburg! The famous Bundy distillery also makes the beloved Bundagurg ginger beer that I have been drinking for the last few month’s. We take a tour of the Ginger beer brewery, and learn about how it is made the traditional way with real yeast, that gives it a alc vol of 0.5% no wonder I’m so fond of it!
Were staying in a tiny cabin in Bundy where there were thunder storms last night, and we were glad not to be camping.
After Bundy were on south again to visit Frasier island and then to the Sunshine coast; but first we have a stop and a tasting at the famous Rum factory before the drive…. Hope we don’t get lost, or stuck, again.
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