Looks like we've got ourselves a convoy

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Even though I was up and ready for the off on time this morning, our departure was somewhat delayed. Even though we had packed everything last night and Keith had been quite adamant that we must leave early to avoid the traffic, he decided to repack certain things in the trailer. I had wolfed my breakfast down and thrown my things into the back of the jeep already and even though I asked if I could do anything was told 'No, it's all under control'. I felt like a little bit of a spare part sat watching early morning tv as the Lee and Keith started strapping down the trailer, but I had offered my help and I didn't know what else to do.

As I sat there my mind began to dwell, as it often does, on the current situation. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to stay with Carmen's folks for the duration of my working stay in Australia. I had become used to my independence since traveling and being self sufficient made it hard to integrate into being with one set of people again. I couldn't think about it now though as there was lots to do today once we arrived at camp. I promised myself I was going to roll with the punches from here on in, rather than over think things, so I could just enjoy the surprises that life brought to me.

We eventually left at 7am, two hours after Keith had said we'd be off. Everyone was a little grumpy due to the lack of sleep, but I kept a smile on my face as we walked out the house to a beautiful Brisbane sunrise. It wasn't too different from home with the sun painting that wonderful hue of pink and orange across the bottom of the clouds as it rose. The journey up the coast of Queensland was overcast and miserable, but at the same time fascinating. We passed acres and acres of uniformly planted trees lining the motorway. Lee and Carmen explained that the forestry policy in Australia dictated that one tree was planted for every one cut down and used for timber in the housing industry. The amount of care for the environment in which they lived was amazing and really spoke of the love that Australians had for their country.

We stopped on the motorway for bacon, egg and sausage butties as both Lee and I were starving...even if we had been asleep for the last forty-five minutes! We refuelled our stomachs and I grabbed some snacks for the rest of the journey, including my first Timtam. I had always been told that Timtams were exactly the same as penguins, and indeed they were but with a different biscuit at the centre that was less crumbly. I got Carmen some natural jelly babies an treated Lee to a Wagon Wheel - satisfied and satiated we continued on up the coast to Teewah beach.

We crossed the small lake on a barge before finally reaching the beach. Kempton had caught up with us and the convoy of three jeeps and two trailers began to let down their tyres for better traction. I got out to stretch my legs and Kemton pointed out the mass of what they called 'Blue Bottles' or Portuguese Man O'war. I was assured that they weren't poisonous but would give you a naughty sting if you stepped on it. Before long we piled back into the trucks and were tearing up the sand to out campsite. It was still overcast and the wind carried in a fine mist from the high tide. It took a good thirty minutes or so to reach our pitch, perched between the bottom of the hill and the dunes. Keith, Kemton and Lee had set up the tents and the tarpaulins the weekend before so there wasn't a lot to do other than unpack the boxes of supplies. Seeing as there were no amenities at the beach Keith had bought along a portable toilet and shower which became my responsibility to set up. Constructing the two tents that would house them was easy enough and in no time at all were operational, much to the girls delight. I put together the small two man tent that Kempton had bought up for me in the small gap between the tarps just in time for a short downpour.

Much of the rest of the day was lost in making sure everything was put in it's place and unpacked with enough canopies and awnings to afford some shelter. The sun had begun to set on the far side of the hill by the time Lee and I started to put together a fire in the sandpit that the boys had used previously. Once we'd set up a small wind block we managed to get a roaring fire going only to have it trashed when it came time to heat water for the showers. We managed to get it stocked back up again before heading up for dinner. As with any camping trip there is always something that gets left behind in the rush to depart, so dinner tonight was spaghetti and meatballs. Although Des seemed disappointed that it wasn't the meal she had planned we all helped to demolish most of it before heading back to the fire for a drink. Keith, Kemton, Lee and I all sat around the fire with a beer in hand watching the flames dance from the hot coals.

The air was filled with the sweet smoky smell of the cypres wood that we had used for kindling to get the fire started. As I looked up I could see the blanket of stars covering the sky obscured by the occasional drifting cloud. As I gazed out to see I could see the moon starting to come up on the horizon. It was a huge orange ball that cut it's way through the clouds as it rose - it was beautiful. With his face illuminated only by the light from the fire Kemton said that we'd get up reasonably early tomorrow and head to the other side of the point to check out the surf. It seemed like an awfully long way off as I sat back in my deckchair and allowed my eyelids to gently drop as I drifted off to sleep next to the heat of the fire.

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