Here comes the sun.

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We arrived in Brisbane and decided hiring a car would be our best form of transport as the country is so vast! (maybe a plane would be more apt). We spent two nights in Brisbane, not a great deal to see just another city, so we headed north to Hervey Bay.

We took a drive out to Mon Repos beach and was lucky enough to witness a natural rarity of a marine turtle laying its eggs on the beach. This is almost unheard of during the day but this turtles hind fins were missing and so needed help from the researchers to dig her nest. Quiet an amazing sight and we certainly felt privileged to be there. On the way back to our hotel we saw kangaroos in the wild, happily hopping around peoples gardens not phased by us at all!!

We took a trip out to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, so when our 4x4 bus had a flat tyre it wasn’t the easiest to change. Our first stop was at the Yidney rainforest where we had a chance to be indinia Jones for half an hour as we took a walk through it and even saw a python climbing a tree, Neve said ”good job granddad’s not here!”. We then continued our adventure by taking a plane ride over seventy-five mile beach using the beach as our run way, it was amazing and the views undescribable, Neve loved it even though she didn’t have her own seat and had to sit on my knee, she said her Grandma won’t believe she didn’t have to wear a seat belt!! (but don’t worry mum I held onto her real tight!) We visited the coloured sand cliffs which the aboriginal people used the sand for drawing, the bus driver demonstrated this by using them as face paints on Neve. We had a brief stop at the Maheno ship wreck which has been marooned there since 1935 and we then went onto the fresh water Eli Creek. We rolled up our shorts and walked down the creek but as the water was at waist height Neve decided to swim instead! We then went to the fresh water Lake Garawongera, the sand lining was like pure silk and was a brilliant exfoliating scrub, so we all returned to our bus looking and feeling years younger! Our bus driver was fantastic and the ride was certainly entertaining driving up and down narrow sand roads with sheer drops either side, we were thrown about all over the place but Neve the adrenaline junky loved it! A fantastic day had by all.

We then headed back south to Coolum Beach to stay with Neves friend from Nursery, Riley and her Mummy (Sonia), Daddy (George) and little brother Flynn or Flingo as Neve re-named him. We had a fantastic time staying with them (thanks again guys) it was really nice to stay in a home environment after travelling about so much and they made us feel so welcome. Neve also really enjoyed some company of her own age and some toys to play with.
While we were staying with them we went to Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin’s), we saw Crocodiles being hand fed in true Irwin style and I held a Koala and we all held a baby American Alligator! Neve hand fed the elephants and the kangaroos! It’s the only zoo I have ever been to where the keepers sit with the tigers in the enclosure and stroke them! Quiet an amazing bond between human and animal.

We then headed back to Brisbane to fly to Perth for Crimbo!

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Comments

[Sean]

Thank you all for the update, again it all looks truly amazing and to see neve in all those elements is fantastic, i feel i real;y need to get my children out there. they would love it as i am quite sure you all are. thanks again and all the best wishes from Melton constable Sean