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Published: November 14th 2006
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So, we finally arrive in the land down under. Travel weary after our flight from Thailand via Kuala Lumpar, we make our way into central Brisbane. The weather is fresh and everything is kept military clean, even social disorder #1 graffiti is organised onto alloted walls and pillars. It's all feels very different from Asia and this difference is no more apparent than in the massively increased accommodation, food and travel costs. It's going to hurt those cards so we better make it worth it!
We spend a few days getting our teeth into this new world, acclimatizing to white faces again albeit with the stereotypical Bruce & Sheila Ozzie personalities, the Aboriginy seems to be an urban myth in Brisbane and for most of our East Coast travels. Brisbane is fantastically clean, modern and the Southbank is a wonderful place to eat, drink, sunbathe and relax. To say it's the 3rd biggest city in the country, it's still as we become accutely aware after a few days, so very small.
So commences the next stage of our Oz experience, we decide to hire some wheels to take us down to Byron Bay south of Brisbane and meander our
way up the East Coast all the way to Cape Tribulation before returning it to Cairns. We plan three weeks for this and leave it to our hostel to find the cheapest rate. They manage to do this for us, but when we pick the campervan up, it becomes clear that we are not going to be in the 'cool' wheels like many other hostellers. We've been condemed to three weeks in a 1980's Toyota Hightop Hiace that immediately changes us from young backpackers into Saga holiday wannabee's. We drive down to Byron, laughing hysterically, if what sheepishly, how easlily something can make you go from feeling very young to suddenly very old.
Arriving in Byron Bay was surreal. Walking around it was almost a parallel universe to America's West Coast which we'd only recently visited. Long haired surfer dude's, skaters, bladers and a quirky, cool town vibe still clinging to the cool 70's. We quickly fell in love with Byron - it's miles upon miles of glorious beaches, watching the surfers, the cool shops (fish 'n' chips to die for) and it's backpacker orientated nightlife to forget the campervan and feel young again!
Next we arrived on
the Gold Coast, cruising along esplanades of literally miles upon miles of coastal communities before resting in hedonistic 'Surfers Paradise'. Surfers Paradise is Oz's version of Las Vegas. In truth it's halfway between Vegas and Blackpool Beach (in fact, sorry, injustice to Vegas, far further in feeling to Blackpool Beach!). It had the day before been the site of the Indy300 motor-racing circuit so we had a great time pushing the Hightop Hiace round the hairpin corners. I reckon I even managed to top out at a speed of approx 12km's. Not bad we thought, considering the drag the Hightop creates!! At least we provided an interesting backmarker for the other cars and bikes!
We left the coast behind to spend an excellent day on the Gold Coast Hinterland. Scenary, wine and cheese tasting, more wine tasting then wine purchasing before pushing north for Sunshine Coast. We pulled in in the dark to the first resort we came across and woke in the morning to realise we'd woke up in Oz's own version of Hicksville, and a residential trailer park! I swear I think I even saw Britney and her kids there!
Sunshine Coast's main resort is Noosa, we
spent an excellent couple of days relaxing in a very affluent atmosphere and taking in the 3 day Triatholon carnival.
Moving on up we arrived in Rainbow Beach, a one street town and beach. After a quick dip in the sea, the wind virtually blew us off the beach so we retreated to the famed coloured sandblow. Pushing further north we arrived in Hervey Bay, gateway to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, and signed up for a 3 day 4WD Self Drive. Our gang, 3 Koreans and 3 Germans made for an interesting mix of people and were all squeezed in an illuminous pink 4WD. We found ourselves the backpacker joke of the ferry when we pulled up to cross to Fraser and people started having their photos taken outside our truck! (What is it with us and vans!).
3 Koreans and 3 Germans, that almost sounds like a bad joke! But in reality we got on excellently as the national stereotypes were proven to be realities. The Germans kept to the itinery like clockwork and worried incessently ie. petrol, when the tank was half full! Cleaning the dishes pretty much all the time!
The Koreans were far more passive, no arguing, lots of smiling and then cooked an excellent Korean dish for dinner - rice and tomato ketchup on the BBQ - not sure if that's a classic dish over there!
We quickly realised how great our group was when we hooked up with the truck that left our hostel the day after us containing English, Irish, Ozzies & a very strange Swiss guy. After one day together they were refusing to speak to each other and the Swiss guy spent the night sleeping in the bush which were filled with deadly dingo's, venomous spiders and snakes, and pretty much anything else that kills! In short Fraser was spectacular, the lakes stunning, I had the fun of driving the 4WD for two days through the sand (The German guy was sacked by his fellow Germans for driving at 60km's in 2nd gear constantly and not preserving the petrol ;-) ).
On our final night as we were driving down an empty sand road we came accross a trapped SUV. Mum and 3 kids sat in the back watching DVD's with Dad trying to push them out. They were not going anywhere
and with no mobile signal were getting worried. We turned into international lifesavers (NATO I think they're called, the newer pink section!) taking Mum and kids, baby chair strapped in too and leaving the Germans behind with enough food and water for any eventuality - Germans!! The kids happy to be in the now christened 'Barbie' car. We drove the 8km's in the failing light, dropped the kids off and raised the alarm to save Dad and our compatriots.
Next stop Airlie Beach where we booked onto a Whitsundays cruise to relax. We spent three excellent days cruising the islands visiting stunning beaches, it was absolutely amazing!!! Next Mission Beach, again a one street town and then to the Atherton Tablelands, a plateau next to the Great Dividing Range. The scenary here is outstanding and made for an excellent day. We dropped into Port Douglas which is an upmarket holiday resort town and then pushed on to the northern most part of our trip, Cape Tribulation. Cape Tribulation is in the Daintree Rainforest, a world listed heritage site and overlooks another more famous heritage site named the 'Great Barrier Reef'. In fact it's the only place in the world
you can see two such sites next to one another. Would have made for great snorkelling if there weren't killer box jellyfish in the water!
We spent two days in Cairns diving the Reef (well you have to don't you). As they say "it's not average, it's not good, that's why the call it the GREAT Barrier Reef" (God, Aussies can be tiresome folk) seeing white tip sharks, green back turtles and loads of excellent corals. Self-navigating our nightdive with just my buddy Elaine for company, we saw a 1.5m shark, enough to knock the confidence out of my lungs and quickly ask to return to deck!
We dropped the campervan back in Cairns with 3000km's on the clock (almost half the distance of our Trans-Siberian trip). The trip was absolutely amazing, a real once in a lifetime experience, our highlights being Fraser Islands and the Whitsunday's, there's good reason they're so popular!
We never thought we would but we miss the campervan, after coming so far it had to grow on you!!
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