East Coast Australia - not so much travelling, more partying with the Gap Year Masses!!!

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Before flying to Singapore to meet with Steve and Chris, I had just under three weeks to blast up the East coast of Australia. My first stop was Melbourne, and after visiting, this is one city that I'm disappointed because I don't really think that I got the most out of it. Almost, everyone I had met really enjoyed Melbourne, but I had a kind of lethargy about me when I was there and didn't come away having had all that good a time. That said, my very fortunate (and unplanned) timing meant that the Grand Prix was in town during the four day window in which I rocked up, and so I headed along to that to watch it. The race was pretty good, but nowhere up to the standards of a day out at Silverstone the patriots among you will be glad to hear!

From Melbourne I flew onto Brisbane, where I got to have a couple of days at Byron Bay and Surfers Paradise. Byron was superb, really chilled out and a great party life. I can see why people arrive there and never really leave. The laid back lifestyle, great weather, beaches and nightlife make it a great place to chill-out and enjoy. For anyone that's every been Cheeky Monkey's is still as cheesy and sweaty as ever!

Further north I went 4wd driving on Fraser Island, which is the world's largest sand island, just off the Queensland coast. The basic premise is that you get accommodation at a mainland hostel at one of the jumping off points for Fraser, and then book yourself onto a self-driving 4WD tour of Fraser Island with other travellers that you have met at the hostel. One of the rules of the trip is that for insurance purposes drivers have to be at least 21, and so with the East coast of Australia being a UK Gap year student haven, I was one of only two drivers in our group of 9, so therefore got two full days behind the wheel.

Our beast was a Toyota Landcruiser that was akin to a tank and felt like it would drive up mountains! I had never driven off-road or in a 4WD before, but I soon picked up the knack and I don't think that my passengers were too worried by my driving! Anyway, it seemed quite simple - just put it in low range, point it in the general direction of a track and floor it - the beast would cope with anything. Hooning around by day, drinking and camping by night - what a great way to spend 3 days! It was here that I got introduced to the wonders of goon - 4 litre box of Aussie wine that costs less than 4 quid - and was soon slightly worse for wear thanks to the "bonnet of goon", think dentists chair while lying across the truck's bonnet! All good stuff.

Further up the East coast, I visited the Whitsunday Islands for a 3 day sailing trip. Going on recommendations of friends I had met along the way, I decided to splash out the extra money on a live-aboard cruise on an ex racing yacht, rather than booking one of the cheaper party boats on which you stayed on land each evening. However, the weather was so good that there was hardly a breath of wind - and therefore not much sailing got done as we had to move under the power of the engine for the majority of the cruise!! So, instead of sailing, we did a lot of sun bathing, snorkelling and a fair amount of drinking too!!

One of the highlights of the sailing trip was our visit to Whitehaven Beach. This is about as close to picture perfect as you are likely to get. Here, beautiful aquamarine seas lap gently at the edge of a curving perfectly white sandy beach. The photos don't really do it justice though, as one of the best parts of the Whitehaven experience is the fineness of the sand. Apparently the sand on Whitehaven is 90% silica, which makes it so soft and so fine. The end result is that it is absolutely incredible to walk along barefoot and amble about in the shallows.

As time had been so tight, I wasn't able to see any of Cairns or head out to the Great Barrier Reef - in fact, my overnight bus into Cairns only pulled in on the morning of my flight onwards to Singapore. There's nothing like cutting it fine!

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Photos

Whitehaven Beach
As close to perfection as you'll get! (apart from all the other tourists!!)

Australian Grand Prix
The F1 happened to be in town when I was in Melborne.

Byron Bay
A sandcastle artist produced this masterpiece while I was visiting.

Lake MacKenzie
One of the highlights of our trip on Fraser island. We spent the whole of our final day here.

Southern Cross
The ex racing yacht that was my home for my journey around the Whitsunday Islands.