Town of 1770 and Lady Musgrave Island.

December 5-7th 2006

We're staying at a hostel called Cool Bananas and it really is cool!! Situated in the town of 1770, a town that is really only six years old and prior to those six years wasn't accessible unless you had a 4x4 because of the rough terrain. This town is not well known and neither is Lady Musgrave Island but that's where we're heading to see the Great Barrier Reef up close and personal!!! There's only one ferry that goes out to that island ... but I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to the town of 1770 and Cool Bananas. This hostel is really cool with its hammoks and zenfull music playing ... insense burning, beads on the doors ... the whole nine yards cool. The walls are painted cool colours and the rooms are spacious and clean. Our first impressions of the town wasn't so though. We thought it was going to be more boring than Great Kepple Island - if that was even possible but Annie came to the rescue by finding out there's a scooter touring group that takes you around town for 3 hours then they stop off on some rocky cliffs for a vew of the setting sun. We signed ourselves up and to our surprise, we weren't renting scooters. We were renting CHOPPERS!! Hahaha! BOUYA! I couldn't believe I was going to ride a chopper. Not a real one though. It had automatic gears which was good for me seeing as I don't have my drivers liscence yet and even if I did I'd be all screwed up with the driving on the left concept AND trying not to burn out the bike. We reached 70km on these bikes .. not bad. It's not like I'm a speed daemon. As we were riding our pack of bikes, about 20 in all, we got to see some wild kangaroo in the fields on the side of the road. It was about time I saw them. I've only been here a week and a half!! I anticipated hopping off the plane and being greeted by, like, 50 of them. Once I got over the excitement of seeing a real kangaroo in the wilderness we stopped at a bar/resto thing along a road following the ocean and got some potato wedges and a beer. Ahhhh, that's the life. Really good value. For all of this it cost us 35$ AUD.

Next to tackle on the list was the Great Barrier Reef. Lady Musgrave Island is found on the most southernly tip of the Reef and is protected by the Gov. so it's virtually untouched by the corruptions of mankind. Before heading out we were warned to eat a light breakfast, if any, in case the ocean decided to act up while we were out. The ride was 2.5 hours long in open sea and the waves were like, 2 meters high. Many, many people got sick ... actually, everyone around us was hurling. Everyone except Annie and I. We were true troopers that day. Concentrating on meaningless conversation, talking just for the sake of the distraction from the sounds of .... well ... you know. And trying to look anywhere but everywhere. We did it! YAY! Snacks were provided once we got there and we were given a guided tour of the island. Next was something I was waiting for since I was born ... diving!!! Annie has her permit and was going to do down with me to check out the Reef but once I paid and all I wasn't able to suit up because of medical reasons so I had to settle for a snorkle and fins while she went on her dive. Kinda bumbed me out but I still got to go into the pristine ocean. I swear it was like swimming in a swimming pool it was so clear and blue. Nothing much to report. A few fish (including a clown fish like Nemo), a couple of sea turtles but no sharks. Annie claims that the dive wasn't all it was built up to be. The water was mirky the further she went and nothing exciting happened.

I'm about to crash in my cool bunk at Cool Bananas. Tomorrow brings another adventure. Fraser Island!!

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