Advertisement
Wallaby with Joey
On our trip to Illawong sanctuary for Aussie animals. So we left the hot and humid but beautiful Whitsunday Islands and decided that it was time to head back south to cooler climates. After nearly running out of petrol it was soon time to camp - still using broken tent and pole - held together with masking tape! An OK campsite was found but with noisy parrots we were up at the crack of dawn and combined with a swim in an icy swimming pool we were soon ready to be off.
Our plan was to drive to the Eungella National Park to seek out the elusive platypus. On route we stopped at Illawong Fauna Park where Anne was mauled (in a non sexual way) by a wallaby, emu and kangaroo. We were given bean feed for the kangaroos and wallabies which sent them loopy and turned them into raging boxing, scratching and biting marsupials! We also watched the big crocs being fed - Anne kept jumping back everytime the croc jumped up at the fence (it must have thought she smelled good - despite what James thinks!!). Also at the park we were introduced to some cute koala bears, dingo and turtles.
In the evening we camped
in a remote rainforest campsite half a mile from the road. As dusk fell we clambered through undergrowth and thick vines looking for the river. The smell hit us first - putrid swamp water followed by the brown sludge of Broken River. Quietly waiting - a small ripple on the waters surface caught our eye. Then the platypus emerged sifting through the mud looking for food. For a treat some freshwater turtles came swimming along to play in the silt. Following some good video footage the light failed and we hacked our way back to the tent followed by an evening meal of tuna pasta.
Our plan was to head down to a small town on the Sunshine Coast called Coolum Beach.
Two rather uneventful days of driving later (plus a day when we nearly ran of money due to another Australian Bank holiday- donations kindly accepted!!!) we arrived at the fantastic beachside town and campsite of Coolum Beach. Endless beach accompanied with sun and blue skies made us stay here for two days. Many lazy hours of reading, sunbathing, swimming, surfing and eating ice creams allowed for a relaxing time.
Following this we drove to Byron
James dodging emu!
These flightless birds have a very nasty and painful "peck" Bay via the Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise. The Gold Coast is a long commercial beach closely hugged by numerous high rise tower blocks. Needless to say we didn't stop the night especially when the campsites wanted over $30 / night. On arriving at Byron Bay - The Lonely Planet describes this at the "God's own earth. Land of a thousand myths.... a place to indulge ones wildest instincts!"
The first campsite we stayed on was pretty dubious - we pitched on grit surrounded by and covered by eucalyptus trees. The Aussie rugby league team were playing New Zealand in Brisbane so everyone was sat glued to the TV - thankfully for everyone’s spirits Australia won easily. The following morning we went for a short walk up to a lighthouse where the water was so clear that we could see dolphins from the top of the cliffs. On our return we moved to a much nicer, open campsite (with swimming pool) only half a mile away. Another of those lazy beach days swimming in perfectly flat sea and eating huge ice creams followed. The next day was followed by the same routine - wake up, swim in site pool,
read, lay on grass, lunch, lay on beach, swim in nice warm sea, lay on beach, eat ice cream, dinner, more reading, bed!!
After several lazy days with very little exercise and fears of getting fat we decided to climb a mountain. Mount Warning - the first place in Australia to see the sun everyday. A zig zagging path (advertised as 3 hours to the top) took us 1 hour 10 mins (obviously not getting fat after all). Further driving followed and took us to Wardell. We had a 20min walk along very dark roads to get to a payphone to phone Heather. On the way back we came across a dark shadow crouched in the middle of the road - slowing up to investigate the shadow was revealed as a man - mid 30's, more worryingly in one hand he had a 45cm machete and in the other an empty bottle of bourbon - he told us that he was only there trying some sugarcane. After passing him - we speeded up our pace and kept a close eye on the road behind us. We think that it was something to do with James' forbidding appearance that stopped
Ferocious crocs
Anne jumps back as 4m croc takes a lunge at her legs. us from being macheted that evening.
The best campsite we have stayed on followed the next night at South West Rocks - it even had sky TV and a very pleasant night ensued watching "A View to a Kill" - James Bond and drinking a 1.40GBP bottle of cava.
Again further driving and we arrived about 130 miles north of Sydney at One Mile Beach. Camped in a hostel’s garden and what should have been a 5min walk to the beach took 20mins after James took a detour. A free barbecue night and having our accents complained at by Australians!! Apparently we sounded like the fat controller from Thomas the Tank Engine!
Finally on the 11 May we arrived back in Sydney - only made one mistake getting back into the centre which was a significant improvement on our efforts getting out of Sydney 6 weeks ago. Anne was map reading today rather than Peter Taylor (see earlier site) which helped! Today was also our first day of rain. Checked into the hostel (first proper bed since Airlie Beach 30 April). Also took the car back.
A day of shopping, a visit to Sydney Aquarium, meal
in Starbar and the cinema to watch Mission Impossible 3 followed.
Sydney is just like London in the rain - i.e. you can't go to the beach!! But it was sunny today but cloudy again on Sunday - have lost faith in Australias weather. Monday we are climbing the Harbour Bridge (courtesy of James' parents) so fingers crossed it will be good weather.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.121s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 19; qc: 89; dbt: 0.0729s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb