4am Kangaroos

---

Had a really good day in 1770, we borrowed bikes for free (woop!) from the hostel and cycled around the tiny town of 1770 all the way to the headland. Was amazing weather and the views were great, felt good to be doing some exercise! On the way back ate the most amazing pie ever, we were so hungry! We also constructed the most amazing washing line in our dorm room and cooked the most salty sausages ever, the first meal we've had to throw away, they were inedible and I felt ill all night... Nice!

Set off early (we're getting into the habit getting all our long drives done and out the way by lunch time, makes for a much nicer day) and got to Rockhampton by lunch. The beef capital of Australia (at least it claims to be) and there isn't much happening! The town has a lot of Victorian buildings which entertained us for an hour or so but then we got put off by the fact that so many men were leaning out there cars shouting something at us. The walk back to the hostel was, err, entertaining and we've decided that short shorts are a no here regardless of the weather and that we'd take a rape alarm with us next time we venture into town. We drove to the coast to Emu park and Yeppon, quite pretty. Had a really cool memorial to Captain Cook, a giant white sailing ship which had pipes that made an strange sound in the wind, was really effective!

Survived a night out in Rockhampton, went out to the famous Great Western Hotel for a steak, it was a really amazing steak! Don't know what it was about Rockhampton but it was the first time during the whole time in Aus that me and Siov have felt uncomfortable walking alone but it was fine in the end. Watched the sunset from the top of mount. But it's an interesting place and lots of 'real' cowboys like at Belltrees all driving there V8 utes being super amazingly cool (not!). Archer and it was the shortest day of the year - only gets warmer and nicer!

Drove the mega drive to Mackay, stopped in the Capricorn Caves which were cave like. My camera died and has not come back to life which was a very tragic momment. After years on a straight road with the coast on our right and mountains to the left we got to Mackay, originally the plan was just to stop for the night to break up the journey but we ended up staying 2 in this really homely nice hostel. Only annoyance was a possum on the roof all night. It changed from cowboy country to sugarcane country, loads of big factories that look like there from the 1920's (and probably are) and miles and miles of sugarcane with railways running around the plantations which they use to transport all the harvested cane. We found out that there was Eugenalla NP nearby which apparently shouldn't be missed. We spent a day walking around the rainforest, paddleing through streams and seeing a platapus!! Was really nice and hot and nice to have a day off from any long drives.

Got up at sparrow spit, (4am) to drive for an hour to see kangaroos on the beach at Cape Hillsborough NP. When the alarm went off I did have to think hard to remember why watching kangaroos at sunrise was going to be good fun. It was ok, we were early (never been early in my life) and the sun wasn't up but when it did come up some kangaroos started hopping and err there was a sunset... Either way 2 had a little kangaroo fight which was entertaining and then loads of wallabies turned up. Exciting but not 4am exciting!

Luckily Siov was awake enough to do the driving so I feel back into the car and woke up in Airlie beach, where it is HOT!!!! Spent the morning chilling by the lagoon (doesn't seem to be an accessiable beach nearby) and I imagine we'll spend the afternoon doing that too! Heading off to sail round the Whitsundays tomorrow and trying to jam the rest of the east coast into the next 3 or so weeks.

---