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Published: February 5th 2009
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Me on a bike
Just call me Joanna "Easyrider" Wilson My final day in "Brisvegas" was a very satisfying sort-out day, which sounds dull, but if you know me well, you'll know the pleasure I get from sorting things out, writing lists etc. I went to see Slumdog Millionaire - great film, and good way to escape the humidity for a couple of hours. I also took a ride on the Citycat ferry and ran into Martha and Laurent (who I'd met, by design, in Sydney).
The next day, I left a rainy Brisbane, heading for Noosa, where I spent a fairly uneventful couple of days. It was really too hot to do anything much - and actually it was Australia Day when I was there, so the town and beach was FULL of schoolkids enjoying their last day of freedom before term started again the next day.
Then it was on to Hervey Bay, the jump-off point for Fraser Island, also known as "God's Waiting Room" - which is a little unfair, but I can see why. It gets judged a little unfairly by people who've already seen some spectacular scenery and are gearing up for more on Fraser - and while there isn't that much to it, its a
perfectly nice place to live. My hostel was very comfortable - properly made beds, NO bunks, in self-contained units with a kitchen and living room. I even had my unit to myself one night and had the wonderful pleasure of having dinner sitting on the sofa watching The Secret Millionaire. Doesn't sound like much, but its a treat when you've not been able to do it for 3 1/2 months!
So the Fraser trip was wonderful; I was with a small, friendly group and our expert guide who drove us around. I had been thinking of doing the self-drive option but once we got there I was quite pleased I didn't! Fraser is a sand island, with beautiful freshwater lakes and creeks. No good for swimming in the ocean - schools of sharks and thousands of jellyfish. The main highway is the 75mile beach on the east coast of the island.
We saw several dingos while we were there - wild dogs which have become a little too used to humans and will attack a small child if you're not careful; I also added one to my snake count - thankfully it was dead.
We walked in the rainforest
Hervey Bay
Not bad for God's Waiting Room at Wooloonga - just beautiful; and swam in Lake Mackenzie.
Fraser Island definitely lived up to the expectations.
So then it was back for one more day in Hervey Bay, and back on to the road north.
The Greyhound bus stops every 3 hours or so at a Caltex service station for a meal/rest stop. Greasy food and coffee for truckers, and nothing much else nearby is the main fare at these places. Coming from Hervey Bay, I was therefore pleasantly surprised to see they were watching Swan Lake on the small tv in the Caltex at Apple Tree Creek. The roads on the east coast have been a little on the dull side. I don't know exactly what I imagined, but something slightly less ordinary.
My next stop was Agnes Water and the town of 1770 (named after the year of then Lieutenant James Cook's first landing in Queensland). People head here for a number of reasons - the last spot for surfers heading north up the coast, the beginning of the Great Barrier Reef, the sunset from the penninsula at 1770 - and the world famous (probably) scooteroo trip. Which is what I did. Me, on
a chopper. It was a little scary (not to mention wobbly) at first, but after I got the hang of the bike and how it worked, it was a blast. The locals must hate them as the trip runs every day at 3pm and there can be anything up to 50 bikes on the roads...
We cruised at 60km/h to the 1770 peninsula for potato wedges and to watch the sunset, and despite the fact the sky had been overcast for much of the day, it managed quite an impressive display through the cloud.
Lots of fun. Just call me Evil Knievel.
Aside from that, I spent most of my 3 days in Agnes Water at the hostel - it was one of the best by far - massive grounds, a swimming pool, wonderful outdoors-and-yet-indoors communal area, lots of hammocks and cushions on which to relax. So, given that it did rain for much of the time I was there, thats what I did. Also saw my first possum.
Speaking of rain...I don't know if its made the news back home that there have been a couple of cyclones of the North East coast, and parts of Northern Queensland
have been declared disaster zones. At the moment you can't get to Cairns from Townsville by road. This creates a possible problem for me as I am due to fly from Cairns in 12 days time. Hopefully waters will have cleared in time - but experts say there is a moderate chance of another cyclone hitting the area, in which case I will need to sort out a plan b. I am keeping a close eye on the news.
So I am now in the pretty ordinary town of Gladstone, just for a day. Very good library though (where I am now). Tonight I head to a place called Mackay for a couple of nights, and then its Airlie Beach, where I hope to do some sailing in the Whitsundays. Weather permitting.
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