Mission Beach & Magnetic Island

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Arrived in Mission Beach and checked into Scotty's Beach House. The weather was amazing and we couldn't wait to get on the beach. There was one other girl who checked in the same time as us. She asked to come to the beach with us and introduced herself. She is called Preet and is from North London. She arrived in Cairns similar time to us and has been travelling alone but finding it really hard as she didn't meet anyone is Cairns at all. Anyway, she is a wicked girl and fits in perfect with us, so 6 has now become 7 for now. Spent several hours on the beach and then returned to the hostel and played pool vollyball with a group of Irish lads also staying in our hostel. One of the guys, Julian looks identical to Glynn from BB (see pic). We couldn't get over this and kept taking pictures and getting him to pose. We thought it was very funny, he didn't!!!!!

That evening the whole hostel went down to the Coconut Bar for free pizza. Me, Preet and Jo sneeked over to the bottle shop prior to entering the bar and bought vodka and mixer. Spent the eve topping up our drinks and didn't actually spend a penny at the bar, just ate the free food - was great. It was a really chilled atmosphere and everyone talked to everyone. Later we returned to the hostel for drinking games and then down to the beach for a fire and more drinking. Lying on the beach looked up at the stairs was on of the best things I've seen so far, just beautiful!

Next day just spent on the beach again and the following day we took a small boat over to Dunk Island and had a yummy lunch and sun bathed on a gorgeous sandy spit. The breeze was amazing as it made the sun feel so comfy, I could have laid there all day. Left Scotty's on Monday morning and the 7 of us got the bus to Townsville. Stayed in this rather nasty hostel called Globetrotters, with our dorm like a dungeon. On Wedneasday, got the boat over to Magnetic Island.

The Island is really pretty and very quiet. We stayed in Base Backpackers which looked like a prison camp on the web but is actually very nice. We had our own little hut which overlooked the sea and spent a great deal of time sunbathing on the decking and on the beach. On our first day we hired two little topless cars (see pic) and bombed in round the Island (well only part of the Island as most of it is National Park, so not open to guests). The cars were sooo cool, like little go-karts almost. I did most of the driving of ours. We went for a rather hilly walk to a beautiful beach (the one I'm standing on), though only me, Bekka and Lou made it as the others gave up. Good exercise and a lot of sweating, but worth it. The next eve was the monthly Full Moon party. Much excitment and day spent working on our tan and planning outfiyts, but when the night came it was a real let down. Felt a bit like we we're at a school disco with security/teachers everywhere, no BYO alcohol and no going on the beach. The place very quickly filled up with hill-billies/locals and the music banged away with no particular theme. It then started to rain. We did manage to sneek in vodka, but no one was really feeling the evening and there was only so many hill-billy knock backs we could contend with. Hoping the Asia experience may be a bit more fulfilling!!!

Moving on from Magnetic Island on Monday to pick the bus up and head to Airlie Beach. We've got two nights there and are then booked on the Whitsunday's. Will downloads more photos on to this entry as soon as I get to a puter that has the ability.

Love to everyone.....xx

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