Two Fred's, White Water Adventures and a Solo Hitchhike

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White water rafting is awesome.

Such a rush and we even manage to flip the boat.

We stop off for lunch and take a trip down the waterfall.

Following the end of our trip I have a beer with the group that I just did the white water rafting, suck it in and great ready for the longest hitch hiking trip I've made up to this point in my life.

Alone.

Unassisted.

I'm so tempted to ask the tour guides where the best place is to do it, whether it's worth or, wether it would be best to just take a bus and where in the world would I find this bus now?

But I wait it out, smile as they board the bus, put on my bags and walk out to the M1 motorway. The nerves are playing out in my stomach as I start walking up the road to find a safe spot to hitch a ride from.

I notice anxiously that there isn't that many cars that drive by sometimes the gaps seem endless - to be honest they are only 2 -5 minutes maximum but feel like an eternity to me.

I stand for about 3 cars that drive by, remembering Andrei, a couch surfer with me back in Amsterdam who gave me a fascinating account of how he tried hitching for over 2 hours in the blistering heat with limited success.

I start to feel disheartened as the fifth car drives by, turning around to try my luck post the traffic lights.

Just as I turn around I notice the car has stopped.

I get soooooo excited.

I run up gleefully to the car. It's a couple in their early 30's with their 1 year old daughter asleep in the back.

"Are you sure I won't wake your daughter" I ask hesitantly.

It's too late before I know it the couple are shoving my bags into the car.

"Naaaa she's fine." Says the driver, shoving my massive 65kg backpack practically on top of his daughter.

"She sleeps through everything." And so begins my first solo hitch for this trip in Australia.

The guys name is Dave and his wife's name is Tracey. They are both Australians and have just been on holidays in Cairns and are heading back home to Brisbane.

"Aren't you scared to pick up hitch hikers with your daughter in the car?" I ask.

"Are you kidding me? I used to hitch to festivals all the time. That's how me and Tracey met At one of those festivals. We've got a hitch hiking debt to repay."

With all formalities out of the way they tell me about the best festivals in Scotland and how beautiful Wales countryside is.

Then they drop me off at Port Hitchinbrook Marina where I go in search of my host Fred and meet Fred the delightful dog of the marina.

I meet Fred's beautiful boat AWOL, and the next day Fred and Fred take me on an awesome boat trip to nearby Garden Island!

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