Steve’s Travel Blog

Hello all,

Well I continue to make my way south on the east coast and the further I go the colder it gets.  The days are still plenty warm but the nights are getting down to about 5-6 degrees.  I guess that is not to bad for it being winter.

I left Mission Beach and made my way to Townsville, along the way I had to stop to fill gas and then noticed a big dent in my rear panel.  It looks like some ass hit my car and just took off.  It must have happened in the parking lot at Mission Beach and I am not very happy about it, but what can you do but move on.  I did have a laugh at myself when I went in to pay for the gas the lady behind the counter asked where I was headed and I told her Townsville and she asked if I was going for the big race?  I told that I didn’t know about any race and she informed me that a big V8 car race (similar to Nascar) was going on and that there would be no rooms.  Since I had not booked before hand I got into the car and started phoning right away and luckily the first hostel I called had a bed left.  Sometimes it is great to not care where I am but I guess I could get caught without a room but then I can camp as well.  At least it got my mind off the dent in my car.  I got into Townville and  headed up to the town lookout (Custer Hill) to get a view and the place was packed with people.  I could not believe how busy the place was until I got out of the car and saw that they were all watching the race from the lookout as the track was right below.  I watched the race for a bit and checked out the rest of the lookout which was empty and got a few pics.

After the lookout I made my way to the hostel and got checked in and then did a tour around the downtown area.  When I was walking around it was pretty dead but when the race finished the area picked up and it was a hopping evening with all the bars and pubs in the area.  My main purpose for going to Townsville is that is where you catch the ferry to go to Magnetic Island.

The next morning I hopped on the ferry and then a bus and was at my hostel (Bungalow Bay Koala Resort) by about mid day.  I got settled and then went for a walk on the beach at Horseshoe Bay.  This worked out very well, while I was walking I saw a fishing charter that was heading out and I went and talked to the captain and 10 minutes later I was out fishing the Great Barrier Reef.  We did not go out very far but we were catching a lot of different fish.  Most of them were pretty small but we caught a lot of what he called Pike (not like our pike at home) and Cod.  After that I was pretty tired and just relaxed for the evening. The next morning I was up early and took the bus to Picnic Bay and the only golf course on the island.  It was a 9 hole par 33 course and a lot of fun to play.  I had a family from Victoria, Canada playing in front of me and they were pretty slow so I played 2 balls for the whole course.  I shot 40 with one and 44 with the other, which I thought was alright since I had not played in a while and the clubs I was given were horrible (the driver was actually an old wooden head).  After the golf I went to the beach at Picnic Bay and checked that out as well as Hawking Point which had a really cool lookout.  I hiked all the way back to Nelly Bay where the ferry port is and then caught the bus back to the hostel after picking up a few groceries.  I figured that I must have walked about 9-10kms for the day and felt pretty good.  After a quiet first night I got to know my roommates a little better but the bar was pretty dead and we all made it another early night.  I was up early again and this time my day was going to be a lot more hiking.  I started off on a trail at the end of Horseshoe Bay and crossed over to Balding Bay, which the sign said was a nude beach but when I got there no one else was even there so I took a few pics and continured on my way.  From there I went to Radical Bay and then on to Florence Bay.  At Florence Bay I went for a snorkel in the warm ocean water but did not see much and then tanned far a while on the beach.  After some lunch and some more tanning I made my way to Aurthur Bay and then up a huge hill to the Forts walk.  The Forts walk is one of the most recommended walks in the Magnatic Islands and for good reason.  If you go later in the day you can see Koalas and that is exactly what I did.  The walk goes to a old fort made during the war but most of the buildings are demolished now and the highlight was the Koalas.  I saw a small one that was sleeping on my way to the fort and then 2 large ones at the fort that were sleeping as well.  On the way back down the small one was up and moving and I sat there for about 1/2 hour just watching him/her.  It was so cool to see it moving around and it was very agile and was going all over the place.

I was plannng on hiking all the way back to the resort but I was pretty tired and got a bus for the last few kms, but I still walked about another 8kms for the day.  There was a big trivia night at the bar and all the roommates were into the idea so that is where we went.  There were 14 teams and we ended up in 3rd place.  Most of the questions I did not know the answer but one that did come up that I answered and I have no idea why I knew it was (What does the symbol Fe on the Periodic Table stand for, right away I said Iron and no one else was to sure so we went with it)  I was correct and have no idea how I knew that or where it came from but I was feeling pretty smart.  It was a great night with a really fun group of people.

The next moning I was up and on my way back to Townsville on the ferry and then I decided to drive on to Airlie Beach.  Once I got into the town I walked around and booked a tour to sail the Whitsundays which should be a highlight on everyones list.  I was trying to decide where I was going to stay for the evening and in the end I decided I would try something different.  So far I have been staying in my tent or at hostels which all cost money.  I decided that I would sleep on the back seat of my car and thus have no cost for accommodation.  It wasn’t because I couldn’t afford it but I just wanted to try something different since there are a lot that are traveling this way.  I picked up some groceries and went into the downtown area and pulled into a spot by the McDonald’s and opened the back and made a sandwich and ate on the street.  After I started up my computer and used the McD’s free internet.  Now you can not sleep on a busy street in the downtown plus I think it might be illegal in certain towns so I got into the car and found a quiet side street and parked.  I got out my sleeping bag and curled up in the back seat.  I wasn’t perfectly comfortable but it was okay.  I had a decent sleep and no one bothered me.  The next morning I got up and drove to Conway National park and did a short hike to Cedar Creek Falls and then out to Shute Harbour for a tour around the area.  I went back into the downtown area where Magnums (a huge backpackers) is and walked in like I knew what I was doing and went back to the showers and got all cleaned up.  I decided to sleep in the car again and went thru the same procedure as the night before. The one place I did find this evening was a pub called the Rum Bar.  It had 147 varities of rum and it was hard for me not go crazy and try them all.  I controled myself and made it out before I decided to live at the place.

I was up really early to get to the harbour so that I could get a free parking spot before they all filled up as I was going to be gone on a boat for 3 days.  I packed my small bag and covered everything else in the car and was on my way to meet the crew of my sailboat.  I decided to sail on a Tall Ship called the Alexander Stewart.  We had 18 guests on the boat and 3 crew (captain, first mate and cook) to take care of us.  We got on the boat and got a safety demonstrationwhich was pretty quick and then on our way for 3 days of sailing.  We used the motor to get out of the harbour and then we got to help hoisting the sails.  We sailed past Daydream Island and through Unsafe Passage and onto Hook Passage.  Usually the wind blows from the east and they can’t sail the last part but today it was coming from the west and we got to sail all the way to our snorkeling spot at Dunbell Island.  The snorkeling was wicked and we saw so many fish and turtles, absolutely amazing.  After the snorkel we motored into Tounge Bay and did a hike to the lookout at Whitehaven Beach.  It was a short hike and then back on the boat for the evening.  We stayed in Tounge Bay and got a great supper and everyone got to know each other a little better.  There was an older German couple, a swiss couple, a brazilain couple, 2 canadian couples, a dutch couple with another friend along who ended up as my roommate and then 2 Scottish girls, a German and Austrain girl.  We all got along pretty well and had a good night.  The room I had was at the front of the boat and my bed was about as wide as me and not very long either.  It was comfortable enough I just did not move around a lot.  The next morning we went back to Whitehaven Beach which is known as one of the best in Australia and spent 2 hours there.  I spent most of it walking around the water and ended up seeing 6 stingrays in the shallow water swimming around my feet.  It was really cool and most of the others did not see any rays. Once we got back onto the boat we motored to the top of the Whitesunday Islands and then sailed all along the top Stonehaven Beach where we stayed for the night.  Another fun evening but we were all tired and in bed a lot earlier than the first evening.

Our last day on the water we motored to Langford Island and went for another awesome snorkel where we all saw turtles and plenty more fish.  From there we motored a little way and then caught a great wind and sailed all the way back to Airlie Beach, which the captain said that does not happen very often.  Once the sails were down an alarm started to go off and they were not sure what it was so the captain got me to take the helm and he went below to investigate.  I must have done a good job because when he came back he told me to stay where I was and I took us all into the harbour area.  Once we got close he took over and got us parked.  After 3 great days and 2 fun nights I was very happy about my sailing adventure on the Whitsundays and it was everything that everyone said it would be.  We all ended up meeting up at a bar that evening for a few drinks before we said goodbye for good.  I decided to stay at a hostel because I did not want to drive after having a few drinks.  The hostel ended up been a shit hole and I would have been better off in my car but oh well.

The next morning it was time to move on and I drove to Mackay and was there by lunch time.  I stopped for lunch and then was right back on the road.  On my way out of Mackay I saw 2 hitch hikers (one male and one female) with Canadian flags on their bags.  I pulled over and they hopped in.  They were both from a small town outside of London, Ont and had been in Aus for about 6 months.  We traveled to Rockhampton together and then found a caravan park to crash in.  We stopped at the store and picked up some steaks as Rockhampton is the beef capital of Aus and then went back to the park. We had a great supper and chatted for most of the evening.  There is not much to see in Rockhampton so they continued on in the morning and I toured around the city.  That lasted a few hours and with not much accomplished I made my way out of town and drove to a small community on the ocean called Anges Waters/1770.  1770 was named by Captain Cook when he landed here in 1770, that’s a tough one to remember.  I got into a hostel called Cool Bananas and it is a great place.  I chilled out in the evening and made some plans for the next few days or prososed plan.  I got up the next morning and did a tour around the area and found some places I could go fishing.  I talked with a guy at the bait and tackle shop and found out the time to go fishing and will be doing that tomorrow.  I did a few small hikes in the afternoon and finally finished writing this blog.

I will stay here another day and then on to Bundaberg which is named after the local Aus rum and where the plant is and yes I will be doing a tour.  From there I will be going to Hervey Bay and Fraser Island for a few days and then onto Brisbane and the sunshine coast.

Take care all,

Steve

PS:  Happy Birthday goes out ot my cousin Tyler even though it has passed.  Upcoming events are a birthday for my friend Angela and a wedding for Jon & Jolene (a big congrats to the 2 of you).  The Dietrich family reunion goes this weekend at my sisters farm in Gem and I think most are going to be there, unfortunately I will not but I plan to make a call while everyone is there.  On a more serious note, my newest nephew Nicholas (Gregs son) is going in for Kidney surgery and everyone is praying that all will be ok, no one 6 months old should have to go through this but i guess sometimes it happens. I guess that is it so I will quit rambling on….

PPS:just before I sent this blog, I got an email from mom saying that Nicholas’ surgery went very well and all is good!!!

Hello all,

I am sitting beside the beach in the beautiful sunshine as I write this actually trying to get motivated to write a blog.  I figured it had been about a week since I wrote and then when I looked in my day timer I noticed that it is closer to 2 weeks ago that I last wrote.  It is amazing how time goes by and days flow into each other.   Most days I need to ask to find out what day it is as it never really matters if it is Monday, Thursday or Sunday.  Damn I am one very lucky person!!!

Well I got back from Vanuatu all safe and sound but just like Fiji the bugs decided to leave a lasting impression on me and when I got back to Oz I had 5 very large bites that have got infected and required a doctors visit.  Everything is okay no and they are going away but it is amazing that I am not bothered the while time I am there and as soon as I leave these bites show up.

I checked into Travellers Oasis again in Cairns and had a nice chat with Cathy (the owner) in the morning.  I was making plans to go to Cape Tribulation and by noon that day Cathy had 3 girls to go with me.  I spent most of the day relaxing from all my hikes and travels in Vanuatu as well I wanted to rest my leg (where the bites are).  I spoke to my parents on Skype, it is always great to see them and to my sister, Boyd and Nadean on Facebook.  It was good to get updated on all the news going on at home.  I also met the 3 girls that I would be travelling with Andi from Toronto, Jessica from the UK and Kendra from Edmonton.

We all met in the morning and were on our way north.  Our first stop was the Rex Lookout and a stop for some great pictures, then our next stop was Port Douglas.  Port Douglas looked like a rich mans town and filled with luxury houses and resorts, we spent some time at the pier and at the town lookout.  From there we headed to Mossman Gorge where there is a swimming hole and I went in up to my knees but it was pretty cold and I really did not feel like getting all wet.  We took some pictures but it was a real tourist stop and had to many people around.  We continued on and missed our turn to Cape Trib and ended up in Daintree which was alright because as we entered the little village some girls were doing a car wash and I pulled in.  It cost $6 and was the first time I washed it since i got it, so it was definitely worth it.  From there we got direction back to where we were supposed to be and continued on our way.  We crossed a small ferry and then went straight to the Cape.  We got into our hostel and took a walk to the beach and chilled for the rest of the afternoon.  We all made supper together and while cooking I met some guy from Medicine Hat.  There are way to many Canadians in Australia right now.  We took it easy for the evening, had a few drinks and chatted about our travels.  In the morning we headed for the beach and chilled there all morning and the early afternoon with some swimming included.  After a late lunch we started our way back to Cairns.  Now sometimes some people do not get my sense of humour or when I am just having some fun and the drive back was a little tense for that reason.  The road is nice and curvy and thus fun to drive, I didn’t go to fast but did drive fairly aggressively but in complete control.  One of the girls did not like it to much and I slowed down a bit and I explained that I have a lot of confidence in my driving ability and the car I was driving and with my years of experience on the road that she was in no danger.  Just as everyone was getting calmed down the road turned into a twinned highway with the other lane out of site, but none of the girls noticed this so when I decided to pass the car in front of me on a curve the one just started freaking out.  I tried to tell her that it was twinned but she would not stop screaming, when she finally figured it out she was mad that I didn’t say anything and I just smiled which pissed her off even more.  She didn’t say another word the rest of the trip which was kinda pleasant.  Not sure if she will end up reading this but if she does I am sure she will probably reply with her own story.  It is actually the first time that I think someone really doesn’t like me but she did not like telling that since she was from Toronto, that it was just like been from the US.  Oh well, I am actually still smiling as I write this.  We got back to Carins and I dropped the girls off at there hostels and went back to Travellers Oasis.  They are so nice there and happy to see me come back.

While I was in Cape Trib a Us navy ship (USS Essex) pulled into Cairns along with it 4000 sailors and there huge egos.  Most of them we on there best behavior as the newspaper reported but it was the snide comments made that kept on pissing me off.  The girls I was out with did not want anything to do with them and thought most were asses but a bunch of other girls were just throwing themselves at them.  The paper also reported that the brothels were extra busy as well.  The ship itself is huge and was hard to miss, you can land Harrier Jets and Hewy Helicopters on it.  It was the weekend so I took a couple of days to chill and go to the beach to play some volleyball.  On Saturday night (July 4th) there was a big fireworks show for US Independence Day and a big group of us went to watch and then to the bar for a few drinks and dancing, but this time I stayed off the tables.

I know that to some everyday I am out here sounds terrific and yes most are but sometimes certain days really stick out and Monday was one of those days.  I got to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef and it is one of my best days ever.  I was transported to the boat (Seastar) early in the morning and met a great crew.  I informed them I was really excited but nervous still about the water, and they took great care of me all day.  We got out to our first stop which was a small sand island about 1 hour away from cairns in the middle reef.  Some jumped straight in while others got ready to do some diving.  Myself and 5 other took a small boat to the shore of the island and our snorkel tour began from there.  I got into the water and everything was going great, no leaks in the mask and breathing normal and all of a sudden some guy beside me stated panicking swinging his arms and bumping me and so I got away from him fast and back to relaxing.  I realize that most people would turn and help the guy in a panic but when it comes to water I am not post people and someone else can save him, which they did.  From there we snorkeled out and saw so many amazing fish, a rare sting ray and the highlight a great big turtle.  We snorkeled for about 1 hour and then had some free time and I did some more snorkeling.  When we were just about finished 3 other boats showed up and took over the water, I think my group has this toured planned really well because they show up and we leave.  On our way to stop 2 they served up lunch and did a talk about the reef.  We got to spot 2 in no time and this time there was no islands around, just beautiful blue water everywhere.  We got into the water and taken on another snorkel tour of the area and again amazing fish, coral and everything else the reef offers.  We were in the water for another 2 1/2 hours here and just can’t believe how amazing it is.  Unfortunately I can only put a few pics here but I have them all on Facebook and would suggest that you all take a look there.  We got afternoon tea on the way back and took in some sun.  I got back to the hostel at around 5 and got ready for the planned Aussie BBQ at the sister hostel down the road.  Another great meal of Kangaroo, Emu and Croc with all the fixins made for one great last evening in Cairns.

I had spent enough time in Cairns and it was time to move on and so on Tuesday I headed for the Atherton Tablelands.  It is an interesting drive leaving the city and getting into sugar cane regions and then into the rainforest area the Tablelands are known for.  This is the first time on the road that I will be travelling alone but it is only for a few days until I get back on the main road.  I stopped at a lookout and got an incredible view of the area and then stopped at the Cathedral Fig Tree.  These trees are huge and it would take at least 2 dozen people holding hands to get around it.  I drove thru a few small towns and to Yungaburra where the hostel I am staying at (On the Wallaby).  I got in about 4:30 and started making plans right away.  I was taken at about 6 to Platypus spotting but none showed up and then at 8 we went out for a night canoe ride on the river.  We saw some really amazing animals with the spotlights we were given including Green Ringed Tailed Possum, plus other kinds of Possums, Bandicoots, Pademelons, Owls and bats.  It was a great evening and we ended up back at around 10:30 with everyone else in bed.  The next morning I left and did a driving tour around the area and saw another huge Fig tree and and a couple of waterfalls along 2 different hikes about 1 hour each. I ended the afternoon with some bird spotting at a swamp and some rare birds.  That evening I went Platypus spotting again and struck out again.  The next morning i was on my way to Mission Beach where I am now.  On my drive I stopped at 4 more waterfalls and did one 3 hour hike into the rainforest.  The weather on this day was not very good with lots of rain but I am getting used to hiking in the rain and it really didn’t bother me.  I made it into Mission Beach around 5 and got into a hostel and relaxed for the evening.  The hostel put on a fire show with a guy and girls twirling fire everywhere, they were pretty good too.  In the morning I got up and went to the boat dock and did some fishing, with a little success but nothing worth keeping and eating.  In the afternoon I went to the beach and did some swimming backed up with relaxing and writing this blog.

I will leave Mission Beach tomorrow and head to a place called magnetic Island outside of Townsville and then the Whit Sundays, Bundaberg and Fraser Island.  The further south I head the cooler it gets and with it been the middle of the winter it is still only getting sown to about 6-8 at night.  Now I know that is not that cold but when you are used to much warmer I am really starting to feel it, good thing the days are still getting to 26-28.  One part of me says to slow down and stay here a while and let it warm up in the south but the another part knows that I am spending to much money and need to keep moving. On that part my monthly spend in June was outrageous with $5379.30 spent or $179.31 per day.  Most of this is because of Vanuatu but now I will need to watch for the next while and maybe finish Oz in the next 3 months.  I do need to get to Sydney soon because I need to apply for a new passport before I leave Oz and that will take about a month to process.  We will see how it goes along the east coast as most of the activities are Diving, Snorkeling and Surfing in the area and not at the top of my list as things to do.  There is also lots of bungy jumping, sky diving and other activities that I have already done.  One thing is for sure is that the beached are great and it is nice to just relax some days.

Back home Stampede is in full swing and I am seeing some pics on Facebook and I am sure everyone is having a great time.  Today is my cousin Cordell’s birthday so a big Happy Birthday to him. I continue to enjoy myself and I am having a great time.  It is different not travelling with anyone but that will soon change and the people I met at the hostel last night are cool.  I just keep on been me and that seems to keep me and everyone else happy.

Till next time, everyone take care.

Steve