Coastal Queensland
It’s been a while since I updated the blog – I suppose that’s a good thing as it means I’ve been busy.
And I have been, so here’s a quick update. I’ll try to post some photos in a couple of days.
After leaving Cairns, I hired (rented in America-speak) a car, and spent about 2 weeks heading south along the eastern coastline.
My first stop was in Yungaburra, and I stayed at On the Wallaby, one of the better hostels I slept at so far. I did get to see my first platypus – kinda cool. They were feeding in a near-by creek. Rented a canoe and did a night-time float and also saw some tree kangaroos and a ring-tailed possum.
The next day, I drove around and saw some unimpressive waterfalls (but the locals are darn proud of them). I also experienced some heavy, heavy rains.
A time line birthday
I made my way down the coast to Townsville and hoped to dive the Yongala wreck, but the winds were too strong. Plan B had me on a ferry to Magnetic Island – named by Capt. Cook as the island’s rich iron deposits threw his ship’s compass off-track. After I arrived, I took a shuttle-bus to a beach, and then hiked to the center of the island and visited several secluded beaches along the way. One was a nude beach, mostly inhabited by middle-aged guys with ample….beer bellies that thankfully covered up any other part they may have been proud of during some glory days long gone by. At one of the normal beaches, I bumped into Max, the crazy Brit I met on the dive out of Cairns. It was my Birthday, so it was decided that we would head to a pub and celebrate with a beer (we also met up with Dave, another Cairns dive buddy). Back in Townsville that night, I went with these folks I met at the hostel I stayed at, and we all went to a an Oktoberfest. In our group were 3 guys from Wales. With just one exception so far, the welsh have been the heaviest drinkers i have encountered. The drink of choice of poor backpackers is goon – a cheap, sweet-tasting wine-like beverage. No grapes were harmed in the making of goon however. The welshmen polished off a 2 litre box of the stuff before heading off with the rest of us to drink beer. Luckily, they were fun drunks.
After the Oktoberfest, we all headed out to a local pub. I stepped outside for some fresh air (all pubs are smoke-free in Oz), and couldn’t get back in as all clubs have a dress code – no shorts or sandals after a certain time in the evening.
So, went back to the hostel to sleep and when I woke up, it wasthe 14th here, but the 13th back in Alaska. So in 2 days, I had 2 birthdays. As long as I don’t get the added year tacked on, I am ok with the concept.
Tags: australia, Travel
jpb