Day 163 : Grampians to Port Elliot

• Spent the morning doing some short walks around the Grampians - visited MacKenzie Falls, Reeds Lookout and the Balconies. Spectacular views and saw a few black wallabies and kangaroos. Cold showers and a mountain breeze made it feel very wintery.
• Continued on to Horsham and through Victoria to the state border with South Australia. Scenery is very different and constantly changing. Generally feels a lot more rural and “outbacky”.
• Stopped for coffee at Bordertown.
• Caught the chain ferry at Wellington.
• Stopped at another YHA at Port Elliot. Hostel is another good one – an old, but recently converted hotel – bags of character and well kitted out. Treated ourselves to steak dinner (that we cooked ourselves!).

Day 162 : Great Ocean Road to the Grampians

Left Apollo Bay early and did a short walk at Maits Rest where we found the rare and carnivorous Otway Black Snail whilst walking along the rainforest boardwalk. We drove to the lighthouse at Cape Otway (the oldest in Australia) but the highlight was the many koalas along the road. Further along the GOR we stopped at the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, Bay of Islands, Port Campbell, Tower Hill (a volcanic crater turned nature reserve – lots of emus, skink, lizards). Went for a swim at the beach in Port Fairy to wake ourselves up – fun bodysurfing waves but not worth hiring a surfboard.

We drove inland to Grampians, only just managing to avoid a suicidal black wallaby which jumped in front of us on the highway! Louise wants a special mention to go to the cake we had on the way – it was a yellow shortbread pastry thing with apple inside and icing on top. We’re staying at another great YHA at Halls Gap – very similar to the one at Apollo Bay. They even have chickens to provide us with free eggs in the morning :-)

We went for a glass of wine at a local bar and saw hundreds of kangaroos about – mostly munching the grass off the cricket pitch.

Day 161 : Melbourne to Apollo Bay

Left Tom and Narissa to pick up our rental car in the morning – this time a tiny Toyota Yaris. After a quick stop in Torquay we drive along the great ocean road to the famous Bells Beach; there was a tiny wave but nowhere to hire any boards so surfing not really an option. Continuing along the GOR we stopped at the Split Point Lighthouse (of “round the twist” fame), the memorial arch and Lorne and Kennett river (koala spotting).

We stopped for the night at a fantastic YHA in Apollo Bay and managed to get upgraded to a double room instead of the dorm. There’s not a whole lot in the town itself except for the beach and a few walks but we’ve got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow so don’t plan to hang around too much anyway.

Koala count: 1 walking along the side of the road, 1 barking at geese (see video), 1 eating, 1 sleeping

Day 257 to 260 : Melbourne

• Flew to Melbourne to stay with uncle Tom and Narissa
• Went out to dinner and then for cocktails in some cool pubs and bars in Northcote
• Had breakfast in a lovely cafe
• Went to the ACMI and then got arrested at old Melbourne Gaol
• Drank coffee in funky little cafes on Degraves street
• Went to the aquarium and identified lots of fish that we saw snorkelling
• Got our underwater films developed from Fiji, Whitsundays and Barrier reef
• Took the tram around town
• Walked around some of the parks and streets

Day 255 : Animals at Port Douglas

Today we went to the zoo and saw a tree kangaroo, koalas, fed some kangaroos and saw lots of cool birds.

Day 154 : Great barrier reef

• Took a day trip to the barrier reef on a luxurious boat (compared to "Spank Me"). We had delicious food, nice toilets and everything!
• Snorkelled at Agincourt, Helm's deep and Trigger fish reef. The water was so clear and there were so many fish. 
• We saw two white tipped sharks (one really big one), giant sea cucumbers, unicorn fish, clown fish, barracuda, crayfish whiskers, giant clams, parrot fish and peach cheek trigger fish guarding their nests. 
• Got 2 underwater films to develop now, hope some pics are good.

Day 153 : Port Douglas

Got a free transfer to the Port Douglas YHA. Didn't do much - it's very hot! Walked around the town, watched the hundreds of fruit bats in the evening and found a huge tree frog.

Day 152 : Kuranda railway and skyrail

Today we took the scenic railway through the hilly rainforest to Kuranda. The railway journey was spectacular but the town at the end of it was a little disappointing - full of tourist tat shops. We went for a nice walk in the rainforest before taking the "skyrail" gondola back down towards Cairns in the afternoon.

Day 151 : Maggie to Cairns

• Yesterday afternoon we fed the wild rainbow lorikeets at the YHA, they are amazing, so cute and noisy as they squabble. We were covered in them – on our head, all up our arms and shoulders. They are so gentle with they’re beaks but cling on with their claws!
• Saw 2 little possums last night they are so cute! I love this hostel every time you walk up the path you see a different type of animal.
• Took the ferry back to Townsville then the bus to Cairns. Came in along the seafront past a cruise ship and posh bars and shops.
• Checked in at the hostel then went to the night market. Had amazing ice-cream and then a plate of curry. Cairns has a colonial feel about it crossed with a shopping mall. It feels like we are in the big smoke after the past couple of weeks we’ve had!

Day 150 : Swimming with horses

• This morning we went swimming on horseback!
• Had a good canter through the bush at horseshoe bay
• Walked along the beach, took off the saddles, got into our stinger suits then rode bare back into the sea! It was amazing!
• Not sure what we are doing this afternoon – maybe snorkelling, walking or parakeet feeding

Day 149 : Magnetic Island

• Took a bus to Townsville then a ferry to Magnetic Island
• Checked in at the YHA which has A-frame bungalows in a tropical forest setting
• Fed the rock wallabies on the rocks by the beach, so cute!

Day 148 : Airlie Beach

• Went snorkelling in another bay saw amazing clams. Sailed very slowly home.
• Evening drinks at “Beaches” with the other people from our boat.

Day 147 : Whitehaven beach and diving

• Up at sunrise to go to Whitehaven beach which was amazing. Saw stingrays and lemon sharks in the shallow water and sand balls made by little crabs.
• Went scuba diving and snorkelling at Luncheon bay. Snorkelling was better to see fish – giant parrot fish, maori wrass and bat fish. Also saw a green turtle lift its head out of the water. Diving was better to see the coral.

Day 145-146 : Whitsunday Islands

• Arrived at Airlie beach.
• Checked in with our boat company - Oz Sail - and because we said it was our honeymoon we get a double instead of dorm room  for the same price at our hostel when we get back to dry land yey!
• Set sail on “Spank Me”, a slightly battered 82ft racing yacht. Had a nice group of 22 people on our boat plus 3 crew. Had a bed under one of the hatches so could look at the stars.
• Sailed to Hook island did some snorkelling saw some honeycomb stone cod.

Day 144 : Myella Farm and bumping into a friend

• Got picked up early from Rockhampton YHA to go to Myella farm stay in the outback
• Had some breakfast then collected eggs and cuddled chickens
• Learnt another style of riding similar to western (not that we needed to steer really) then went on a 2 hour ride on the farm. The landscape is beautiful. We saw lots of grey kangaroos and one with a large joey in its pouch so cute! Saw a dingo too
• Had lunch and met two birds - dirty harry a cockatoo with no feathers due to an illness and pink floyd the gala. Both birds landed in the farm injured and have adopted it as their home. They can talk and everything!
• Had a motorbike lesson, herded some horses (on the bikes) and went for a bike around the farm. The horses are gorgeous.
• Had a go at milking a cow. They are really tame and beautiful cows. They have a variety of fresians and jerseys etc but they are interbred with the brahman cow which comes from India so they are more suited to the conditions.
• Got back and the yha offered to drop people off at the rodeo practice at the great western in Rockhampton. We walked in and bumped into a good friend of mine from school - Lizzy Durman (and her husband James) who I’d not seen for about 10 years! It was the most random thing in the most random place! They were waiting for a greyhound night bus to travel south. Still cant believe it!

Thomas harassed by marsh fly at Lake McKenzie

Day 143 : Hervey Bay to Rockhampton

Spent the morning trying to use the internet in a McDonalds near the Hervey Bay Greyhound station. The laptop wouldn’t turn on so I had to dismantle it in McDonalds using a penknife screwdriver – turned out to be a loose cable but a bunch of screws were missing from the inside and after a sweaty run around the nearby shops I couldn’t locate any replacements. Sellotape had to do for now.

After a 6 hour bus journey along the Queensland coastal bush we arrived in Rockhampton; the meat capitol of Australia. We’re staying in the YHA for a couple of days. It’s pretty basic, but we were lucky to get an upgrade from our dorm to a double room because they were so busy. Tomorrow we’re going on a day trip to a farm in the outback, so another early start.

Day 142 : Fraser Island day 3

Not such an early start today as we managed to pack in so much in the previous two days that there wasn’t much more to see! After a breakfast of pancakes on the bbq we drove to a beach resort at Eurong – a large complex with a bakery, store and apartments. Rango showed us some of the private houses in Eurong as we drove up to Lake McKenzie and then had a few hours of swimming and relaxing on the beach.

In the afternoon we drove over to the Kingfisher resort on the other side of the island which is where our ferry back to the mainland departed. Before we left, we managed to have a cheeky swim in the pool and the cold(!) jacuzzi.

A lazy evening back at the hostel as people go their separate ways. Most of the group are in the hostel tonight and we’re off on a greyhound to Rockhampton around lunchtime tomorrow.

Day 141 : Fraser Island day 2

Another early start – we were up for sunrise over the beach at 0445 and then straight on the road (or rather, beach) after a quick breakfast. There are lots of marsh flies about around the camp so you don’t want to hang around!

First stop was the Kirrar sandblow or Rainbow Gorge – lots of multicoloured sand and sandblasted trees. We drove up to Eli creek and Rango arranged for us to go on a 20 minute flight on one of the 8 seater planes run by Air Fraser. It felt very similar to the plane we went skydiving from, but we didn’t go very high this time – we got some great views of the island and shipwreck further up the beach. After a quick dip in Eli creek, we drove up to the wreck of the Maheno and then on to the Pinnacles, Red canyon and all the way up to the Champagne Pools. I was driving the last part and, after 3 attempts, failed to get our land trooper through a large patch of soft sand, so we had to abandon it - our guide, Rango, obviously didn’t fancy his chances of taking it through either!

After a swim in the champagne pools, we walked up to Indian Head – one of the 3 rocky outcrops that caused Fraser Island to form. We saw some dolphins playing in the surf, a large turtle and huge manta rays from the cliff top. Heading back down the beach towards camp, we stopped over at Cathedral Beach for an ice cream at the petrol station / general store. We were stopped by a dingo running in front of the lead car to beg for food – it had a really bulky tracking collar which seemed a bit cruel.

We had a final wash at Eli creek (no showers / toilets at camp) and then another massive bbq back at the camp (we were a little overstocked with food!) with plenty of goon!

Day 140 : Fraser Island day 1

Up early to checkout of the hostel and pack the cars. As the group is so small, we only have two cars – an 8 seat Land Trooper and a 6 seat Land Cruiser which our guide, Rango, will be driving. Louise took the first driving shift to the ferry (only 3 of us in the group are used to driving on the left, the others didn’t want to take their chances on the mainland). We had to reverse onto the ferry – quite fun in a fully loaded Land Trooper without a functioning handbrake!

Once on the island, we had our first experience of the sandy tracks that snake along the rainforest. Louise drove us to our first stop, Central Station, a logging facility and village that was abandoned when the logging ceased in the 1990s. It was really good to have Rango to show us around – not only to tell us about the history, but also about the interesting ferns (tree ferns and giant king ferns), trees and wildlife. While the others walked through the rainforest in Pile Valley, Rango and I drove the cars around to the end of the trail. The “roads” on Fraser are just sand tracks and often very rough, so it’s pretty slow going but a lot of fun! Apparently they are extra soft at the moment de to the lack of rainfall. We drove to Lake Birrabeen and had a welcome swim – lots of tea trees around the shore, and the sand is very fine (apparently it was used to polish the lens for the Hubble telescope).

Next stop was the Lake Wabby lookout where you get a great view over a sandblow and the lake. In the carpark we came across a dead “Death Viper” or “50 minute snake” – hopefully we won’t see a live one! From the east beach we walked the 35 minute track to Lake Wabby. It was getting late so we didn’t swim because we needed to get to the camp and set up. The camp is just off the beach near Eurong and the tents were already pitched, so it was just a case of unloading our bags and food and enjoying a late bbq.

Day 139 : Hervey bay

Took the greyhound from Noosa to Hervey Bay – our base before we set off to Fraser Island tomorrow. The Palace hostel doesn’t live up to its name – pretty grim, but functional. Met up with our group for Fraser; there are 11 of us and our guide, Rango, so a nice small group. Went to the supermarket to stock up for the next 3 days on the island where we need to be self sufficient.  Early night because we have to be up at 5am to have a “driving on sand” briefing, load up our cars and catch the ferry at 0830.

Day 138 : Eumundi / Noosa

• Got up early to see if there was any surf – better than usual at a 1/2 to 1ft manage to catch a few little rides on the free softies from the hostel. Saw whatever we saw on the walk yesterday in the water about 50yards from us – still not convinced of what it is – dolphin / litle whale / shark? Seen so many dolphins would have thought I’d recognise one unless its a different species that moves in a different way. No lice today :- )
• Took the bus to Eumundi where there is a massive market. Picked up some new (non smelly) sandals for Will and grabbed some free tasters of everything from fried cinnamon macadamia to German sausage

Day 137 : Noosa

• Walked along the Noosa National park coast to “hell’s gate” and then inland through the park back to Noosa heads. Saw a black parrot with rosy yellow cheeks!?, little lizards and a pod of something – looked bigger than dolphins moving in a differetn way – not humpbacks that are migrating at the mo something smaller but not sure what…..
• Tried to surf on the free softies but no surf so practised paddling and standing on the boards whilst at standstill. Experienced sea lice for the first time – prickly!
• Went to Coles in Noosa junction

Day 136 : Noosa

Arrived at Halse lodge YHA old, wooden framed colonial style guest house. Lots of wild bush turkeys wandering around (in and around the posh shops also!) and rainbow lorakeets and cockatoos.

Day 135 : Brisbane

• Arrived late last night to Brisbane. Staying in the very large YHA which has spectacular views over Brisbane and a rooftop pool. People in our room already asleep which is good as we won’t be woken up in the early hours.
• It’s very hot here. Walked along the very pretty South bank – lots of flowers, funky buildings and a pretend beach pool
• Walked to the CBD via a market where we tried loads of free samples of food
• Had a swim in the pool. Wandered along the Southbank at dusk and watched the bats
• The South bank is simular to London but with more gardens, funky birds and bats. The city is also very geared up for cyclists

Day 133-134 : Halloween and bodyboarding

• (31/10/11) Went for a really good bodyboard (we get free hire). First time I’ve been properly with fins and a wet suit it was awesome.
• Decided to go to the Halloween party at “cheeky monkeys” enticed by the promise of $200 cash for best fancy dress. Last time I went to Cheeky monkeys was with Claudia in 2005 and I felt to old to go there then! I fashioned costumes out of white bin liners and a marker pen. We did win first prize (the people with half decent costumes turned up too fashionably late) but as predicted no cash was involved. We won a $70 bar tab (in a very cheap club) so had some drinks and gave the rest away to random ghost admirers (it was like being a celebrity everyone wanted a picture with us). Had a kebab as recommended by Gaz (almost as good as magic roll)
• (1/11/11) The surf was good Will enjoyed an amazing bodyboarding session – I did a bit but didn't have the stomach for the big waves. Caught an evening bus to Brisbane.