Day 112: Rainbow Beach - Fraser Island

It was only slightly overcast as we set off for our fun filled 3 day jaunt over to Fraser Island which, incidentally, is said to have more sand than the Sahara, is 123km long, between 5 to 25km wide and is World Heritage listed. Not to mention, breathtakingly beautiful and littered with fresh water lakes with the finest white sand, the purest bred dingos and colliding sand blows and rainforests.

So... not much to live up too then.

After deflating our tyres in preparation for driving on the sand we got on the ferry over to the island. Neither of us had any experience in off roading and didn't have a clue. But hey, its a big island its not like we are going to drive into a tree on the beach or something.

There were a lot of backpacker tours on the ferry. We watched everyone driving off, most got away OK but a couple in front of us got bogged as soon as the left the ferry. A mixture of emotions coursed through us, relief that if we got bogged in we weren't the only ones, and panic that we too were going to get bogged and look like amateurs.

It was our turn to go, Oly put his foot to the floor and we sped off the ramp into the soft, soft sand and we were off! We zoomed past troop carrier that was bogged in further down and felt really bad that we didn't stop to help, but we wouldn't have known what to do anyway!

A few crazy beach driving hours later we arrived at our camp ground, Frasers at Cathedral Beach. This will be our first night in our roof tent so I am really looking forward to a good nights sleep. I just have to get up that ladder without falling off or something following me up it...

Em

Day 70: Mission Beach - Townsville

Waving goodbye to the wind and rain in Misson Beach, we set off down the coast in search of sunshine.

It was strange coming back the Townsville after spending so long here just before Christmas.

We booked into the pleasant Rowes Bay Caravan Park where we stayed before. This time we had the luxury of Henry and did not have to suffer a leaking tent.

Townsville will be our base for a little while. We have ordered a new Black Wolf FS Turbo Lite 250 tent and are waiting for it to arrive. Plus our fridge only works on power since Henry broke down in Barkly Homestead and not 12v, so we need to sort that out.

The weather is glorious, our towels are dry and I may even try to wash and dry our dooner (duvet) that is so unpleasantly musty we can't use it after it was couped up in a bag for three months while we were in England.

Let's hope the rain isn't still following us...

Emelie

Big: Cassowary - Mission Beach, QLD

Henry thought the giant cassowary on the signs was an urban myth.
How wrong can a kombi be!

Day 69: Mission Beach - Dunk Island

Today was promising to be a day like all the others. We took the rocking and rolling catamaran over to a very misty and drizzly Dunk Island.

On the island we were herded together with all the other non-resort guests and invited to explore the islands beaches and walking tracks.

If we wished to do any of the other exciting activities, such as kayaking, tennis, swimming in the pool, we would have to pay an additional $40 each for the pleasure. This did include lunch at the resort, though probably not $40 worth. We had already spent $46 each on the boat fare and we had not brought our bathers so we declined the offer.

If we really wanted to swim, the naturist beach on the island didn't cost a cent and lack of bathers wouldn't be a problem...

So off we went on the island circuit, 11km of "moderate" rainforest track. It would have been "moderate" if we had walked in the right direction. We couldn't find the beginning so we asked a member of staff who sent us off in good faith and for 6 1/2km we walked uphill.

The forest was very dense at times and we had to fight foliage and horse flies for the first hour. The track was better after we passed coconut beach, I think most people only get that far and then turn back. We didn't get that option seeing we were walking the wrong way around!

We walked for just over 3 hours, around 30 minutes of that was dry time, the rest was huge, heavy rain drops coming down in sheets. As there was nothing else for us to do on the island we jumped on the next boat back to Mission Beach where the sun finally came out and it was hot, hot, hot.

Lovely, lets see if we can get our towels dry...

Emelie

Day 68: Mission Beach

Lisa loved it here so much she stayed two months, Dave and Elaine from Port Douglas have purchased land and plan to move here in the near future. What are we missing that is so great about this place?

It didn't help that we were drenched in the night. It didn't stop raining (even I am getting bored going on about it). Our back door and side door was open for air circulation and the rain just poured all over us.

Dunk Island was on today's agenda. We took one look at the water taxi at South Mission Beach and decided today's churning ocean was not for us. Tomorrow we will get the catamaran, they didn't have any room on today's.

We successfully completed two rainforest walks where we had the joy of seeing two cassowaries before we retreated back to the van in the afternoon. Only then did the sun come out. By this time, we were resigned to staying in and doing "housework" on our laptops that we have "been meaning to get around too for ages".

We did pop over to South Mission Beach and it is much nicer than over here. There is nothing there but a camp site and holiday apartments, and it works. The beach was pretty good. It is quiet, calm and the view of the ocean and Dunk Island is a nice touch!

The fact that our camping ground is only a quarter full and South Mission Beach, Beachcomber Coconut Village, was straining at the seams does kind of confirm our suspicion that we are in the wrong place. (I bet it doesn't rain over there either!)

Emelie

Day 67: Cairns - Mission Beach

We set off bright and early from Cairns Coconut Resort. As we pulled out between its neon coconut trees I flicked through the brochure they gave us when we checked in late last night, reading out to Oly the fantastic facilities on offer.

"They have an open air movie playing tonight!"
"Wow, how cool is that!"
"Is today Thursday?"
"Yup"
"Free pancakes at the pool 9AM to 10AM"
(Henry's brake pedal slams down)
"Let's go back!"
"It's 10 past 10"
"Damn it!"

We had to make do with the complimentary bag of jelly beans they gave us when we checked out.

It has to be the best camp ground we have had the pleasure of staying in, it was a shame it was so brief. The facilities were excellent, they even had free aqua aerobics, three times a week (probably so you could work off those free pancakes).

We arrive in Mission Beach a few hours later. Mission Beach is spilt into four areas, Bingil Bay, Mission Beach, Wongaling Beach and South Mission Beach. As we drove through, we started to wonder if we were in the right place, there was nothing here. A few shops, resturants and lots of holiday apartments and camp grounds... this better be some kind of "beach of the gods".

Mission Beach Hideaway Holiday Village is where we decided to stay, we are Big 4 (and Top Tourist Caravan Parks) club members. For a small fee ($40 and $20 for two years) we enjoy the benefit of around 10% discount and the warm contented feeling knowing your part of one big happy camping family, or something like that!

It started raining with in a hour of arriving here, I am starting to think we are being followed.

Lets hope tomorrow is a brighter day.

Em

Location: Click Me!

Mobile signal

We are in Mission Beach until Tuesday and have no Vodafone signal.

If you need, or want, to call us we will be on our Telstra mobiles.

Drop us an email if you don't have the numbers and we will email you back.

Oly & Em