Despite having been online quite a few times since writing my last post I seem to keep forgetting to write anything about what I’ve been up to.
Following from Malaysia I headed down into Singapore for a few days before my flight to Australia. This was my first hit of I’m leaving cheap living behind. Food was now twice the price and accomodation even more. I spent one day in the city centre, and the other two wondering through parkland and along the east coast beach.
I flew into Brisbane and spent a couple of days there before puchasing a one way train pass to Cairns. My first stop-off was Hervey bay for a visit to Fraser Island. I joind a group of 6 others for a 3 day 2 night self drive 4×4 trip to the island, which is the largest sand island in the world. We had a great time visiting a couple of lakes, a shipwreck and many other locations on the island in our lovely pink landcruiser. Although I was allowed to drive I decided that having not driven a car since passing my test that it would probably be best to leave the driving to those with more recent experience.
After returning from Fraser I headed on to Rockhampton. Arriving at 6pm on a Sunday the town seemed to be a “Ghost Town”. There was not much to do but I spent two days in the town due to the fact that there is only one train a day between Brisbane and Cairns, and only three of these are able to be used with my rail pass without paying an upgrade.
My next destination was Airlie Beach entrance to the Whitsunday Islands. The free transfer bus from the train station dropped me off in the town at 4.30am so time to sit down read a book before watching the sun rise. Once the hostel receptions opened at 6.30 I went to find somewhere to check into, though before checking in I thought I would see if they had any sailing trips leaving that day, and amazingly there was one space available on a two day one night trip aboard the maxi yacht Siska, which was departing at 8.30 so a quick breackfast before checking in for the boat. Unfortunately there was not much wind in the morning of the first day so the trip to our first snorleling destination was spent under power. It seemed a little strange having to wear a wetsuit in the water when the outside temperature is in the 30s and the water in the 20s but it is currently stinger season so the wetsuits are required to protect yourself from being stung by one of the many jellyfish. The afternoon gave us a little more wind and we sailed all the way to our destination for the night. In the morning another couple of snorkels before sailing back to Airlie after lunch. In the afternoon the wind picked up and the sail back to Airlie was great, with us racing against another boat which should have managed to beat us by quite a bit, however we won. Unfortunately there is only one photo from this trip as my batteries died early on and my camera also had a little incident with the water (am hoping it will work when I try it later today).
I am now in Cairns and will hopefully be going out on a trip to the Barrier reef tomorrow, and will probably have a go at diving. From here it will either be a direct flight to Melbourne where I am spending christmas, or possibly a detour via the centre to visit ayres rock.