However, a brief summary to get back on track!:
Mission Beach:
Met Max Newall (Lucy Newall's brother). Went skydiving and landed on the beach. Saw turtles on the reef as we parachuted down. Had a wicked party at the excellent Backpackers' hostel (Scotty's), and designed a logo for a new local business. It has now been turned into signage and put into print so I'm glad to have left my mark :)
Magnetic Island:
Held a Koala Bear, got up at 4:30 to drive and watch sunrise...incredible. Had to evict a drunk old tramp from a girls' dorm as I was leaving.
Airlie Beach / Whitsunday Islands:
Went sailing for a couple of days. I'll let the pics do the talking. The sand on Whitehaven beach is so pure and white it looks (and crunches) like walking on snow. Go there.
Bundaberg:
Stayed in Kristen's father's getaway house on the river with a coupe of his older friends, Karen and Chris. They were very welcoming (and Mr. Rogers very generous for allowing me to stay). Stayed for two days, ate well, checked out an emu and kayaked on the river.
Hervey Bay / Fraser Island:
Wow! Highlight of my trip. Fraser Island is a huge (1,840 km2) sand bar just out of Hervey Bay (complete with rainforests and lakes). Hired a huge 4wd with 10 strangers, got the ferry, drove around sand dunes and rainforests and camped for two nights. Watched the most incredible stars on the beach. They went right down to the sea....not any light in any direction. Saw a dingo run through the moonlight on the sand. If you go here (I highly recommend it), watch out for dingos. Also, there is a lake called Lake Mackenzie (see pics) that is so pure you can just swim around and drink the water.
Noosa:
Lovely surf town....great national park. Stayed two nights.
Brisbane:
Small city, pretty cool. Here I found out I won the remix competition in England! The official, paid start of my music production career. I was absolutely over the moon, and thanks again to all who supported me.
Surfer's Paradise / Gold Coast:
Met up with Kristen Rogers here. First time we'd seen eachother since out three dates 2 years previously. Hit it off right away and spent a week staying at her parents' house on Sovereign Island and surfing up and down the coast.
Byron Bay:
Hung out with a world-champion windsurfer, surfed a bit, drank some beer, enjoyed immensely. Loads of hippies, loads of drugs....what you'd expect of such a place. I was here when the strange red sand storm hit (see photos). It was very bizarre...I was working on my compy outside on a picnic table and just looked up...it was like an invasion from Mars!
Newcastle:
Cold! Here is where travelling south really made a difference. I had been on the coach for hours and hours and the temperature difference was very noteable. Stayed one night and met a mate from my trek in Kakadu natioal park in Darwin.
Sydney:
Well, what can I say? Met up with Kristen, lived together with her and her housemate Angie for three months. I love this city, and may well emigrate there. Met up with Ricky Cooper and Paul Laselles from the IOW, and basically made a real home for myself. The beaches in the eastern suburbs are fantastic. We lived near Bronte beach.
Melbourne:
Stayed for a week with Rob (one of the boys I travelled with in Laos). Very cool city...loads of trams, trendy haircuts, tramps, etc. All the "T's". I see what people mean by "European". It's a very pretty city (the Victoria State Library is spectacular), featuring lots of small alleys and coffee shops.
Great Ocean Road:
A day trip, very nice. A great ocean. A great road. Took a helicopter flight over the Twelve Apostles at sunset.
Now I'm in New Zealand! I shall write this next part in a few days, so as not to overload you.
Thanks for reading! I hope you get something from it, and perhaps decide to go travelling yourselves....
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