Friday 15th March
I woke a number of time throughout the morning, but either through stopping (although I heard the driver announce we were at the first break but that was all I was awake for), and the other times were to readjust the sitting position. I slept on and off until around 9.30am when the driver announced we would be having a break for 40mins and we had to get off the bus. At first I sat by some grass and ate my banana and cereal bar for breakfast with my orange juice (which was disappointing). Although it was just before 10am the sun felt strong. I then wondered into the petrol station as I wondered where everyone else was. I found them all sat inside at some cafe tables. I sat down by myself and played on my phone for the last 25mins. Once we were back on the bus we had an hour left before we hit Airlie. During this last hour I thought a bit about how I was feeling, about feeling lonely and scared about money and plans. I began to think that I felt lonely when I was at home, and surely being lonely the other side of the world wouldn't be too bad.
We eventually arrived and departed the bus. It was a good 15min walk to the hostel and it was hot outside. There was major construction being done on the road, so I think the bus stop had moved. I stopped my hostel as we drove past it on our way in so it was easy to find (I was nervous about finding the hostel by myself). When I arrived I was told I couldn't check in until 12.20pm (it was only 11.20am) but I put my bags into the storage room and headed into town. It gave the impression of a small seaside town (which in all fairness it was) and again it was littered with travel/tour agents. I thought I would head to Peter Pans as I needed to confirm my place for the boat tomorrow and I wanted to book my Fraser Island trip and bus pass. I thought they could help me book and I could use their Internet for the bus pass. I ended up spending 2 hours there. I booked all my bus passed up to Sydney, requested a flight change for New Zealand checked emails, and looked at hostels. I was panicking myself again about accommodation and money (I was worried about my Auckland booking as it seemed not to be too cheap and a way out of town). One the agents asked if I wanted help and I explained the situation, she very kindly confirmed and booked my remaining tours and trips and he took down where I needed accommodation up until Sydney and produced a package. It would be $170 for 6 nights, which was just over my budget ($25 a night). She very kindly said I could go away and think about it, I firstly wanted to see what the first hostel Peter Pans had booked me was like and see if I could find cheaper myself. I soon left and headed to the hostel as it was 1.30pm. I checked in, paid $20 deposit and went to my room. I was in a 8 bed mixed dorm and I found 3 ladies a sleep in their beds. I tried to be quite as I dumped by day bag and collected my other 2 bags. I grabbed a crumpet (which too had started to go mouldy, I think my time eating crumpets would be limited) and peanut butter, I ate this outside on our balcony. Some other people came and went but everyone said hello. I grabbed a few apricots and took my pills. I then attempted some hand washing, just my bikini, a pair of shorts and two tops. It was the first time I was using my soap bars. It seemed a lot less stressful then the old liquid stuff as it felt like I wasn't using it all. I hung my clothes out the dry and then headed out into town and the lagoon. Again, another seaside town without any beaches, well a technical lie there was two very small ones but the main attraction was a large lagoon. I collected my daily soft cone from McDonald's and headed out. I sat by the water front (of the actual sea), the view was beautiful, light blue sea sat under blue sky and a dazzling sun, there were a few yachts on the water, just leisurely bobbing up and down. I found a semi shaded spot and sat down with my legs in the sun reading my book. After a while I laid down and soon realised there were a lot of ants around me. I ignored them and soon my reading turned into a nap. It was only a short nap. I found myself getting very warm and the ants were on the attack. I got up and moved to a picnic table on the otherwise of the lagoon. I sat there for a while but soon the sun was too much and I moved again into the grass but in the shade. I sat there half reading and half people watching a group of girls next to me. How can other people mix and mingle so easily and why did I find it so hard. At around 4.30pm I decided enough was enough and I walked around town for a bit. I was undecided about dinner, wether to cook or use the $6 meal the hostel offered. I looked into the local supermarket (even this was very expensive compared to Woolworth's). There wasn't much in the town, just souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes and travel shops. I headed back to Peter Pans, as I wanted to email home and check something with Kate (about staying with her 2 nights). I also checked my pennies as I knew the recent transactions would have gone through now. I was a little worried about the amount I had left remaining, but worked out if I allocated £30 a night for accommodation (this was slightly on the high side but a few locations it would be this expensive), £40 for the show, £50 for my flight and £150 for the penguins, it gave me £200 to fiddle with. I did have £200 to mess with from the New Zealand bus ticket that I had already paid for. I was hoping if I could stay with Kath for a few nights, this again will free up some pennies plus a night on the bus and not sleeping my lady night. I decided not to worry about accommodation for Noosa, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Newcastle and Sydney until I got to Rainbow Beach. This was also so I could get a few answers from potential emails about people to stay with (David Wilson and Hayden). Also, there was no point worrying about New Zealand until my flight was changed and then I could move the bus ticket and arrange dates with people. After I checked a this I decided I would head back and cook dinner, I actually brought some instant noodles, tinned veg (mixed carrot and peas and a mini tin of sweetcorn) and some milk. I didn't want to use all my supplies and these items were roughly the same as Woolworth (apart form milk). I arrived in the hostel and double checked where I had to meet the bus tomorrow and headed to my room. The girls were up and dressed up for the night. Some lads had some in from the lagoon. I brought in my clothes and went down to cook dinner. I had to trade my room key for a box crockery. I went into the kitchen and made my gourmet dinner of instant noodles with tined veg with a drink of tea. It was my first tea of the day and it tasted so good. I sat next to these 2 people chatting and tried to join in every now and then without seeming intrusive. After I finished I sat and wrote my diary whilst more and more people came in to cook. I traded my key back and went to look at the bar, it was a public bar attached to the hostel, I stood around the bar for 5 mins and then went to my room and where was a group of Germans (I think), who weren't all in our room sat outside drinking and smoking (although technically drinks were not allowed in rooms). I decided to try and be sociable and went back down to be bar. I sat at a small tall table which had a few couple on and sat and watched the rugby on the TV and then some Ozzie Rules football (in a vague attempt to understand some rules). There was no one to talk to or try a conversation with as people were in conversation with their partners. I sat and wondered how all these people could afford to drink so much and I assumed so often. Is this how people blow their money in Australia. I had a feeling I was in the wrong type of hostel (especially when I got back to my room and the lads were still outside and I could hear the music clearly from my room). I wasn't adverse having a few drinks but one night out would be costly. But was I doing the while travelling wrong by not drinking or going out, but then again that wasn't what I wanted to spend my money on. Or was I going to miss out and not get the most out of it. I wanted an early night as the previous hadn't been a good nights sleep and I was up early and had a but day on Saturday. I had planned to spend more time in the bar Saturday night. But this was the first time in a hostel that everyone bar myself had gone out. When I got to my room I felt self conscious with the lads sat outside. But I packed my lunch (as that cost an additional $14) and my bag and got things ready for the morning, as I wouldn't disturb the lad below me too much. This was the first time I hadn't been on the bottom bunk and I didn't like being so far from my bags. When I went to assemble my bed I found I was a pillow missing. I assumed the lads had taken it as no other bed had an extra one and I was sure there was one there earlier. I went to reception to ask for another but it was closed. Back in the room when on of the lads came back in to the toilet I asked if they had my pillow and it was returned. I made my bed and got changed. I doubt I would sleep much as he noise from music and the lads was loud, luckily the lads moved on quickly and I just had the music in an empty dorm. I had decided I would book my hostels from now on. I wrote a little of my diary and read to help me sleep, hoping the music stopped at 11pm.