Townsville and Magnetic Island

"This is more like it!"

Monday 4th October - Friday 8th October 2010

Hi everyone!

So much to tell you! We are now on Magnetic Island but spent 2 nights in Townsville before we came over which was also quite nice. Our hostel is fab, it's called "Reef" and has paintings of the reef covering every wall, even our bedspread is a dolphin one! The weather has eventually perked up aswell which has made us all very happy! We went down to the beach in the sun for the first time and sunbathed - bliss! But we couldn't really swim as the sand going into the water was muddy when the tide was in. The view was amazing of magnetic Island and the sun was out so no complaints!

We went for a walk along "The Strand" in the afternoon which is a promenade with parks, benches, cafes etc all along the front. It has a Miami vibe as there are joggers and dog walkers and even a circuit set up along the promenade with stations every so often! I had a salad for lunch as I am so sick of ham,cheese and tomato sandwiches! At the end of the promenade was a manmade rockpool which was quite cool.

That evening we went to the local supermarket and liquor store (you can't buy booze in the supermarkets!) and bought stuff for bbq and some goon! Our first experienc of $12 wine and it was quite a pleasant surprise, 4litres for $4 each is not bad considering the price of everything else(pretty bloody good actually! J)! We had a bbq on the beach (once again, at the free bbq stands) and chilled out. There are so many creatures here, they have bats called "flying foxes" everywhere and you can see why they get their name! There are also baby stalk things and cats and lizards everywhere!

We left for Magnetic the next morning and walked with our bags in the heat to the ferry. The ferry was exciting as Magnetic looked like Jurassic Park and the weather is still amaxing. We saw a sting ray looking thing jumping out of the water alongside the boat. We got the bus to out hostel but were not impressed. it's s***. Very dirty and full of creatures. So we made out way back to the ferry terminal (on foot) where we had seen mokes for hire (tiny tiny cars!)(I was obviously the main driver. J). The walk was very hot but beautiful. The views were amazing! If you look at the photo I have been using for the past couple of blogs (only because I haven't uploaded yet and it was my favourite one), we found that view!!!! I couldn't believe it and recognised it straight away! Our trekking through bushes up and down hills to find our way back to civilisation from the ghetto was well worth it!

We hired a little topless moke and named it "greensy" (when you see the pics you will realise why!) and picked Macca(he was very excited by greensy! J) up from the ferry terminal and dropped him off at his much nicer hostel called "Base". We then drove to Horseshoe bay. It's so much fun crusing around the island in greensy! It's like Arran, only one main road and so picturesque. We saw so many secluded and desolate beaches, only accessible by boat due to the boulders, rocks and trees surrounding them. The sky is blue and sea is turquoise, it really is amazing! I ate a melon on the beach with a spoon and we had our first swim in the sea since being away! We went back to out grim hostel and went for a drink at the local bar and I saw a wombat in the tree. Very chilled and very happy.

On Wednesday we went to "Bungalow Bay Kuala Village" and went on a wildlife tour. We got a kiss off a cocatoo, held a baby crocodile and snake! It was class! She also showed us a "barking" spider but I was not impressed as she nearly let it escape! Then I went horse riding!!! The most amazing horse ride I have ever been on! We walked and trotted through the forest and there were wallabies everywhere! They were like rabbits just watching us walk past! I tried to take a picture but everytime I got my camera out Suzie (my horse) trotted off! There was loads of evidence of bush fires and the landscape was just amazing. I saw a bird of prey (no idea which one!) with a snake in it's tallons! Then another one with a fish! It flew back to it's huge nest which looked like it could house a terrodactile (not even guna try and spell that properly!). We then got onto the beach, even though I had been on the beach the previous day, it still looked breath-taking. We parked up the horses and stripped into our bikinis, took the saddles off and rode them into the sea bareback! It was so good! Suzie was a bit excited about being in the sea and the waves nearly washed me off but it was so much fun. Then we stoof still in the water and did "tricks" on them! I managed to stand on Suzie's back and do a back flip off her into the sea. Best thing yet!!! Joe and Macca turned up to watch but were a bit scared! (there was also a chinese fella who attempted a backflip but when he tried to stand on the horse he stacked it and chined himself on the horse. very bloody funny...J)

While I Had been riding, Joe had moved us hostels to a beautiful one right on Arcadia bay.(as well as doing many other important chores id be given to do whilst eleanor was galavanting around on her oversized pony..J) We went out for a meal to a place called "Noodies" in Horseshoe bay (we treat ourselves!) We had some olives and pepperdews in the room with the left over goon before going out! We had the most amazing Sangria ever but I'm sure it wasn't alcoholic!

We woke up early this morning as we could hear the waves on Arcadia bay! We drove down to Horshoe for a sunbath and swim, but obviously not before out cheese and ham sandwiches! (We have started adding tomato and a piece of fruit afterwards to brighten it up a bit!) I also bought a "paw paw" friut as it reminded me of the song off Jungle Book! It was quite nice actually! The weather has been amazing. Every location on this Island is beautiful and it makes everywhere else we have been so far look pretty rubbish! (this place is ridiculous.. so many white beaches..and turqoise sea! its absoloutly boiling, horseshoe bay is a massive beach with hardly anyone on it, a few cafes and thats about it. its unreal!! J)

We are going to watch the sunset tonight and maybe snorkle or dive tomorrow before we leave (if we do!). (Id definitly come back here and work..its so nice!! J)

...We managed to get the Moke from our appartment for $15 for the evening to go and watch the sunset (although I think they should have been paying us as it was a liability!) We couldn't turn the thing on, it had a mind of it's own, wouldn't get up the hills (which is hard to get used to when you're used to a sports car!) and we had to hold the lights on! (It came to a stand still on a hill as I couldnt find any forward gears, and right at the last minute before we started rolling backwards I found 1st gear. I pretty much saved both of our lives. J.)

But we got to Horseshoe, watched the sunset with a couple of "Tooheys" then had a bbq. We bought salad and corn on the cob as that was just as cheap as bread and had our nicest meal yet! Mokesy McGee just about got us home but it was emotional - never again! But very amusing! We finished the goon off back on our balcony, we really love Maggie!

We woke up on Friday and it's still sunny! Amazing! The forecast is for change but it hasn't let us down yet! Everyone is saying how we are due for the wettest summer EVER - typical! We have found a dive place that does the PADI course really cheap and you can dive on the Wheeler reef and do the Yongala wreck! Very exciting! But after checking the weather it doesn't appear to be worth it. It's due to be crap above the water and windy which makes visibility under water poor. So it's a no go. It appears we have missed out the great barrier reef due to weather, gutted.

The forecast is pIoor for the whole of the east coast so we looked at going inland to Ayres rock or Alice Springs but it was going to cost the same to get there as it cost us to get here from England! So we decided to keep moving south and booked our Greyhound leg to Airlie Beach, I've been so looking forward to this place!

We spent our last day sunbathing on "Geoffery Bay" and had another bbq at our lush little hostel. When we left on the boat it was still sunny...

Lots of Love,

Elle and Joe x x x