Time and Tide Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world, and apparently has been building up over hundreds of thousands of years. It has no rock, and no soil. Apparently it started as a large sand bank, which grew some grasses that decomposed enough to allow some larger plants to grow. Then there were layers of sand, followed by more layers of plant material. This went on over and over until it became a large island of over 100 kms long and 20 kms wi...

Dolphin and Rainbow Magic - No, I'm not going all New Age. As we were informed in Gympie, the main tourist things in this area are Tin Can Bay, Rainbow Beach, and especially Fraser Island, which is accessed via a ferry from Rainbow Beach. Tin Can Bay is on a stretch of water called the Great Sandy Straits, which opens to the sea between Rainbow Beach and the south end of Fraser Island, where the ferry goes. Fraser Island then goes on about a hundred k's further...

Bangalow and Beyond Finally found one of those great country markets I have been holding out for. Left Ballina on Sunday morning heading for Bangalow, a small town halfway to Byron, but a bit inland. They were having their monthly Sunday market, and we were told it shouldn't be missed. They were right. Bangalow is a quaint little town full of old historic buildings and small specialty shops and cafes. Reminds me of Tilba Tilba, except there is no cheese factory...

Ballina and Byron Bay Been in Ballina for a few days now, and have been using it as a base to explore the whole surrounding area. So here are my general impressions - Byron Bay - real let down. There had been much hype, and I was expecting more. The town itself is small and crowded and twisty. It is full of tourists, mostly European, looking for that laid back hippie lifestyle it is famed for. But it has forgotten its roots. Now it is just a "try hard" with Ne...

Grafton and Yamba Well, the Sunday market in Coffs did not disappoint - it was just as bad as the Friday Twilight market (which was on Saturday morning.) So we quickly pulled out of Coffs and headed to Grafton. Then we found out that the Grafton market had been on the previous day, and apparently this was a really good market. Grafton is a beautiful town on the mighty Clarence River, with wide, tree-lined streets, and many majestic old buildings. It is the home...