Day 3: 11/6/13
The bus was scheduled at 7:45 so I was up at 6:30 to get ready, pack my bags and wait for a taxi to collect me. I had plenty of time, but that's the way I like it. There were about 20 people waiting for the bus. When we checked in they gave us seat numbers and I was beside another guy even though there were empty seats on the bus. After the first proper stop we realised there was plenty of space and took a seat each.
I closed my eyes and attempted to sleep for the first part of the journey. I dozed a bit I think, which was good as I was tired after my early starts.
We stopped around 11 at a cafe for breakfast. After that I stayed awake and watched a movie on the laptop. There wasn't much scenery to see anyway as it was mostly trees- it's quite a tropical looking area. In some places there was farm land but mostly just trees.
Around 2 we stopped in Townsville just for about 10 minutes, basically for a toilet stop. I read for a while then. We stopped again around 4 and I bought an ice-cream and some sweets out of boredom. Then we stopped at 5 and he announced that this was our meal stop and we would be here for half an hour!! I wasn't even a bit hungry so it was a long half hour!! Most people had bought something in the last place aswell so I don't think anyone are anything!!
At that stage it was dark so you couldn't see anything out the window anyway. So I finished yesterday's blog and wrote up today's. The journey today is my longest day time bus journey. The other long ones are at night time, so the other travelling days shouldn't be as boring!!
We got to Airlie beach around half seven. I had met a Swiss girl earlier on in the day and she was staying in the same hostel as me so we shared a taxi to it. Usually the bus stop is near the hostel but there are road works. I was in a room with mostly guys. I met four- I don't know who the other three people were. Two of the guys I met are doing the same boat trip as me tomorrow and so is the Swiss girl so it's good to know someone!
I met the Swiss girl, Luana, in the bar for a drink. An Italian girl, Maggie, who had been on the bus joined us aswell. We weren't there long when two older guys came talking to us- one from Mongolia and one from Tajikastan or somewhere! They were fairly drunk and talking a lot of s*** so we all scooted off to bed as soon as possible!
I have to check out at 10 and check into the boat place at 10:30 but I have to repack my rucksack as you can't bring your whole luggage onto the boat. So that may take me a little while in be morning!! At least I don't have to get up too early!