Mission Beach

A 2 hour bus journey south, not bad buses, USB to charge and wifi!! Our hostel is just across the road from the bus stop and we arrive before check in time but are able to use the facilities.... So we base ourselves by the pool!!! Once checked in we walk to the beach... 7km of sandy beach with the coral sea lapping in... The only problem is it's stinger season so you can only swim within the stinger nets so we just walk along the beach and decide swimming is for tomorrow when we hire our bikes!!! Sunday evening is sausage sizzle night at the hostel for free!! So we enjoy this chatting with fellow travelers!
The next morning we wander to the beach to watch the skydivers land, one of them is Luke who we chatted to the day before ... He loved it. This is one of the reasons why you stop at Mission beach, but I've done a skydive and don't want to do it again and it's not Sarah's idea of fun!! The second reason you come to mission beach is to go white water rafting, I'm booked on it for tomorrow... Excited!!! But for today we hire bikes and ride about 10km around the area with a stop off at the beach for a swim in the stinger nets and we shop for evening dinner... Steak...yum! Sarah cooks up the feast whilst all other travelers are preparing the staple food for backpackers, pasta!!!
I wake up to be picked up to go my white water adventure, Sarah prepares my bag of snacks, sun cream etc and off I go. Sarah plans to chill and do washing!!! This is the first time we are apart on our journey!!! I soon chatted to a few people and get assigned the raft for the day, 6 in a raft with a guide. The river has a number of amazing rapids at grade 3 and 4, 6 is the highest and so these aren't easy but also aren't too hazardous!!! There are 10 rafts in our group and through the day there are a number of 'tip overs' and 'fall outs', I'm pleased to state that no one in our raft fell out... Although a few close calls!! A break for a lunch BBQ and more fun to complete the course includes a raft drop off a rock and a jump from a rock about 3 metres high and a little swim around. Back at the hostel Sarah has prepared a lovely Chilli after her own day of adventures, walking to south mission beach, catching a local bus and not forgetting shopping for food...I tell her all about the day, I have a USB of photos I show her and go to bed exhausted!!! We wake up to make the bus for a 3 hour drive to Townsville.