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Sometimes the wireless connections are a b**** to me here, but now I have a steady one, in the bus to Airlie Beach. Time to tell you about Magnetic Island, my place for 24 hours yesterday. I did manage to get up early enogh to catch another ferry, the 7.45 one from Townsville. Funny to see how this place looks like with daylight, I only saw it in the middle of the night with a sleepy head.
This ferry only needed 20 minutes, so with a connecting bus I was in my YHA at 8.30 am. Excellent, now I had time to do a bit of laundry, and to subscribe for the 10 am tour through the sanctuary. This YHA hostel is located in the same place. The dorm rooms aren't normal dorms, but all bungalows. I was in a bungalow with 5 others, with the toilet and douche in the same bungalow. Great, because i wasn't looking forward to meet lizards or big bugs in the middle of the night. ;)
With quite a big group we went at 10 to the sanctuary, with a ranger teling us about the animals. Turtles, crocodiles, lizards, a black cockatoo and finally the koalas. I didn't know we could take pics with al,l the animals, so there i was with a snake around the neck, a turtle, a cockatoo who picked a seed from between your lips. Shame that the girl who took my picture, didn't get that moment when the bird took the seed with his mouth so it seems a kiss from a cockatoo. :( The snake scared me, and I was one of the last ones to hold it. Just a quick one for the picture, and when it started sniffing me, I asked the ranger to take it away. Brrr, no, I don't like snakes ^^. But the last picture is the nicest one, with the koala. I love them, so cute as they are. I do have the official one, in a frame, but also a couple on my phone now. This was the last thing before our tour was over, and we had to wait a while for the koala photo's to be printed.
Soon as I had my picture, I was free to go. Nice, I had no ide what to do or where to go. First I took the bus to Nelly bay, where the ferry dropped us earlier in the day. I had seen a supermarket there so I stocked up some water and juice and food. Time to start walking, first to a couple of bays and beaches, and then I discovered the forts walk. It's what the name says, this track leads you through a bush with the remains of several defence buildings. They were built in 1942, when the second world war took place, and the japanese tried to conquer Australia. Quite impressive to see, especially the mountains where the canons were placed, and the huts to see all over the see. I have always loved history, still love it, and these things make a track even more impressive.
Returned from this walk, I had just missed a bus. A very good reason to start another walking track, back to Horseshoe bay, close to the hostel. My original plan was seeing sunset at picknick bay, but the sun was hiding behind clouds and it didn't came back. Right now it was after 5 pm already, less than 2 hours before sunset. Not long after I walked away from the parking, the start of the track, when to Australians came from the other direction. One was a perfect example of a beautiful man, dark brown eyes, longer hair, and some super trained abs. They asked me where I was going. 'To Horseshoe bay, I hope' They just laughed and showed a map. I would be able to get there before sunset. Well thanks guys haha, so i continued my walk and just enjoyed the bush, the lookouts over the beaches and the rest.
The guys were right, I made it back in time, without getting too dark to see a thing. I started on a sealed road, but ended the last part hopping from stone to stone on a small walking track. Good thing to do this on my own pace, I thought. :) Unfortunately the place where I planned to eat was closed by the time when I reached it, so I had my dinner at the YHA, and it was my luck, theyy sold the beers tonight as 2 for 1, so I had two beers. Woohoo, well deserved after so much walking, with a bit of counting i think I made about 25 kilometers today. Not bad :)
I had hardly finished my dinner or one of my roommates asked if she could sit down too. So we chatted untill 10 pm, when the bar closed. It's nice to sit there and just chat away, about what we do, what we want, what we have seen, etc. The bungalow didn't have wifi, no following tennismatches for me this night. I could have left the bungalow of course, but I was fast asleep before I know. :O I don't know what happens with me here, but I can sleep at 11 pm lately, while at home I sometimes haven't even finished work at 11 pm. Maybe it's the early wake ups, combined with lots to see and do. ;)
And this morning, I left this quiet place, knowing that at least my favourite frenchie did win the match last night. Hopefully I can catch the next one, I miss watching him. Usually I never miss a match, now I have missed two in a week.... At least I'll be there in Rotterdam, and that's why i don't feel so sad that my holidays is over in 4 days. I have a sailingtrip to go, and then it's time to head for ATP Rotterdam. I'm so excited to see Nico Mahut and Fernando Verdasco on court again. :D
If you don't follow tennis, you probably won't understand. ;)
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