The journey to Hervey Bay
After boarding our greyhound at 8pm....we are soon told that in 2 hours time we will be changing buses. Not the best start! Especially as andy and i had managed to get decent seats together on this packed bus.

2 hours later we grind to a halt (we can now understand why we are changing buses. This one sounds knackered!) and shuffle off to move to the other bus. Somehow Andy and I are 2 of the last people to board. We end up on the back seats of the bus....next to the toilet..which don’t recline and have an air con vent missing, so we’re subjected to a constant stream of freezing air! Andy has the great idea of stuffing his beach towel into the vent – so that is 1 problem sorted. Now its just a case of trying to get into a comfortable position! Im not sure how, but we both manage to get a decent amount of sleep during the journey and arrive into Hervey Bay the next morning, fairly fresh faced! We are collected by our courtesy shuttle and taken to the YHA hostel. Well, I think we can safely say its the best welcome to a hostel yet. We are taken through to their on site bistro area, seated, given 2 glasses of lemonade and some freshly baked cake! We are then informed that we have been checked in and just need to collect our keys! Brilliant!! The hostel is lovely – really well maintained, has a great outdoor pool and overall, a nice friendly feel about it!

After unloading our luggage and having a nosey around, we spot 2 familiar faces! Jen and Chris have arrived! We decide to book a trip to Fraser Island together for the following day! Once all the admin is sorted, its off to the supermarket for lunch supplies. We don’t even need to worry about dinner as Friday night at our hostel = $5 BBQ night! Perfect! (also followed by happy hour at the bar – definitely loving this hostel) After some down time in the pool and a bit of water basketball , its clear Chris and Andy are happy to have water playmates – everything turns into a game! Who can hold their breath longest.....who can stand on a ball longest....who can hover longest....Jen and I are happy sit round the pool and gossip! The BBQ is great value, we all pile our plates pretty high (it would be rude not too) and make the most of happy hour. A night of card games ensues.....Then its off to bed, in preparation for our Fraser Island trip (and early start in the morning!)

Fraser Island – Sat 5th Dec
We’re collected promptly at 7.45am and transferred to the ferry terminal. Listening to the instructions to board the ferry is particularly entertaining, as the captain has got his sarcastic tones down to a tee – anyone would think he was talking to a bunch of toddlers! After a 45 min ferry journey we disembark on Fraser Island and are herded into groups to board our 4 wheel drive coaches! After an overview of what the day entails, we are instructed to put seatbelts on (and we’re warned that if we fail to wear them we will be kicked off the trip!) and off we go. Well, its clear straight away why seatbelts are mandatory. As the island is purely made up of sand....driving on it is pretty precarious and we are thrown every which way in our seats!

Our first stop is a 35 min bush walk to look at the indigenous trees in the area (of which some are HUGE! In particular the Ozzie Kauri trees) and local wildlife. A little on edge (as we always are on these bush walk in oz, there are just so many hazards!) We encounter a large lizard like creature (about 1 metre in length) scaling a tree. Our guide informs us about its razor sharp claws and tendency to try and scale people as if they were trees if you move suddenly...lots of slow walking then followed. We’re also informed about the hazard of falling cones from the kauri trees....due to their prickly outer shell, they will cause serious injury or even death if they land on your head. Jen and I definitely feel like we should be wearing protective gear/helmets!!

Moving around anywhere on the Island takes quite a while due to the large mounds of sand that make up the driving tracks! (Conditions have been made particularly tricky due to a lack of rain recently)

We are then taken to Eurong Beach Resort for our buffet lunch. Again, we are told of another hazard. The electric fences and ground-grill as you enter the resort, installed to prevent Dingoes entering! After a lovely lunch (again, we ensure we pile our plates high!) and much needed ice cream, we’re back on the bus to drive along the 75 mile beach to see the Coloured Sands. Comprised of 72 different colours , mostly reds and yellows, this is caused by the leaching of oxides that coats each grain of sand. We had been expecting more of a rainbow of colours...blues...greens...purples....but still, its quite spectacular to see.

Next we move back down the beach to Eli Creek. This flows onto the 75 mile beach, at a rate of 4.2 million litres of water an hour. Its the largest fresh water creek on the east coast! We had been informed that it was possible to walk upstream then float back down along the creek. Well, as the 4 of us found out – that is allot easier said than done! After some rather comical looking attempts at bobbing along on our bums, shuffling along on our fronts and elbows.....half swimming half crawling....we admit defeat! It just isn’t possible (not without looking rather stupid!) Nevermind – its still good fun and the water if amazingly clear!

Our final stop for the day, and the real highlight is Lake McKenzie. After a briefing about Dingos en route, which has us all convinced we will definitely see one (Jen and I even decide to leave our apples we’d stashed at lunchtime on the coach, in fear of enticing a dingos) we are let loose onto the Lake and it is STUNNING! The clearest and calmest of waters and the whitest of sands (as at Whitehaven beach). The only downside is the hordes of people sprawled out on the shore....we move further along and manage to find a nice clear spot. Once we’ve set up camp, its straight into the water. After a brief stint of polishing jewellery (as its the same sand as at Whitehaven beach, it has the same properties that enables it to polish metals) – as we are all honeymooners, we are still taken by the novelty of wedding rings – the games begin. First we are trying out the ‘throwability’ of the sand. Ie, when you pick a handful of it up in the water and throw it....does it remain as one clump?? Chris takes it one step further and attempts to ‘shot put’ the sand. It does surprisingly well! Second, who can do breakdancing turns in the water?? And finally, Andy and Chris’s speciality – The ‘Baywatch Run’ into the water. Hysterical laughter all round (and some rather odd looks from strangers) as Andy and Chris attempt to run as far as they can into the water! Guys really can keep themselves entertained in the water for hours. Its the perfect stop to end the day and leaves us all on a real high! We just wish the journey back to the hostel was a little shorter, but we know we still have an off road journey, a ferry crossing and a bus ride to go!

Still on a high from our days adventure, the 4 of us had hoped for a night out to celebrate! On enquiring at the hostel about the local nightlife we are told about the sailing club and a cafe nearby – great! Wandering the streets to the marina, conversation again turns to the dangerous environment of oz. Jen and I are on the lookout for spiders/snakes/anything that moves - Why cant they just light the streets better to put us at ease? On arriving at the sailing club..we are somewhat disappointed. It would seem the average age is about 70 and they are in the throws of their ‘wild’ xmas party. Not wanting to intrude (of course that is our main reason) we decide to go in search of this elusive cafe. Surprise surprise....it is closed, it is late after all. 9.30pm.
Our plans have been scuppered! The hostel bar is our only option! The journey is not wasted though. Next to the cafe, a restaurant has the best notice we’ve ever seen attached to its window:

“Public Notice – Please Refrain From Licking Our Windows – by The Window Police”
It was worth going out just to see this sign!!! The mind boggles – Australia is full of surprises!

Such an action packed day – needless to say we are all sure of a good nights sleep. This also marks the end of ‘honeymooners united’ as Jen and Chris are heading to Noosa the next day. Not for long though, as this is next on our itinerary!
1 more day in Hervey Bay is spent booking/planning the rest of our Australian adventure. Its difficult to believe we have been here for 1 month already! Time certainly flies when you’re having fun. We still have lots of excitement to come though....the Australia Zoo, a big 2-6 birthday, xmas and new years in Sydney! Bring it on!
xx