Hello from Hervey Bay!!

Firstly I must apologise for being slack on updating this blog but it is because there are very few internet cafes on the East Coast, and those that are there, are very expensive!!

Anyway, I must start with saying that I am now a Qualified Diver and am really looking forward to getting some dives in on the Great Barrier Reef!! (cant wait to dive back home with you Jon, though I bet it'll be much colder than it is here!!). Had a great time doing the course in Byron Bay although I certainly left with something to remember my dives from!! I woke up Saturday morning (my last dive was on the Friday) to a left foot the size of a balloon!! I went back to the dive shop for some advice and they rushed me in the van down to the hospital, and YET AGAIN I spent the morning in the A&E department, this time it turns out the Dr thought I had been stung by a jelly fish!! He sent me back with some anti-biotics and I have lived to tell the tale!!

So it was from Byron to Surfers for the night and then onto Brisi to pick up Gaz and Cate from the airport. Ohh was I excited!! Having not seen them since Feb, I was keen to see some familiar faces and I must admit to quite a few tears being shed on their arrival!! But they were happy ones and it was great to greet them with my Welsh and Aussie flags on display! I had a busy day planned for them so it was straight to the hostel to check it and down to Brisi's man-made beach for a morning dip. Weather was beautiful and the sun was hot, just what they needed. We spent the afternoon in the Lone Park Koala Park where we got to stroke Roo's and Cate and I held a koala!! Cute as!!

The next morning we caught the train to Clevedon to spend the day with Sam (Brent's best friend from Australia). We spent the day at North Stradbrooke Island swimming and surfing. Gaz and Cate were in awe at the beautiful beaches and warm waters, was so pleased for them to see the 'real East Coast' away from the cities. Back to Brisi for the night and for a big, well deserved chinese before getting an early night. Next morning we caught the Greyhound up to Noosa which is where we were for 4 days staying with Sam at his holiday home. It was beautiful. A huge 5 bedroom mansion near the beach where we could lay in our own double beds and see and hear koala's outside and feed parrots on the porch, it was amazing. So we chillaxed for 4 days walking through the National Park visiting difference beaches, we went to Devil's Kitchen (AKA Brently Bay), Sunshine Beach, Little Cove etc. We had some good old Aussie BBQ's and fires on the beach with melted marshmallows dipped in melted chocolate - it was the life!!

We eventually said our goodbyes to Sam (Cate and I will be seeing him again in a few weeks) and headed to Hervey Bay so visit the World Famous Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world. What an experience that was!! We grouped with 6 other people (4 English guys and 2 Sweeds), hired a 4x4 and bombed up and down the dunes and beaches for 2 night and 3 days. We camped on the beaches listening to the waves crashing against the shore and looked onto the most beautiful night skys we've ever seen. There are loads of dingo's on the island but fortunately we didn't run into any trouble with them! The fresh water lakes on the island are beautiful and we enjoyed many a dip in them, couldn't swim in the sea there though as it is the largest breeding area for Tiger Sharks in the world, not a good idea! A surfer took his chances about a month ago, and never came back!!

So again, we survived the Fraser experience and loved every minute of it though it was good to get back to civilisation last night and have a 'real bed' for the night. We had just about had enough of the sand in our food, or 'Beach Sugar' as Brent would call it, and were glad to get back to Hervey. This is where I am now and we are leaving tonight to head to Airlie for our 2 days and 2 night of Whitsunday Sailing, not bad hey!! Really looking forward to it and are hoping the weather will stay as its been so far, gorgeous and hot.

Going to log off now and upload some more pics for you all so I hope you enjoy. Thanks again for your messages, makes me feel that little closer to home when I hear from you. Miss you all very much, much love Sara xxxxxxxxxxxxx