Our short flight up to Brisbane from Sydney went very smoothly but then the wheels sort of fell off everything. We were first of all delayed in picking up the hire car and then set off north out of Brisbane expecting the roads to be fairly empty - WRONG ! ! We spent 2 ½ hours in a traffic jam travelling…………56km due to an overturned « road train » ( huge truck + trailer). By then it was getting dark and we'd not booked anything in advance so abandonned our plan to travel as far as Gympie and headed for the coastal town of Noosa expecting to find the usually assortment of affordable motels/hotels - WRONG AGAIN ! !

First problem was it was by now pitch black and the non existant signs and street lights in a very upmarket resort we immediately sensed was purpose built for the « beautiful people ». It was a sort of cross between the Cote d'Azur and Florida and in the dark finding our way around was a real challenge. Then finding a bed for the night without having to sell Les Eaux de Vaux to pay for it posed a few problems. But we eventually found a place which was ok and affordable, did a bit of shopping for the next days breakfast and picnic and went out for something to eat. By now it was 08-45pm. The « beautiful people » (and Australians in general - just like in NZ) had already eaten and were home in bed. All restaurants closed. So we ended up back in our hotel eating the next days picnic ! ! !

Next day we re-visited everything we'd stumbled upon in the dark the night before and went for a very nice walk along the headland from Noosa. There was a lot of « traffic » with « beautiful people » doing their morning jog so we didn't feel like we were on a big wildlife adventure. That was until a huge Iguana (giant lizard - 70cm long) came calmly walking down the path towards us. We've since found out they're quite common but nevertheless coming across one ambling towards you is a bit of a shock to say the least. Mind you not half as big a shock as 500M further on where Vod fortunately spotted the snake basking on the path just a couple of steps before she was about to tread on it. You could easily have thought it was a branch on the path. It wasn't a fully grown snake but passers by confirmed it was an Eastern Brown Snake - one of the most venemous snakes in the world ! !

We were not sad to move on from Noosa - not our sort of place. Other than the deadly wildlife, it could have been any upmarket resort in the world.

Next stop Bundaberg. A suprisingly big and suprisingly flat town. Famous for the oceans of sugar cane that surround it and the rum and ginger beer they make with the sugar cane. It reminded us a lot of towns in the american midwest.

We were here for the turtles and we were not disappointed. After dark we had booked our spot at the local turtle beach called « Mon Repos » and waited for the turtles to show up to lay their eggs in the moonlight and hopefully also for eggs laid previously to hatch and to see the little baby turtles scurrying down the beach in the bright moonlight. No guarantee of either but we were lucky and got to see both. We saw the enormous mother turtle digging a hole and laying her eggs and then the tiny baby turtles from another nest Vod even gave a hand in relocating the 119 eggs our turtle had laid to a safer spot up the beach where the tide was less likely to wash them away.

Now on to the Great Barrier Reef. Most people fly to Cairns to visit the northern end of the Reef but as it is several hundred/thousand km long we decided to visit it at its southern tip where it was far less commercialised or crowded. The town we headed for is called « The Town of 1770 » named after the year Captain Cook landed there, the first place a European ever set foot in Australia and in order to mend his ship which he had seriously damaged « discovering » the Great Barrier Reef ! ! !

We had a very nicely appointed cabin in the woods teeming with wildlife and birds - only blot being the SANDFLIES - the Australian version. Unlike in NZ where you can see them and you certainly know from the pain that you've been bitten, the ones here you virtually never see, they seem to be totally unbothered by insect repellant, you never feel the bite, you just get swellings which itch for days and days. No mosquitos just these damn things which can bite you any time of the day & night. As in NZ they of course don't bite the locals, only tender skinned tourists.

So whilst getting bitten to death without knowing it (until later) we tried « bush tucker » (aboriginal food) for the first time - or at least the modern version. Kangaroo kebabs on the barbecue. Although very low in fat and cholesterol it was not our favourite meat. Very tough with a very distinctive, hard to describe flavour. But we'll probably try the sausages - called « Kanga Bangas » ! ! ! !

Next day it was the trip to the Barrier Reef - Lady Musgrave Island. An amazing little atoll 45km offshore, comptely surrounded by its own reef with a gap in the coral just big enough to get our boat into the lagoon. It was a somewhat bumpy 1 ½ hours to get there and a lot of the 115 people on the boat were sea sick but amazing sights when we got there. Snorkelling along the reef the fish were amazing and Vod got to see some turtles who would be laying their eggs on the beach that night. We also got to visit the island - and be shown the next deadly australian species. Poisonous seacones which have a venemous barb containing neuro-toxins which can kill you in 4 min - and they're all over the beach on the island ! ! ! Tom HHHHHHhanks ( film Castaway ) would have been dead in hours ! ! !

Following day we had a relaxing day visiting 1770 and the neighbouring town of Agnes Water. This included Vod walking the completely deserted beach ( deserted no doubt due to the poisonous Box Jelly Fish and sharks which swim in the water ! ) then a glorious sunset over the headland and the bonus was a couple of wallabies which also came out to admire the sunset. Photography was difficult in the twilight but we got very close to them.

This last weekend we have had a very pleasant time in a town called Tin Can Bay. It's very close to Fraser Island, a 70km sand island that is a world heritage site. Fraser Island has no roads, only sand tracks + beach driving and is only open to 4WD vehicles. It has beautiful freshwater lakes and abundant wildlife - but unfortunately 350 000 vistors per year as well. It would be perfect if we had the Land Rover Discovery with us - but we don't - and to hire a 4WD vehicle + ferry ticket + national park entry would have cost a fortune. We had instead a great day on the mainland, walking in the woods, swimming in sand lakes, being eaten by sandflies, saw lots of wildlife etc - exactly as if we'd gone to Fraser Island except that it cost nothing and we were all on our own, no crowds no 4WD traffic jams. Perfect end to the day with locally caught fresh fish and huge tiger prawns on the barbecue.

So that's the end of our adventure in Queensland - and btw it has been so HOT. Queensland was hotter than Alice Springs yesterday ( 35° vs 32° ) so we're well prepared for our journey through the « hot centre » of Australia which begins Tuesday.