Byron Bay (New South Wales NSW) to Noosa (Queensland QLD)

Tuesday 9th December – Wednesday 17th December

Gold Coast

After leaving Byron Bay we arrived in Tweed Heads of the night we stayed in the van as the place was full of mozzies. When all the mozzies were in bed we left Tweed heads on Wednesday 10th December the surf was poo and blown out so we had a couple of games of mini-golf which was won both the course was awesome Corinne got 3 holes-in-one and Wolfie got 7 they done this wicked thing called an ice-berg which was a slush-puppy with soft serve ice cream on top very nice. In the afternoon we went to the Hard Rock Café and got pin badges, cocktails and nachos. We spent a good while looking around surfers paradise which is anything but a paradise. In the evening we checked into the campsite and hit the pool with the slides before watching a film when then ever reoccurring storms appeared yet again.

On Thursday 11th December we got some funky camper Christmas decorations before going to harbor town to get some Christmas shopping was a little bit like Cheshire oaks but a lot better. We had some snapper (fish) for tea that night along with another big dirty grey sky storm (see blog picture).

Brisbane

After a little bit of a slow start on Friday 12th December we went into Brisbane and went to do the fourXXXX tour in the brewery. Was great but not as good as the one in Amsterdam, we did get to taste some nice beer at the end including a wooden cask beer and we had a couple of games of pool. After Corinne got Wolfie’s xmas presents from the gift shop we went to look around Brisbane. The city was very festive with carol singers, nice decorations and a huge Christmas tree. The city wasn’t bad but similar to other cities, in the evening we met up with Richard our old housemate for a couple of drinks to catch up and see how he was enjoying his new job. We left it too late to get on a campsite so once close enough to Australia Zoo we found a Travelodge type place and checked in for the night. It was so nice to have a posh bed for the night with good air-con and for Corinne spider free bathroom.

Australia Zoo

Saturday 13th December was Australia Zoo visit day for us and a busy day it was (we didn’t even stop for lunch). The best thing about Australia Zoo is the hands on approach as you walk around there are zoo staff stood around with different animals so that you can get up close with reptiles, birds and mammals. Just inside the entrance this time around was a bluetongue lizard called raptor! Which we got to stroke! We then had a talk on the Aldabran land tortoises which were huge. After looking around for a while we watched the croc and wildlife show awesome! It had free flying parrots and other birds! Snakes and off course the huge crocs.

We read some of the tributes and gifts on the Steve Irwin memorial boards under the seating of his Crocoseum before going off for our Echidna encounter which was cool, we got to feed and get up close to them Wolfie at one point had 4 off them all around him. The echidnas names were prickle, fatty, 3foot, tippy, dame and yella they had these real long tongues that wrapped around your fingers was wicked. Late into the afternoon we walked around the croc pens, seen the dingoes, tassie devils and wombats before helping to feed the Asian elephants. When closing time came at 4.30 we were knackered and hungry and in need of a shower. On the way to the campsite we stopped at the big pineapple took some pics and made our way to Machodrye on the Sunshine Coast.

Sunshine Coast

We went for a bit of a drive, Wolfie had a surf and we looked around the local market on Sunday 14th December. After a couple of hours on the beach we found a cinema and watched Madagascar 2 which nearly made us wet ourselves its so funny. In the evening once checked in at the Noosa campsite we went to the local Christmas fair with a band sausage sizzle and half decent fire works show. Back at the campsite in the evening we had some food and wine!

Wolfie broke the fridge on the morning of 15th December when trying to take off the 2 inch layer of ice that had formed because it was working doubly hard in the growing heat and humidity. We went for a walk in the Noosa national park and watched another amazing sunset so many now have lost count. When it was dark we lay on the beach watching the stars trying to figure out the constellations.

Short trip back to Brisbane on Tuesday 16th to get a new fridge on the way back stopped at the ginger factory with the giant ginger man, had some tea out at one of the many picnic places there were so many corellas (a type of cockatoo) and lorikeets nesting it was hard to hear yourself talk was pretty cool though.

After a look around a different part of the town and the realisation of the lack of surf we left Noosa and headed north for the tropic of Capricorn!