Day 87 Surfers Paradise

Penny was unfortunately crook today and needed an easy day, so I took the kids and headed to Surfers Paradise for the day. The weather was terrible - a howling south easter and intermittent rain. So guess what the kids went swimming.

After the swim we got changed and had some lunch. The kids also enjoyed a walk up Cavill Avenue and some ice creams before we headed off home.

Richard

Day 86 Coomera (Movie World)

The day the kids were all hanging out for - 'Movie World'.

Richie and I went on the Superman escape ride. Flickie was about 2cm too short. Richie loved it, I felt giddy and disorientated. I think I'm fast approaching the point where the kids are keener than I am for these sort of things.

We caught up with lots of characters including Mystery Inc., Flash, Batman, Austin Powers, Green Lantern and Marylin Monroe. We also hit up the Scooby do ride and watched the stunt cars exhibition.

It was a great day of fun and there is no better way of finishing up with one last stomach dropping ride- "The Batwing Spaceshot".
Penny was feeling sick just looking at it, Little Rich was undecided whether to go on, Bridget was wanting but too short. Flickie was ready and awaiting, she needed to be accompanied by an adult- Lucky Dad.

The picture below tells the story.....

Day 85 Brisbane to Coomera

Time to pack up and depart the most luxurious campsite so far (Dan and Jul's house). Took a while to break camp as we had managed to cart quite a bit inside over the three days and it all had to go back in the camper.

Today we travelled just down the road to Coomera (Gold Coast) to my Uncle Rob's and Aunnty Barb's place. On arrival we also caught up with my cousin Chelsea, husband Andrew and their sons Torby and Spencer. First item on the agenda for the boys was a quick dash down to the local tavern to sample the local ale on tap and then back to the house for a BBQ.

Oh yes we also got to meet the two hounds that reside there too - just another wedge to drive Dad to get the kids a dog when we get home....

Richard

Day 84 Brisbane

Little Richie had been looking forward to this day, free tickets to the cricket courtesy of Uncle Scotty.

The normal scheduled start was 10am, however, due to lost time from rain they re-scheduled to 930am. We thought this might happen so we planned to meet there at 930am. Would you believe that the new Victorian bowler, James Pattinson got three wickets (nearly a hat trick while we were on our way in and we missed it (I think it went something like .w.ww. and the last dot ball nearly got a fourth wicket.)

Anyway despite missing all of that we had a good day admiring the cricket and the scenery, and watching Australia whip the Kiwis. After the game Richie was able to meet and take photos with some of the players.

And yes - one of them being "Punter"

Day 83 Brisbane

Saturday morning, the kids were up early, relaxing in front of the T.V. catching up with all of the reruns on Foxtel. By mid morning, we were able to feed them and move them out of the front door to a local free water park. The kids also had a swim at the seaside pool where Richie was doing a freestyle lap but swam staright into the concrete wall head first and grazed his scone. We headed back to Dan and Jul's to prepare for the late afternoon B.B.Q. We were catching up with old Queensland friends Cam and Tracy, who we had not seen for 12 years. Uncle Scotty who was in Brisbane for the first test- Australia vs New Zealand, also came along. The kids were very excited about see Uncle Scotty. Dan and Jul's son Nickolas was having a great time playing with the kids too.

Day 82 Brisbane

After a late arrival into Brisbane, it was a slow start to the day.
The kids were still very excited about staying in a 'House with a T.V' and even better 'Foxtel'.
After setting up the camper in Dan and Jul's driveway, we decided today's adventure was a ferry ride to Southbank.

It was a lovely ride on the Brisbane River

We stopped for a quick bite to eat at Southbank. It was very quiet at Southbank and there seemed to be more ibis than peolpe (the ibis were very keen on eating our leftovers even before they were our leftovers)

Day 81 Rainbow Beach to Noosa to Brisbane

Today we kicked off and were going to drop in at Seary Creek on the way our of Rainbow Beach but there was zero room for a car towing a caravan at the carpark, so on we went to Noosa.

We grabbed some supplies from Noosaville, and really noticed how busy it all was. Not used to having so many people and traffic around.

We had lunch down at the main beach followed by a quick swim in the surf

After lunch we went and visited some old friends from Melbourne, Scott and Kylie and kids. Had a couple of beers while the kids got acquainted in the pool. We then pushed on to Brisbane rather lateish and pulled up at Dan and Jule's house for the night. Off to bed, long day.

Day 79- Tairo to Rainbow Beach

Rainbow beach was the destination today and we pulled in there just before lunch and whipped up some burgers on the BBQ. We'd had a tip to visit the Carlo Sand Blow just on the south side of town, so there we went. It was a huge sand dune that ran over the hill from the ocean side and ran down the other side of the hill towards Tin Can Bay.

While we were walking back 2 hang glider dudes came in to land and take off again right where we were walking - all very exciting.

In the late afternoon we drove along the beach, which is always fun and pulled up where there looked like a nice gutter for some surf fishing....

I caught one small Dart and released it but not without a couple of winged predators checking if they could grab it in the surf. Once we realised this I gave the kids some of my mullet bait and they waved it in the air and then threw it up for the birds to dive in. Penny got some close up photos, that we latered identified with our bird book.

White bellied sea eagle

Brahiminy Kite

Then the action started with rsurf rod bending over and line peeling off. Richie was closest and started yelling "Dad, Dad".

After a gruelling fight in the waves I dragged in what we believe was a black finned shark. (That can I say made very good dinner).

Day 78 1770 to Tiaro

Packing up at 1770 was a big one as we had to pack up the boat and rods and bring them up from the beach on top of the normal van pack up. Got some shots from the lookout before we left near the bay where botanist Joseph Banks came ashore.

Bundaberg was our next stop with a key stopover being the Bundaberg Rum distillery (well at least dad was keen).

We did the tour, but you couldn't take your camera in, because they don't allow anything with a battery that might cause a spark. Their product tends to burn very well as the plant has discovered a couple of times during it's history. One fire from a lightning strike resulted in rum flowing in to the local river. Apparently the river had a blue flame across it for days.

The distillery gets molasses from the Bundaberg Sugar Mill across the road.

At the end of the tour we did get a couple of free drinks each at the bar. I sampled Bundy draft (a smooth bundy and coke on tap).

After some Subway lunch we headed south again bypassing Hervey Bay and staying inland at a place called Petrie Park (free camp) in the town of Tiaro. It was good to head inland again and stay on a river bank and the spot was great.

The kids were amused wrestling in the water and looking for fresh water mussels. At night we were entertained by a tawny frogmouth owl hanging around camp.

Richard

Day 77 1770

Beautiful day at 1770 with the kids really starting to make the most of the days getting up at 5am, not that mum and dad did. (Daylight savings was starting to become really attractive). Anyway, there was some fishing and beach activities to be had.

The fishing was surprisingly poor but all enjoyed tripping around in the boat (thanks Ray).

Once again the wildlife was not shy and you had to watch your food.

And alas we had to suffer yet another terrible sunset

Richard

Day 76 Yeppoon to 1770

On the way out of Yeppoon we went the tourist route via Emu Park, which was a quaint little coastal town with some nice looking surf beaches that I wouldn't mind surf fishing one day. At the lookout we came across a big flock of black cockatoos. I hadn't seen them in a group that large before.

We arrived at 1770 with a booking at the caravan park at the point. We did however check out Workman's beach on the way to see if it was better and bumped into the Irish couple we met at Kurrimine beach. Anyway the caravan park turned out great, another site with ocean views.

Richie and I headed off for the first fishing expedition at 1770 and while I was pumping nippies (bait) on a big sand bar, Richie started yelling out from where the boat was beached. Apparently he had hooked a shark which had then busted him off at the back of the boat. Well it wasn't lng before I landed this shovel nose shark on my whiting gear - probably the same fish, but we didn't find Richie's hook. We took a photo using my phone and released him back to the depths.

After a big day it was nice to watch the sunset over the water from the shores of the caravan park. This is a bit unique for the east coast but possible as 1770 is on the tip of a north pointing penninsula.

Richard

Day 75 Yeppoon

Well our second day in Yeppoon started very early with all the kids up at about 6am for young Jovi's birthday. Carrie (Jovi's mum) had been up at 4.30am I think to put up balloons and streamers in the BBQ area. Then there was the kite flying on the beach to test out one of the birthday presents. And cake at about 8am would you believe.

After all that we headed off to the Yeppoon marina and a national park on the point which provided some great views. The kids needed some encouragement to get up the hill so I stripped a thin branch of leaves and whipped them just a little bit.

On the opposite side of the point to the marina there was a nice beach so we were compelled to have a swim and search for shells

On the way home we stopped at a shell exhibition, where Richie bought a stingray barb as a souvenir.

Once back at camp there was the main birthday present - a guy who came around to provide a surf board for Jovi.

Lucky for all the kids as everyone got a go....

Day 74 Cape Hillsborough to Yeppoon

On the way out of Cape Hillsborough we stopped at a Mangrove boardwalk. It was interesting walking through what started a bit rain foresty then turned to mangroves quite quickly. Initially the ground was dry and we commented that we thought there would be more water. Then all of a sudden there was this long wall of water (not very high but long) that we noticed motoring towards us. It was the tide coming through the trees and undergrowth. Just as well we were on a boardwalk because in a matter of minutes the whole area was a foot deep. What was also amazing was the number of fish that were pushing through as the water did. I'll put a photo in, but it doesn't really show what happened.

We then stopped at a place called Clareview on the coast to have some lunch but you couldn't even buy bread there, so it was a quick toilet stop then off again. There were some long very boring stretches where they even put trivia questions on signs on the side of the road to keep drivers from crashing. One was - What is the highest mountain in Qld? Do you know?

Eventually we made it to a small town called Malborough for some lunch. Right at the front of town was the motor mechanic 'Malborough Motors', but no Malborough Man anywhere to be seen.

A 50c cone at Rockhampton then onto our final destination for the day - Yeppoon. The kids were very excited to get to the caravan park at Yeppoon (Beachfront site)and run around crazy on the beach. The running around was so crazy, Teya (one of the kids we'd met up with, that we've mentioned in earlier blogs) nearly knocked me out while playing frisbee shortly after dusk on the beach. 2 bloodied and puffy lips later, it reminded of a night after Blazers (a Werribee nightclub) where a big Maori decided I needed a hiding.

Oh yes and I forgot to mention we found the biggest grasshopper we've ever seen - check this out.

Day 73 Airlie Beach to Cape Hillsborough

Travelled to Cape Hillsborough area unsure of exactly where we would camp. There were a number of national parks camp spot options. When we saw the resort (caravan park) at the actual cape we couldn't help ourselves, paid a little extra and pitched camp there. This was apparently where the kangaroos get down on the beach.
We did not see any on the beach but there was a number of them who liked to watch you hang washing on the line

After the home duties were completed , we decided to go for a walk along the beach. The lady at the reception of the park said that at low tide you can walk across to the nearby island, that sounded like fun.
The first part of the trip was lovely, nice flat sandy beaches.

The crossing to the island was not so nice, rocks covered in sharp broken mussel shells and if there was no rocks, there was thick mud that you would sink in to up to your ankles.
There was a fear that we may return from this trip with one less child.

Bridget continued to slowly walk and talk about what Bear Grylls would do to get out of this mess.
After only making it half way across and the tide starting to head back in, we decided to heading back to the mainland.
This adventure had been too big for us in our thongs.

That night the resort was alive with wildlife and they were not shy.

Day 72 Airlie Beach

We planned to go to Shute Harbour this morning and do a walk around the national park as well. The harbour was quite impressive with a deep turquoise colour, eventhough it was an overcast day.

The girls weren't that keen so Richie and I did the walk to Coral Beach and the lookout. The beach was made completely of dead coral pieces just piled up high over many years.

The rains swept in from the ocean however and drowned us, but who cares when it's 32 degrees.

Later on that evening we went fishing off the wharf and hooked onto a Giant Trevally. I thought we may have lost Bridgey over the side when the reel screamed and she was the closest and tried to grab the rod, but it was jammed into the wharf hard enough that she couldn't get it out. Unfortunately though it threw the hook when it ran back towards us. Oh well - it was fun for a little while.


Richard

Day 71 Gutherunga to Airlie Beach

Headed off from our overnight stay in paradise truck stop and stopped in at Bowen for a look. There was a small harbour complete with fishing boats and Fish Co-ops that sold fresh fish straight off the boat, so we grabbed a couple of fillets. We also managed to find the local bakery snaffling some cream buns for morning tea.

It was then off to Airlie Beach, gateway to the Whitsunday Islands. Coming over the rise into Airlie Beach was quite amazing as the blue water loomed in front. Drove through the main street which we found lined with 'Schoolies'. We set up camp at a Caravan Park called Flame Tree Caravan Park which was halfway between Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour. It was cheap and really quite nice. We found out why when planes started taking off from the other side of the fence.

We went back down to the main street for a swim at the lagoon (it seems most major towns have these when you have to face stingers and crocs), then a walk around town, some ice creams and back to camp.

That night we drove out to a point where you could view the sun setting over Airlie Beach.

We cooked up some tucker at the camp kitchen and mixed with a number of back packers. Had a long chat with an english guy and 2 english girls all travelling togther in a van (thought about what the scenario there was a bit). Then off to bed.

Richard