Tannum Sands QLD to Airlie Beach QLD

KMS Today: 615.5 Kms

KMS Total: 4945.6 Kms

 

WHITSUNDAYS!

Awake before our alarms this morning after a terrible night sleep. Packed up and on the road by 6:30am. While Mike brushed his teeth and I packed away a few things, I watched a duck-type bird waddle through our site with six ducklings in tow. Lapping up water from the overnight rain, she quacked her orders at them, keeping them in line.

As we drove into the area the night before, we noticed many houses undergoing repairs from the floods that devastated the coast for the second year in a row. It is sobering to see people living their lives under tarpaulin ceilings stretched like glad wrap over gaping holes in their roofs.

Some may have lost their homes completely; we same many rebuilds as well.

 

…

Driving out of Tannum Sands Holiday Park, I chuckled to myself at the spare tyre covers a caravan sported. The first:

 

“Adventure Before Dementia.”

 

The second,

 

“Yes. I’m retired! Now, give me a discount.”

 

Aussie humour at its best.

 

…

We passed through Gladstone quite early and enjoyed breakfast there. Driving out through completely spoiled scenery. Lush cane-fields are framed by a coal plant and a sugar-refinery.

We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn at 9:30am, and in case you didn’t realize you had, they have named everything in the region “Capricorn” to help you out.

With the sky overcast and the wind cool, it was a very pleasant drive, the kind that warrants very loud music and your head stuck out the window. With a plan to finally find somewhere we could stay for a couple of days rather than the quick overnighter, we mainlined for Airlie Beach.

The drive from Rockhampton to Mackay is really beautiful.  The landscape opens up and, sparsely covered, skeletal gum trees dot the horizon. Tall mountains with pointed peaks spring up like pyramids. Thick with foliage they appear blue in the shadow of the clouds. Hawks circle above looking for fresh roadkill.

This stretch is quite long; not in terms of Australia, which is essentially just a network of excessively long roads, but as far as this trip goes. There are hardly any places to stop off but this only improves the view.

Many people told us to check out Mackay. I guess it would be a nice place to live with the sunny weather but I honestly couldn’t wait to see the back of the place. Effectively one long retail strip undergoing consistent roadworks, it looked like a construction site.

We chose to end the day in The Whitsundays. In terms of holiday destinations it is really hard to beat. Airlie Beach itself is largely under construction but has a lot of charm and topless backpackers. We stay a little further back in Cannonvale. With the grocery store within walking distance we are able to finally dump the car and leave it for an hour or two and we are spoilt for things to do in the park as it is more of a resort. A welcome difference from Tannum Sands.

Deciding it is too hot to write any more tonight, we are dripping sweat, I will abandon the post here for a swim and maybe even get a load of our putrid washing done.

Bargara QLD to Tannum Sands QLD

Bundy Beer Barrell

KMS Today: 426.0 Kms

KMS Total: 4330.4 Kms

A few dramas moneywise this morning. With all of our funds tied up in NZ and with zero access to them (long story) we spent the better half of a day organizing telegraphic transfers; riveting stuff.

Getting into Bundaberg so early however, did afford is the opportunity to see the town a bit more and walk around. Embracing any opportunity to not be cooped up in the car, we wandered for quite some time. Once the banking situation was sorted we headed straight to the Bundaberg Beer Barrel to see how Bundaberg Ginger Beer is made. We were able to sample some of each of the drinks that the factory produces, but the girl pouring the samples did so in such a way that we had to slam them back like shots to be done in time for the next taste. After sampling the first four in this way, the rest began to blur into a carbonated mess of ginger and guava.

To make up for so much time spent in Bundy, we set out to clear a few hundred km’s. Taking the road to Gin Gin we stumbled upon the interestingly named “Mystery Craters.” Paying $7.50 each, we are lead through a small, somewhat dilapidated reception to what must be the saddest tourist attraction I have ever come across. So sad in fact, I would have paid $30 each to see it. For what we had expected to stretch for many kilometres and both stun and amaze, was in fact a series of puddles covering the length of a back garden. The crackling speaker system with an informative and blatantly occa presenter taunted us with possibility. “What caused these craters, no one knows. Many scientists have been stunned by their splendor. The boffins are baffled. Could it have been meteors or something more sinister? Aliens perhaps?” I cannot attest that these are the exact words of the crackle box, but I do swear that ‘the boffins are baffled’ is in fact the attractions tagline and are featured on the hand-painted sign at the front entrance. Mike was enthralled by the place.

The kindly woman manning the front desk perhaps summed up our experience of the region best. We asked her what her opinion of the area was. Her response:

“Bundaberg is full of rum, sugarcane and retired people. Too many.”

Indeed, the ‘Grey Army’ do infiltrate these towns like ants, craving comfortable seating and tea. We stopped for lunch at Gin Gin bakery where we were once again the only travellers under 70 and somehow found room for more ginger beer. Driving right through to Tannum Sands, just before Gladstone, we were eager for a little rest and peace in what was set to be a nice little coastal sleeper. Instead we had the worst stay of our trip so far. We were not enthused about the experience at all.

We paid $40 to stay in Tannum Sands. Not a lot of money by any stretch, but for an unpowered plot of dirt in a caravan park backing onto a major highway, it was robbery. Being the only caravan park in Tannum Sands, we assume that the owner was playing his own little game of monopoly and squirrelling away as much as he could extract from tired campers.

Putting us at the back of the park separated from a long row of cabins by a small service road, we had effectively paid $40 to spend the night in the front yard of 42 Irish road-workers who had just finished work for the week and were enjoying extended knock-off drinks. Their first game of beer pong commenced at 6pm. Not so much bothered by the drunkenness, it was the noise that was incredible. We weren’t even invited to join them.

Just to top off the keg-fest we had stumbled into, it poured rain. I don’t mean a little bit of Adelaide rain, or a light shower. The rain we endured was pure, unadulterated QLD bullet rain that proceeded to fall in buckets out of the sky until the wee hours, much like the beer that fuelled the guys behind us.

After the screeching bats the night before, it is a safe assumption that sleep deprivation is a real and present damper. It also makes for fantastic arguments in the car over who chose the God awful place as a stop-over.

The next morning an odd kind of bird turned up on our campsite. It looked like it was half Kookaburra, half magpie. We have rather scientifically name it a ‘kookapie’ and it will remain thus until we can find out what it really is.

Tin Can Bay QLD to Bargara QLD

KMS Today: 426.0 Kms

KMS Total: 3904.4 Kms

Our day started rather roughly today. Firstly, in a bid to be helpful and pack the car while Mike was in the shower, I hurriedly put things in the car. As Mike returned, I leant into the car really fast to get the last bag away. As I did this, I misjudged and smacked my head on the car door-frame. I saw stars.

Moving on from this because it is common for me to hit my head, we packed up the tent. Nagging Mike for the tenth time to make sure that all of the excess tent fabric was well clear of the zip, I cringed as he got it caught for the third time this week. Fighting over the problem didn’t seem to help, so Mike pulled the zip as hard as possible. Here I am worrying that he might rip the tent, but he actually manages to snap the metal eye of the zip leaving the base still on the track of the zip, still jammed. We finally managed to get the fabric free and the zip still functions, just in a particularly annoying way. Mike’s new nickname is “Von Zipper”.

We still managed to get on the road by 7am and took the tourist drive out to Rainbow Beach for breakfast.

After a feast and some really delicious coffee, we hit the beach for a morning swim. So excited to hit the surf, I didn’t realize that my sunnies were still on my head. As I dove deep into a perfect, crisp wave, they were knocked off my head and sucked out with the undertow. The water was beautiful and warm, and although losing my sunglasses sucked, I can’t say that I regret diving in.

Taking the advice of a rather chatty man we had met the night before, we took the car around to Inskip Point. Finding we couldn’t actually drive up to the beach with a 4WD, we took in the natural bush and then looped back to Tin Can Bay to the Bruce Highway.

With full bellies and refreshed from our swim, we wanted to put away a few kilometres. Aiming directly for Hervey Bay, we stuck to the highway most of the afternoon. To me, Hervey Bay is like a coastal shopping strip. The beach is very pretty but to get there you have to deal with a lot of traffic. We found the scenery to be a lot like most cities, in that the scenery is mostly in primary colours; McDonalds, KFC, Red Rooster. It was quite stressful being back in such a busy place.

…

As we head through Central Queensland, I notice how much the scenery has already begun to change. The soil, once yellow is now a deep ochre red, exposed in patches beneath lush green sugarcane. The sun is much more intense here, with dry sun and warm thick air. The temperature sits between 24 and 27 degrees all day and night. The humidity wanes as the cloud cover builds, then bursts with rain or moves on. The side of the highway is coated in red dust and as it blows across the white lines of the road it stains them, as though they are rusty.

We drive all the way to Bundaberg and set our eyes on the Bundaberg Ginger Beer Barrel. We will visit there tomorrow.

Taking a scenic drive around Port Bundaberg, exporters offer cheap seafood “plucked fresh from the sea” and rows of yachts held in yards line the marina. The drive around to Burnett Heads is only a few minutes from the Port and the water is cerulean and still.

Our stop for the night is in Bargara and offers warm water, no stingers and enough time for a lengthy twilight swim.

…

Our camp set up, a golden retriever visits our tent for pats and leaves in a hurry when he licks the insect repellant on my leg by mistake.

Two minute noodles for dinner, cooked under a clear starry sky and at least 20 fruit bats. They circle and fight in the trees around our tent. They are loud and very smelly, but let’s face it, with all this time outdoors, living out of the car, so am I. I kinda like ‘em.

Landsborough QLD to Tin Can Bay QLD

KMS Today: 190 Kms

KMS Total: 3478.4 Kms

Our first stop today was in Mooloolaba after following the Sunshine Coast through Caloundra. Along the wharf that houses Underwater World, we drank lattes and shared scones with cream and jam. It all felt very civilized after our BBQ meat feasts of recent weeks.

We walked into Underwater World as it opened and bought the additional tickets for the behind the scenes tour of the Turtle Hospital.

After seeing the seals and the otters, we walked three times through the shark and manta ray tanks so that I could watch the sea turtles. They were very big, beautiful green sea turtles and every single one in the tank had been found sick or injured with floating disease. This means that as happy as I was to be able to see so many of them, it would be a far better sign for the species if the tanks were empty.

The main pattern we are starting to notice about the places we have gravitated towards were all founded in an effort to conserve a species.

• The Pet Porpoise Pool rescues injured Green Sea Turtles, seals and dolphins.
• Steve McEwan teaches snake and reptile awareness to reduce human fatalities and also reduce the number of snakes killed by humans when they are better left alone.
• Australia Zoo protects and offers education about Qld’s Koala population decline and they also work the 511 Tiger conservation effort. They have calculated that it only costs $5 to keep 1 tiger alive in the wild for 1 day.
• Underwater World rescues and returns all viable sea turtles back to the ocean.

I am glad we haven’t given any money to parks that hold these animals for entertainment only.

…

The behind the scenes tour at Underwater World was truly eye-opening. It broke my heart. These poor turtles, some as old as 50 years of age float in tanks unable to submerge themselves because they have air pockets trapped in their shells. This is caused by the rubbish we dump in the ocean being eaten by the turtles causing a bloat. If the turtles can’t submerge themselves, they can’t eat, dehydrate, get sunburnt and are exposed to sharks and starvation. It was awful to see the true reality of what our waste can do to such defenseless animals. They have such sad eyes. It is awful.

…

Leaving Mooloolaba we take a scenic drive through the Sunshine Coast up to busy Noosa. For such a small place, it sure holds a lot of people. Nestled right in the rainforest, spilling out onto the beach it is a very pretty town.

We wound our way back to the highway through Pomona and Kin Kin. The roads are lined with European Pine. Once native bushland, these hectares were packed with perfect rows of tall evergreens. It has s certain beauty to it but it is a shame to see so much native land bulldozed for it. It made me wonder about all of the koalas that may have lived there before and had to relocate. I could see the point they were trying to make at Australia Zoo.

It still seems unusual to me that we can be culling koalas on Kangaroo Island because there are too many and yet the koalas in QLD are almost extinct. The presenter of the koala ‘cuddles’ explained that the species differ so much that they don’t relocate well and if you move them from there homes, say from KI to QLD, they have a tendency to die. How awful.

…

Cutting inland to Gympie we refuel and cut back to the coast in the direction of Tin Can Bay. So far this trip has involved a lot of zig-zagging inland and then back out to the coast. It can get frustrating if looking far a beach for a quick swim, but it has given us a better picture if the differing landscapes Australia has to offer.

We camped in a perfect spot to watch a tropical thunderstorm push in towards us then swing around. We were grateful not to get caught in a downpour while we set up the tent. We did, however, enjoy the lightning show.

While preparing dinner, I began to notice little pricks on my skin like pins and needles. The sun was just setting so I looked for mosquitoes, but there were none to be found. Figuring I had just imagined it I kept cooking. As the bites started to worsen and cover my entire body I got out the torch to look closer. There, on my wrist are what we have now dubbed the “little bastards.” I am told these are called sandflies or ‘midges.’ I hate them. There better be none in the tent. I look like I have chicken pox and am covered.

…

We are about to crawl into the tent for a sleep. I intend to drown my sleeping bag in Bushman’s; a particularly potent brand of insect repellant.

Night all.

X

Evans Head NSW to Landsborough QLD

KMS Today: 314.2 Kms

KMS Total: 3288.4 Kms

Getting a head start in the day, we were out of the park by 7am. Driving clear to Byron Bay, we went looking for somewhere nice to have breakfast. Byron Bay is my kind of town; bustling, young, full of hot surfies and coffee shops. But Mike likes it a bit quieter in the mornings so we cruise on to chilled out Brunswick Heads.

We find a nice little bakery and eat on the river. Keen to cross the border today, we cover as much ground as we can, staying on the highway clear through Coolangatta, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. We drove solidly until we reached Australia Zoo at the foot of the Glass House Mountains.

It has always been on my bucket list to get out to Australia Zoo. When I was younger I watched so many of Steve Irwin’s TV shows and went to the cinema to see his movie. It was truly a fantastic zoo. Still, nothing has topped the Coffs Harbour Pet Porpoise Pool, but this did run a close second. The tiger show was excellent. The trainers were all very friendly. We did catch some bad weather unfortunately. The rain was so heavy and the thunder so loud, some of the animals had to be put away. Still, we got to feed some apple segments to an elephant and see some highly venomous snakes in their tanks.

I loved it.

Despite spending half of our day at the zoo, and half of that time sheltering from the storm, we covered a lot of ground today. This leaves us lots of time to explore the Sunshine Coast tomorrow.

Because it rained so much today everything is really damp and cool. We are keeping dry by watching movies in the tent. Mike is already snoring, bless him.

Emerald Beach NSW to Evans Head NSW

KMS Today: 203.9 Kms

KMS Total: 2974.2 Kms

After a lovely night in Emerald Beach, we were tempted to spend another there. Deciding we would take the risk and push on, we chose that we should head back to Coff’s Harbour first to see the Pet Porpoise Pool. Though we had planned to wait until Seaworld, neither of us wanted to spend too much time on the Gold Coast. I am so glad we went because it was the best day we’ve had together.

Bucky

We got to pat and play with Bucky and Zippy the dolphins. I got a kiss from a seal and Bucky, and Mike got to up into the arena during the show to feed Bucky. We also fed blue penguins and Mike fed a seal.

As much as I loved the dolphins, which I did! The highlight for me was Steve McEwan’s Reptile World. We went to both the morning and the afternoon show, getting to pat a black-headed python named Buddy and a beautiful little crocodile. Steve also showed us a Taipan and a Black Snake that was brown in colour. (You’d be amazed how many times you think you are looking at an Eastern Brown Snake and in fact it is just a brown-coloured snake.)

Steve McEwan and ‘Buddy’

As his website details, ‘Steve McEwan has had a lifelong involvement with reptiles, he caught his first lizards when he was 5 years old, and kept his first pet snake when he was 10.’ I really admire the work that he is doing; creating awareness about Australia’s snakes and the best ways to keep the snakes and us safe.

After the second show in the afternoon, we stayed to speak to Steve about his experience with snakes. Adam Strickland also stayed to speak with us, a reptile handler from WIRES (The NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service Inc) their combined love of snakes is infectious. Both were so friendly and happy to answer all of my questions about the types of snakes my Dad had seen on his property and Steve helped me identify the kind of snake I nearly trod on in Victoria.

I can say on good authority that Steve likes it when you are slightly nervous around snakes. Any opportunity to ‘educate’ people about snakes, he’ll take it. I am sure he could sense my nerves, because as soon as I mentioned I hadn’t had my photo taken with Buddy, he pulled him out of the bag and had him around my neck. I was terrified to hold Buddy, but I had always wanted to conquer my fear of snakes. I took a deep breath and held him in both hands and felt the weight of him wrapped double around my shoulders. Very soft and cool to the touch it was a fantastic experience. Whoever out there is convinced that snakes are slimy and wet need to touch or hold one. They grip lightly with their skin but you can feel that the strength comes from the muscles beneath it. Buddy didn’t tense or squeeze when I held him like I had feared. He merely held on and just kind of chilled there. I would definitely feel more confident now, holding other snakes or even seeing them in the wild. I wouldn’t say I am completely cured of my fear but I do feel better having taken the risk. I would highly recommend Steve’s show to anyone that is scared of snakes, thinks they know everything about snakes (trust me you don’t) or has questions about the correct treatment of a snake bite. Steve covered all of the common myths about snakes and made sure every question from the audience was answered. I would happily see the show again.

We spent the entire day at the pool and it was nearly dark once we got back out on to the motorway. As it started getting too dark to keep going and we were both exhausted from all of the day’s excitement, we had to pull in as soon as we could.

Evan’s Head was just out past Yamba and sounded like a beautiful place to stop. With a Bilby sniffing around our car we enjoyed a BBQ dinner and chattered on about the amazing things we had experienced that day.

Anna Bay NSW to Emerald Beach NSW

Kms Today: 406.1Kms

Kms Total: 2770.3 Kms

6:30am start this morning. Mike made us bacon cooked in maple syrup. Hot in a slice of fresh white bread, this was the perfect breakfast. With two bacon butties a piece the least lazy thing to do would be to walk it before sitting in the car for a long drive. I chose not to walk, but I did go for an early morning dip in the swimming pool while we waited for the reception to be manned so we could give our swipe card back.

All finished by 7:30am, we were able to cover a lot of kilometres today. Aiming first for Taree, we took the Pacific Palms route to Forster. We had hoped to make it down to Seal Rocks, but the hire car is not allowed on dirt or gravel roads so we pushed on to Pacific Palms. Along the way we got hungry and as it was getting hotter we hoped to find a good beach for a swim. Boomerang Beach sounded as good as any, Elizabeth Beach being where we ended up. A local surf school was flocking to the water with their oversized boards, instructors in tow.  Although many were with the school, a lot of other surfers lined the road.

Grateful for the scenery, and I don’t just mean the beach, we picked up lunch at the fish and chip shop and took it to the beach to watch the surfers.. I mean surf.

A perfect day. The only thing missing was a surf board each.

The drive to Forster along that coastal road winds through the rainforest. The bird calls and the warm breeze created a perfect ambience. The stereo crooned Cat Stevens “On The Road To Find Out.”

Much of the rest of the day was spent on the Pacific Highway.

We had heard Coff’s Harbour was a beautiful place to spend a holiday. Completely underwhelmed we ventured in to find the Porpoise Pool.

A month ago I saw an episode of Bondi Vet, where Dr Chris Brown helped Bucky the dolphin with some nasty looking mouth cancers. This was at the Porpoise Pool and I vowed I would get to see the place one day. I had also helped to visit Bucky who made a full recovery. We arrived too late at the pool to see any of the presentations that we’d be paying for so we were told it was best to come back the next day. I didn’t get to see any dolphins today but I did get to see a nice photo of the Bondi Vet, a suitable consolation.

We will be in the Gold Coast in less than a week and Mike assures me we will go to Seaworld. I am torn because I am morally opposed to keeping such large animals in swimming pools but part of me wants to see in person how the animals are treated. By paying the entrance fee at Seaworld we are funding the park despite what we might disagree with inside.

…

Leaving Coffs Harbour we got the essential photo of the Big Banana and cruised out to Emerald Beach.

Pulling into the caravan park here we were both amazed by how beautiful it is. We feel a bit as though we have cheated somehow, staying in places as nice as this. The pool is heated, the beach is 10m behind us and while I write this, crickets chirp and two kangaroos munch grass right in front of us.

Completely unphased by us, the female lets the joey out of her pouch to practice its hopping. A big possum has now joined the party. These are the moments we dreamed of when we set out on this trip. Moments like this make all of the arguments along the way and all of the delays we’ve dealt with somehow worth it.

…

Our body clocks are shifting already. Now we rise easily at 6am but find it hard to keep our eyes open beyond 8pm. Maybe this is the natural way of things and it is just our own perception of what needs to be accomplished that reduces our sleeping hours.

If we can make this time schedule work when we get back home, wherever that happens to be, I’m all for it.

Kiama NSW to Anna’s Beach NSW

KMS Today: 309.6 Kms

KMS Total: 2364.2 Kms

Kiama is a beautiful place. Having slept right next to the beach, we were able to watch the lighthouse glow from our tent. We did feel as though such a prime position in the park would be full immediately. At around 2am we discovered why no one stays in the block right at the rear of the park. Backing onto the public carpark it is prime pickings for local wankers to case tents and pinch anything they can get their hands on. Thankfully we had packed everything into the car before bed. But we hadn’t planned for punks to stand at the base of our tent.

“I dare you to climb the ladder. See what’s in there,” one says.

“Nah man, you do it,” he replies.

Had he climbed in, I can tell you with 100% certainty what they would have found; Mike’s possum eyes wide open in the dark and Mike’s foot in his face.

An older man got out of bed and boomed;

“Oi, what are you kids doing there.”

They bolted. I am very grateful to the voice we heard though we still can’t be sure who it was.

Despite the night’s events, I slept reasonably well. But, anxious to hear if my best friend had given birth during the night, I checked my phone intermittently all night.

Getting up at 6am I was so happy to hear that she was in labour and at 6:35am little Xavier had been born. A healthy, happy baby. What an exciting time. We are so excited to meet the little guy for lots of cuddles.

…

Today was the day we were to tackle Sydney. Expecting to have many dramas to scribble down, the surprising thing was how well the bypass was signposted and how easily we managed to get out past the mess of Sydney traffic. This is one of the main reasons we wanted to take this trip. We both had so many misconceptions about the rest of Australia, we’re a sheltered bunch in Adelaide. It was nice to get over our ridiculous fears. We did get caught a few times in roadworks but there were no tears, no arguments and no wrong turns.

Desperately looking forward to getting back to the coast we cut off the main highway to Gosford and out to The Entrance. Expecting a peninsula similar to Lakes Entrance or Mallacoota we were really disappointed to find it as busy and commercial as Manly or Bondi would be. We high-tailed straight through and did not stop until we reached the caravan park at Anna Bay, just inland from Nelson Bay. Still incredibly busy and full of holiday-maker with their kids (school holidays), the caravan park was holed away in the bush.

Nearby Salamander Bay has a McDonalds and a KFC making it more like a built-up suburb than a holiday destination. We bought our groceries and went straight back to the caravan park.

Mike made chevapchichis which were delicious and I was even able to hand wash a full load of washing and get it dry in the coin-op dryer before dark. Dishes done and the car re-shuffle over we had plenty time to relax tonight, which was the initial motivation for this trip.

With so much driving it can get a bit stressful but even I must admit, I can’t wait to get further North from Sydney. As judgemental as I sound, considering we are on holiday also, there are so many annoying day-trippers. They flood this area with their glossy new Nevaras and stupidly named boats.

Tonight we had a young guy around Mike’s age walk his beagle right next to our car/tent. This dog had an upset stomach and relieved itself of its entire stomach contents right next to where we sleep. Upwind of our site, the smell was horrendous. He must have heard me comment about it because he washed it away with a bucket of water. He apologized before walking the dog around the other side of the car to do another one. ‘Stereo smell,’ Mike calls it.

One of the highpoints of today was driving through Newcastle listening to ‘Frogstomp.’ Known affectionately as the “Boys from Newcastle,” Silverchair were a huge influence on Mike and his band Dementure. Silverchair is vital to any worthy collection of Australian music.

…

Sitting here in Anna Bay writing this, we can hear bats in the trees. Mike tells me to get used to them because the further North we go the more we’ll see. Apparently there are thousands of them. I’ve never really been very good with flying insects. I’m terrified of moths, not much better with butterflies. So far the bats don’t bother me but there is plenty of time for that.

…

You would think after living in London we would be used to heaps of people. Since we’ve started on this trip, we’ve both found that walking into malls or busy shopping centres makes us both feel claustrophobic. It is incredible how quickly you can adapt to being on your own with nothing but trees for company.

I hope we make more time in the future for trips like this. If learn only one thing from this trip, I hope it is that we can be closer to each other without other distractions. Because, in many ways this trip has already tested the vowels we made only a year ago. Patience is easily lost in a crisis, respect vanishes with blame and love hides in anger.

We have become much closer in other ways. Having been under serious pressure in our overseas travel, we always saw travel within Australia a really easy thing to do. This always diminished the expectations we had of Australia and also allowed us to blame whichever new city we were living in for our problems. Arguing on home turf, facing all of the same challenges here, has made us more aware of the issues we create ourselves and how to better deal with them.

I think this lesson will be invaluable for us to be more respectful of each other. We are also beginning to rely on skills we’ve never needed before. When we both bring new skills to the table and take on roles that we wouldn’t at home we are better able to appreciate each other.

Still, as good as this all seems outside of the situation, when we face a problem we are both highly capable of pushing each other to the brink of snapping and we can both easily become pissed off. I am just grateful we are getting better at laughing about it more quickly.

Moruya NSW to Kendall’s Beach, Kiama NSW

KMS Today: 187.1km

KMS Total: 2054.6 Km

The call came from Ernie at 8:45am. The gil driving our replacement car had a puncture on the Prince’s Highway and the RAC had been called out to change her tyre. We would have to get it repaired as she would need to leave as soon as she arrived to make the bus that the other guy missed yesterday. Mike was told she was waiting for us in the motel carpark which she wasn’t. Nowhere to be seen, Mike walked to the tyre repair store around the corner and spotted the car next to a very confused looking mechanic.

Because the young girl had to run to catch the bus, she had charged into the tyre store nearly running over the mechanic. She left the keys there and told him someone would come pick it up, then bolted towards the bus. When Mike got there, the mechanic repaired the tyre but was unsure if Mike was the person meant to be taking the car. Another call to Ernie.

Having brought enough to fill a 5-seater people-mover, the challenge with the Corolla was fitting everything in. Somehow we managed it, but we had to abandon 25 out of the 32 pack of toilet paper we had bought on special at Kmart. I am excited about sleeping on the roof. Now that we have a tent, we don’t have to worry about moving our suitcases to make room to sleep.

On the subject of suitcases: WORST IDEA EVER. A backpack each of clothes would have been plenty enough for both of us.

…

We left Moruya around 10:30am. Pretty good time considering the morning we’d had. We wooped and yelled as crossed the bridge out of town. I’ve never been more excited to drive away from a town in my life. Despite how nice it is. It was great to finally be back on the road.

Taking full advantage of having the smaller car, we were able to turn off towards Pebbly Beach. Nestled deep in the sub-tropical rainforest, we had a windy drive through dense and green national park.

Grateful for the laundry coin I had been collecting, we went through $7 in change to pay for a ticket just to be there. It also allowed us to help an English couple who only had notes on them.

Pebbly Beach is beautiful. Hugging the shoreline is a deep trough which makes the roaring tide appear deceptively tame. Typical of a lot of Australia’s beaches, I knew better than to risk swimming out too far, but I couldn’t resist jumping in close to the shore. We had walked our camp chairs down to the beach with us and while I lounged a bit, Mike went for a walk. Watching him wander into the distance I saw him pass a grass clearing. Seated on an old log was a typically Aussie man; akubra hat, shorts, things. Surrounding him in the lawn were at least thirty kangaroos. When people imagine a perfect day in Australia, this is what they picture. With a clear blue sky and the hot sun warming bare skin, it is nice to know it still exists.

**Upon his return, Mike informs me he has just found what he thinks are remnants of an asylum seekers boat. Made from thick bamboo it is broken in pieces on the shore.

***

Back on the road, we stop for a quick lunch in Ulladulla. The weather was glorious.

Cruising along quite steadily, we had contemplated navigating our way past Sydney today. Just the thought brought me to tears and Mike, admittedly equally nervous, agreed that Kiama was a good place to test the tent and re-evaluate our packing system.

We stumbled upon Kendall’s Beach Reserve as we pulled off the main highway. We were really excited to see how close it was to the beach. Planning to fit in a quality swim at a perfect beach we set up the tent and re-packed the car in record time.

The water was fresh but markedly warmer than it had been at Mallacoota. The drop-off makes for a strong undercurrent but I am still able to duck under without losing my legs. With the caravan park right on the beach, it is perfect for a quick swim and a hot shower. It will be so nice to be able to hear the ocean while we are in the tent.

Locals walk past the car along the public walkway. Their puzzled looks and constant questions help to validate Mike’s concerns about the car tipping with us still in the tent:

“Geez, what’s that like to sleep in” someone asks.

“It’s our first night tonight, so we’re not sure yet” we’ll reply with a laugh.

“Well good luck then. If we hear a loud thump during the night we’ll know what it is.” They laugh to themselves.

It frustrates me a little. Because I know it will be fine, but Mike is much harder to convince. I personally blame his fear of heights.

The air is warm, even into dusk, and a flock of black cockatoos fly over our heads. I’ve never seen one in the wild before, let alone ten, neither has Mike.

An easy dinner tonight; pancakes. Mike does a wonderful job cooking them. I always burn pancakes for some reason, so I leave these to him, as well as BBQ’s because this is a ‘man’s domain’, I’m told.

They are delicious pancakes. We eat them hot out of the pan oozing maple syrup. Clean up is easy and we are all packed up by dark. Thinking it is really late, we find ourselves fed and crawling into the tent despite being wide awake and it only being 6:20pm. After a rocky few days it is nice to have nothing to do than relax and get sleepy. I’m going to read “The Long Way Round” by Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor. After two days of bad TV and enclosed space, it will be nice to get back into my book in the evening air.

…

When we lived in London, we never saw a single star. It is absolute heaven to be back under a canopy veiled in them.

Stuck in Moruya

KMS Today: 0km

KMS Total: 1867.5 Km

As predicted, they sent us the wrong van. A total heap of s**t it was easily from before 1985. Ernie had a young guy dump it off who was to tell us if we didn’t like it we could drive it to Brisbane to swap it over. He tells us it is a 2001 model which it clearly is not.

We threatened to take it to the local police station for a roadworthy test at which point he panicked. We told him, if it is a roadworthy car, it shouldn’t be an issue.

Freaking out that we would have the car checked out for compliance, he sent the young guy that had driven it down back to the motel with a tow-truck to pick up the other van. The young guy was supposed to have caught a bus back, but missed it. He now had no choice but to drive the replacement back to Sydney to get home. In the space of 5 minutes, we went from having two vans to having no van.

All we want to do now is cry. This was supposed to be the honeymoon we didn’t take when we got married last year. It has quickly become a nightmare.

I feel really sorry for the poor guy that is getting the run around driving these things out to people. He is Kiwi and seems like a genuinely nice guy. Working at Wicked, he is also backpacking his way around Australia. This seems like a common thing amongst the staff.

We are a bit lost. What are we supposed to do? We are meant to check out at 10am but with a van-load of stuff in the room and no van to put it in, we can’t go anywhere. We can pay for another day, but this means we have to stay for another day. I don’t want to throw money away, but we have no where to go.

Mike is doing well keeping his cool under pressure. He is also being firm when necessary. I have taken a giant leap back because I am far more likely to yell than he is and that won’t help at all. I am really proud of him.

Despite the tricky predicament we find ourselves in, Moruya is a very pretty town. A river passes through the outskirts and the main street has a variety of shops and cafes.

…

Our being stuck here should be resolved now. A new replacement will be sent tomorrow. We’ll just have to take whatever they send. We have nothing to complain about though. Our beautiful little God Daughter is really unwell. Having been in and out of hospital this week it has been a horrific week for her parents. The poor love had a febrile convulsion and was delirious with a fever. She is so little and it is heartbreaking because she is only eight-and-a-half months old. She can’t tell anyone what’s wrong. We are really worried and feeling for her parents. It must be awful.

My best friend is also having a baby this week. I guess this is what is making it so hard. We have left a lot behind to have this trip and it feels like it is going that well. It is hard to justify missing these moments, not being able to offer support to our loved ones, for such a nightmare.