Airlie Beach and The Whitsunday Islands

The first word that comes to mind when I look back at this trip is 'Amazing'. Jeff, Ryan and I arrived into Airlie Beach on the 20th of November and headed to the marina, where we boarded our home for the next 3 days- the Atlantic Clipper. The Clipper accommodates around 60 people, all of whom arrive armed with beer and boxed wine, anticipating a trip to remember. Not long after boarding we set sail, the drinks starting to flow and the music beginning to play. It's safe to say that we were the loudest boat in the Whitsundays! As the sun set we took part in drinking games and other activities, allowing us to shed our inhibitions and make some new friends. But as good of an idea the drinking had been the night before, it didn't seem so clever at 6.30 am when we were awoken for breakfast! A buffet of assorted foods were served, none of which were tempting my queasy stomach. The sooner I got off the rocky boat the better! Luckily, we docked at Whitehaven beach shortly after. This beach is a place I'd recommend anyone to visit, as it is just perfect. The white sand, crystal clear waters and abundance of wildlife make a delight for the eyes- even those as hungover as I was! A woman in a second hand book store at Airlie told me that her daughter had been married at Whitehaven Beach, telling no one but herself, and surprising all of the family (who had thought that they were only there for a picnic!). I thought that it was a lovely story, and a perfect place for a wedding. I'll admit that I did spend most of the few hours we had there asleep, but I did awaken long enough to see a stingray, and a few Goanna lizards.  Then, it was back on the boat where we were to head off to a bay for scuba diving. Scuba diving is not an activity I have ever been dying to do, but the boat offered a short dive for only $60- I would have been a fool not to! Equipped with our diving gear, we slowly swam deeper into the water from the bay, joined by shoals of vibrant fish and one particularly interesting fella, George. This specific fish is notorious on the clipper and at the bay, as he is the dominant male. He is a large Humphead Maori Wrasse, and in my opinion, extremely scary! I was probably the only diver out of my group not to stroke him, as I have a 'look don't touch' approach to fish. This did not bode well for me the following day at a different bay when one of the crew thought it would be funny to throw fish food at myself and other screaming snorkellers, so that fish would come right up to our faces and brush up against our hands and feet. One of these fishes was Elvis- of the same species as George, but a little larger- even more scary! That afternoon we docked back at Airlie beach, at the end of our unforgettable boat trip. But the trip as a whole wasn't over just yet. The three of us had another two days in Airlie beach. Both days were spent relaxing around Airlie lagoon- the only water where you didn't run the risk of being stung by jellyfish! The first night we received a free didgeridoo lesson courtesy of The Clipper. I wouldn't say I had a natural talent for this instrument, as the sounds I produced mimicked loud farts. However it was a good experience, and it was nice to hear Ryan play his newly purchased didge as he is skilled with the instrument. Later that night turned into a great success as I won the $300 cash prize draw organised by the boat! Many celebratory drinks were purchased with this, and I arrived back at the Gold Coast with only a little left. But it was all worth it, as we had the time of our lives!!

Noosa!

Friday 12th October saw us piling into our gleaming white rented car and heading north to the Sunshine Coast. The sun beamed down on us as we cruised the three hours through the amazing architecture of Brisbane and up to Noosa, stopping only briefly for water and baked goods (only a portion of the amazing foods to come!). Prior to our trip, we had found ourselves a surprisingly cheap camp site to pitch up our little $12 tents. We had chosen to ignore the horrendous reviews of 'how can people live like that?' and 'it was like something out of a horror film' and focus on the lone review that sung the site's praises. However, as we drove up to the camp site, we became aware of why such bad reviews existed. The road transformed from smooth tarmac to sheer rock and dirt, and we struggled up the hill to be met by the largest and most intimidating bull you've ever seen in the most basic little 'town'. We joined the back of the car queue at the entrance to the site, took one look at the woman taking the money and the rusted, run down campervans around her and decided against it. Our second option was 100% better. This site wasn't in the middle of nowhere, and was run by the cutest little bearded man who practiced tae kwon do in the mornings. After we'd pitched up, we decided to go and grab some food in town. We chose a quaint little Vietnamese restaurant named 'Metal Tiger', where we picked from the widest range of drinks and cuisine. In the evening, we headed out to experience the night life of Noosa surrounded by fellow travelers from all around the world. The next day we walked from Noosa Heads to Sunshine beach, taking around 3 hours. After passing stunning scenes and wildlife, we reached the beach which turned out to be nudist! It was surprising that we managed to meet so many people, as I was trying my hardest to just stare at the floor. Luckily the people we did meet were clothed! A group of mixed nationalities were sat on the sand learning to meditate, so we decided with much encouragement to join them. They were all learning to speak English for a few months in Noosa, and doing a great job at it. After some interesting conversation we headed to the end of our trail met by some great food at the surf club. On our final day of the trip we headed to Elanda point to rent canoes. The place was a gorgeous camp site with a small stretch of sand and a large lake named Cootharaba. We canoed to an island and back surrounded by picturesque landscapes, then finally made the journey home to the Gold Coast to reluctantly give back our car. Such a good trip with perfect weather and great people.

Currumbin

Chloe and I headed to Currumbin beach yesterday, a gorgeous spot a lot less tourist-driven than some of the others. On a little walk around the area, we couldn't get over how idyllic some of the beach houses were, and picked which ones we would move into in a heart beat. All shapes and sizes and colours, and the perfect location to set up a home. How amazing would it be to wake up every morning with a stunning view of the beach to start your day? I don't think I would be complaining! We had a lovely lunch over looking the ocean, and spent a few hours soaking up the 34 degrees heat. It's definitely hotting up here on the Gold Coast, and the humidity is rising fast as we near the summer months. Still not entirely sure how I'm going to cope- I guess a lot of sun cream and air conditioning will do the trick! When we got back we headed to Mermaid Beach armed with wine to the Mandala Arts Cafe to watch some live music from Casey Barnes, then walked cautiously back home along the beach avoiding the jellyfish washed up on the sand (although Taylor did pick one up!). All in all, a great day :)