Au Revoir Queensland and Brisbane

From Stradbroke it was a long bus, boat and train journey to north Brisbane, where I stayed with Eileen in her lovely home in North Lakes. I had also met her in Portland so it was nice to catch up. This was a totally different experience, in a newish housing development which is very well serviced, with its own up market shopping centre and library. It even has its own lake which we walked around.



There were many signs in the area to watch out for koalas. But it’s like all those yellow, triangular, road signs in Australia; you never actually see any kangaroos, wombats, emus or koalas. I am sure the signs are just put up to keep the tourists’ interested.
Of course many of the corridors of eucalyptus trees, that the koalas depend upon, are being overtaken by housing developments.



While Eileen went to her table tennis morning, I explored Redcliffe Peninsula. I was very taken with this area, beside the sea, with beautiful walks around the front, another lovely man-made lagoon for swimming and lively pavement cafes. With beaches like Scarborough and Margate you get the picture. It was the first landing spot and settlement in Queensland, until the town moved to Brisbane.

Later I had a look at the U3A catalogue of classes and was tempted to move there straight away! Older people are very well looked after in Australia and I still have my Australian passport. I can certainly see why many people from here are tempted over there.

The best weather was in the north. The Gold Coast had terrible weather, while I was enjoying the heat further north. As I got closer to Brisbane the temperature steadily went down.
However during my last few days in Brisbane I was lucky, with calm sunny days and 16 – 24 degrees. The only cloudy day of my whole holiday was the last day, and the sun did come out in the afternoon.
I see a very cheap fare from Hamilton to Cairns is being advertised on TV!

But of course there are still the snakes, spiders, crocodiles, stingers and the heat to contend with!

North Stradbroke Island

Next I went to Stradbroke Island for the weekend. It wasn’t at all difficult getting there by train, bus, ferry and bus. It is another world, similar to Waiheke Island. Because the reef is no longer offering protection to the shore, the coastline is wild and spectacular.



The migrating humpback whales go right past the island on their way north to breed and Mike and Judy live at Point Lookout! The first morning, from the look out just a few metres from their home, I was lucky to see whales blowing and breeching in the distance. What a thrill it was and just as well I made the effort to get up early, as I didn’t see any more.

Day trippers come from Brisbane to see the whales and it is a popular place for weddings. What amazing photos this couple must have of their happy day, even if the women did look a little chilly!



I walked the spectacular gorge walk, which is a narrow gap between high cliffs with the water surging in, but unfortunately my camera ran out of battery at that moment.



Mike and Judy are involved with the local museum, which has just won an award as the top regional museum in Australia. I was lucky to be there for the AGM which was interesting, and entertainment was provided by the local Stradbroke Singers. A delicious lunch was provided and I felt very much at home in the small community in a beautiful setting, just like Coromandel.



My hosts were up very early making marmalade from kumquats growing in the museum grounds, to raise funds.



Judy took me on an informative tour of the island after lunch and told me a lot about the history and geology. The island is completely made of sand. Mining is the big industry apart from tourism. Certainly well worth the effort to visit if you are in Brisbane.



I dipped into a book while I was there called, Blood on the Wattle, which is a harrowing account of how aborigines were treated during the settlement of Australia and it was certainly food for thought.

American Impressionism and Realism

I visted a "landmark" exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery, on loan from the New York Met. It was, American Impressionism and Realism, work from the latter nineteenth century to 1930's. Of course being a fan of art, literature and movies from that era I loved it.


The exhibition is arranged in themes, children, leisure, countryside, city life etc. The works are shown alongside paintings by Australian artists of the same era, or who were influenced by the American artists or the same European masters.

There was an amzing "Met for Kids," where they could do activities, make art work, watch videos or read books about art. I was very impressed with the way it encouraged participation and educated children. Would have loved to have had some children to take along!

Also talks, tours and events, late nights, Sunday afternoon talks, and movies from that era such as my favourite the Age of Innocence, The Great Gatsby etc.

Its on till 20 September if you fancy a dose of culture.

A Kangaroo hop to Brisbane

When a looked carefully at the map I realised that I was still less than half way between Cairns and Brisbane. There was a long way to go and only one week left!
So I booked a cheap flight with Jetstar to Brisbane and missed out a huge chunk of coastal Queensland, including the Sunshine Coast, which will have to wait for next visit. I had six nights to explore Brisbane and three Servas hosts lined up to visit.

Be warned, if you land in Brisbane the evening and plan to catch the train to town, you can’t. Unbelievably, the air trains stop at 8pm. I wasn’t the only one caught out and had to wait ages for a shuttle to take me to town, then caught a train to my destination. Rather defeats the purpose of getting a cheap flight!



My first hosts were Gwen and Owen in Moorooka. I had met them at the Servas Gathering in Portland in April. There lovely home backs onto a forest park, Mt Toombah. They are surrounded by beautiful bush and wildlife and walking tracks. I was woken each morning by the wonderfully raucous kookaburras and butcher birds.
I love the Australian birdlife and Queensland was a real treat. The birds are so loud and lively and many are so colourful. A swooping flock of cockatoos or lorikeets is wonderful to see.



I was lucky to be there the morning Gwen went to her weekly acapella singing group and was able to go with her to the University of Queensland.
That is the good thing about Servas, you get to share their lives with locals and see how they live. The women were very friendly and I enjoyed having a go at singing but mostly I kept quiet and listened. Afterwards she dropped me at the City cat terminal and I was able to see Brisbane from the river. It is a very attractive city with excellent public transport.



Owen can come to my place anytime. He likes nothing better than fixing things and must be a wonderful Servas guest! Gwen had put together an album of their holidays with heaps of photos on Owen, in his element, in his overalls, being helpful.

On to Mackay

Two hours south of Airlie beach, I finally arrived in Mackay where it was lovely to be met off the bus by Maureen from Coromandel. She whisked me off for lunch at a very Italian restaurant then took me home to her flat where I stayed with her and Gary for six days. It was good to slow down a bit.
Gary is working very hard on the sugar cane harvest, loading the little trains that take the cane to the processing plant. Long hours, and he says he runs over plenty of snakes!




Maureen was not working so she and I hired a car, left Gary behind and went off to the hinterland to explore the Pioneer Valley and up to Eungella in the mountains.
We stopped at the Pinnacle Pub for one of their famous Pies. The steak and mushroom was certainly delicious and the sun was shining. Everything else listed on our tourist guide was closed. Don’t try to up there on a Monday!



We saw plenty of wildlife (in the wild) including a kookaburra which seemed to have been trained to pose for tourists. It is so much more exciting to see the animals in their natural surroundings rather than in a wildlife park.



The big attraction is the platypuses. We stayed at Broken River Eco resort where we had our own self contained chalet, complete with pot belly stove. Believe it or not we sat in front of a roaring log fire in the lodge that afternoon and played scrabble!
We couldn’t see any sign of platypus when we walked to the river late in the afternoon, despite the fact that people had been spotting them all day.



However my eagle eyes spied the tell tale ring of ripples as we made our way back to the lodge. What a tiny creature, but fascinating to watch as he went about his (or her) business, diving down, sending up a stream of bubbles and resurfacing for a few seconds. You had to be quick to capture a photo.








After a chilly start the next morning we headed off on a detour to Cape Hillsborough. Another beautiful coastal area with the camping ground adjacent to the beach.
We weren’t there to see the kangaroos come down onto the beach in the late afternoon, but it must be an amazing sight.
We stopped for a well deserved Devonshire tea at a relocated and converted old railway station on the way home to Mackay.

Airlie Beach and Whitsundays

From Townsville to Airlie beach was over four hours on the coach. I was lucky to be upgraded at the Airlie beach Waterfront Backpackers. The young woman took pity on me, as I was booked into a room on the second floor and there was no lift.
So I ended up in a lovely double room with ensuite and balcony on the first floor. It is all very modern and right next door to the flash Airlie Beach Hotel. So I was not complaining.





The town is very touristy much flasher and bigger than Paihia but similar.
The beach is pretty and the lagoon beside the sea in the town centre looked very inviting. Plenty of cafes and bars for the young people who flock here.



I was booked to go out to Reef World with Fantasea, for another big day out adventure. This was expensive but so well worth it. This trip goes to a closer point on the reef than the other company. More time for snorkelling on the reef.

We travelled out to Hardy Reef on a huge catamaran, calling at Hamilton and Daydream Islands on the way. This was the day that the young Englishman, who won the “Best job in the world” competition, arrived on the island. What a gorgeous collection of islands.





The boat links up with a huge pontoon out on the reef and there is a choice of diving, snorkelling, underwater semi submersible viewing or just relaxing in the sun. The sea was like glass, the air was still and there was no current, a perfect day. The tide going out left the reef exposed, so we snorkelled alongside the reef which was like a huge cliff.

The staff was young and enthusiastic and very well trained. With so many of them it is easy to see while the whole thing is so expensive. It was still school holidays so the boat was full but everyone had a lot of fun and we were so well looked after. And so much beautiful food kept appearing.



I chose to go with the snorkelling guide first. This was an extra expense but again so worthwhile. She took just two of us adults and three children holding onto a life raft as we explored the reef. It is such an amazing experience and I felt very privileged to be there. Picture this; (no camera for logisitical reasons) a top-to-toe pink lycra stinger suit, which covered even my fingers, and with just a gap for the mask and snorkel, a wetsuit that came to my knees, a bulky flotation vest and flippers. What a sight, but everyone else was dressed the same!



After lunch I went in on my own for another try and was so proud of myself. Not that I was in any danger, as the life guard kept watch from above. I had a pink ribbon on my snorkel to alert them to my medical risks!
On the way home the sea was glassy, the mood very relaxed and keeping my eyes peeled paid off, as I did spot whales in the distance.
Sailing back through the Whitsunday’s, with the sun was setting, was unforgettable.

Reef Eco Tour with Andy

This was one of the best days of my holiday. Andy picked just two of us up and took us to Florence Beach, picking up wet suits on the way. We sat on the beach where he told us about the reef and the plants and animal life we might see. We then donned all our gear, and in my case a life vest, and backed into the sea.











We spent an hour and a half exploring the reef off the beach. Calm clear water and the sun shining down, this was much more as I had imagined it would be.
We were privileged to see a turtle which swam right up under me. It was so exciting.









Walking back up the beach the gear had suddenly become very heavy and I was wilting by the time we got back to the truck. But it was well worth staying an extra day on the island. What an unforgettable experience.

Magical Magnetic Island, off Townsville

Judy and I parted company at Mission Beach, she went north to Cairns and Cooktown, I went south on the Greyhound to Townsville, where I caught the ferry across to Magnetic Island. What a beautiful place, it reminded me of Waiheke Island in the sixties. And you don't need a fortune to stay there.




The view towards the mainland from Geoffrey Bay, across the road from Arcadia Beach Guest House.







Rock wallabies come out to be fed, late in the afternoon and when the tour bus comes along. They are really just big rats with long tales but very cute.






Alma Beach is where the locals swim and I did too. It is a beautful horseshoe shaped cove and the current goes right past, so there are no stingers.







I took many photos of the aerial roots which were fascinating.






Tropical nights come very quickly and it is pitch black soon after sunset. The screeching of the curlews starts at about 4am, blood curdling screams. They lurk about innocently under the trees all day but at night cause many visitors to think somoone is being murdered.


Arcadia Beach Guest House at Arcadia was very comfy and very reasonably priced, and right across the road from the beach, just around the corner from the shops and bus stop. My home away from home. I liked it so much I stayed four nights instead of two.



Take a close look at the sign, beside the Peppers resort at Nelly Bay. I would not be so keen to visit during the cyclone season!

Mission Beach and Dunk Island

Judy announced that she was going to work at Cooktown Hospital the following week, so we made the most of the last few days together. I got us a good deal at Mission Beach resort, about two hours south on the Greyhound bus. The resort was not on the beach but in the settlement about 750 metres away. This was better as we had access to a flash new supermarket! However we did have a fully self contained studio suite with our own swimming pool (no one else used it) outside the unit.
The place had seen better days but was quite comfortable and clean and at $95 a night for two with breakfast we weren’t complaining. The recession is definitely having an effect in Queensland. Although it was the school holidays many places were half empty, a good time to get a good deal.




The reason Judy wanted to go there was to visit Dunk Island, just a short ferry ride away. We purchased a resort pass for the day which gave us lunch, use of the resort pools and lounges and an hour on paddle canoes.






While Judy did the decent thing and went for a walk I lazed on the beach on a sun lounger, gazed up at the palm trees and thought how privileged I was!




A few days at the resort would be just right next time.
Below: Our very own slice of paradise back at Mission Beach Resort.

Cairns, Green Island and Ocean Free

Sugar cane fields as far as the eye can see. I saw plenty between Port Douglas and Mackay as I made my way down the coast of Queensland. (And that’s a hell of a long way!) Sugar cane harvest was in full swing. Amazing to think how much sugar we consume.


At Cairns and in many places I visited the councils build beautiful lagoons, really just flash swimming pools, beside the sea. Palm trees and shade sails, some even have sandy beaches.



At the Travellers Oasis, John a lovely young Welsh man made everyone feel welcome even us oldies. He had that gift of making everyone feel special. He recommended we went out on the sailing vessel ‘Ocean Free’ for the day. What an adventure with only 38 guests and a really well trained young crew who served up copious amounts of delicious food all day.



Judy and I went snorkelling with the snorkelling guide on the reef. However the current was strong and the waves a bit too much for my liking, so after about 20 minutes Judy and I had had enough. However it was very exciting to have actually done it. Sailing back to Cairns in late afternoon was wonderful. It was Judy’s first time on a sailing boat and she loved it.