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Australia
  • Lucy M
  • Colin Martin
Sep – Nov 2022

Australia

A 66-day adventure by Lucy & Colin Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 18, 2022
  • Australia

    Leaving for the airport - easy, right?

    September 19, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Up early (having been warned that road closures would be an issue) rushed to get to the Hoppa bus (having sensibly bought our tix the night before). Queue. Not like the Queen’s queue, but still a queue. Being one of the last stops before the airport we found out the previous bus had been jammed. Looked at watch. Uumm. Couple ahead of us peals off having booked an Uber. Thinks …… if the next bus is also jammed we’ll miss our three hour arrival plan. Stress. So near and yet so far. Decided to also get a cab, and the eagle eyed (and eared) Julie & Kev straight away asked if they could come in with us so we could share. Deal done.
    Someone in the ‘queue’ heard we had our sensibly bought Hoppa tix and within a blink, a deal had been struck and tix offloaded (full asking price).
    Eventually we secured a cab, after a couple of false starts. Off we go. Terminal 2 is very near, but there is a (yes) queue to drop passengers off. We get there fairly easily, however, and defo quicker than the ill-fated Hoppa. We say good bye to our new buddies (having swopped FB details) and the rest of the check in, baggage and boarding were straightforward.    Read more

  • Australia

    Gate 42, terminal 2

    September 19, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Late departure: 2 people didn’t board (??) so their bags had to be taken off, plus delays for The Queen’s funeral.
    13 hours on the plane begins, our premium economy seats are defo more spacious and Col enjoys a Champagne refreshment.
    We quickly adjust to the mind numbing tedium of a long haul flight. My bland meal is an undefinable mound - it certainly fitted the ‘bland’ description. Col has something more tasteful.
    Tortuous attempts at sleep and staving off a migraine lay ahead. I broadly succeed, watching Jo Jo Rabbit and Downtown Abbey, both enjoyable (I cried at the end of Downton FFS).
    Eventually we arr at Singapore and I can engage legs again. Thankfully they work.    Read more

  • Australia
    1

    Changi touch down

    September 19, 2022 in Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    A fairly swift turn around, as we stagger from terminal 3 to terminal 1 (cue a monumental tropical downpour which obscures the runway).
    The second leg (7 hours) begins. Smaller plane (relatively speaking) and these seat are less roomy. Champagne still available, loos still yukky, but we chug on (our spirits mentally and physically broken) and eventually arr in Brisbane 😵‍💫Read more

  • Australia

    Brisbane

    September 20, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We’ve made it, I’d pretty much reached the end of my endurance. Our bags appear within the first batch and we are off and out of the airport. It’s night time. I’m confused about the day, am I tired or delirious or crazed…. 🤪Read more

  • Australia

    Parkview Apartments, Brisbane

    September 20, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We grab a cab to our accomm in the West End/South Brisbane. It’s a studio apartment in a complex and we arrive at the gates - which are firmly locked. Mmmm.
    Our eyes alight on a tel no and thankfully someone picks up. The keys are in the key safe. For a few mins there, I though our 25+ hour trip had ended on the pavement.
    The studio is not the best and no hob which is annoying. At least there’s a microwave - simple meals for a few days then. No shops open at this hour, so we opt for ‘Mad Burgers’, served to us by a modern day ‘Bill and Ted’ duo.
    Jet lag and painful back stopped decent sleep - but better to be on a bed than in a plane. First proper day of hols tomorrow 😊    Read more

  • Australia

    Brisbane out and about: 21 - 22 Sept

    September 21, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    First tentative steps about Brisbane. Weather bleh, and once folk know we’re from 🇬🇧 they say we’ve brought the rain with us - but we’ve had so little rain back home!

    Things wot we have done:
    Got wet
    Enjoyed several eggs Benedict brekkies
    Caught a bus and been let off the fare by the Scottish driver
    Got wet
    Caught the City Cat and meandered along the river for a bit
    Had our 4th Covid jab
    Been to Coles for essential supplies
    Had a hot choc refreshment
    Got wet
    Walked through South Bank and some of the Brisbane festival activities
    Met a big bird
    Met two small birds (pics on next post)
    Visited the Breakfast Creek Hotel for a light lunch
    Got wet
    Walked the Lores Bonney Riverwalk
    Walked through the botanic gardens
    Got wet    Read more

  • Australia

    From city to tropical beach ….

    September 23, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Brisbane would have been nicer without the rain and big city vibe, so am not too sad to leave for the north.
    Cab to airport to fly to Cairns.
    Two annoyances:
    Flight was delayed
    I left my phone stand somewhere in the terminal 🫤
    Flight short and we are there in a blink, feeling the warmth and humidity as soon as we disembark. My hair quickly drinks in the moisture, creating an unattractive middle aged frizzy mop.
    Cases appear gratifyingly fast and we emerged in the arrivals hall, blinking in the bright sun, looking for the Avis desk. We’re allocated a Hyundai Kona and set off for our accom in Palm Cove.
    The Reef Retreat turns out to be lovely, in stark contrast to the dark studio in Brisbane.
    The day ends with a trip to Coles, dinner and a night-time wander along the Palm Cove ‘strip’ (all 1k of it) 😴    Read more

  • Australia

    Beach vibes

    September 24, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Col had already arranged a refresher dive for the morning, so I knew I had the morning to chill. Spent it pottering and sorting out our stuff which had ‘poofed’ out alarmingly, when we opened our cases. After my pottering, had a morning walk along ‘the strip’. The colours were striking: the blue of the ocean, the bright sun and sand, the oh so green shrubbery. Massive contrast to the monotone of the city.
    After a bit I sat on a shady bench and let the world go by. I think I can do this holiday thing….relaxing, letting go, slowing down 😌
    Col came back having been fully ‘scuba refreshed’ and I had an emergency ‘Bowen’ treatment booked for my misbehaving back. After that I had a paddle and Col a quick dip ‘the water’s so warm!’
    We then needed to address the small (pun intended) matter of me not being able to reach stuff. Off we went to Kmart to buy a Lucy extension (step stool).
    It was late afternoon by now, but we decided to drive up the circuitous road to Kuranda. Stopped at the Cairns look out and Barron Falls (a shadow of it’s former self?)
    Night was falling and the rain forest was coming alive with cheeps and chirps as a multitude of creatures reclaimed their territory for the night. A small furry creature rushed across the road. Roadrunner type birds pecked and darted about.
    We wended our way down the twisty road in the dark, emerging from the magic of the rainforest, back to reality.
    Dinner and just like that, day one of ‘beach vibe’ is under our belt.    Read more

  • Australia

    Diving!

    September 25, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    After so many false starts I am finally here at Port Douglas for a dive on the reef (or whats left of it?). I'll tell you all about it when I return. Stay tuned readers.

  • Australia

    Love this place….

    September 25, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Col booked on his scuba dive extravaganza at Agincourt Reef today (the site of his first ever beginners dive, many moons ago). This means another chilled day for me, doing as much or as little as I fancy. I chose the latter!
    I meandered along the jetty, dipped my toes in the breaking surf, tried the jacuzzi, where I was vigorously tossed around like pasta in a saucepan, cooled off in the pool and bought some ‘essential’ holiday items (from one of the most tasteful shops ever: https://www.tropicalinteriors.com.au/)
    Col had a great day too 🐟🐠🐡    Read more

  • Australia

    Cairns

    September 26, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Last in Cairns about 20 yrs ago. It felt a bit neglected this time around, with lots of empty retail units. The harbour looked much better from both a boat and crab point of view.
    In the last pic, which looks like a car park, there are about 10 concrete coloured birds - just about visible when zoomed inRead more

  • Australia

    Palm Cove creature

    September 26, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Loving the shadow 😁

  • Australia

    Road trip starts: Wonga beach

    September 27, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    So where to start? Left our lovely Palm Cove ‘static’ accommodation yesterday (Tues?) to begin a life ‘on the road’. Having had a motor home test run earlier in the year, I roughly knew what lay ahead - or did I?

    We had to juggle a car drop-off / camper pick-up scenario - both at the same times but different places in Cairns airport. Once the swop was completed, we were introduced to our Maui Ultima Plus: https://www.maui-rentals.com/nz/en/motorhome-hi…

    It’s small. Not the smallest, but still small….. I will need to engage my bestest organisational skills to get our modest luggage, packed away somehow. We also went to Coles (i.e. Tesco) so had bags of shopping to accommodate as well. We were surrounded by an overwhelming sea of bags, many of which still remain 😬

    So we rattled (literally) up the road from Cairns to our first camp stop Wonga beach, arriving late afternoon. Everyone else was in situ, and we felt their eyes on us as we manoeuvred noisily (reverse beep beeps etc) into our allocated space, with me flapping my arms in an effort to guide Col in.

    Then began the tortuous process of ‘finding places for things’. A work in progress…..

    We bought some beautiful local prawns to ‘stick on the barbie’, and somehow cobbled together dinner amongst the chaos!    Read more

  • Australia

    The Daintree Rainforest, Cape Trib

    September 28, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Slow start today (Wed?) as neither of us slept well and we were all over the shop in terms of organisation. We eventually get our shit together and managed to check out the beach right next to our site. Stunning, we had heard every breaking wave whilst in the camper.

    We packed up (which for two newbies takes a while) and eventually ended up in a queue for a small ferry (like the Sandbanks one) to go across to Cape Tribulation. On the other side the road was very twisty turny for any vehicle, let alone ours. Great driving from Col - I closed my eyes several times when oncoming traffic looked bigger than the space available 😳

    Cape Trib is stunning. The beaches are pristine and empty - apart from people like us of course. It’s really out on a limb, takes some effort to get here but glad we did.

    We see a small shoal of tiny fishies in the shallow ocean, worm ‘spaghetti’, hear the exotic calls of unseen birds and the constant hum of insects, singing in unison.

    Once back on our site, we are just a teeny bit better organised than the night before, and manage dinner at a reasonable time!    Read more

  • Australia
    1

    Spot the spider 😳

    September 28, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    You’ll need to be extremely eagle eyed to spot this amazingly camouflaged lichen spider 😬

    Answer on second photo…..you’ll still have to squint…..

  • Australia

    En route to Millaa Millaa (inland)

    September 29, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We had to vacate our pitch by 10am, so needed to engage our brains a bit. Not a slick departure, but going in the right direction, and as we pulled away we were gratified to note all leads had been detached and no camp infrastructure was following behind us.

    First stop Mossman Gorge (which I envisaged to be a quiet view) but turned out (mainly) to be a swimming hole, packed with folk. Col become one of those folk and took a dip ‘the water’s cooooool’.

    Saw the bluest of butterflies (too quick to snap) and a bush turkey, rifling through people’s bags for pickings 😁

    We walked through the rainforest on walkways, giving us a great view of the lower canopy and the plants weaving their way up trunks, and attached, parasite like, to their hosts.

    We crossed a wobbly bridge and watched the river from above, listening to the native creatures and family arguments as parents tried their hardest to keep their kids in check.

    After a couple of hours we arrive at our next stop over. How different each site is, Millaa Millaa is rural, more spacious and each pitch is more private, compared to Wonga beach camp. The facilities are fresher and it’s generally less ‘bush camp’!    Read more

  • Australia
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    Millaa Millaa….

    September 30, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    ….. and what camper van life is really like…..

    Well, that was a cold night! We’re about 2 hours inland, away from the tropical heat, and the difference in temp is considerable. We were given a large duvet ‘doona’ which we scoffed at as we secreted it away under the seating. Defo needed it last night, so it’s coming out tonight (with a smug look on it’s face, I expect).

    Dinner last night went wrong too, we’d bought some chicken 3 days ago, but despite it being in the fridge, there was an air of ‘eat me at your peril’ about it, so for a while we thought dinner would be Frosties and crisps. Then Col had a brain wave and realised we could have an improvised carbonara - which did the trick. We need to be mindful of over buying food as we go on…..

    Bag update: we have now stowed everything somewhere and collapsed our bags, which are also stowed somewhere. There are seven overhead cubby holes (which I can access using lofty), plus a couple of cupboards - all bijou. So we now have salt and pepper next to deodorant, and teabags next to shampoo, but it doesn’t matter, as things are ‘put away’ and we look / feel more ordered.

    Did a much needed load of washing last night, which resulted in us spending our evening with damp underwear and T shirts hanging around our heads (no pic taken!). Glad to hang things out this morning, whilst I breath in the scent of these little flowers (Brunfelsia) which give the whole place a sweetly perfumed air.

    This morning met a lovely 7 yr old kid called Ari. He and his family (4 kids) had been on the road for 4 years, he’s home schooled and this is his life. He regaled me with his numerous spider stories 😬, so I tried to be a grown up and not too scared!

    We’ve pimped our rig…. !! Say hello to travel bun (who usually travels with us) and Dame Edna (aloe plant). Anyone who knows me knows I need plants, so had to buy this cutie. Last but not least (I’d be lost without it…) lofty, my trusty step stool 😁    Read more

  • Australia
    1Us and our wi-fi!

    Out and about

    September 30, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Nice easy start to the day, but finding wi-fi for our blogging needs is a bit like finding water in a desert. Nothing for ages then you gorge on it when you find it, in case it’s the last for a while! We managed a good bit of wi-fing catching up earlier, although finding the sweet spot on our site is interesting!

    Had to top up our food, due to our dinner malfunction last night, so motored into Innisfail to Coles, over buying as usual.

    En route we stopped at ‘Crawford look-out’, where we were immediately attacked by horse flies. They land anywhere on you and spike you with a very sharp needle, which goes deeper the longer they’re on you. Horrible creatures.
    An older couple who lived here (yes even older than us) confirmed they were a ‘thing’ here at this time of year. Not a fan.

    Later we had a fab walk through Ma-mu rainforest. Ground level and walkways through some of the canopy, plus a tower (100 steps 😵‍💫) with the most amazing views of the surrounds - Atherton Tablelands, distant rivers, etc. Lovely relaxed day, weather just right, and bonus: a freshly bought dinner.

    Now back at our wi-fi location to conduct the final business of the day 😊    Read more

  • Australia
    Cooling for tired feet
    Morning wi-fi fixTurkey?

    Next up: Mission beach

    October 1, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Leaving Millaa Millaa today, next stop Mission beach. One odd thing the two nights we’ve been there - at about 6.30pm there was a sudden cacophony of noise. The first night we thought it was an alarm, as the tone and frequency was so acute. Then it suddenly stopped (after quite a while).

    Last night same again. We examined the facts…… it was almost completely dark, the times were the same as last night, it then ‘switched off’ at 7pm and we were in silence again. Decided it must have been the dusk insect chorus (cicadas?) informing the world it was night time and they were now ‘off duty’.

    This morning I was up early, so wandered to the wi-fi hub. All was quiet until the kookaburras decided to announce it was time for the rest of the site to wake up. They were laughing and hollering at each other for ages, but annoyingly, totally out of sight.

    Talking on out of sight, we’ve seen loads of signs for cassowaries, kangaroos, tree kangaroos etc - but have yet to see any in the wild!

    Driving to our next stopping point, we took the waterfalls route; Millaa Millaa, Zillie and Ellinjaa. Each fall nestled in its own bit of rainforest and was well out of view. We clambered down steps and suddenly there they were. Col swam in the icy waters of the Millaa Millaa falls and watching him inch his way in was an amusing watch from my point of view 😁. Sadly the horse flies made a reappearance, horrible critters.

    Col drive on a bit, I dozed and suddenly we were at Paranella Park. More on that on next post ➡️    Read more

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