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East Coast Australia July 2018East Coast Australia July 2018
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A 30-day adventure by S Read more
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  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 1

    Into Australia

    July 7, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    38 hours after leaving my front door, via a train, tube, 3 flights and 2 more trains I arrived at Surfers Paradise, just south of Brisbane in Queensland. It's sort of L.A. crossed with Newquay kind of city, with wide pedestrian-friendly boulevards surrounded by tacky neon signs and shops selling surfwear and souvenir tat.

    The beachfront is beautiful, with the early winter sunset creating a brooding and bruised sky over the surf. I spent some time enjoying the view and scouting for dinner, but being so tired from the travel I was starving but completely indifferent to what I ate...so ended up with a subway!    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 2

    Conference Day 1 - Southport School

    July 8, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    After registering, two lovely Grade 8 boys gave me an excellent tour of their school. We were then officially welcomed through an indigineous smoking ceremony before the introductory plenaries to the conference. Both of these were exceptionally interesting and useful talks before reception drinks and fireworks on the 'river ovals'. A totally unexpected first day but meeting interesting teachers in a beautiful location. Can't wait for workshops tomorrow!Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 6

    Lamington National Park

    July 12, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    After three exhausting but brilliant days of conference, Ben and I headed out from the Gold Coast last night, me still holding on to my horrific cold which has cost me my voice. We spent the previous evening being entertained by Bond University on the 78th floor of the skypoint observatory with free drink and canapes overlooking the kilometres of gold coast beaches - very pleasant!

    The drive from the Gold Coast to Binna Burra was a little under an hour but the landscape could not have been more different. From clear seas and golden sands, we wound up narrow mountain roads overlooking huge cliff edges and jawdropping views.

    Our B&B is a spectacilar little cabin nestled just outside of Lamington National Park, home to trees over 2000 years old. We "popped" in to the local village (a 30 minute undulating and ear-popping downhill drive) for supplies and spent the evening planning today's walks with an Aussie beer in hand and backdrop of odd wildlife noises.

    Our day of walking began on the wrong foot, waking up at 11.30am! (...Nothing to do with Ben getting up at 4am to watch the World Cup...). But, a quick breakfast later we headed into the rainforests of Lamington National Park, sadly not passing any koalas or kangaroos on the way despite hundreds of signs!

    We walked three different routes - the rainforest circuit, Tullawallal and Bellbird Lookout. Just five minutes we were greeted by a pademelon (something to us which looked like a very small kangaroo!) which was hugely exciting but apparently quite common. The huge towering trees, similar to those in and around Angkor Wat, dominate the views, and strung between and beneath them are roots upon roots and ferns. The water kept in by the canopy created a beautiful misty atmosphere and for the most part we had the trails to ourselves.

    Bellbird lookout was a little way from these trails and a 1500m similar walk gave way to a cliff-edge clearing over the whole of the valley below, lot up beautifully under the winter sunshine.

    This evening brings a Japanese meal in the "local" town before heading out tomorrow to the Border Ranges National Park.    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 7

    Mt Tamborine

    July 13, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    A brief jaunt north this morning took us to Tamborine Mountain - a plateau of rainforest and waterfalls up a 17% gradient road. The rock pools at the base of Cedar Falls gave me an opportunity to get my feet wet and enjoy some spectacular scenery. En route back off the mountain, the Rotary Lookout have breathtaking views for miles over the low lying lands to the west.Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 7

    Springbrook National Park

    July 13, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Continuing our National Park tour of Australia, we headed to Springbrook National Park. Annoyingly this meant dropping south into a dead end so we'd have to return north to go south again on our journey. Nonetheless the lookout here gave views all the way back to the Gold Coast over miles of mountains, forests and beach.

    We also dropped around to the Natural Bridge, an eroded rock bridge formed from a waterfall and forming a cave home to glow worms 😊    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 8

    Silk Pavilions

    July 14, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Our final stop of the day, and home for the night, was Silk Pavilions, nestled between about 5 National Parks. Greeted by our super-friendly host Steve, we were made so welcome from the moment we arrived. Before Steve threw our stuff in the tractor and out to our safari tent, he wanted to show us his land...and rounding the front of his house we came across beautifully kept grounds abundant with kangaroos! So exciting! Including a mum and baby 😊

    On walking to our tent, our accomodation was no less disappointing. A huge safari tent, fitted out with a sheltered but outdoor shower, double bed and a barbecue on the veranda. We were even graced with a bottle of sparkling wine for staying with them. We set to work on the barbecue and as the sun decended off the bush and the kangaroos hopped around our tent, we enjoyed kebabs and burgers. After dark, the temperature dropped pretty rapidly...but no worries - out bed had electric blankets!! An unbelievable stop at the Silk Pavilions.    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 8

    Minyon Falls, Nightcap NP

    July 14, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    A cracking and toasty night sleep later, we went for a walk around the creek path before departing from Steve and the Silk Pavilions, and heading for Nightcap National Park. The route in was a bit hairy - where it wasn't narrow, or lacking in road lines, it was full of potholes, ridiculously windy or even unpaved (leading to a couple of u-turns to find paved alternatives). We were treated to the beautiful Minyon Falls just 500m from where we parked - clearly not in full flow, the top of the waterfall formed small rock pools before throwing water 100m down over the falls.

    We trekked along the footpath and across the water, where a small path allowed us out on to the top of the falls for spectacular views. Our return journey to the car saw us encounter a huge monitor lizard across our path...never seen such a big lizard!!    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 8

    Ulmarra

    July 14, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    A seemingly endless two hour drive, back through windy, narrow avenues and down onto the Pacific Highway aiming to Ulmarra.

    The town is little more than one street; the hotel at a dead end road into the river looking like something out of a cowboy western, we checked in at the bar which also appears to be the local pub, betting shop, restaurant and convenience store! Our room was a small twin room bizarrely with windows overlooking the internal halls...

    We drove for a look to the local town of Grafton but failing to find anywhere interesting for dinner, we settled for food in the hotel which, as it turns out, was excellent! A few beers and games of crib later, we retired in anticipation of a few hours of driving tomorrow morning.    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 9

    Nymboida

    July 15, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Today turned out to be exactly the reason I love travelling - the unplanned adventure. Over breakfast we were tossing up between two routes...a longer route through two national parks or a shorter (but still 3 hrs) scenic route. The scenic route won out as it passed a canor centre so we took some misty river photos and departed Ulmarra and the Pacific Highway for the Waterfall Way.

    The Nymboida Canoe Centre was probably 45 minutes away and we weren't sure it'd be open, but a friendly chap named Gray arrive shortly after us and kitted us out. He gave us a simpler, shorter route over seven rapids and drew dust maps on the ground for the trickier passes before throwing us in his 4WD and taking us to the get in. He briefed us about platypus, water dragon, python and turtles and set to pick us up a few hours later.

    We paddled upstream in the hope of playpus but enjoyed the morning sun despite no sightings. However a lazy meander down the river took in spectacular scenery and some fab wildlife. We did see two playpus, alas not up close, as well as a turtle, parrots, kookaburra and ducks, as well as some curious cows! The rapids were mostly low level given the dry winter although an overly-early set up for rapid 4 briefly caused us an undue amount of worry!

    Nonetheless, we made the get out a few minutes early and had a fantastic time on the water in the sunshine, before being driven back to the centre for coffee. A superb and unexpected day trip 😊    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 9

    Guy fawkes

    July 15, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    We continued from Nymboida down the Waterfall Way - a route of over 100km that took in waterfalls at national parks through a windy, undulating, pot-holed, tree-lined and occasionally narrow road. We hadn't planned any stops but we do try and change driver every hour. When my time was up and Ben was due to take over we were atva signpost of 1km from Guy Fawkes River National Park and the Ebor Falls so we stopped in.

    This double waterfall over a huge tree-covered valley was a brilliant sight to see and the walk between the upper and lower falls were a welcome break from the hour on the road.

    The journey took in extensive cattle country - undulating fields with livestock and very few houses or villages. Sadly we passed a couple of dead kangaroo at the roadsides which was both dishearteneing but also made for somewhat concerning road conditions.    Read more

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