Brisbane to Rainbow Beach

The title of 'Sunshine State' for Queensland did not disappoint as we moved northward. It was a novelty for the temperature on the bus to be cooler than that outside.

It is true what we were told by those we met in New Zealand and who had travelled this part of Australia. In New Zealand the distances between points of interest are shorter and the scenery more compelling. Where as in this part of Australia it can be hours and hours of motorway and bush. The only thing worth writing home about on the way to our destination was a giant kangaroo model at the Matilda roadside services. It was big.

Rainbow Beach is a sleepy (for winter) seaside town where all the hostels are on one street. We stopped there because it's our launch pad to Fraser Island where we'll spend the weekend on a 4WD tour. We strolled across the small town and along its much larger beach before heading up to the Carlo Sandblow, a giant sand dune sitting above the town.

As we broke out of the forested pathway we were greeted by a desert landscape that bowled from East to West. In the fading light the eastern side threw shadows of blue whilst the western edge burned orange against the setting sun. We sat on the sandy slopes, high above the tree line, to watch the sun make its final descent. The sky turned rust to gold to lilac in the peaceful minutes before darkness enveloped us.Read more