It’s been an exciting week full of tours so brace yourself for some long paragraphs!
Day 27: Monday, October 8th
Woke up early for more of the free pancakes at the hostel. Before heading out on my Fraser Island tour, there was a safety briefing about driving the 4WD cars on the biggest sand-only island in the world. There were about 35 people in my group, but unfortunately 19 of them were traveling in a group and already knew each other. Luckily, Charlotte (who I’ve met multiple times before) was on my Fraser Island tour so we shared a tent. One of the guys in my car kicked off the ride asking why girls were allowed to drive since it’s “so hard” and guys are naturally better drivers. So I had a very….odd car group to say the least. A guy from Ohio and a girl from Belgium were my saving grace in my strange car group.
Our first stop on the Island was Lake McKenzie. I’ve never seen such crystal clear water, it was absolutely stunning. We enjoyed a refreshing swim before eating lunch out the back of our cars. After that, we headed to our campsite about two hours away. Riding in the cars was so bumpy, almost like a ride at a theme park. The campsite had clusters of 2 person tents with a communal kitchen and bathroom. I shared with Charlie (Charlotte). Our guide for the tour was absolutely hilarious, the most cliché Australian you could imagine – he even grew up with a pet Dingo! Once we were settled in our tents, we headed to the beach for some pre-dinner bonding. I found out that a few people on this tour will be at my Whitsundays tour, too. Dinner food was provided, but it was our responsibility to cook. Surprisingly, it didn’t taste too bad! There was a bonfire and a different guide with a guitar playing music until about 1am.
Day 28: Tuesday, October 9th
Headed to another freshwater lake on the island, except rather than crystal clear this lake was red from the tea tree oil leaves that fall into the water and release their oils. It’s said to be healing, so hopefully it’ll help my ripped up toes (I’ve ran into too many sticks and trees to count). Had a nice swim there before doing the short hike around the lake with Charlie, our guide, and a guy from Charlie’s group. After the lake, we headed to Indian Head Lookout. I keep saying this but honestly I can’t believe places this beautiful even exist! It was incredible to see the ocean below and fascinating to learn the dark history of the lookout point. I took some fun pictures with Charlie before we climbed back down the rocks to get to our cars. Our next stop was the Champaign pools, named for the way the water looks as it rushes over the rocks that create the small cluster of pools. There were fish in the pools as we swam. I ran into Will, who I met in Byron, and Alex, who I met in Noosa. They had the same Fraser Island tour so it was fun to run into them. Our final stop for the day was a shipwreck where we took a photo of our entire group and were lucky enough to have a dingo walk up right as we were taking the picture! I’m still a bit fuzzy on why there’s a shipwreck because our guide told a completely different story than another guide. Apparently they have fun creating stories and then telling the truth to everyone on the last day of the tour! That evening, we cooked dinner (I got tofu with veggies) and played card games.
Day 29: Wednesday, October 10th
The final day at Fraser Island was spent at a freshwater creek where we swam and floated down in tubes. We had nearly three hours at the creek so we laid on the beach for a while, too. I saw another dingo, bringing the total to 5 for the trip. They are so cute, just like dogs but secretly way more aggressive to the point that we are given sticks at night to fend them off if they come near. After lunch, we took the ferry back to Rainbow Beach and my Fraser Island tour was over. I met some great people and saw some of the most beautiful places in the world right next to the second most dangerous place to swim in the ocean (we weren’t allowed because the current will pull you in and you’ll die). I laid by the pool at the hostel, did laundry, and made dinner. There was a live guitar singer at the hostel’s bar that night who played covers of a lot of popular songs. Will and Alex (the friends I ran into at the Champagne Pools) were staying at the same hostel so we chatted for a while about Noosa and similar people we had met.
Day 30: Thursday, October 11th
Had my final morning of free vegan pancakes, packed up my things, and went for a wander around the very, very, very small town of Rainbow Beach with Will and Alex. We stopped for coffee and they got food, wandered around one of the ridiculously expensive grocery stores, and played at a park. The parks in Australia in general are significantly more expansive with cool ropes and swings. They’d never exist in the U.S. because someone would sue. We took photos at one of the only things worth seeing in town, a rainbow staircase with the quote, “How Good is Living.” We walked along the rocks, up some sand dunes, and then I had to go back to eat before catching my six hour Greyhound to Agnes Water (also known as the town of 1770). They walked back with me to hang out until I left. It’s always sad leaving people who feel like actual friends, but that’s traveling! Hopefully I’ll see them again! My bus ride was mostly uneventful, except for a text message from the Australian government warning of tornados in the area! Turns out that my bus was just ahead of a massive storm. My hostel for the night was called Cool Bananas. An employee was waiting at the bus stop in a banana costume to take us to the hostel. I checked in and within 10 minutes had run into two people I had met before. The hostel shuts off their WiFi from 6-8pm for “family time,” and then forces you to solve a riddle in order to get the password. Kind of a pain, especially when you arrive at 7pm after 4 hours of no reception and just want to message people back home.
Day 31: Friday, October 12th
I woke up early, went for a short run, and packed my things to prepare for my Whitsunday boat trip the next day. You can’t bring bags with zippers because tiny bugs will create nests inside of them! I wandered around the tiny town of Agnes Water, explored their tiny grocery store, and then went back to the hostel to eat lunch and hang out in reception where there was WIFI. One of the people from my Fraser Island trip hung out with me for a few hours because there was literally nothing to do there. Partway through the day, I discovered Will would be arriving at the hostel a few hours before my Greyhound so we grabbed food and caught up on the past few days. I then left for my overnight Greyhound bus to Airlie Beach!
Day 32: Saturday, October 13th
I arrived in Airlie Beach at 7:30am and had to walk 20 minutes to my hostel. Luckily, I met a few others walking to the same hostel. One of those people was a 22 year old American who also just graduated from University, it was nice talking to someone in pretty much the same situation as me. After checking in for my boat and storing my bags, I went to a café that had vegan nachos! I spent the next few hours exploring Airlie Beach. It’s similar to Byron Bay but smaller and the water is much more Turquoise. While I was wandering around, I ran into Anja who had just finished her tour! Around 2, I walked to the Marina to board my boat. A bunch of people from my Fraser Island tour were also on my boat and before I’d even boarded, I had made more friends. My boat was called the Atlantic Clipper and has a reputation for being a bit crazy, which I didn’t realize until after I booked it. But it ended up being the BEST part of my trip so far! The group of people was incredible, everyone was so open and friendly and happy to be there. The crew was fun, the food was good (the chef was vegan!), and the water activities were amazing! The first night on the boat we went to a spot to swim and go down a slide into the water. There were a few games, including one where you pick up a cereal box with your teeth. I won for the second time on this trip! Now that I’m farther north, you have to wear stinger suits in the ocean (similar to a wet suit) to protect yourself from the deadly Jellyfish. Everything in Australia wants to kill you!
Day 33: Sunday, October 14th
Woke up at 6am without trying and couldn’t go back to bed! I was the first one awake and didn’t see anyone until probably 6:30. That day we went to Whitehaven Beach, which was easily the most beautiful place I have ever been. The sand is silica and so white and squishy. The patterns the sand and water make are simply incredible. I saw the biggest spider I’ve ever seen in my life, swam in the ocean, and relaxed. After the beach, we had lunch on the boat and then went to a spot to snorkel. It took a few hours to get to the snorkeling location so we laid around in the sun and socialized. I saw some gigantic fish while snorkeling, probably somewhere between 3-4 feet long! I’ve never seen anything like them. The water was pretty cold so after an hour, everyone was shivering and the water activities for the day were done. When everyone was back on board, the jacuzzi on board was packed and the few showers were full because everyone was just trying to warm up. That night we played more games and the crew did a fashion show type of thing. It was such a great group that it didn’t matter what we were doing, it was energizing the entire time! That night, I also managed to rip a toenail almost completely off. It’s hanging by a few threads of skin now. Don’t worry, I’ll post pictures when it does fall off!
Day 34: Monday, October 15th
Managed to sleep in until 6:40am, ate breakfast, and the boat took a journey to a spot to hang out in the water for the morning. There was a gigantic inflatable slide, a spot to jump off the boat, and a Banana Boat ride! When we got back to town, I got a smoothie and then had to deal with changing phone providers because my provider had horrible reception. Long story short, I’m STILL dealing with the switch and trying to keep my old phone number! So please use Facebook messenger if I don’t reply. Checked in to my hostel eventually, dealt with the phone more, stubbed another toe and ripped off ANOTHER nail, met up with Will (my friend who I keep running into), and then took a much needed shower after 3 days on a boat. There was a big afterparty with the crew that night. Most of my Whitsunday group is heading to similar places and staying in the same hostels for the next week. At this point, I run into people I’ve met before nearly everywhere I go. It almost feels like a community now. I only have a few days left of my East Coast adventure before I head to Melbourne and then choose where to work.
Day 35: Tuesday, October 16th
I had a 10am bus to Townsville this morning with Rachel, Ben, and Ellie. From the bus station, we took a Ferry to Magnetic Island. I spent an hour trying to fix my phone, only to be met by more horrible customer service. So I’m still waiting to get my phone number fixed. Once we arrived, I checked in and then waited until 5:30 to use our free dinner vouchers. The chef made an amazing chickpea curry that wasn’t even on the menu. I was exhausted from the past few days of little sleep and lots of activities so I went to bed early.
Day 36: Wednesday, October 17th
I decided to extend a night in Magnetic Island and skip my reservation in Mission Beach because there isn’t much to do there and I wanted more time to relax at Magnetic Island. So I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to use the WiFi to change my reservations. I got an Acai bowl and then headed to get groceries before going to the pool for a few hours. For sunset, I took a mini hike to Hawkins Point with Rachel, Ellie, and Ben. It was beautiful, but cloudy. That evening, we went to the trivia event at the hostel. After five rounds thinking we were doing pretty well, WE WON! It was insanely exciting.
Day 37: Thursday, October 18th
After our more relaxed day yesterday, Ellie, Rachel, and I rented a car for the day. Magnetic Island is fairly small, but walking takes too long and there is only ONE bus on the entire island. So most people rent a car for the day. It was a topless mini car. We drove to the area where “shops” were supposed to be, only to find roughly 6 stores/restaurants. None of us could imagine living so isolated from things to do. Next, we did the Forts Hike. It only took us about an hour roundtrip, but we saw a BABY KOALA and its mom. I’ve never been so close to such an adorable, fuzzy, tiny creature before. So thankful for portrait mode on my phone because I got really good pictures. We found a spot with vegan gnocchi for lunch, which was delicious. We drove down a dirt/sand/paved road that was basically just potholes the entire way trying to find a lookout point that we never found. I got to finally try driving on the wrong side of the road on our way back on the dodgy road and to the hostel. It was so fun! We took a nap and then Rachel and I went to a spot to see Rock Wallabys. They were cute, but both of us had expected to see way more than what was actually there. When I took off my shoes after our hike, I discovered that what had been a small cut on my foot was now white and purple and super swollen. I’m clearly really good at protecting my feet from damage. Seeing Ellie and Rachel’s friendship really makes me miss being with my friends at home who know everything about me.
Day 27: Monday, October 8th
Woke up early for more of the free pancakes at the hostel. Before heading out on my Fraser Island tour, there was a safety briefing about driving the 4WD cars on the biggest sand-only island in the world. There were about 35 people in my group, but unfortunately 19 of them were traveling in a group and already knew each other. Luckily, Charlotte (who I’ve met multiple times before) was on my Fraser Island tour so we shared a tent. One of the guys in my car kicked off the ride asking why girls were allowed to drive since it’s “so hard” and guys are naturally better drivers. So I had a very….odd car group to say the least. A guy from Ohio and a girl from Belgium were my saving grace in my strange car group.
Our first stop on the Island was Lake McKenzie. I’ve never seen such crystal clear water, it was absolutely stunning. We enjoyed a refreshing swim before eating lunch out the back of our cars. After that, we headed to our campsite about two hours away. Riding in the cars was so bumpy, almost like a ride at a theme park. The campsite had clusters of 2 person tents with a communal kitchen and bathroom. I shared with Charlie (Charlotte). Our guide for the tour was absolutely hilarious, the most cliché Australian you could imagine – he even grew up with a pet Dingo! Once we were settled in our tents, we headed to the beach for some pre-dinner bonding. I found out that a few people on this tour will be at my Whitsundays tour, too. Dinner food was provided, but it was our responsibility to cook. Surprisingly, it didn’t taste too bad! There was a bonfire and a different guide with a guitar playing music until about 1am.
Day 28: Tuesday, October 9th
Headed to another freshwater lake on the island, except rather than crystal clear this lake was red from the tea tree oil leaves that fall into the water and release their oils. It’s said to be healing, so hopefully it’ll help my ripped up toes (I’ve ran into too many sticks and trees to count). Had a nice swim there before doing the short hike around the lake with Charlie, our guide, and a guy from Charlie’s group. After the lake, we headed to Indian Head Lookout. I keep saying this but honestly I can’t believe places this beautiful even exist! It was incredible to see the ocean below and fascinating to learn the dark history of the lookout point. I took some fun pictures with Charlie before we climbed back down the rocks to get to our cars. Our next stop was the Champaign pools, named for the way the water looks as it rushes over the rocks that create the small cluster of pools. There were fish in the pools as we swam. I ran into Will, who I met in Byron, and Alex, who I met in Noosa. They had the same Fraser Island tour so it was fun to run into them. Our final stop for the day was a shipwreck where we took a photo of our entire group and were lucky enough to have a dingo walk up right as we were taking the picture! I’m still a bit fuzzy on why there’s a shipwreck because our guide told a completely different story than another guide. Apparently they have fun creating stories and then telling the truth to everyone on the last day of the tour! That evening, we cooked dinner (I got tofu with veggies) and played card games.
Day 29: Wednesday, October 10th
The final day at Fraser Island was spent at a freshwater creek where we swam and floated down in tubes. We had nearly three hours at the creek so we laid on the beach for a while, too. I saw another dingo, bringing the total to 5 for the trip. They are so cute, just like dogs but secretly way more aggressive to the point that we are given sticks at night to fend them off if they come near. After lunch, we took the ferry back to Rainbow Beach and my Fraser Island tour was over. I met some great people and saw some of the most beautiful places in the world right next to the second most dangerous place to swim in the ocean (we weren’t allowed because the current will pull you in and you’ll die). I laid by the pool at the hostel, did laundry, and made dinner. There was a live guitar singer at the hostel’s bar that night who played covers of a lot of popular songs. Will and Alex (the friends I ran into at the Champagne Pools) were staying at the same hostel so we chatted for a while about Noosa and similar people we had met.
Day 30: Thursday, October 11th
Had my final morning of free vegan pancakes, packed up my things, and went for a wander around the very, very, very small town of Rainbow Beach with Will and Alex. We stopped for coffee and they got food, wandered around one of the ridiculously expensive grocery stores, and played at a park. The parks in Australia in general are significantly more expansive with cool ropes and swings. They’d never exist in the U.S. because someone would sue. We took photos at one of the only things worth seeing in town, a rainbow staircase with the quote, “How Good is Living.” We walked along the rocks, up some sand dunes, and then I had to go back to eat before catching my six hour Greyhound to Agnes Water (also known as the town of 1770). They walked back with me to hang out until I left. It’s always sad leaving people who feel like actual friends, but that’s traveling! Hopefully I’ll see them again! My bus ride was mostly uneventful, except for a text message from the Australian government warning of tornados in the area! Turns out that my bus was just ahead of a massive storm. My hostel for the night was called Cool Bananas. An employee was waiting at the bus stop in a banana costume to take us to the hostel. I checked in and within 10 minutes had run into two people I had met before. The hostel shuts off their WiFi from 6-8pm for “family time,” and then forces you to solve a riddle in order to get the password. Kind of a pain, especially when you arrive at 7pm after 4 hours of no reception and just want to message people back home.
Day 31: Friday, October 12th
I woke up early, went for a short run, and packed my things to prepare for my Whitsunday boat trip the next day. You can’t bring bags with zippers because tiny bugs will create nests inside of them! I wandered around the tiny town of Agnes Water, explored their tiny grocery store, and then went back to the hostel to eat lunch and hang out in reception where there was WIFI. One of the people from my Fraser Island trip hung out with me for a few hours because there was literally nothing to do there. Partway through the day, I discovered Will would be arriving at the hostel a few hours before my Greyhound so we grabbed food and caught up on the past few days. I then left for my overnight Greyhound bus to Airlie Beach!
Day 32: Saturday, October 13th
I arrived in Airlie Beach at 7:30am and had to walk 20 minutes to my hostel. Luckily, I met a few others walking to the same hostel. One of those people was a 22 year old American who also just graduated from University, it was nice talking to someone in pretty much the same situation as me. After checking in for my boat and storing my bags, I went to a café that had vegan nachos! I spent the next few hours exploring Airlie Beach. It’s similar to Byron Bay but smaller and the water is much more Turquoise. While I was wandering around, I ran into Anja who had just finished her tour! Around 2, I walked to the Marina to board my boat. A bunch of people from my Fraser Island tour were also on my boat and before I’d even boarded, I had made more friends. My boat was called the Atlantic Clipper and has a reputation for being a bit crazy, which I didn’t realize until after I booked it. But it ended up being the BEST part of my trip so far! The group of people was incredible, everyone was so open and friendly and happy to be there. The crew was fun, the food was good (the chef was vegan!), and the water activities were amazing! The first night on the boat we went to a spot to swim and go down a slide into the water. There were a few games, including one where you pick up a cereal box with your teeth. I won for the second time on this trip! Now that I’m farther north, you have to wear stinger suits in the ocean (similar to a wet suit) to protect yourself from the deadly Jellyfish. Everything in Australia wants to kill you!
Day 33: Sunday, October 14th
Woke up at 6am without trying and couldn’t go back to bed! I was the first one awake and didn’t see anyone until probably 6:30. That day we went to Whitehaven Beach, which was easily the most beautiful place I have ever been. The sand is silica and so white and squishy. The patterns the sand and water make are simply incredible. I saw the biggest spider I’ve ever seen in my life, swam in the ocean, and relaxed. After the beach, we had lunch on the boat and then went to a spot to snorkel. It took a few hours to get to the snorkeling location so we laid around in the sun and socialized. I saw some gigantic fish while snorkeling, probably somewhere between 3-4 feet long! I’ve never seen anything like them. The water was pretty cold so after an hour, everyone was shivering and the water activities for the day were done. When everyone was back on board, the jacuzzi on board was packed and the few showers were full because everyone was just trying to warm up. That night we played more games and the crew did a fashion show type of thing. It was such a great group that it didn’t matter what we were doing, it was energizing the entire time! That night, I also managed to rip a toenail almost completely off. It’s hanging by a few threads of skin now. Don’t worry, I’ll post pictures when it does fall off!
Day 34: Monday, October 15th
Managed to sleep in until 6:40am, ate breakfast, and the boat took a journey to a spot to hang out in the water for the morning. There was a gigantic inflatable slide, a spot to jump off the boat, and a Banana Boat ride! When we got back to town, I got a smoothie and then had to deal with changing phone providers because my provider had horrible reception. Long story short, I’m STILL dealing with the switch and trying to keep my old phone number! So please use Facebook messenger if I don’t reply. Checked in to my hostel eventually, dealt with the phone more, stubbed another toe and ripped off ANOTHER nail, met up with Will (my friend who I keep running into), and then took a much needed shower after 3 days on a boat. There was a big afterparty with the crew that night. Most of my Whitsunday group is heading to similar places and staying in the same hostels for the next week. At this point, I run into people I’ve met before nearly everywhere I go. It almost feels like a community now. I only have a few days left of my East Coast adventure before I head to Melbourne and then choose where to work.
Day 35: Tuesday, October 16th
I had a 10am bus to Townsville this morning with Rachel, Ben, and Ellie. From the bus station, we took a Ferry to Magnetic Island. I spent an hour trying to fix my phone, only to be met by more horrible customer service. So I’m still waiting to get my phone number fixed. Once we arrived, I checked in and then waited until 5:30 to use our free dinner vouchers. The chef made an amazing chickpea curry that wasn’t even on the menu. I was exhausted from the past few days of little sleep and lots of activities so I went to bed early.
Day 36: Wednesday, October 17th
I decided to extend a night in Magnetic Island and skip my reservation in Mission Beach because there isn’t much to do there and I wanted more time to relax at Magnetic Island. So I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to use the WiFi to change my reservations. I got an Acai bowl and then headed to get groceries before going to the pool for a few hours. For sunset, I took a mini hike to Hawkins Point with Rachel, Ellie, and Ben. It was beautiful, but cloudy. That evening, we went to the trivia event at the hostel. After five rounds thinking we were doing pretty well, WE WON! It was insanely exciting.
Day 37: Thursday, October 18th
After our more relaxed day yesterday, Ellie, Rachel, and I rented a car for the day. Magnetic Island is fairly small, but walking takes too long and there is only ONE bus on the entire island. So most people rent a car for the day. It was a topless mini car. We drove to the area where “shops” were supposed to be, only to find roughly 6 stores/restaurants. None of us could imagine living so isolated from things to do. Next, we did the Forts Hike. It only took us about an hour roundtrip, but we saw a BABY KOALA and its mom. I’ve never been so close to such an adorable, fuzzy, tiny creature before. So thankful for portrait mode on my phone because I got really good pictures. We found a spot with vegan gnocchi for lunch, which was delicious. We drove down a dirt/sand/paved road that was basically just potholes the entire way trying to find a lookout point that we never found. I got to finally try driving on the wrong side of the road on our way back on the dodgy road and to the hostel. It was so fun! We took a nap and then Rachel and I went to a spot to see Rock Wallabys. They were cute, but both of us had expected to see way more than what was actually there. When I took off my shoes after our hike, I discovered that what had been a small cut on my foot was now white and purple and super swollen. I’m clearly really good at protecting my feet from damage. Seeing Ellie and Rachel’s friendship really makes me miss being with my friends at home who know everything about me.