Airlie Beach

Rick cooked the kids bacon and eggs for breakfast. We had planned to catch up with Chris because he was staying up here on his yacht and had offered to take us out sailing for a couple of days - great timing! After making contact with him it was decided we would head out on Tuesday so I booked another night at the caravan park and organized storage for the van. We went up the street to get a few groceries and Rick went on the hunt for some kids life-jackets. We had some lunch and then played 18 holes of mini golf which Rick won by the narrowest of margins - I think he cheated! Caitlin and Rick went down to the yacht club to meet Chris and bring him back for dinner. We had a BBQ. The overnight lows are not so low now which is very pleasant - I don't think I had to put a windcheater on at all today. I did here the sun was out in Melbourne today!

Airlie Beach

The kids were excited about moving to Airlie Beach where we were staying at the Big 4 Whitsunday Adventure Park - it didn't seem to motivate them to help us pack up though. It was close to 10am by the time we checked out. We arrived in Airlie around 12 and were still unhitching the van when Caitlin & Cooper were in their bathers ready to hit the pool. This is an awesome caravan park for kids - jumping pillows, mini golf, pool with watersides, playground, tennis courts etc. After a swim in the pool and a play at the park we drove into Airlie Beach, bought an ice-cream and went for a walk along the foreshore and lagoon. Back at the van we got ready and went to Mr Bones Pizza Bar for dinner.

Cape Hilsborough

Farleigh Sugar Mill

Cooper holding his nose!

Mackay Marina

Wedge Island

View of Wedge Island from Andrew's point

At the caravan park reception we had seen advertised sugar mill tours so after breakfast we rang them and they said we could come and do the 9am tour which was the only one running. We quickly got ready and headed out towards Mackay, a good 40 mins away, to the Fairleigh Sugar Mill.  The sugar growing industry is huge in this district and includes the growers, harvesting, transport sector and millers. The sugar mills operate continuously throughout the crushing season which is from mid June to mid November. The tour started with a short, outdated video before we had to gear up in all our OH & S gear so we could walk through the factory. The tour was quite interesting and we were surprised to find out a lot of the equipment was over 50 years old - over the last 20 years it had become fully automated. We were shown through the whole process from when the huge cages of freshly harvested sugar cane arrives by rail and is weighed then tipped onto a conveyer to a shredder. From there it goes to a series of crushing mills, clarifier, evaporators, vacuum pans, centifugals and then driers. Cooper found the smells a little overbearing and was only keen to taste it towards the end when it looked like something he recognised. After the tour we drove into Mackay and went for a walk along the marina and had fish and chips in the park nearby. Back at the van we got changed and did the walk over to Wedge Island which is only accessible at low tide. Rick took the kids back for a swim in the pool and I continued walking the Andrews Point track which was quite a steep climb to several view points.

Cape Hilsborough

Rick made pancakes for breakfast - it's not Sunday but we missed the last one because it was a pack up and move out morning. Rick had to go for a drive down the road to find reception to make a few phone calls.  I helped the kids with some journal and postcard writing. Cooper was having a bad day and testing our patience. Caitlin and I did the 1.2km boardwalk circuit passing through the Melaleuca woodland, mangroves and vines. Back at the van I made some toasted sandwiches for lunch and took the kids to the pool for a swim. In the late afternoon we went for a bike ride along the beach - it was hard work pedalling back against the wind. We had some prawns and salmon on the BBQ.

Cape Hilsborough

The beach looked gorgeous this morning as the tide was right in. We were in no hurry to pack up until a bus load of school children turned up wanting to erect their tents on our site. We drove just around the corner to the Cape Hillsborough Nature Park around 10am and checked in. How exciting - power, water, TV, flushing toilets but no phone reception! I did some washing then took the kids to the pool (with their wetsuits on). In the afternoon we went for a walk along the beach and the kids rode their bikes along the hard sand. We cooked chicken cabanora for dinner.

Mackay

We got up at 6.00am (Coops stayed in his sleeping bag) to wait patiently by the rock pool in hope of seeing more platypus. It was really cold. We caught a glimpse of one little guy heading back to his burrow. After breakfast we did the rainforest walk to a large waterhole beneath Araluen Falls (3.2km). It would have been great to swim here if it was about 10 degrees warmer. We finished packing up and headed back through the cane fields to Mackay. We called into the info centre to find out about Cape Hillsborough - we tried to book in at the Nature Resort but they were booked out tonight - we booked Wednesday and Thursday night and decided to stay at the National Park camp site tonight (a shower would have to wait!) The highlight of Cooper's week was going to the Target toy sale to spend his birthday voucher. We drove to Smalley's Beach and found the camp ground. They were great sites - large, bush setting. The kids did some journal writing and went straight to bed after dinner - they were tired and grumpy. Rick was excited about getting TV reception - the first time since Harvey Bay.

Finch Hatton Gorge

Eungella NP

That is a platypus!

I slept really well considering the noise from the passing trucks. We packed up and continued heading north towards Mackay. We had decided to do a side trip out to Finch Hatton and Eungella National Park. We took Eton road which was very slow going - possibly flood damaged. There was heaps of roadworks in progress. This is a a huge sugar cane producing area and it was interesting seeing the tractors harvesting. We were looking for the Platypus Bush Camp which was situated on the river in Finch Hatton Gorge. When we found it we were met by 'Wazza', a real character. The camp ground was as unique as Wazza, no power or water (the Camps book indicated it had both) and the showers were wood-fire heated and open air on the one side looking out over the rainforest- very cool. We had some lunch and drove up the Clarke Range via a steep and windy road to Eungella National Park. It's name in Aboriginal language means 'land where cloud lies over mountain' and is the oldest and longest stretch of subtropical rainforest in Australia. Due to it's isolation from other rain forests there are a number of creatures here that exist no where else, including the leaf tailed gecko. We did the Rainforest discovery circuit and the Granite Bend track - about 3km. Caitlin & Cooper were not too happy about walking today but enjoyed their first platypus sighting from the viewing platform. We drove back via the Sky Window Circuit walk for views across the Pioneer Valley. Back at the Campsite we tried to spot some more platypus before dinner and also had a 'shower with a view'.

Good luck Madison - she is returning to Guide Dogs today to commence testing!

Rubyvale - Nebo

It was really cold overnight which made it difficult getting out from under the doona in the morning. We were packed up by about 9.00am and drove to the nearby town of Sapphire where we visited the local market. The area reminded us of 'Radiator Springs' with the remnants of old mining equipment, bush humpies and the lunar landscape as a result of the large open-cut machinery days. At the market the stall holders were either selling their unwanted treasures from home or all sorts of rocks, gems, crystals and petrified wood - not necessarily local finds. Caitlin loves a pretty rock. We then went to the Miners Heritage where we bought a bucket of 'wash' and were shown how to fossick and recognise the precious specks by sieving and sorting the sapphire bearing gravel. They really enjoyed it - I was bored after a few minutes! June and Fred (Rick's grandparents) spent a lot of their travels fossicking in the Willows just west of here. We also did the underground mine tour which was really interesting. There are still commercial operators in the area but in 1986 the government set aside designated areas for recreational and tourist fossicking. After a little picnic for lunch we drove towards Mackay. This was a huge coal mining area and the kids were impressed at the length of the coal trains. After about 4 hours of driving we decided to stop at a free camp just north of Nebo, in a paddock at the back of the Retreat Hotel.

Rubyvale

On the road by 9.15am - not bad. As we approached Rolleston we got phone reception again and made a few calls. It is very strange being totally out of range with no phone, TV or internet - we have no idea what's been going on in the world. Our aim was to get to Rubyvale - about 278km an area famous for it's sapphire gem fields. We stopped at Emerald, quite a large town and went to the info centre. After a quick stop at Safeway we had a vegimite sandwich and continued. We arrived in Rubyvale and booked in at the local Caravan park. After setting up and doing some washing we went for a walk down the main street (it is a very small country town) and had a drink at the pub.

Carnarvon Gorge

We didn't get out of bed till 8.00am. The kids were talking themselves up telling us they were keen to walk all the way to 'Big Bend' (20km round trip). I was glad they weren't totally put off after yesterday and would be happy if they managed some of the shorter trails from the road. The first stop was the Baloon Cave, a 500m one way walk which leads to a small sandstone overhang featuring more stencilled Aborginal rock art. We then did the Mickey Creek Gorge (1.5km one way) which ends with some rock hopping along the creek. We headed back to the van for lunch and the kids were happy playing Lego and weren't too keen to head out to do anymore trails (what happened to 'Big Bend'!) We persuaded them with a visit to the rock pool - the only place in the park you can swim. On the drive out we saw a 'Pretty Face' wallaby. The kids had a quick dip at the rock pool - the water was cold! We looked intently for platypus and turtles but to no avail. It was 4.00pm by this stage and we decided to squeeze in the 1.2km nature trail circuit from the visitor centre in the hope of seeing some wildlife. We saw lots of grey kangaroos but thats about it. Back at the caravan park we did the 500m trek to the lookout just before sunset. The kids did a great job today - all up another 7km of walking and with no complaining. We had a big cook up on the BBQ - hambugers with the lot.

Carnarvon Gorge

King Ferns

The 'Art Gallery'

Ward's Canyon

We woke to the laughing Kookaburras. It was a cool night, only about 2 degrees but looking like a beautiful day. After breakfast I packed some snacks and lunch and we drove to the visitor centre to find out about the walking trails. After obtaining a trail map from the unfriendly and seemingly disinterested park ranger we decided to do the main trail into the Gorge as far as the 'Art Gallery' and return via some of the side trails, time permitting. It was nearly 10.30am by the time we started walking. The main track criss-crosses the winding Carnarvon Creek which flows all year round. The towering sandstone cliffs are quite a spectacular sight and along with the fan palms, giant cycads and spotted gums it feels like an ancient world. Both Caitlin and Cooper started off quite well carrying their own packs and enjoying the rock hopping over the creek but it was quite slow going and took us nearly two hours to do the 5.4km. We saw a gorgeous swamp wallaby just as we got to the turn off. The 'Art Gallery' is a 62m long sandstone wall adorned with Aboriginal rock imagery, 1000s of years old. The images were stencilled, painted and engraved. This significant site was thought to be a place where Aboriginal people gathered for ceremonies and social rituals. We had some lunch and headed back down to the main track and out to Ward's Canyon (270m off the main trail) which is a beautiful side gorge with a tiny pocket of rare king ferns - the only colony in Qld. A little further down the track we did the Amphitheatre which was 630m off the main trail and included a 4 tier ladder. It is a 60m deep chamber gouged from rock by running water. Back on the main trail the kids were beginning to tire and Cooper's whingeing was winding up. With about 2.8km to go he hit the wall and we had to coax him with lollies, singing and short piggy back rides. All up by the time we got back to the car at 4.00pm we had walked over 14km so the kids did really well for such little legs. We went back to the van for a drink and a snack then went to listen to Simon Ling, a local tour guide who spoke about the region. We had tuna pasta for dinner and went to bed early, all exhausted.

Drive to Carnarvon Gorge

We can't believe we have been away a month! We had a big drive ahead of us today so were keen to get away early but fellow travelers were keen for a chat. We fueled up at Agnes Water and were on our way. We drove for a couple of hours and then stopped to get some groceries. We had lunch at Biloela and the kids had a run around in the park. We fueled up again at Rolleston as this was the last place to get fuel. We arrived at Takarakka Bush Resort just after 5.00pm. It was a big day and the kids did well. The camp ground was in a beautiful bush setting just inside the park boundary. The National Park only opens its campgrounds during the Qld school holiday periods.

Lady Musgrave Island

Lady Musgrave Island

We got up and got organised to go on our cruise - we had a fair bit of stuff with all our wetsuits and snorkeling gear. We gave Caitlin 1/2 a 'kwell' as she has been sea sick in the past. We left the Marina at 8.30am on the smaller boat of their fleet which we were pleased about because we would be on the pontoon with 40 other people rather than 140. Lady Musgrave Island is a coral cay situated 32 nautical miles off shore. The boat ride took nearly two hours and there was a little bit of wind and about 1 metre of swell causing a few queasy passengers. When we got to the pontoon we had morning tea and were then taken by glass-bottom boat through the marine park to the island. We saw a couple of turtles on the way over at the "turtle cleaning station" where they rest and allow the rass fish to give them a clean - very cool. Caitlin is very keen on seeing turtles and was very excited to get a brief glimpse. Once at the island we went on a guided nature walk through the Pisonia forest and learnt about the various birds that nest here including the Noddy Tern. Back on the pontoon we had some lunch and went on the semi-submarine which was a little disappointing - very noisy and difficult to see much out of the windows. We were pretty keen to get into our wetsuits and do some snorkelling. The snorkelling around the lagoon was great and the kids also got to use the view-board. We saw loads of fish and coral but no turtles. They both had a good go at snorkeling but still got a little cold even with their wetsuits on. The boat trip back was a lot smoother. We got back just as the sun was setting. I took the kids for a shower while Rick picked up a pizza for dinner.

1770 - Agnes Water

We woke up to beautiful blue skies. We decided it would be a great day to hit the beach because this is Queenslands most northern surf beach and we would be heading inland for a while once we left here. We took all our gear and went across to Agnes Water beach and had a great day boggie boarding, palying in the sand, relaxing and being entertained by the surf school. The kids had a big day - I think they were in the water for nearly 4 hours. Back at the van we all had showers then watched the sunset before dinner. Early rise in the morning for our cruise.

1170 - Agnes Water

There was a little more rain overnight but we woke up to patches of blue sky and the clouds looked like they were going to clear. It was pancake Sunday. After our yummy breakfast and a couple of loads of washing we went for a bike ride to the Marina to find out about the day trips to Lady Musgrave Island. After considering the weather forecast and the numbers booked we decided to book the Tuesday cruise which was on the smaller boat. We rode back and had a hot chocolate at 'The Tree' a great cafe/bar overlooking the water. After toasted sandwiches for lunch we drove to Eurimbula National Park . The turn off was about 10km out of Agnes Water along a bush track. We stopped at the Ganoonga Lookout and did the steep walk to the top for panoramic views of the park and Bustard Bay (apparently named this by James Cook because thats what they caught to eat here). We continued on driving along the sandy bush track to Bustard Beach and the mouh of the Eurimbula Creek.  We went for a walk and tried to spot the crabs before they ducked back in their holes. It was nearly dark by the time we got back. We cooked whiting for dinner (thanks Ken). After the kids were in bed we watched Black Swan - there is no TV reception here.

1770

It rained a lot of the night and continued as we packed up and it was actually quite cool - top of only 16 degrees (still nearly double the temperture in Melbourne!) We left about 9.30am and it was about a 3 hour drive to get to our next destination - the twin towns of 1770 and Agnes Water. It was a little hairy on the roads in the wet conditions. The kids settled in, watching DVDs so we drove straight through apart from a toilet stop. The towns are quite away off the beaten track with only a few shops, tour operators and lots of accommodation options and are remarkably unspoilt by urbanisation. We were staying at a beachfront caravan park in 1770. We set up and had a bite to eat. I did some washing and the kids had a muck around on the beach. We walked towards the headland to check out the monument commemorating the landing of Lieutenant James Cook who was the first European to make landfall (on what later became known as Queensland) here on the 24th May in 1770. We contemplated doing the lookout walk but it was pretty wet so we drove into Agnes Water to visit the info centre and checked out the surf beach.

Hervey Bay

I got up at 6.45am and went for a walk/jog along the esplanade and back to the van along the beach. It was overcast and had started to drizzle by the time I got back. After breakfast we walked down the jetty and watched a large pod of dolphins as they came in close to the shore for their breakfast. We then went for a drive down to the Urangan Marina to enquire about whale watching tours. After fleeing the Antarctic winter, humpback whales migrate to warmer waters off northeastern Australia. Between late July and early November on their return to the south they stop for a period of time in Hervey Bay and also Moreton Bay. The season hadn't kicked off properly but there were a couple of operators offering half price tours. With the weather looking average for the next couple of days we decided to give it a miss. We were hopeful we would see whales further north. We drove to Scarness (along the esplanade) to go to Enzo's on the Beach which the Lonely Planet claimed had the best smoothies in Qld. Well after sampling them we all voted them a 2 out of 10 - they didn't even put fresh fruit in them! The kids had a play at the nearby park and when the rain got heavier we drove to a nearby Safeway to get some groceries. In the afternoon the kids played on the beach in the rain and Rick went shopping to buy a set top box for our little TV. I sat down with the kids to do some of their journal writing. We had shepards pie for dinner which we baked in the webber.

Hervey Bay

Carl headed off to work at 7.30am and we were on the road by 9.30am. It was a 2 1/2 hour drive to Hervey Bay along a dangerous section of the Bruce Hwy because of all the trucks. We called into the Info Centre just out of the main town and got the low down on the local caravan parks. We settled on the Beachfront Tourist Park in Torquay and scored a site with bay views for 2 nights. It was a sunny afternoon and the huge sandy bay looked gorgeous. As Carl warned us Hervey Bay is known as "Heaven's waiting room" but our neighbors were very friendly unlike the oldies at Bribie Island. We got talking to Ken and he gave us some of his recent catch of whiting - dinner sorted! After setting up we had some lunch and I did some washing. Rick and Cooper went for a bike ride along the esplanade and Caitlin was happy doing some drawing. Caitlin & Cooper met the kids camped near us - Anabelle and Harry and enjoyed playing with them at the beach. We watched the sunset before cooking the whiting for dinner.

The Glass House Mountains

Mt Coonowrin

We packed up and headed north again via the Glass House Mountains - 16 volcanic crags. We drove to the Lookout. The skies were clear and we had great views of the peaks and distant beaches. We did the 800m circuit walk through the open scribbly gum forests. We then drove up to Mt Beerwah (556m) the highest and the "mother" according to Dreamtime mythology. We continued on the Old Gympie Road where we had great views of Mt Coonowrin (Crookneck). We headed up into the Blackall Ranges and stopped at Montville (after finally finding a park for the van). We felt like we were in The Dandenongs - there was even an antique clock emporium aswell as lots of cafes, gift shops, candy stores etc. We had some lunch and a had a stroll down the street. We felt it was a bit late to do the drive to Harvey Bay so we decided to go a little way up the road to Cooroy and camp in Carl's backyard.

Australia Zoo

The plan was for Rick to drop us off at Australia Zoo (or as Andy calls it - "Steve Irwin World") while he went and got the car sorted. We arrived at the Zoo just before 10am just in time for the presentation of the giant Aldabran Land Tortoise. Caitlin got to feed Siam, one of the Asian elephants, and then we watched the Wildlife Warriors Show which was entertaining but also emphasized their goal to build on Steve's passion for conserving wildlife. We enjoyed feeding the kangaroos and wallabies and got to pat a koala and wombat. After checking out most of the other amazing array of animals the kids spent some of their pocket money in the gift shop. We were quite impressed in the manner the animals were kept - large, clean enclosures and environments designed to suit the particular animals habitat. We met Rick in the car park at about 3.00pm -he was a little annoyed because the parts hadn't arrived for the car so he had hung around waiting for them to call him and didn't get a phone call until after 1.00pm. They claimed the parts wouldn't be available till Friday or even Monday so we decided to leave it and worry about it at a later date. We did some food shopping and cooked a BBQ for dinner.

Bribie Island

We are leaving Noosa and believe it or not heading south again. After some research Rick found a place in Caboolture (Opposite Lock 4WD) to supply and fit the lift kit (shock absorbers and springs)to the car. This was happening on Tuesday so we thought we may aswell stay a couple of nights at Bribie Island. We were on the road at 9.30am - we are getting a little better at the pack up. We negotiated the 100 or more roundabouts out of Noosa and arrived at Bribie Island around 11am and stopped at the info centre just after the bridge. We decided on the Top Tourist Park on the eastern side of the island at Woorim. Bribie Island is 70km north of Brisbane and is Queensland's only offshore island linked to the mainland by bridge. It is a sand island with protected bushland areas but is far more developed than what we imagined. The caravan park was huge but had only one site left - obviously very popular with the grey nomads as there was no other children to be seen - actually I don't think we have seen anyone else around the park under 60. We had some lunch and went for a bike ride along a paved track back to the other side of the island to the Pumicestone Passage. We went for a walk on the jetty and headed back - the round trip about 11km. The kids still had energy to burn when they got back and took their scooters to the skatepark just outside the caravan park.

Noosa

Riley & Mitchell

Well I know you probably sick of hearing about Noosa but whats not to love - awesome beaches, great restaurants, National Park, the Noosa River and good shopping. It would be up there with Byron Bay if it had a caravan park like Clarkes Beach as one of my favorite holiday destinations. We haven't seen a cloud in the sky since we arrived. We ran out of battery power last night because we are in a shady site, under a tree so the solar panel didn't get enough sun and there was no room to move it. We said goodbye to Mitchell and Riley and their family as they were heading home. We drove to Eumundi (Carl had told us there was a market on). The main markets are on Saturdays and Wednesday - but there was a smaller one. We had a look around and then had some morning tea at the local bakery which was very disappointing - I think they bake weekly and that day was tomorrow! We stopped at the farmers market on the way back to Noosaville and had some lunch back at the van. Then we drove to Tewantin and caught the ferry across the river to North Shore and drove along the beach towards Noosa Heads. It was quite busy on the beach with a few surfers and fisherman. We decided to hit the beach back at Noosa main beach. The kids had a great time boggie boarding and I went for a walk down Hastings Street. We cooked chicken pasta for dinner.

Noosa

Rick woke up with a headache (3 beers will do it). It was another awesome day in Noosa. We cooked pancakes for breakfast and the kids were pretty happy just to hang out around the campground for a while. After lunch we went to Sunshine Beach and had a game of cricket on the beach and then Carl met us back at the campground around 3pm. We did a butterfly lamb on the BBQ for dinner.

Noosa

We had a big drive ahead of us today - we were moving camp about 10 meters! We decided to stay another 3 nights to get the car sorted and although it was a bit of a hassle Rick really needed to tow the van to see if the engine warning light came on again. So we carried a lot of stuff over to our new even smaller site and packed the van. The kids and I hung around the caravan park while Rick went for a drive to find a steep hill. When he returned we set up again and he took the car back to the auto electrician to do another diagnostic test. On his return we had some lunch and headed across to the National Park and did the walk into Tea Tree Bay and Dolphin Point. This is such a beautiful section of coastal scenery. Rick had got in contact with Carl an old school friend so we organized to catch up with him at the Cooroy Pub. So it was out for dinner again. It was great to catch up with him but the poor kids were so tired.

Noosa

We had a cruisey morning - it was nice not having to rush off anywhere or quickly pack up. Rick spent some time on the phone making a few more enquires about the car and went up the road to get a quote on a spring lift. We were meeting Keith and Barb down at the river at 11am for a tour on Noosa river on their Pontoon boat. I packed some lunch for the kids while they played with the boys camped next to us. It was a beautiful sunny day again as we headed out on the river past people canoeing, sailing and kayaking. Keith took us up towards Lake Cootharaba and showed us Richard Branson's latest project- a Balinese style Island resort hideaway set up specifically for him and his staff. We then headed back towards Noosa Heads past our caravan and into Noosa Sound past all the beautiful houses. After that we had a stroll down Thomas street and headed back to the van to pick up the computers. We took them to a shop at Noosa Junction where we spent an hour sorting out some of minor issues. The kids were very patient and got to choose a book at the nearby bookstore. We went to Hastings Street to get Cooper some thongs and then went back to the van and got ready to go out for dinner. We went to The Reef hotel in Noosa Junction.

Noosa

Rick had to drop the car off to an Auto Electrician to get the diagnostic testing done.  While he was gone the kids rode their bikes and I walked along the Noosa river. There were heaps of people out and about enjoying the sunshine. It is the last week of Queensland school holidays. We met Rick on his way back and continued along the path to the park. We ran into Keith (Kerrie's Dad) who was on his boat on the rivers edge. We continued on to the park and the kids had a greast time. Back at the van we got organised for the beach and caught the bus into Noosa (it was very strange not having a car).  Cooper left his hat on the bus so he is already down a pair of thongs and now a hat! I stayed with the kids boggie boarding whilst Rick went back to pick up the car. We watched the sun set again and went back to get organised for a BBQ dinner.

Noosa

Noosa beach (Caitlin's photo)

We packed up (which still seemed to take some time) and we were on the road at 10.45am. It was a great day and the weather seemed like it was going to stay fine for a few more days so we decided to head back down to Noosa for some beach time and also to get the car sorted. Rick had been doing some research on the best way to lift the car a little (after grading most of the tracks around Fraser Island with the bottom of our car) and also to figure out once and for all why the engine warning light was flashing up when under load. We turned up at the Noosa River Caravan Park and enquired about a site. All the powered caravan sites were taken but they said we could go on a unpowered tent site if we could fit. We checked it out and decided it would be fine. We set up and drove down to Hastings street and got an ice cream before hitting the beach. The kids had a boggie board and stayed in the water for ages quite comforatble with their full length wet-suits on. We grabbed a few things for dinner at Noosa Junction and I cooked tuna pasta for dinner.

Rainbow Beach

Happy travels

Carlo Sandblow

Double Island Point (Caitlin's photo)

Caitlin's photo



 Today was a housekeeping day - we did washing, cleaned the car and repacked. We decided to stay another night so we could have a look around and get all our washing dry! The Cooks decided to keep heading north and we farewelled them around 11am. Caitlin & Tully were very sad as they wouldn't be seeing each other for some time. We had lunch at the bakery and then drove down the beach. We had to to wait a little longer for the tide to go out so we could get around some rocks. While we waited the kids filled some jars with the amazing couloured sands. We drove a little further down the beach to view the 'rainbow' cliffs. We then drove up to the Carlo Sandblow (Captain Cook named it this after one of his crew) and walked out to the views over the beach, the cliffs, Double Island Point and Fraser Island.  Caitlin has been getting into the photography and took some great shots. We had a BBQ for dinner.