Fraser Island

It was still really windy but we were quite protected from it at the campground. Although none of us really slept too well with the noise of the crashing waves and wind in the trees overhead (just above our tent!) Andy also forgot a mattress for himself (as well as the gas fitting for his Webber) so he couldn't have been too comfortable. We decided to go across to the other side of the island where hopefully it might be a bit more sheltered. We took the Woralie Creek road which took us through lush eucalyptus forests. We stopped for a look at Lake Allom and thought we would do the circuit walk but spent quite a while at the viewing platform where we were excited to see lots of freshwater turtles. Then all the kids proceeded to strip off and go for a swim. We continued on to the other side of the island which was a lot more sheltered. As soon as we were out of the cars Kaya thought she spotted a dolphin only a little way offshore. When we got closer we realized it was a shark, actually two sharks. We had a picnic lunch and the kids had a play in the sand before we decided to head further north up the beach to Moon Point and take the track back across to the Eastern side from there. We had trouble finding the entrance off the beach for the track and soon realized we were in a 'no vehicle zone'. We finally decided to take the track near the Moon Point Barge landing but still weren't too confident as it didn't seem to have been used in some time (dodgy visitor map). It did meet up with a more substantial track which we were happier about until we came across deep water holes which seemed to be getting bigger the further we progressed and before we knew it the Rogers in the Discovery 3 were stuck in the mud hole and had to be winched out by the Cooks in the Discovery 4! After negotiating a few more mud holes we got to to the track intersection to find a sign saying the track was closed due to large water holes! we made it back to the campground just on dark and prepared dinner. The kids were so tired they were asking to go to bed.

Fraser Island

'Maheno Wreck'

We spent the morning packing the car in preparation for our three nights on Fraser Island - this was quite a job because we were leaving the vans at Rainbow Beach and just taking the tent. We also needed sleeping gear, BBQ, clothes, recovery gear, food and kitchen utensils etc. After fueling up and buying Vehicle Permits we caught the Barge from Inskip Point around 12.30pm. The trip across only took about 15 mins and before long we were driving north up the Seventy Five Mile Beach. The 120km long Island is the world's largest sand island. For many years the island was exploited for it's valuable timber and mineral sands. Sand mining ceased in 1975 and logging did not stop until 1991 when it became part of the Great Sandy National Park. In 1993 native title was recognized and the island was listed as a World Heritage area. It was very windy and the waves were crashing in. We stopped at the Maheno wreck, a passenger liner that was blown ashore by a cyclone in 1935 while being towed to a Japanese scrap yard. A little further on were the Pinnacles which is a section of colored sand cliffs. The next stop was our camp ground 'Frasers at Cathedral Beach'. There were lots of warnings about dingoes especially around small children so we had to be vigilant. We set up camp and then went for a walk to a nearby sand blow. We cooked our BBQ dinner by torch light and spotted our first dingo slinking around the campsite looking for an easy feed.

Catching up with the Cooks

It was an ordinary kind of day - overcast and rain. After breakfast we took the kids down to the local park for a play. We went for a walk and bought some morning tea at the bakery. We farewelled Geoff and the girls around 12.30pm and headed to Rainbow Beach where we had planned to catch up with Kaya and Andy and the kids who were on a 6 week trip of Northern Queensland. We arrived at the Caravan Park around 2.30pm. The camp sites were large open sites. We set up and I drove into town to get some groceries for our three nights on Fraser Island. I went to the small supermarket in the main street which seemed to have a limited supply of fresh food. When I got back the Cooks had arrived and the kids were very pleased to have someone else to play with. After dinner we caught up with Kaya and Andy and discussed our plans for Fraser Island.

Wet n Wild

Happy 6th Birthday Cooper! Cooper's Birthday felt like it had been going on for sometime now having celebrated with family before we left. He had already received his main present just before leaving home which was a new bike. He had a couple of things to open - a new helmet and shirt. After doing most of the pack up we decided to take him up the shops so he could spend some of his birthday money he had also received before we left. Back to pick up the van and check out from Treasure Island we then headed to Wet n Wild water park. It wasn't too busy which was great except they tend to have only half the things open so you still end up waiting. It was sunny and 19 degrees but it got quite cool when you were wet and standing in the wind. The kids and I wore our wet suits. The kids had a little play at Bucaneer park and were then keen for some slides. After a couple of hours we were done which was good timing as it had clouded over and started to rain. We got changed and jumped back in the car and headed to Caloundra to visit Geoff, who used to work with Rick. We arrived at Geoff's place in the late afternoon and had fish and chips for dinner and bought a cake from Coles. Caitlin & Cooper enjoyed playing with the girls. We sang Happy Birthday and the kids watched a movie.

Sea World

What a big day. We woke up to more blue skies and sunshine. Caitlin & Cooper were very excited about their Dolphin Adventure which was a birthday present from their Nan & Pop. We arrived at Sea World at 9.30am checked in at guest services and only had a few minutes at Shark Bay before the kids had to get changed into their wetsuits and go to the meeting point. Fortunately for us Caitlin and Cooper were the only two booked in for this session so they had their own private show. They meet Shelley the dolphin trainer and the star of the show Zack the Bottle-nose Dolphin. The session involved them sitting on a pontoon in the water so when Zack came up to them they could reach out and pat him. Shelley involved the kids in getting Zack to perform lots of tricks and stunts. It was also very educational as she talked about the behavior and anatomy of these beautiful creatures. Rick and I watched from the sidelines. They had a great time and also received a photo and DVD each. From there we raced across to the 11.30 "Imagine Dolphin Show" and the other attractions including Shark Bay, the new penguin exhibit, and the Polar Bears. Caitlin and I booked to go on a behind the scenes tour of the Polar Bear exhibit which houses three bears. We learnt some interesting facts and got up close (the other side of the cage) to Nelson and Lia the only female. They have never bred polar bear cubs at Sea World and all the trainers were very excited about the prospect. Lia had been in her den for about 3 weeks but we were fortunate enough to see her come out for a snack of sardines, carrots and meatloaf. Polar bears are very adaptable and can cope with the very warm Queensland summers, they don't hibernate and weigh between 200 - 800 kg. The bears are rotated between 5 den areas and two outdoor areas including the exhibit area which has climate control features such as wind fans, sprinklers, waterfalls etc. The bears are mentally stimulated through toys, different scents, food etc. We met back with the boys at 3.00pm and decided to go across to Movie World for the 4.15pm stunt show. The queue was huge but they jammed everybody in. We headed back to Treasure Island for dinner - we were all exhausted. It had been a great day.

Movie World

After a quick breakfast, much to Cooper's disappointment (he was keen for pancakes) we headed 10 minutes up the road to Movie World. We arrived just before 10am (the opening time) and were pleased the kids got to go around a few rides without much queuing. There was however, a huge queue for the show which was apparently a two week special - a display of Monster Truck and freestyle Moto X riders. By 12.30 after the first show had finished the crowds and the queues were out of control. I think everybody had the same idea about using their 3 park pass before they expired on the 30th June. We decided to go back to the caravan park and maybe try and come back tomorrow afternoon. The kids had a swim then went to kids club at 3.00pm to paint plaster moulds. I did some grocery shopping and we had an early dinner before heading to the cinema to see the new Cars 2 movie. The kids loved it but were really tired.

The Sunshine State

I woke up to the sound of the Lorikeets in the nearby Banksia trees. We checked out the Red Rock beach which looked like it been hit by recent storms. The kids had a ride around and we left about 10.45am headed for the Gold Coast. We decided to stow one of the kids bikes in the van because they were copping a hard time on the rack rubbing against each other. We detoured 10km off the highway to check out Yamba. It is quite a chilled out town - what I imagined Byron Bay to be like before it became super popular. It was raining and quite cool. We went for a stroll up the street and had a bite to eat at one of the many cafes. Then it was another couple of hours in the car before we crossed the boarder into Queensland and headed for the Gold Coast and our three night stay at Treasure Island. We were excited to see blue skies and people wearing shorts and t-shirts (probably Victorians!) The park is a Big 4 so has all the extras - pools, jumping pillows, kids club etc. Rick set up while I took the kids to the pool. Marcel you will pleased to know we had our first BBQ for dinner.