Getting in to Brisbane (Brizzy) was like we were stepping back in to a smaller version of London - it was a little overwhelming and made us think about home! Coming from the red centre the temperature had dropped a few degrees and there were ominous grey clouds in the sky. There is also a central business area with the first skyscrapers that we've seen in Oz, a trendy South Bank area, a walking street packed with shops, a couple of big bridges connecting two sides of the river, some expensive looking marinas, streets named after English monarchs (including statues of old Vic and Liz) and there's plenty going on.
We'd been told that there wasn't actually much to do in Brisbane but we found that there was loads if you look for it - plenty of museums, a few venues and many restaurants and bars. But unlike London, it has quite a new and shiny feel to it which means it does have a different type of character.
Our hostel, Chill Backpackers, was no exception - it was a typical city joint with a roof top terrace and movie nights, but that's where the positives end - sharing a cramped room with 3 other blokes, one of whom's snoring shook our bones, having your food stolen from the fridge, and having to dig dirty pots out the sink to use them are the type of experiences that we think we're just getting a bit tired of and a bit old for! Plus, it's no way to be spending our honeymoon!
But enough of being a whinging Pom - whilst in Brizzy for the 2 nights, we got to see quite a lot of the city, taking in the South Bank, the river that meanders through the buildings and the Queen Street mall at night. We had an alfresco take-out pizza looking over the Story Bridge, trekked through the botanic gardens - where foot-long lizards were roaming around and 3 foot long eels were scavenging for food in the ponds - and then we went on a mission east one evening to the Brisbane Powerhouse (an old power station in the burbs that had been converted in to a Tate Modern type venue) to watch how the Aussies do comedy - needless to say, the Brits are funnier!
Brisbane's a cool city, certainly not the most interesting one we've been to but there seems to be plenty of work for the gap ya stoods (and plenty of stoods for the work!), plenty of posh restaurants for the young families, and it's a great spot to park your 40foot long yacht if you're making your way up or down the east coast... as you do! It's also a huge transport hub, and for us it served as a brilliant place to plan our next week (if you ever go there - go to the info desk in the transit centre where Marko will sort you out with some deals!) and to venture out from.
So on Monday, keen to leave Brisbane, we got on a 3 hour coach North to Noosa. Once we'd settled in we ended up trekking (in flip flops - no, we didn't plan this one either) about 9-10km around the stunning coastal path from Sunshine Beach through the National Park at Noosa Heads to Main Beach. They keep the place names pretty simple here - mostly they've kept the names that Captain Cook gave them when he discovered the place - and it seems to be the case that he just named them as he saw them! Otherwise they're either named after British places (there's an Ipswich outside of Brisbane) or the aboriginals gave them more meaningful and interesting names. Anyway, en route, as has been the way with the wildlife here, we were lucky to spot a koala perched in one of the trees. Box ticked!
The next day was Australia Zoo day! We'd both been looking forward to this and weren't disappointed - in terms of getting close to the 'wildlife' and the type of animals you see, it was unlike any other zoo we'd been to - where else can you feed a Roo, hug a koala and hold a baby alligator, all in the same park? They also put on a very American type show every day at the 'Crocoseum' - the highlights being a Condor with a wingspan at least 2 meters wide and a 4 metre long croc called Charlie (who apparently hates people - I didn't realise crocs liked people?!) leaping straight out of the water and grabbing his meal with an eerily audible loud popping noise! Equally amusing was the staff who were trying not to get outwitted and cornered by the croc! We expected the place to be a bit busier, but it wasn't until the end of the day that we realised that the Melbourne cup had stopped the country in its tracks that day!
And whilst Steve Irwin is no longer with us, his presence is very much still felt at the zoo; if you thought he was a bit nuts - almost every one of the staff carries his infectious enthusiasm - its like listening to a newsreader on acid!
Anyway, another box ticked!
On Wednesday we were whisked away for our next box-ticking activity which was a trip to Fraser Island (formerly known as Great Sandy Island - another million dollar gem of a name from Captain Cook!) in a black 4WD juggernaut (ok not that big, but it didn't look like it should be taken on boggy sand) with the Discovery group. This is the by far the best way to see the island - its possible (and cheaper) to drive a 4WD yourself on a tag along tour, and it's also possible (and more expensive) to hire a 4WD yourself - neither seemed appealing to us, partly because many of the smaller vehicles were getting stuck but mainly because there's so much to see and know about the largest sand island in the world, you really need a guide.
Fraser Island is an incredibly unique place - when I say sandy island, the whole island is literally just that... sand! There are buildings on it, trees have adapted to thrive there and massive lakes have somehow developed (including Lake McKenzie where we went for a dip) but otherwise, it's just sand... everywhere! The main access 'road' on the island is the East beach, called Seventy Five mile beach which stretches almost the whole length of the island - it's actually longer than 75 miles but our buddy Captain Cook didn't believe it was an island when he first saw it and so measured it from the cape on the mainland, missing out the bit round the bend.
Anywho, to get to Fraser from Noosa, we first stopped for coffee and a Lemingtons cake at Rainbow Beach to see the different sands that colour the bank. A short ride and a ferry later we were on the Island and heading up to Lake McKenzie - unfortunately we were the last to be picked up from our hostel so we were in the spine jolting rear seats. It hadn't rained for a few months so the sand roads had deep divots and dips in them, so we didn't spend too much of our time actually on our seats!
Some of the Satinay trees in the forest have developed a system where they entwine their roots with other trees in order to stay upright - it means that they can gain purchase in the sand without being affected too much by storms, but it also means that they can grow massive trunks - the biggest being 4m in diameter. At the base of one our guide Max pointed out a funnel web spider hole - just as we were walking away he casually added that we shouldn't poke it as its one of the deadliest spiders in the world!
Our accommodation for the night was a much needed respite from the hostels - we had a double room in an apartment (at Sailfish resort in Happy Valley), which was bigger than our flat, fully fitted with everything you'd need to weather out a storm. It was also a stone's throw from the 75 mile beach, which because it's so big there aren't many people around so it can you give you the impression of complete isolation, it's no wonder that the aboriginals call this Paradise island.
After another BBQ steak we settled in for the night to get to know our group and our guide a bit better. Another English couple had just got engaged in Thailand on their extended trip, and were asking us about our wedding - which already feels like a distant memory!
After a great nights sleep we were taken to Indian Head at the north east of the island - which is the eastern most point of Australia (Byron Bay being the most easterly point on the mainland). And yup, Cooky strikes again - he named it Indian Head, apparently because when they landed they saw the aboriginals looking out at them which reminded them of the American Red Indians. And to add to the lizards and dingoes we saw along the route, we also added a couple more wildlife sightings to our tally whilst 60m up on the point, as we spotted one of the last hump backed whales making their migration south for the summer a short way off the coast, as well as another turtle coming up for air and several Mantarays and Stingrays.
Before lunch we also scoped out the wreck of a ship called the Mahino and paddled in Eli Creek - the water was so clear you had to get in it to check it was there.
We were very sad that we had to leave - we've now been on 3 big tours in Oz and each one keeps beating the last! We're on our way back down south today for a flying visit to Surfer's Paradise to see what all the fuss is about.
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