Sunshine Coast and on to Frazer Island

I just love this arty farty photo but no relevance whatsoever!

17th November and we head straight up the highway to Minyana which is approx 200kms north near Maroochydore, where our friend Kay lives. What a rat race the Sunshine Coast is now. It’s just an extension of Surfers Paradise. So we had a quick look around, a lovely meal with Kay and her family and took off the next day

How hectic
 does this look?!!

.We came across a little gem, much more our style called Boreen Point. We booked in for 3 nights. It’s a cheap caravan park, right on Lake Coothagaba and surrounded by bushland. It has a great village community atmosphere and a beaut pub built in the late 1800s. The pub was dismantled and moved from Gympie to Boreen Point 18 years ago.

What  a great pub.

Looking over Noosa ( just before it rained)

The weather has turned nasty but that hasn’t stopped us, we still rode into Noosa went for a great walk and  rode up to the lookout without getting wet. On Saturday we braved the rain and drove out to the Eumundi markets which would be the best and biggest markets I have ever seen. There are some amazing artworks there. Must bring a truck and heaps of dough next time!

Rainbow Beach

 
 Rainbow Beach is our next stop for 3 nights in the C’van Park right on the beach and in the centre of town. The weather is still shitty but enough breaks for us to check out Tin Can Bay and Inskip Point. Inskip Point is only 10ks from Rainbow and looks fantastic. 



Inskip Point

Next day we went up to Carlo Sand Blow. Pretty impressive , it’s an extremely large sand hill moving and growing due to the wind. The weather is improving but still very windy.

To give you an idea of the size of the sand dune that little blue speck halfway down on the LH side is a person walking across the Sand Blow!!!

At low tide we went for a ride along the beach for about 15-20ks, straight after a 10minute down pour. This was in our favour as the rain made the coloured sands more vibrant. The sand is layered in every colour from white to bright yellow, dark orange and even pink. Awesome! We are having sooo much fun.

Smally hooning!!!!

On Tuesday we headed over to Frazer Island on a bus tour. It's the biggest sand island in the world. It's amazing with sub-tropical rainforest growing over the sand hills in the interior plus beautiful Lake MacKenzie which is a crystal clear fresh water lake surrounded by white sand. There's even a ship wreck right up on the beach.

I've never seen so many fantastic stag horns.

The ship wreck

SS loves my pinnacles!

Check out how clear the water is.

The water is so clear you can't tell the photo is of a stream.

We move camp to Inskip Point, which is where the barge leaves from for Frazer Island for our last 3 nights before heading west. It's a fantastic bush camp ( only $10 a night)  There's the sea 50m one way from our van and an inlet 50m the other way. Heaps of people fishing but no-one catching. No worries it's still fun  trying. The weather is now perfect and we spent all afternoon on the beach.

We went on a 6km walk to a lake that should have only been 4 kms and the lake itself wasn't worth the effort but the walk itself was great we saw a goanna and beautiful rainforest.

On Friday we got up early and rode over to Tin Can Bay to see the dolphins which come in every morning at 8am to be fed. How great is that so there's no need to go all the way to Monkey Mia. They come right into the bay and stay for about half an hour.

We bought some fresh prawns, bugs and fish for lunch and dinner as tomorrow we head west so this is our last chance for yummy seafood.

BYRON BAY HERE WE COME!!!

 The traffic travelling through Byron Bays CBD was horrendous but worth it to get to this vibrant place. SS’s mate leases a 58 hectare property only 2 kms north of Byron, so we set up there. This place is crazy, the first thing we see is a massive boat frame next to a tepee plus wooden pallets and assorted junk amongst beautiful trees and a creek.

Get aload of the size of this thing! That's me bottom right.

Our caravan set amongst the junk! Pure heaven.

Al's house.

His mate, Al, or as the locals know him the Box King, is the most eccentric bloke I’ve ever met. I couldn’t even start to describe him but just think : cosmic conspiracy theorist, wheeler dealer party animal and you’ll get my drift. He’s a funny bloke and very generous to let us camp here gratis.

I reckon Al looks like Spike Milligan.

On Saturday the weather was perfect for our 28th wedding anniversary. We got up early and went for a walk and a swim, only problem is we walk and walk, through a jungle and finally find the beach but we're on the wrong side of a river to get to it. Oh well it looked good!



   We went up to the lighthouse which has 380 degrees views of beaches and mountains, then for a swim and laze on the sands of Watego beach.This whole area seems only to be inhabited by the under 35s, great eye candy!!!

SS had an afternoon nap and I hit the shops. Yee haa!! The credit card was smoking! That night we celebrated at Moi’s Feast, a top restaurant that the locals go to.

Monday we did the tourist thing. Once again the hinterland showed us some beautiful scenery as we headed up to Nimbin, Hippy capital of Australia. Hey man, Peace, Love and Harmony!!! The main street is so cool and the Nimbin Museum as they say “ once seen, never forgotten.”

Nimbin's main street.

In the Museum

Carly this is for you my little hippy greenie!!!

From Nimbin we went to Mullimbimby via Uki. We visited some more old friends we hadn’t seen in more than a decade, Larry and Judy. They have a beautiful house up on a hill overlooking Mullimbimby.

From there to Crystal Castle, an enchanting place with natural crystals some as large as a man, set amongst beautiful rainforest gardens and Buddas and stone deities placed throughout. It is a very peaceful , wonderful place.

Next stop, Minyon Falls in Nightcap N.P. Just amazing!! (I’m running out of superlatives.)

Over the next few days we met up with SS’s cousin and uncle, always good to meet the relos.

Byron Bay has to be one of my favourite places but all good things must come to an end, hopefully we’ll be back for the Blues festival at Easter.

Last night we just sat around the fire. Don't ya love Al's fire!

Another Day in Paradise!

Next stop was Minni Waters which is only about 100kms north. We setup in a council owned caravan park set in lovely bushland with no-one nearby.


 As it's not near the beach we decide to go exploring on the Suzuki. As per Murphies Law we come across a free campsite right on the beach only 500mtres up another track. No power there but toilets, showers and water. All other vans were there! Oh well next time!

That night we had fresh fish by campfire light with "Blues playing in the background. How good is this life!!
No we didn't catch the fish.

Where Currarong has kangaroos everywhere Minni Waters has emus wandering on the roads. Check out the little chick and I even took a short video from our ute.

 

 The next morning we went on a one and a half hour walk around the headlands  where even the tracks were  mowed.



Views from the headland walking tracks.

  

Then for a swim in the Caravan Park pool to cool off before taking off on the motorbike where we rode 16 kms along the Minni Waters beach and back.

Minni Waters Beach. Just magic for riding.

   

I look like little kid next to the Suzuki! Except for the grey hair and wrinkles.



Here's Steve slip sliding the bike up from the beach. What a rider! We sure had heaps of fun, it felt so naughty with no protective gear except our helmets on.

  

 Then off to Broomshead. Great looking C'van park right on the beach which we'll have to keep for next time. We had a best ever burger at the Snack Shack, highly recommended.

This is Broomhead Caravan park and the vans park both on the left and right of the road.

Arrived home just before a storm hit so went in the ute to Wooli another top little village with a van park bordering on the mouth of the river and beach. MUST COME BACK!!

For our last night at Minni Waters SS cooked a chook on a spit over our fire pot. What a great little inventor SS is and it tasted fantastic.


After leaving Minni Waters we went via an historical port town called  Ulmarra on the Clarence River where they used to transport all the timber to Grafton. It looked like an American old Western town very quaint plus we had the best macadamia  caramel pie for morning tea. No wonder our waistlines are growing.

The view from the cafe.