East Coast Living
31st January to 17th February 2017
After Sydney and Byron Bay, we spent just over a month heading up the backpacker mecca of East Coast Australia. Our stops were Brisbane, Agnes Water (1770), Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands, Cairns, and Cape Tribulation. It was a whirlwind of good times and Greyhound buses.
Rather than doing a post on each place (as we jetted through a few of them), I figured it was best to do a similar post to our "Annapurna Is..." Nepal trekking post to give an idea of what it was like for us to backpack up the coast in Australia.
East Coast Is...
A retro movie theatre in Brisbane, taking you back into the 50s or 60s... perfect for watching La La Land.
Brisbane Greeters - a fantastic volunteer service that gives you an insight into local favourite spots. We spent several hours strolling with our guide, Bev, and a small group of fellow tourists.
Brisbane City Hall's museum surprised me with their 100% Brisbane exhibition. I particularly loved the "Scents of the City" part of the exhibition, where Brisbane locals had described smells that reminded them of their home city, and the museum had replicated the scents. These included "frangipani", "sunshine", and "after the storm".
Stepping into a kind of time warp in Agnes Water / 1770, where little had changed in 10 years.
Beers and barbecued sausages at Cool Bananas backpackers.
Sunset kayaking in 1770, eating homemade fruitcake on a sandbank, and watching out for turtles and dolphins.
Nick braving the crazy, smashy waves to surf on Agnes Water beach.
The overnight Greyhounds... definitely a "life experience". You lose all sense of time and place, dozing between stops, wondering whether you should gamble on the food at the dodgy roadhouse stop, and knowing you definitely will have to gamble on the state of their bathrooms.
Pure happiness when our room was ready at Airlie Beach after an overnight bus from Agnes Water.
Lazy reggae tunes as we sailed out of Airlie Beach harbour headed for the Whitsundays on Summertime.
Playing "Yak Ball", a special kayak-based kind of tag devised by Dan, the first mate on our boat. It's amazing how vicious one can be with a kayak paddle :)
Waiting for our skipper, Harry, to announce "beer o'clock" each evening on the boat.
Betty's Beach, our almost-secret cove off the famous Whitehaven Beach.
Our resident German DJs booming out Shakin' Stevens "Merry Christmas Everyone" as we left Whitehaven Beach like an entourage.... in mid-February...
Spotting giant clams, giant wrasse fish, and gorgeous coral as we snorkelled an afternoon away at Blue Pearl Bay.
Soaking in Summertime's hot tub after our snorkel.
Bob the turtle cruising up to say "hey" to our boat when we stopped after lunch on the last day of our trip.
Jugs of beer and ridiculous dancing with the boat gang at Beaches Bar at Airlie Beach after our trip.
Nick and I wandering around Airlie Beach like delicate lost souls the next day, as we waited for our night bus to Cairns (last Greyhound - woohoo!).
Bad buskers at Cairns lagoon, and the randomness of finding fantastic ramen in Queensland.
Crossing the car ferry to Cape Tribulation, which feels like a separate little pocket of Queensland, full of beaches, rainforests and... crocs.
Being "Caso-wary" as we drove and walked around Cape Tribulation. The cassowary is a bit of a national treasure. It's a large bird that kind of looks like an emu, and kind of looks like Gonzo from the Muppets. However, don't underestimate it! It can come at you like a divil if it feels threatened. It also runs across the roads at Cape Trib with no warning. Therefore, there are signs advising you to be "caso-wary" at all times.
Croc-watch. If the cassowaries don't get you, the crocs or jellies might. Ah not really. Unless you're silly enough to go in the sea. But the mozzies and snakes and spiders are still about, just in case you felt too safe...
Daintree Ice Cream Company! So good we went twice :) This is perhaps the prettiest ice cream company you'll ever come across, set among acres of orchards in Cape Tribulation. You stop by and sample a cup of their ice cream, which has 4 scoops of whatever's been freshly harvested and made into tasty ice cream that day. The flavours include some mad stuff you've never heard of, like black sapote which is also known as the "chocolate pudding fruit" or soursop, which is apparently part of the "custard apple family".
Lastly, East Coast Australia is moving in a bubble. When you're backpacking up the coast, you feel like you're in an alternate timezone as you move along the well-worn traveller trail. Your daily schedule revolves around activities, bus times, and when you're most likely to get a shower at the hostel. You meet other backpackers everywhere you go, comparing routes and tours. It's weird and wonderful, and as we left for Alice Springs, it felt vaguely like getting off a hugely fun carnival ride.