Road trip Aussie style

After a week of marina living, we thought it was time to explore the country so organised a trip up the coast to Cairns driving a campervan. Ever since Florida 2 years ago when we first started hunting for a boat, we had been looking forward to our next road trip. There is something enticing about chucking your belongings in the back of the car and heading off into the unknown armed with Google Maps on the iPhone and a summary of the Lonely Planet for the area in your brain. Rather like sailing really but you can do it in pretty much any weather and driving through the night is frowned upon in the land of the kangaroo road kill. To keep costs down we chose to do a delivery which meant we had 5 days to get from Brisbane to Cairns, driving 2000km and only got charged $15 / day for the hire of the van. 

The pick up location was in the middle of nowhere and we rocked up at the train station and soon realised we were on the wrong side of the tracks (not the first time) with no way of getting to the road on the other side, there was a barbed wire fence between us and the office. Armed with 2 heavy bags of clothes, electronics and food we walked 2km to the closest bridge. By the time we reached the office we had a right sweat on so you can imagine our despair when they had no idea of our booking. Luckily they had a van that needed to be relocated to Cairns so we grabbed that one. Unknown to us a delivery meant that the van doesn't get cleaned after the previous occupant…we opened the fridge and inside was a very bloated very old pint of milk. The smell that escaped from the opened door stayed with us for the rest of the trip! We feel sorry for the lady that worked there though as Dylan handed her the stinking pint and told her 'be careful it may explode'. The (dim) lady ignored the warning and threw it into an empty metal bin beside her…where it proceeded to explode ALL over her. To make matters worse, there were road works nearby and their water supply had been shut off for the morning so she had to walk around for the rest of the day smelling of baby vomit!

Settled in, Dylan (who drove for the whole trip) pointed in the direction of Australia Zoo. This place was set up by Steve Irwin and continued to run in his memory. We spent a great afternoon cuddling koalas, feeding kangaroos and staring down crocs. 

We were on a schedule though as had booked a day trip to Fraser Island the following day so a couple of hours at the zoo and we were on the road again to find a camp site for the night to plug in. 

I had never been in a campervan before so had a lovely time checking it out. Sliding the door at the side of the van, the stove was on the left, an alcohol sort we daren't use it for fear of losing our eyebrows. Next to the stove was a fridge that ran off it's own battery so we had it on 24/7, what luxury! The van also had an electric kettle and toaster, what more could we need to travel with, there was even an iron and board tucked away in the back. The settee pulled out into a double bed which was bigger than the v berth we had been sleeping in for the past two years. And to top it all off, Dylan drove the whole way leaving me to navigate and provide the entertainment. We stopped at camping grounds each night where for around AUS$25-$30 / night you get a piece of tarmac and a plug to connect to, to top up the batteries. I was in charge of the accommodation choice and always directed us to the parks off the beaten track, far away from the main roads. Although this meant we took many detours, we found ourselves on small country roads by ourself, driving amongst fields of sugar cane, scooting past ancient farm machinery and eventually emerging into forest parks rewarding beach views. With it being off season, the site owners were so happy to get a customer, they went out of their way to make our stay as comfortable as possible, we felt like celebrities!

We took a day tour to Fraser Island, a beautiful place albeit slightly spoilt by the amount of tourists driven around every day. I know we are spoilt having come across the Pacific where we settled for nothing less than an island all to ourselves but still, I doubt many people appreciate 3 coach loads of tourists all trying to take photographs of the same sand dune. Crowds aside, it's a great place to visit and possibly better in your own 4x4 leaving you with the opportunity to drive away from the groups. The island is just one big sand dune complete with fresh water lakes and rivers. It is an eerie sight to find a river that is totally transparent, the bottom yellow with sand rather than brown with soil.

River on Fraser Island

Ship wreck

Tourists!!!!

The remainder of the trip was spent mainly driving with the occasional stop at a McDonalds to use their loos and purchase a 30 cent ice cream. The only bargain we have found in Australia to date! Following the coastal road we were at times rewarded views of the Whitsunday Islands and surrounding sea, what a spot to go cruising. Blue water, so many islands all close together to explore, we felt the pang of desire as we saw masts anchored out in this paradise. Next time…

Cairns was surprisingly built up for what I was expecting. We dropped the van off and checked into a hostel, that required a 3km walk as we shopped by price not realising the cheaper option was a bus ride away from the town. For $45 / night we got a twin room that consisted of a shelf and 2 beds, very basic and a shared bathroom down the hall. That night we were kept awake with a young crowd at the bar (right below our window) getting pissed until 4am. Delightful. Early the next morning, Dylan witnessed a half dressed man stagger into the bathroom, the only problem was, it was his bottom half that remained undressed! That day we vowed never to stay in a hostel again. I think we may be getting old!

We stayed in Cairns for 2 days and one of those days as a surprise for my birthday, Dylan organised for me to skydive over the barrier reef. So 7am we were at the hostel entrance waiting to be picked up by the shuttle bus, the grey clouds on the horizon looked rather ominous but it hadn't rained for the 3 weeks we had been in Australia so we didn't worry about it too much. Get to the dive office and we are told the clouds are too low and we need to wait for them to clear. Two hours go by and they decide to drive us into town to stretch our legs. Three hours go by and we get taken back to the office and told that no jumps will be taking place that day as the weather doesn't look like it is going to clear. Typical! Not to be dissuaded from this experience, I have rebooked for another time but jumping over Brisbane rather than Cairns. 

At 6am on my birthday morning we caught a flight back to Brisbane and that evening, Dylan treated me to a champagne breakfast. A little backwards on timing I know, but I sure wasn't going to appreciate it before the morning flight! Another year older, another year wiser, no wrinkles or grey hairs yet, I wonder where my next birthday will be????