Fraser Island, Queensland - Australia

I almost chickened out of our day trip to Fraser Island as I woke up feeling rather rough. I had a rubbish cold and didn’t think rocking around in the back of a 4x4 all day would make me feel any better. However we were too late to cancel and unless we wanted to pay twice and go the next day I had to man up and try to enjoy the ride.
The day started foggy, so foggy in fact we couldn’t even see the island which was only 8km away. It was a shame as the journey over the sea would normally involve whale watching and spotting dolphins. The trip on the ferry was quick, just half an hour and we had arrived on the largest sand island in the world. It was from this moment the day got better as the fog started to lift and the sun started shining through the trees. 

Our first stop was Lake McKenzie we travelled through thick rainforest to get there on roads (sand tracks) that even 4x4 cars were struggling with. It seemed like we had travelled to the middle of nowhere when this huge lake which covered 150 hectares appeared from between the trees. We were blown away, it was the clearest water we had ever seen, it looked a beautiful blue which was the reflection of the sky onto the white sand that lined the lake. Jonny managed to dip his toes in and the water was freezing, there was a couple of dare devils that went for a swim but they soon came out shivering.

Jonny being brave at Lake McKenzie

Lake McKenzie

We then had morning tea while listening to a person from the indigenous tribe of Fraser Island, the tribe was known as the Butchulla People. He explained about the islands history, his tribe and he performed a traditional dance and song, it felt really special due to the environment that we were in. What we learnt about the relationship between the indigenous people and the European settlers was really disturbing. It is thought that the Butchulla People lived on the land of Fraser Island for up to 15,000 years and during those years when there was plenty of food supplies there was a population of 2,000 people.  When the European settlers arrived they began using resources that the Butchulla People relied upon, food cycles changed and supplies they needed to survive suffered and disease spread as a result. Our guide told of one occasion when the Butchulla People were very hungry, they became desperate for food and starting stealing small amounts of flour so they could make bread. The European settlers soon realised what was happening so they put poison in the flour which ended up killing many of the the Butchulla People.  Many similar incidences and conflicts took place. Logging of the island was introduced in 1863 which further affected the lifestyle of the Butchulla People. Logging was stopped on the island in 1991 when the area was named a World Heritage Site but by this time it was far too late for the tribes who had already moved away.

From the Butchulla tribe

The next point on our tour started on the 75 mile beach. It was amazing, we drove from a dense rainforest on to a beautiful beach. This beach was unlike one we had ever visited before as it also acted as I highway where cars travels at 80km an hour, It was also a runway for aircraft. We whizzed along the beach admiring the view, looking out to sea trying to spot a whale. Unfortunately it was not to be are day for seeing wildlife, the only whale we saw was dead. The tour guide explained that this particular whale had died the previous week when Bull Sharks chased it and it beached itself. There was a large group of people who saw what had happened and tried to help save the whale but their efforts were in vain as the Whale was just too large to be moved.

The beach highway

The beach highway which also worked as a runway

75 Mile Beach

The next spot of interest for us was The Maheno ship wreck. The ship has been beached since 1935. The Maheno was originally used on routes from Sydney to Auckland, it was then used in World War One as a hospital ship in Europe. After the war the Japanese brought the boat from the Australia to melt down as scrap. They began towing it back to Japan when a storm hit and the tow line snapped with the engines having previously been taken out there was no way of rescuing the boat. It therefore drifted and beached itself on Fraser Island where it remains today.

The Maheno

Indian Heads was the place where we stopped for lunch but no food was eaten before a hike up the cliffs to admire the fabulous view of the bays and surrounding forests. After lunch we went to a part of the island they have named Champagne Pools which are actually just very large rock pools. The area was given its name a s someone decided the bubbling effect of the sea over the rocks looked like Champagne being poured.

View from Indian Heads

Standing on the beach bellow Indian Heads

Champagne Pools

No trip to Fraser island would be complete without seeing a Dingo and we stumbled across a small pack of 5/6 strolling along the beach. We could not believe such friendly looking animals can be such vicious predators and so dangerous for humans. They just looked completely harmless.

One of a few Dingo's we met

Our route home took us past a tree called Stinay, it is a huge Syncarpia Hillii which is 215cm in diameter and is estimated to be at least 500 years old. This particular tree was also known as the Spirit Tree. It was given its nick-name as years ago when a young descendant from one the indigenous tribes went on a tour of the island and took a photo of this tree. When the photo was developed there was a huge figure the sizeof the tree standing next to it. Since this photo there have been many other similar photos taken showing spirits around the tree. This is something that did not surprise me having heard of the troubled history of the island and knowing just how old the tree was and what it could have seen there was a spiritual atmosphere.

"The Spirit Tree"

The whole day was quite magical, we managed to see and learn so much. I am so pleased we went despite feeling so ill in the morning, it as it is a trip that we will never forget.

Bundaberg, Queensland - Australia

Our next destination after Airlie beach was going to be Bundaberg but we decided we needed to stop overnight somewhere to break up the journey. We chose to stay in Rockhampton.  Unfortunately we did not have enough time to see much of the town but the campsite kept us entertained. We camped next to signs warning that we shared the river bank with crocodiles. Having seen many crocs in the wild on the Daintree River we did not question these signs and opted for a fairly early night.

Our stay in Bundaberg was again fairly brief however we did find time to squeeze in a trip to the Bundaberg Rum Distillery. Being the rum fan that Jonny is, it was something he had been looking forward to since we touched down in Australia back in December. The tour did not disappoint. Our tour guide was the most enthusiastic person about rum I have ever met; her energy levels were incredible considering it was only 10am on a Saturday morning. The tour involved taking us through every step and process right from farming the ingredients to the bottling process, branding and marketing of the rum. The best part for Jonny was the favourite part for most people - the tasting. Being the good girlfriend, I decided to drive. I realised it is in my best interest as when we get to South Australia and go on many wine tasting tours, it will be turn to drink and his turn to drive. Anyway as I was driving it meant Jonny not only got his 2 free rums but he also got my 2 and at 11am in the morning it is a nice wake up call. I did manage a sip of one drink that the knowledgeable staff recommended; it is one they called a girl’s best friend. Liquor with dark rum, chocolate, cream, vanilla and coffee. They served this over ice with a splash of milk and it was delicious, like a grown up milk shake with a kick. Unfortunately it is exclusive to their Bundaberg store which was rather disappointing but I am hopeful come Christmas time when in the UK we may be able to find this gorgeous Bundaberg liquor on Ebay????

After the tour in Bundaberg I drove us to Hervey Bay, the small town where I lived for a short time, nine years ago. I was not surprised to see that the town had hardly changed at all. Our old house still looked the same, the front garden just looked greener and the school I went to was exactly the same. One difference to the bay was the new addition of a rather nice bar and bistro by the pier where we spent a lovely evening with an old friend of mine and his partner. The main reason tourist visit Hervey Bay is because it is the best place in the world to see the Humpback Whales migrate. However we had sadly miss timed our visit and were at least 2 weeks too early to spot any passing by. Hervey Bay does have a second purpose for its tourists and that is because they are a gateway to Fraser Island. This is a tour we booked ourselves on to and will tell you about soon.

Airlie Beach - The Whitsunday Islands

One of the things we had been told that we must do while in Queensland is visit the Whitsunday Islands. One of the best ways to see the Whitsundays is to sail around them on varying length cruises that are on the market. However as we have discussed before our time line is very tight so having a multiday trip was out of the question. Luckily for us there was a one day tour on a 500hp RIB. It would stop at everything that other tours would stop at, the difference is that this trip would involve getting wet & cold, as opposed to topping the tan up as you sailed through the tropical seas on a luxury sailing ship.

The tour was fantastic and everything that we hoped it would be. We were collected early and taken to the dock where we were served tea’s and coffees before boarding the boat. The two hosts that skippered the boat were absolutely hilarious and made the day that little bit more special. A particular point of interest was a small group of Japanese tourists, who managed to delay the tour at every point due to them not listening or choosing not to understand. The two host made the most out of having some banter with them.

Our first stop was at a small reef on the northern side of Whitsunday Island, where we could snorkel. We were all offered the option of wearing a wetsuit to keep ourselves warm.  All the Australian, Japanese and American tourists opted to take the wetsuit and the crew were amazed that none of the British and Irish tourists would wear them. I mean the sea was like taking a warm bath, why would we need wetsuits? Amber decided that she was going to stay on the boat and make the most of the sunshine as she had not been feeling 100% for the last few days. I think in the long run this was the better option, I jumped in, the snorkeling was good, but having been lucky enough to swim in the Great Barrier Reef only a week before hand it didn’t really compare. I was lucky enough however to swim into a pack of Jelly Fish. I took one look at a group of about 10, and very quickly returned back to the boat to join Amber in the sun.

The next stop was really what we had gone on the trip to see, Whitehaven Beach. This has been voted the second best beach in the world and it was clear to see why. The sands are the whitest I have ever seen and the water was so clear you could see the bottom even when about 15 meters deep. The sea wildlife was amazing and we were lucky enough to see stingray, however we learnt that this was not that uncommon as 35,000 stingrays travel to the islands each year to breed. The sand on Whitehaven beach is 98% pure sand and when you walk on it, it squeaks underneath your feet which is a very surreal experience. It is so pure that you can actually use the sand to polish jewellery. We took a short walk up to a viewing point, where our tour guide explained that originally the Whitsundays were inhabited by Aboriginals. During the 1800’s the white man pushed them off the islands and they no longer have anything to do with them. In fact the Aboriginals now actually consider the Whitsundays to be bad luck. The Whitsundays have now been placed under a World Heritage site which means that no construction will ever be allowed to take place. At the viewing point we had some photos taken. It was explained to us that this is in the top 5 most photographed places in Australia.

Lunch was served on the southern side of Whitehaven Beach. This could have possibly been the most beautiful and romantic lunch location had it not been for the 30 seagulls that decided to invite themselves along. I was not very happy as they seemed to have it in for my plate of food and not Amber, who just sat there and laughed at me.

After lunch we boarded the boat that was to take us back to the mainland. While on the journey home we passed Hamilton Island, a very posh and exclusive island which has been designed for the honeymoon couple. On the way back the skipper decided to have some fun with another boat, where they used each other’s wake to jump the boats and power slide them. Before the final big power slide we were asked to all hold on tight (something the Japanese decided not to listen to). The skipper power slide the boat so hard that two of Japanese who were not holding on flew across the boat and I’m sorry to say copped a face full of my elbow. I think they may listen next time!!!

The Whitsundays are incredible and our only real regret is that we didn’t have longer to see them. If we return to the area we will definitely be booking ourselves onto a two or three day sailing cruise.

The Tablelands, Queensland - Australia

While we were staying in Cairns we found ourselves with a spare day with not a lot to do. We asked the people at JJ Backpackers (where we were camping) what they recommended that we do.
They told us of a spectacular driving route where we would be able to see a 500 year old Fig Tree in the middle of the rainforest, many fantastic waterfalls and few stunning look outs to visit on the way.

Heales Lookout:- Our first stop on the route was at this lookout overlooking the Tablelands.

Curtain Fig Tree:- This is a 500 year old Curtain Fig Tree. The fig tree drops its seeds which are eaten by birds. The bird then passes these seeds where they get caught in the canopy of another tree, which then acts as the host tree. The fig tree then grows up to about a meter within the host tree, before sending roots down to the ground. Eventually the fig tree will strangle and kill the host tree resulting in it rotting away leaving just the fig tree.

Millaa-Millaa Waterfall:- This waterfall is believed to have been used by Peter Andre in his Mysterious Girl pop video. Unfortunately the water was too cold to go in and try the famous hair flick.



Zillie Falls:- Just a short drive from Millaa - Millaa. Sadly we could not get to the bottom of the waterfall.



Ellinjea Falls:- The third waterfall in the Millaa-Millaa circuit.

Mungalli Falls:- Probably the most spectacular waterfall we saw during this day. You can see the waterfall from the top and then a short walk down the mountain and you can see them from the bottom. Sadly the photos just don't do this justice.

Tchupala Falls:- This waterfall was a mission to get to. We had to literally park on the side of a highway and walk about 1km into the rainforest on a narrow ledge.

Cape Tribulation, Queensland - Australia

Seeing as we were staying in Cairns we decided to head north and have an overnight stop up in the Daintree and Cape Tribulation, stopping off at Port Douglas on the way.
Port Douglas is a lovely town and a town you would enjoy if you like eating out, the beach and having a few drinks and coffees in one of the many boutique cafes. We were staying at a beach caravan park, which literally was on the beach. As soon as we arrived we dumped everything and head for the beach. The beach was so clean, and was roughly 4 miles in length. As the sun was shining we decided to walk the full 4 miles there and back before having a nice spot of dinner.

The We set out early with our first stop being the Daintree River. It was here we had booked on to a Daintree River Cruise, where we were hoping to see some of the wildlife that the Daintree has to offer. This predominantly consisted of crocodiles.

At 12pm on the dot we boarded our boat and set off down the river. We learnt that the river was named by Captain James Cook, when he stumbled across it back in the 1700’s. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and told us all about the eco system and how it is still recovering after the banning of crocodile hunting in Queensland in the 1980’s. Hunting of the crocodile was so server in Queensland that the species almost made the endangered species list. He explained that the crocodile was mainly hunted for its skin to make leather products. Even though hunting was banned back in the 1980’s, and recovery of crocodile is doing ‘well’ there is still only a small number of crocodiles in the Daintree. Before hunting there were approximately 200- 300 regular crocs in the Daintree. Almost thirty years on after the ban of hunting there is still only 80 regular crocs that live in the Daintree. The tour guide explained that it will take some 50 – 100 years to get it back to the levels pre croc hunting.  We were lucky enough to see three rather large crocodiles while on the tour and visit one female and her nest of baby crocodiles.

Once finished on the river tour it was time to catch a ferry over the Daintree and up to Cape Tribulation. Again the cape was named by Captain Cook. Throughout the afternoon we visited several empty bays. It was amazing; all the bays were so empty it was like having a private beach to ourselves. The waters were absolutely perfect and as you would see in a holiday catalogue. We also took ourselves on some boarded rainforest walks. Later on we decided to head towards the campsite we had booked for the night. Now bare in mind we could have had a lovely beach campsite, Amber had mentioned how she always wanted to stay in the Rainforest, and so without any debate we booked into a lovely campsite nestled into the edge of the rainforest. Once settled in we decided to go for a walk on a not so well maintained pathway into the think of the rainforest. We were hoping that we would see some wildlife, be that a snake, spiders etc. Sure enough we did eventually come across some wildlife. While walking through a narrow path leading the way I heard a stick snap not too far in front. We stopped walking and listened. All of a sudden and out of nowhere a pack of wild pigs came charging at us. Now I bet not many people can say they went for a walk in the rainforest and came across a pack of wild pigs?!?

Cape tribulation really is a very special place of untouched beauty and if ever in Australia it is definitely a spot to be explored.

Great Barrier Reef, Cairns

The day started with an early wake up call from the alarm clocks on the phones. After a quick shower and some breakfast we were on our way walking to the marina where we were to board our catamaran for the day.

We had been lucky enough to find a nice private, family run company, who had recently started a trip for a maximum of 20 people on their private boat out to the Great Barrier Reef. We were greeted with a big smile from a nice English chap and offered a cup of tea while we waited for others to join the boat. 

Soon enough we were all on board and leaving the marina. As we left the marina we were given a short safety briefing before being given a nice talk on the Great Barrier Reef and the wildlife we could expect to see, including dolphin, stingray, reef sharks and turtles but to name a few.

It took about 2.5 hours to get to the reef but once there we were so pleased that we had gone with this company. They took us to a part of the reef away from all the major tourist boats and we literally had the reef to ourselves. The colours in the see were amazing from dark blues to light blues including aqua. 

Soon enough we were in the water and being given a guided snorkel tour of the reef. The guide was so knowledgeable and when he found something interesting he would dive down and pick it up, explain exactly what it was to us then replace it in exactly the same place that he had found it. We learnt so much about the coral and marine life.

After lunch we moved on to another part of the reef. It was here we could expect to see turtles and sting rays. Once in the water it wasn’t long before we came across two turtles. It was incredible to see them gliding through the water. Unfortunately we weren’t able to see any stingrays but we didn’t let this ruin what otherwise was a perfect day.

Before we knew it we were back on board enjoying afternoon cheese and biscuits and a glass of wine while cruising back to cairns. It was a truly magical day and one I’m sure we will remember for a long time to come.

We are in the middle of developing a underwater camera. If we have any good pictures we will uplad them as soon as we have them.

Jump the Reef - Skydive in Cairns

We had booked to do our skydive at midday but at 7:30am were wide awake thinking about it. While thinking we received a phone call asking if we would like to do our dive earlier as they had a cancelation. At the risk of not doing it through thinking too much, we didn’t hesitate and jumped at the chance to get it out of the way. We got up, dressed and had to skip breakfast which was probably the best idea and thirty minutes later we were on the bus on the way to the office.
At 8 o’clock on the dot the bus picked us up and before we knew it we were filling out the paper work signing our lives away. We had promised not to tell our parents when we were going to do our skydive at the risk of stressing them out. So Jonny decided to text Chloe telling her that he was about to jump out of a plane, her response was “great, I won’t be getting any sleep now until I know you are safe back on the ground”. As my sister Gemma was out of the country I decided she wasn’t really an option, I did text Katie but she never looks at her phone, so I decided my safest bet was to text my pregnant best friend which in hindsight may not of been the kindest thing to do as sleeping for her is a challenge as it is.

When we arrived at the airport we met our instructor. We had paid to have the skydive filmed using a wrist camera and as part of the video we had to have a short interview about what lay ahead. As Jonny and I had decided jumping from 10,000 feet was high enough we were the last on the plane and first out. Jonny’s instructor insisted that they jumped before me and my instructor which meant they were next to a see-through door, which was a challenge for Jonny’s vertigo. We had to sit facing the back of the plane so when we took off we were going backwards which was a strange sensation. The views as we got higher became more and more impressive. I was looking out at the little people and thought “wow this is high” only to be told we had only climbed 1000 feet and still had some 9000 to go before we were leaving.  Cairns looked beautiful from the skies; we were able to see just how green the tropics are because the town was dawft by lush rainforest.

Being next to the door it was up to Jonny’s instructor to check our location and to do this he needed to keep leaning out of the plane. As Jonny was attached he had to go with him, hanging out of a door 10,000 feet in the air trying to spot a tiny orange flag on the floor which would have looked like an ant from our height. He did spot it and before we knew it the see-through door had opened and Jonny was gone. It was the strangest and worst feeling seeing him disappear out of a plane door, it made my tummy turn. I didn’t have long to get emotional about it though as it was then my turn and within seconds I had my legs dangling out of the plane.

I soon realised falling towards earth was not something I was too keen on seeing so I closed my eyes tight. I could feel the air rushing over my body and all I could hear is white noise, like the sound when you lean your head out of a window of a fast moving car. I felt my instructor tap me on the shoulder which was the signal to move my arms from across my chest to a skydive position, almost like they were wings. It was at this point I was able to open my eyes; the feeling was incredible, falling so fast and having no control.  I found it really hard to catch my breath with the air blowing in my face and everything flashing past I had to remind myself how to breathe.

When the parachute was pulled everything went calm, the white nose stopped and the world stopped flashing past. The parachute was acting like wings which we could control and it really did feel like we were flying. We were able to look down on the land and forest, just floating around above the earth was the most amazing feeling, and for me the best part of the dive.

As Jonny was the first person to jump he was the first person to land and I was able to watch him land back on the ground safe. He then looked up and waved as I was still flying and getting ready to land. The instructor managed to get us into position and I was told to lift my legs high as he guided us in. We landed quite gracefully compared to Jonny’s bum slide landing which left a few grass stains. We sat together and watched the other daredevils from our flight complete their jump from 14,000 feet. We watched in disbelieve at what we had just achieved.

The crazy thing is that if we were asked to do it again we wouldn’t even need to think about it. Of course we would do it again.