Category Archives: Australia

Beach Days at Airlie Beach, Australia

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IMG_6641We continued north from Cape Hillsborough and arrived in Airlie Beach early afternoon. We were in the process of finalizing plans for a sailing trip to the Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef scheduled to leave from that area in a few days. Airlie Beach is the launching off point for many boat tours so it’s extremely touristy. We were hoping to find a spot off the road to camp but quickly learned the local government does not permit any free camping. So, that night we stayed at our first resort type park.

The park is part of the Big4 Holiday Park chain. Thankfully our rental gets us 10% off but it was still $34 a night. With that big cost we received nice amenities including a car wash (to get the rest of the ants off – they hold on surprisingly well!) and descent wifi. There was also a kids play area with a bouncy pillow which Continue reading →

Kangaroo Sunrise at Cape Hillsborough, Australia

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When we stopped at an information site in Agnes Waters, we picked up a brochure for the national parks. It stated that Cape Hillsborough National Park has kangaroos and wallabies feeding on the beach at sunrise and sunset. Sara really wanted to see a kangaroo so we decided to camp there after platypus spotting in Eungella.

DCIM100GOPROGOPR0464.To camp at a national park, we had to obtain a permit and reserve a spot. There isn’t a way to pay at the site so it can’t be an impulse decision. The only way to reserve and pay is by calling the agency or by visiting their website. Without a phone or consistent internet access, neither are very easy for us travelers. Lucky for Australia, Sara and I are upstanding tourists Continue reading →

Platypus Spotting in Eungella, Australia

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IMG_5483The literature we picked up in Agnes Waters mentioned that the best place to see a platypus is Eungella National Park. Along the drive, Sara found a free campsite in Gargett – excellent! The drive inland to the park was really neat. For miles there was nothing but sugarcane lining the roads. Sporadically there are narrow gauge railway crossings for the “Cane Trains” that weave through the fields.

After spending a night in the tiny town of Gargette, we stopped in Finch Hatton to find a shop that specializes in rainforest scuba diving. We drove through the town twice but didn’t see anything so we stopped at the only open store for directions. We missed it because it’s apparently in someone’s house! Unfortunately Continue reading →

Driving North to Agnes Water, Australia

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IMG_5730The plan I had in my head was to drive straight north then slow down and explore on our way back south. On the day we picked up the camper, everything took longer then expected. By the time we left the rental office, it was rush hour in Sydney and already getting dark. Although it was already late, we stopped at a supermarket to stock up on a few days worth of food before getting on the highway to our first campsite. We ended up camping at essentially a truck stop a little off the highway. At least it was a very scenic truck stop along side a neat gorge.

We were feeling refreshed in the morning and started the day by organizing the camper for our month long journey. This was much easier then in our last camper van because this one is so much larger with many storage options.

IMG_5208We drove most of the following day and Sara found a nice free spot for us to camp that night. We arrived after dark to another rest area off the road, but this time Continue reading →