It was sad to leave the Whitsundays as we have always enjoyed the beauty and vibe of this place. It was even more sad for Dad as he tore a tendon in his shoulder from sailing. He just tried too hard to keep up with the young backpackers.  Fortunately, it appears to be only a partial tear but enough to restrict him from his favourite activities for the remaining few weeks. On the way down to Yeppoon we stopped off for a couple of night at Carmilla Beach with Mark, Kelly, Oscar and Ethan, who we had not seen on the road since Margaret River in WA. It was great to catch up again and spend time in this remote location. We free camped right on the beach and were lucky enough to experience the place of huge tides sandfly free.

Yeppoon is a lovely spot with its big long beaches and relaxed lifestyle, appearing to be catering for the aging population. We have pretty much stopped doing all the touristy stuff now and just enjoying the climate and the seaside. It’s a nicer place to stay than nearby Rockhamption, although we did manage to finally catch a rodeo under lights behind a local pub. We stood out among the big hats, tight jeans and boot wearing brigade, but had a great time enjoying the country spectacle.

Next stop was the beautiful Agnes waters / 1770 where we set up camp for five days right on the beach. Finally we found the first bit of surf on our way down the coast with the beaches reminding us very much of home. It was a good time to just chill out, enjoy the water and the climate, and for the kids to catch up a bit on their school work. We could easily have a holiday place here !!!

Moving down the coast we decided to stay just outside Bundaberg for a couple of nights to take part in two important activities. First we got the opportunity with National Parks to witness the turtles laying their eggs on the local beaches – an event we will remember forever. Secondly, (more importantly for Dad anyway) we visited the Bundaberg Rum factory as well as the Bundaberg soft drink factory. Indeed, we paid homage to the liquids that kept us refreshed and sane during our journey around Australia.

No it is not Dylan!!!!

After getting our car serviced in Hervey Bay we booked in for our last big touristy place on the trip – Fraser Island. The weather conditions were in our favour and we were looking forward to what was to be our last camping side trip. We stayed in a spot called central station and spent four days driving around all sites. The beaches were golden and the freshwater lakes dotted around the place were very unique and refreshing in the hot weather. We definitely have had some great weather coming down the Queensland coast and we were not complaining. Just a few less of those butchering march flies we found on Fraser Island would be our only request.

It was time now to really hit civilisation as we landed on the Sunshine coast in Maroochydore – the place where cement meets the sand, and oh the rain. The place was crowded and reality soon set in that we were nearing the end of our trip. However it didn’t stop us from getting out there and seeing what was on offer. In between the showers we visited Noosa, Australia Zoo and loved the hinterland just to the west. For our final days in Queensland we avoided the Gold Coast as it was schoolies week. Rather, we headed inland to Beudesert just above the NSW/QLD border. This was a quiet country town that gave us access to the Lamington NP and Glasshouse Mountains. We enjoyed the walks and atmosphere in the mountains, oblivious to the carnage and sin festering in Sufferers Purgatory (Surfers Paradise) down below.