Surfer's paradise was our next stop after Byron, and to be honest, it didn't really live up to it's name.
After a couple of days being charged a heavy tourist tax at every turn, Ellie and I were happy to be rolling again.
The next stop was Brisbane, which we decided to give a flying visit on the advice of our bus driver. I think he may have been judging Brisbane a little harshly though, and after an evening of walking through beautiful parks, through streets lined with interesting architecture and enjoying the view from the riverside, I was a little sad to not have the time to explore a little further.
Noosa was the next stop, right at the northern end of the sunshine coast. It was a nice little place, with just the right blend of liveliness and places to escape.
We took long walks through the national park on the headland, enjoyed the coastal views, hired longboards and spent an afternoon 'hanging ten' before spending our last day in the safety and warmth of a couple of cafes, as the rain pelted down outside.
Now we're in Rainbow beach. Named as such because of the many minerals in the sand which give the beaches so many colours.
Yesterday we took a seven minute barge ride (catching the dorsal fins of a few dolphins on the way) to a 120km by 15km foliated sandbar called Fraser island.
Fraser's a beautiful place, filled with crystal clear lakes and awesome scenery.
There, we took walks and swam in the aforementioned lakes, had a quick ride in a plane and even had a close encounter with a dingo!
It was a wonderful afternoon in a great place, which was named after the captain of a ship that was wrecked just north of the island in 1836. Captain Fraser survived, and returned to the mainland thanks to the help of the native aboriginal people who's name for the island 'K'gari' literally means 'paradise' which seems much more appropriate to me!
