09/02 - Last day in Paradise

The alarm rang at 8am and we were up around 9. We had breakfast and checked out at 10am. We did a bit of planning for the next day: renting a car + hostel.

Then we went to the beach from 11am to 1.30 pm. I took a body-board again. This time we went to a different beach, and headed left once on the main beach in front of the hostel. We played in the waves a bit. One after the other to keep an eye on the bags. There are a bit more people today.

I played in the waves with the board. D. is not feeling great today. We tanned and went in the water repeatedly as it was so hot! We also read and played with the waves.

We came back to the hostel because D. had enough. We had lunch, planned some more and actually book something. D booked a car and looked at insurance while I read. Quickly time run out and we had to rush if we wanted to catch the bus that would take us to the ferry and head back to Brisbane.

We left the hostel at 4:05, the bus arrived at 2:30 (10 min late), and luckily we arrived on time for the ferry at 5pm. I could not sleep and ‘I had no more motion sickness tablets….’ So I laid on of the seat. Back on mainland, we jumped in the bus, but in the train station we missed the train as we did not have our return ticket for Brisbane.

D is a bit on edge and reacted badly to something I said. The train journey was silent. In Brisbane we stopped at Fortitude Valley (near China Town and Story Bridge). The new hostel is close to where we are going to rent the car. We arrived around 7.3pm. We checked in and went out for dinner (8pm). We got 2 for 1 big pizza at $15.

After dinner, we chose to walk it off, which was wise because we were so full! We went to Story Bridge and walked along the river until Eagle Street Pier and back to the hostel. By 9.40pm we were in bed with books, tired!

Walked 5.25 km today. 

Slept in a mixed room, in Brisbane Bunk Backpackers.

08/02 - Gorgeous beach day

Today we had a super lazy morning. The weather on the island is fantastic so we extended our stay for 1 more night. This place and island is like paradise! White beaches, turquoise water, sun + heat and no-one around!

The diving center attached to the hostel had to cancel all its dives, so no-one came to the island, which is perfect for us. There was a few people around over the weekend but we barely saw them. We feel like we are alone J it is nice!

Around 10.40am, we went to the beach with body-boards from the hostel. We stayed on the beach by the hostel (perfect and empty). We played in the waves.

At some point, I got chat up by a strange guy, he mistook me for an Australian (too tan for an European apparently…) and when he found out I was not Australian he was quite rude… WEIRDO!

Came back to the hostel around 3.30pm and had lunch. We weather was excruciating, so we stayed in the hade until 5pm. After that we went for a small walk and stayed to watch the sunset (around 6.30pm). It was amazing! The colours were beautiful!

Back at the hostel, we took a shower, had dinner, did a bit of research for the next adventure and finally went to bed.

Walked 1 km today. 

Slept in a private room, in North Stradbroke Island YHA (Manta)

07/02 - Beach walk

No alarm this morning!! We got up just before 10am, we checked out (to move to a private room). The room is not ready so we leave the bags in the reception. We had breakfast around 11am and then left to do the coastal walk.

The weather was a bit greyish at time and windy, but it kept changing. We went from beaches to beaches, it is beautiful!

 

We found a small beach/ paradise nook with tide pools and currents. So we stopped and played in the pools for a while. We then went in the “crazy” ocean with really strong currents. We stayed there for 1h and once air dried we resumed our walk.

Before we start the cliff walk: Gorge walk, we bought lunch (2 sandwiches and dessert: chocolate brownie!!). The walk was lovely. It is quite windy and the sky is grey but at least it is less hot. We could see the “longest beach ever” but decided to head back, as it was not protected from the wind.

On the way back, we walked along the road. We spotted our 1^st wild kangaroo in someone’s garden! We finished the walk back on the beach. We reached the hostel around 4pm. We checked in, in our new room. Took showers and rested for a while.

D. went out to see the sunset and I went downstairs to work on the blog (our room is too far from the reception so we don’t get wifi in the room). I inquired about the diving and the snorkelling spots. I learnt that everything has been cancelled due to the sea conditions (low visibility). This is also the reason why the hostel is empty, the groups who booked for the Manta Fest did not come!

We had a quiet evening and dinner. And went to bed early. Island living is hard: sleep, walk, swim, walk, rest…..!!!!

  

 Walked 11.5 km today. 

Slept in a private room, in North Stradbroke Island YHA (Manta)