Whitsundays – Kayaking & Afterparty

We woke to our last Whitsundays Sunrise and had a Full English Breakfast before heading out on our kayaks. Once again we spotted turtles poking their heads above the sea level before dipping back down again. We saw sting rays dart about the sea bed in front of us and avoided stepping on them as we settled at the beach for our final hours in the Whitsundays.

I tried my hand at Paddle Boarding and then managed to slice my foot open on a rock whilst hunting for crabs which has ruled me out of trekking for a while. I did find some crabs though!

All in all, the Whitsundays has been one of the best experiences of my travels to date and I’d highly recommend it to anyone. In particular, I cannot recommend Summertime, our vessel, highly enough. The crew, diving, food and hospitality has been second to none and I’d be back in a heartbeat if I had the chance. 

Once back on Airlie Beach we met up with our tour group and enjoyed a few last beers before we went our separate ways. It was truly an experience to treasure.

Whitsundays – Diving & Snorkelling

Although me and Hattie had both agreed that diving was a luxury we couldn’t afford, once we arrived at the reef we realised we’d been kidding ourselves. It would have been sacrilegious to come all the way to the Mecca of diving, and just snorkel. We wet-suited up bright and early and I jumped into the first dive. 

The coral was as amazing as you’d expect. There was such a diverse range of life that I didn’t know where to look. I’d seen tropical fish before but the reef itself was absolutely incredible. Then came the moment I’d been waiting for as the lead diver motioned towards a large creature about ten metres away. 

I’d finally swam with a turtle, a Loggerhead Turtle to be exact, much rarer at shallow depths compared to the Green Turtle. It was a dream come true and I spent the rest of the dive in absolute bliss. 

Once we’d surfaced I gave my diving gear to Hattie as she prepared for her Discovery Dive, then headed off for a snorkel. The visibility was much better at these depths and I could easily find the specific things I wanted to see. First up I found a Cinnamon Clownfish, not your typical ‘Nemo’ but a good find all the same.

Afterwards came the Maori Wrasse, a fish that dwarfed all the other and demolished coral with its pneumatic drill of a mouth. I kept a safe distance from this one!

Unfortunately, my second full dive came and went without and major sightings, and I was even more annoyed that the other divers had seen Reef Sharks and Barracudas. I set off again with my snorkel to the deeper parts of the reef in search of another turtle. After an hour of persistence I found what I was looking for.

I dived again and again, swimming alongside it and trying not to lose the Green Turtle. Eventually he went too deep and I lost him in the poor visibility but I’d regained that ecstatic feeling and it remained for the rest of the day.
Once again, we were blessed by an incredible sunset and lay back and enjoyed the view. We definitely enjoyed the best the Whitsundays had to offer. 

Whitsundays – Whitehaven Beach

The morning finally arrived and we headed down to the harbour. The Whitsundays had been our most anticipated place in Australia so needless to say we were pretty excited. On the advice of my former boss, we had decided not to go on the standard booze cruise that most backpackers do and splashed out a little on more of a luxury boat. From the stories we had heard, we were more than happy to pay the little bit extra and actually be able to remember our time in the Whitsundays, rather than return to land with nothing but a massive mind blank and a hangover from hell. From the moment we set off it became apparent the decision was spot on. 

Our boat, Summertime, was absolutely stunning. An old Crayfishing boat, she was a decent size for the twelve tourists on board and even came with a hot tub, kayaks, diving equipment and of course, an Eski to keep the ciders cold. However, our first day would spent on Whitehaven Beach, notorious for its white sand and aqua waters. 

It was truly the most spectacular beaches I’d ever seen. We swam in the surf for an hour or so, playing with the sting rays and baby sand sharks. We were even fortunate enough to see a giant marble ray which are rare enough as it is, but this one stuck around for a good half hour, completely unfazed by the backpackers surrounding him from all sides. 

Afterwards we relaxed on the beach and had some fun taking perspective photos, much like the Salar D’Uyuni in Bolivia, although the use of Vegemite was definitely unique to Australia. 
Finally, as the sun began to set, we headed back to the boat and sailed towards our anchoring point amongst the islands. On the way the boat normally has the opportunity to take sunset photos and tonight was different in that regard. However, the sunset we ended up seeing was nothing short of epic. With all the photos we managed to take, you would think that no one put their cameras down. The reality was that it lasted for a full hour and only got better and better as the sun slowly disappeared.

The trip had started by exceeding all expectations we had of it. The Dolphins cruising around the boat as we went to bed only made things more surreal.  

Big Crystal Creek & Horseshoe Bay

We had two days to get South in time for our tour of the Whitsundays and most of the time we’d be driving. However, unlike the outback, we actually had a couple of hours to spare and decided to find a couple of spots sourced from our new best friend: WikiCamps. First up, we headed to Big Crystal Creek in a small national park south of Cairns. Other than the excellent reviews from prior visitors, there wasn’t a lot separating it from the other attractions en route. True to form though, WikiCamps came up with the goods and we found a slice of heaven waiting for us at the end of the dirt track.

I practised my snorkelling whilst Hattie drew the surroundings. One of the couples we had met at a campsite in Townsville had given us a couple of snorkel kits they were about to throw away and I was glad to put them to some use.

After sunning ourselves for a while we headed off to camp. The day after we decided to trust in WikiCamps again and headed to Horseshoe bay, a small beach just a short dive away from our final stop before the Whitsundays Tour at Airlie Beach. The surrounding area was filled with busy caravan parks so we expected the beach to be busy but we rounded the corner and once again found a deserted, white bay. 

Once again I headed out for the coral whilst Hattie sunbathed and drew the surroundings. Unfortunately the visibility was a lot poorer and I could barely spot anything but it was good to get some practise in all the same. Little spots like this probably exist in the UK as well but it’s incredible that Australia is absolutely filled with them, particularly North Queensland. 
As we left a few buses came and dropped off a huge group of backpackers from what I assume was a local hostel. Although I was glad to have had the beach to ourselves for the majority of the day, it did inspire a little jealousy in me. I was definitely ready for a tour of the Whitsundays with a larger group!

Daintree National Park

We woke early to make the trip up to our most northern point of Australia on our tour. Daintree National Park is the oldest continually surviving rainforest in the world and offers a host of activities and sights for those who make the journey. Unfortunately, we were arriving at the end of wet season and our hopes of a nice walk in the forest were soon dashed by a combination of torrential rain and an army of mosquitos intent on ruining our trip. We did what we could and enjoyed a lunch by the beach, under cover, as well as Hattie drawing some of the forest, under cover. 

We eventually braved the weather and managed a couple of nice walks through the forest, spotting a few spiders and mud crabs. Unfortunately (depending on your perspective) there were no crocodiles in sight and once again, my attempts at fishing were fruitless. 
By the end of the two day trip, despite the views on show in Daintree, all we wanted to do was get out of the rain. We packed our bags and headed south in search of some sun. 

Townsville/Cairns – Wet

Finally, we made it to the coast! Two weeks of non-stop driving but we made it to Townsville on the East Coast. Unfortunately, Hattie had left her purse in a truck-stop out in the Red Centre so we were stuck here for a day or so whilst it was hand delivered by road train. The stop was really nice so waiting around was hardly a chore. We had plenty of jobs to do now we were back in civilisation and the rest of the time was spent relaxing on the beach, trying my hand at fishing. As expected, I was as useless as the last time in Brazil and returned to the campervan empty handed. 

Having retrieved the purse we continued along the coast to Cairns. In the Outback we had spotted another Spaceship Camper like our own and left a note on the windshield telling them to get in touch if they were going to Cairns as well. Unfortunately they had been going the opposite direction but they told us about a Hostel in Cairns that allows you to park in their car park for a small fee and we seized the opportunity. After the roadside living and lack of hot showers we’d had for the last two weeks, the hostel life was fairly glamorous. 

Since the weather was so grim, we only left the hostel for a couple of short walks in the surrounding national parks, both of which were worthwhile but left us damp to say the least. 

The only other thing left to do was finally meet some new people and enjoy a few drinks. Since we’d left Melbourne our social life had taken a massive hit and it was good to have some contact with backpackers for a change. For anyone backpacking to Cairns I’d definitely recommend Woolshed. Cheap drinks in a bar as nice as that make for a quality night. 

Northern Territory

Midway through our trip to Cairns and the nightmare of the Northern Territory well and truly revealed itself. It’s not the lack of petrol stations, drinking water, showers, miles of straight roads with nothing to do or the lack of social interaction with anyone. It all came down to the dreaded fruit fly. You open the car door once you’ve finished your day’s drive, hoping to relax into a chair, cook some dinner and drink some wine by the fire, only for a thousand flies to swarm you so that you can’t see, hear or open your mouth for fear of inhaling them. Even the most simple of tasks become an absolute chore and you find yourself becoming irritable about the most trivial things. 

We bought a couple of fly nets for our heads at Ayer’s Rock and they were probably the best $10 dollars we have ever spent; they just about kept us sane. 

Ultimately though, we were coming to the end of our trip through the outback and we took some time to reflect. I honestly believe that the outback is something worth braving and I’m truly glad we made he effort. That being said, I think it takes a certain type of person to go through it to the extent that we did, and I wouldn’t recommend the trip to anyone. Unless you’re like me and like the feeling of earning views/spectacles/rewards after an ordeal, then I’d say fly to Uluru and take a weekend trip into the outback instead. That way you get the best of both worlds, without losing your mind in the process. 

Uluru

There’s really not a lot I can I say or show you in photos that are going to improve your vision of Ayer’s Rock if you’ve never seen it before. You’ve probably seen it in photos, from different perspectives and heard about it in various articles, just like I had. The reality of the monolith though is that it has to be seen in person to appreciate it. The only way to gauge how big it is, to appreciate how it changes colours every second and to truly feel how this special place became the heart of Australia, is to travel here yourself. 

We aren’t insured to travel in the Northern Territory at night because of the dangers of wildlife on the roads so we had to stay at Yulara, the Ayer’s Rock camping resort, for at least one night. Despite our concerns over their monopoly on camping in the area, they were reasonably priced at $36 per night. We spent lunchtime going to the rock itself and having a walk round and learning about the history of the national park. Due to a combination of the flies and the heat we only did a short walk but felt comfortable that the best view of Uluru came from afar. 

It seemed bizarre to us that despite the repeated pleas from the aboriginal tribes in the area for people not to climb the rock, tourists kept going up, putting themselves at a huge risk as well as being unbelievably disrespectful to the culture that welcomes them to their land. There doesn’t appear to be any reason to make the climb either considering the view from the top is completely barren and you’re standing on the sight you travelled thousands of miles to see. At the end of the day, until they ban the climb outright, it is each to their own. All I can say is that whereas some people will leave the rock and vainly say they made it to the top, I can come away from the sacred place and proudly say that I didn’t. 

In the afternoon we drove over to Kata Tjuta which is absolutely as impressive as Uluru but less famous. Although it is not a lone rock, the collections of massive boulders still makes for impressive viewing and is well worth the trip, particularly if Uluru is busy. 

Finally we made our way to the sunset viewing area in order to get the best spot. We were visiting out of the peak season but the car park still filled up so I’d advise getting there early. 

The rock’s colour change was impressive to say the least but the majority of the sunset’s colours were behind us so it depends on what you’d like to see. We decided that, because we’d seen the colour change for the sunset, we’d like to see Uluru as a silhouette for the sunrise. 

That decision turned out to be spot on because we spent the next morning on our own in the sunset viewing area, away from the loud-mouthed tourists who all went to the sunrise viewing area. The sunrise was spectacular and as the sun peaked we drove round to the join everyone else and still saw the rock at its reddest. I would definitely recommend to do things in the same order.

The last thing on our list was a trip to Kings Canyon, a four hour return trip out of our way. We should have read up on the sight beforehand but unfortunately it really wasn’t very impressive. The creek is about one kilometre long and pretty enough but there wasn’t enough to justify the trip. Maybe if we’d had time to do the rim walk then it may have been incredible but I’m still not convinced. My advice: if you have a 4WD then visit because you can continue straight to Alice Springs. If not, don’t waste your time or your money. 

Outback Driving

Whenever we told Australians that we were traveling through the Red Centre all the way to Cairns, they would simply grin to themselves and wish us luck. Obviously we knew it was going to be a challenge but nothing can prepare for quite how vast this country is. We’ve almost finished our first long day of driving and it has been relatively boring and tiring on the eyes. There hasn’t been any of the excitement of being seconds from death at any moment like there was on the night driving experience. So far the most exciting thing that’s happened has been almost running out of petrol. We have seen some awesome eagles, I just wish they had been circling the skies like predators rather than picking at road kill like scavengers but I guess a bird’s gotta eat. 

 One really amazing thing was being able to witness the stars in complete darkness at the campsite last night. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to see so many and trying to pick out the constellations when they’re the wrong way round provided some entertainment. For a while at least…
However, the main reason some of the Aussies would laugh at our objective is that they’ve done the same thing before. As tiring and boring as the journey may be, a trip through the outback is something that has to be done at least once in a lifetime. All I can say now is that Uluru better be worth it and next time I’m definitely flying.

Flinders Ranges & Road Trains

We spent a couple of days travelling to the Flinders Ranges via Adelaide but aside from another beautiful camping spot by the lake, the journey was fairly uneventful. After meeting up with Valentina, one of Hattie’s ex work colleagues, and shopping around for everything that we’d missed in Melbourne, we headed off for the mountains. Unfortunately the weather was dreadful so rather than attempt walking the first day, we headed straight to the campsite; the car park behind a pub in a small town just outside the national park. Another WikiCamps find, the hosts were as friendly as promised and we spent the day drinking beer and watching the Aussie Rules game. 

We got off to an early start the next day and headed into the park, a longer drive than anticipated which I really should have started to get used to by this point in Australia. Boots on, we started our four hour trek to the peak of Mount Ohlssen Bagge at an enormous 923m. I jest but it was no easy feat. I had decided to use my main bag to carry our lunch and Hattie’s sketching stuff and it added a few kilos that really didn’t help when tasked with bouldering our way up the mountain. However, we made the top in good time and once again were rewarded with some incredible scenery.

Although two climbers we passed on the way up had made the same comment about the incredible ice creams at the summit, there wasn’t another person in sight so we assumed this must be some sort of ramblers inside joke. Hattie sketched the landscape whilst I, ever the artist, set to work capturing a 360 degree panorama with my phone. 

Soon enough I realised I’d made an error in calculating how long it would take us to get to our next camping spot and we ended up having to rush down the mountain. Once again I managed to turn my bad ankle which hopefully won’t rule me out of walking for too long but the injury is starting to become a real hassle. Once back in the car, we made the calculations and couldn’t avoid the reality that we would have to do some night driving. Luckily we were still in South Australia so we were insured but this didn’t help sway the nerves that we would be driving at dusk when kangaroos seem to roam the roads freely. Combine this with our first sight of road trains, trucks pulling up to 3 trailers, who don’t slow down for much at all, and we were both pretty twitchy. 

I got used to it pretty quickly. The rules seemed to be, pull over as much as possible and there’ll be enough room. That’s when the road trains are coming the other way at least. When your faced with the problem of a 50 metre long truck rolling along in front of you up a hill, and the issue that overtaking it is going to take a while, there’s only so long you can trundle along before you have to go for it. 

I tell you now: you haven’t lived till you’ve had a close shave overtaking a road train at night. He’d given me the signal, I was about a trailer in, and the headlights come screaming round the corner. I knew he was still pretty far away but I’m in a two ton camper and I’ve still got two trailers and the truck to get past. I’m trying to remain calm for Hattie’s sake but I’ll be honest now that I’ve come out the other side, I pretty much just shit myself. I remembered the key point though: never hesitate. In the end I probably got back in with about 200 metres spare but that’s not to say it didn’t feel close!

Realistically, Hattie’s driving time was far more eventful. She dodged road kill a few times and even had an oncoming truck pull out from a stop at a hundred MPH into our lane, by accident or on purpose I’m still not sure, so she had to swerve to avoid him. Finally we made it to our campsite. Adrenaline still pumping, I can truthfully say that although I’m glad for the experience, I won’t be driving in the Outback at night in future.