Cuddling Koalas, Racing Yachts and Jumping Jeeps!

After returning from our dive adventure Fergy fled to Noosa to catch up with an old friend and me and Em decided to hire a car to make our way quickly down the East Coast. And it was a rapid journey as I only had 8 days to get to Brisbane in time to fly in for Lees wedding!

First stop was Townsville as a resting spot and launchpad to Magnetic Island where we were off to meet some koalas and were booked on a tour with a crazy hippy bloke in a stretch jeep! The island was spot on and laid back larry gave us a good history lesson as well as feeding us ants, making us smell the local cheese fruit which almost brought on some impromptu barfage, letting us hand feed the rock wallabies and see koalas in the wild. He then dropped us at the koala sanctuary and we had a good look at the crocs, lizards and koalas here. Apparently they're feisty little fellas but the dude that I hugged looked stoned and I could quite happily have taken him home for a few days, although my offer of 50 dollars was not quite enough!

Cuddling koala - Tick! So it was off to Airlie beach, a mecca of madness in the middle of nowheresville! The strip is reminiscent of an 18-30's spanish resort and we arrived in Beaches at 10pm and had to scurry through the rammed bar and chuck our bags in the room. Since we were staying above the Dj Box the only option was to join the party so it was straight on it and a good welcome to Airlie beach. We then had a welcomed day of lounging and I even managed a run although there's many more needed after re-developing my weeble shape!

The Whitsundays are sensational and we boarded Boomerang, a 28berth maxi sailing yacht, for 3 days of cruising the islands. Whitehaven beach has the whitest sand and most aquamarine sea you will ever set eyes on and a bit of snorkling on the reef and lying on the deck was about as energetic as things got - absolute bliss!

Next stop Fraser island and after a marathon 10hour drive arriving at 11pm it was up at 6.30am to book in for our self drive adventure! It soon became clear that old man Freel would be doing most of the driving as 9 of the people in our 11 man jeep were not old enough to drive! Suited me and Em fine as it meant we were gonna get to unleash the beast on the largest sand island in the world. I left the girls to sort out the food and somehow we ended up with 7 cucumbers and 14 loaves of bread but I wasn't saying a word and with food, loads of beer and kids on board we hit the island and the next 3 days were absolutely sensational.

The island is an absolute gem and pretty massive as well, all covered in sand and surrounded by turquoise seas rammed with things that kill you! Singing on the beach, spotting sharks, dolphins, turtles and stingrays from Indian head, pitching tents, the dazzling Lake McKenzie, doing 80 down the beach and lazing in the champagne pools, chasing dingo's and avoiding snakes, gigantic spiders and angry dingo's - the whole adventure from start to finish was incredible! It was a shame to leave but leave we did and Em drove the last leg to Brisbane arriving about 1am and kipping in the car before catching a 7am plane to Sydney and Lee and Roch's wedding!

East coast in 8 days, a mission but not impossible and well worth the effort!