Journey with Christina

Determining that we absolutely loved the freedom of living out of the minivan we continued the 2,800 kilometers up the East Coast. This route is well traveled by many tourist and the coast is set up for it. Freedom camping is allowed all along the highway at rest stops and many other towns for free. There is always a bathroom and typically there is a BBQ as well. The gorgeous beaches all have BBQ’s and outdoor showers and if you are lucky even an indoor one! For our three weeks in a campervan Jon and I only had to pay for camping at a caravan park 5 nights. Jon said this must be what retirement is like, diving from stunning beach to beach and lounging around.

Our first stop along the East Coast was to cruise along the bucolic back-roads of Kempsey Shire and camping at Hat Head National park. The scene was right out of an English fairy-tale where we purchased fresh eggs from roadside bins until we hit our campground where we were greeted by Kangaroos! After, I took a walk along the gorgeously deserted beach which would have been idyllic if it were not for the million flies that decided to join me.

Kempsey Shire and Hat Head National Park

We detoured off the coats long enough to hike in Dorrigo National Park, an ancient world heritage listed Gondwana rainforest. We were happily driving along back to the coast when we hit a little bridge that said it was closed due to damage. We were faced with the decision of turning around to drive back an hour to the next road or take our chances with the bridge. We took our chances but I got out and walked across just in case.

Dorrigo National Park

“Closed Bridge”

We stopped in the town of Ballina for lunch where we were lucky enough to see dolphins playing the water. No swimming for us though. There were reports of a shark attack a few days before. The afternoon was spent lounging on Byson Bays Watego’s Beach, a white crescent of sand surrounded by rainforest.

Dolphin in the water at Ballina

Our favorite spot was in Palm Beach just south of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. We found a perfect spot under an underpass directly on a beautiful clear blue, white sand cove with a fantastic walking trail literally at our door. There was even an indoor shower at the beach facilities!

View from our campervan of the cove and walking trail.

We skipped the city of Brisbane so that we could go to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary so I could cuddle with one of those cuties. Kolas sleep up to 20 hours a day so it was no surprise that he fell fast asleep in my arms. Poor Jon looked at me sadly and said “I used to have motorcycles, quads and boats and now I am driving a minivan and going Koala cuddling.” The things a man in love will do.

Koala cuddling.

Noosa will forever be remembered for us. Not because it is a swanky town with great beaches, hiking and everglades or for the old Queenslander we camped at. It was where we found out who our new president was going to be. By the way the first question anyone asked us, including in South America, was what we thought of the election and specifically Trump. I found it fascinating that the entire world was watching our election with trepidation. I won’t say what my political views are but I can say not one person we spoke with was in favor of Trump winning.

First announcement of our new leader.

For my birthday, we spent the morning at the tiny Town of 1770 attempting to kayak but due to wind we did not get anywhere and succeeded only in ripping Jon’s new expensive bathing suit on the kayak. Later we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn and had a steak diner in the cowboy town of Rockhampton. For my birthday Jon got me what every woman turning 43 hopes for. The day before, he told (very loudly) a young, scantily clad, Swedish girl that she was gorgeous. Of course, she was but ladies don’t you think girlfriends are entitled to exclusive use of the word gorgeous, especially on their birthday week? I hope next year he goes back to the practical electronics for my birthday.

Beach at Town of 1770 and Jon decked out in his new Australian hat at the Great Western Steakhouse.

Our last stop before we hit Cairns was Magnetic Island where we swam in stunning beaches, fed rock wallabies and spotted koalas lounging in trees during a hike. It is a quick ferry ride from Townsville but a world away.

Magnetic Island.