Noemi Zoé

Rainbow Beach to Byron Bay

02 | 17

Let's go traveling -  Australia's east coast (part 2)

 

 

On the 9th of February I continued my adventure with another ten hours bus drive to Rainbow Beach where I stayed at the Dingos hostel. I spent the morning strolling around this tiny town. As I was going to go on the Dingos Fraser Island tour on the next day I had a safety briefing the day before that and a yummy dinner  at the hostel afterwards.

 

 

 

So on the next day at 7:45 am we left the hostel for our 3 day 2 night 4 wheel drive tag along tour on Fraser Island -  the largest sand island in the world, it was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992 as it features complex dune systems that are still evolving and a number of rare and unique features in this sand environment, including dune lakes and tall rainforests .

We were four groups = four cars each about eight people. As we camped on a campsite, each group had an esky (Australian word for coolbox) for each meal. For lunch we always made our own wraps and for dinner each group cooked  their own meals. After we left Rainbow Beach we had a short 15 minutes drive to the ferry to Fraser Island. Our first stop was at the Happy Valley for a lunch break. The drive there was really bumpy and so funny ha ha. Afterwards we went for a little rain forest boardwalk where I saw THE clearest creek EVER. Then we went for a swim in Lake Mckenzie - the bluest lake I had seen in my life, so so beautiful. Since it was getting quite late we left after a pretty short time, so we could make dinner (yummy asian noodles) at the campsite that was about an hour drive from there.

 

 

On the next day we got up quite late and had a quick bowl of cereals for breakfast. Our first stop that day was the Indian Head which was a really gorgeous view point. Then we went on to Champagne Pools for a quick swim, then onwards to the Maheno ship wreck where we had a beautiful sunset and moonrise. Afterwards we had a delicious barbeque and bonfire before bed.

 

 

On the third day, which was by the way the hottest day of the year (!), we left at 8:30 am to go for a swim at Eli Creek where we just floated in the water for hours. Afterwards we went to had lunch at the Happy Valley and then back to Rainbow Beach. Back at the hostel I first of all had a good shower, then jumped in the pool and listened to a live performer while having dinner. I went to bed quite early that night since I was very exhausted and had to get up at 6:30 am the next day. It was also so good to sleep in a proper bed again.

 

 

So the next day I had a five hours bus drive ahead of me, because I moved on to my next destination: Brisbane. In Brisbane I had a really fancy hostel called Summer House Backpackers. It was really hot when I arrived and the city kind of remembered me of Perth, because it was also rather small and there was also a river going through the city. Since I only had one day in Brisbane, I tried to see all the major things. First I went to the GOMA, which is a really nice museum. Then I continued to South Bank and George street. When I walked back to the hostel it started raining so so SO bad that I came back SOAKING WET, I looked like I just jumped into a pool with my clothes on ha ha.

 

 

On the next day, the 14th of February, I hopped onto the bus for another five hours drive towards Byron Bay. When I arrived there at 1:35 pm I searched my way through to the Holiday Village hostel. Afterwards I strolled through the city and found a really cute café called Sunday Sustainable Bakery where I had an smashed avocado toast and an iced coffee for a late breakfast. Then I continued my walk and went for a quite long walk on the beach where I watched a soo many surfers and a gorgeous sunset. On my way home I stopped by to watch several live performers - it was a quite lonely but very relaxed valentines day.

 

 

For the next day I planned to go on the Grasshoppers day tour to Nimbin, a hippy town near Byron Bay. That morning I got up at 5:30 am to watch my very first sunrise at the beach. The tour started at 10 am, so I got me some breakfast on the way home from the beach and layed in bed for some time until I had to leave. Our first stop was a weird old hotel where we could get something to drink and some snacks. Then we continued to Nimbin. As we arrived there we just walked around for an hour and then continued to a waterfall without any water in it ha ha and to our last stop, a nice lake where we also had a yummy barbecue.

 

 

The next day I first had a delicious chia pudding and iced coffee for breakfast at the Byron Fresh Café and then walked up to the Byron lighthouse. It was quiet a long and steep walk and since it had over 30 degrees I was so exhausted as I arrived, but it was totally worth it! The view was gorgeous and I even saw a group of dolphins and some turtles swimming in the ocean.

At 5:35 pm I hopped onto the overnight bus towards Sydney. This was also my last bus ride in Australia and even tough they were always quite long I felt really safe and comfortable on the bus. I chose to take the Premier Motor Service and was really happy with that choice - I can really recommend this coach. (-> east coast part 3)

 

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