Hey, hey, hey; hey, hey, hey; Ah, ha, ha, hey, yeah!
What a gret birthday. I'm camping in Hervey bay for Aus$5 a night which can't be bad. Its really quiet here but i met a German couple when i arrived from Noosa and they have been great. When we arrived at the hostel/campsite they asked me if i wanted to join them for dinner. Having planned to have beef flavoured noodles i was only too glad to accept. We had a good meal and they sang happy birthday to me at midnight. Today ((the 12th) my birthday) I planned my trip to Fraser island and explored Hervey bay. I was just thinking what a nice day it had been and was about to cook my self the afforementioned beef noodles when Tilo and Tina (the afforementioned German couple) showed me an advert for a pub offering free meals on your birthday, so i had a big fat steak with chips salad and mushroom sauce for free!! which sadly meant the noodles were put on hold again- shame!. Time for bed now- off to Fraser island tomorrow.
Fraser Island
Day 1- Best laid plans...
OK so I didn't really plan this all that well. I got a ferry at 4 O'clock and so by the time i started walking on Fraser island it was nearly dark. I was headed for the nearest campground and the sign said it was a 4 hour walk-Doh! So i got a march on as quick as i could bearing in mind they say not to walk at night- or on your own- it seems Fraser island's Dingoes (a type of wild dog) can be quite ferrocious. Anyway i marched as quick as i could and made it to the campsite in an hour and 25 mins. At said campsite the sign said it was 14.1km from where i had come from- thats some damn quick marching! Time to sleep now- big walk tomorrow.
Day 2- Big walk indeed!
I've walked 32km today which when you consider that i'm carrying all my camping gear, 5 days worth of food and 6 litres of water whilst walking on an island made of sand is a bloody long way. Its well wort the blisters though- Fraser is such an amazing island. I'm no poet so I'm not even going to try and describe it- suffice to say its bloody lovely. Pretty weird as well- one minute you can be walking through rainforest and the next your on a great big sandy beach by the ocean. Fraser Fact- it is the only place in the world where rainforest grows on sand. As well as it being spigging awesome, there are far fewer people than i was expecting. Most people do 4x4 trips so the walking tracks were pretty much just for me! Right, time to plan tomorrows adventure- I'm thinking slightly less walking.
oh. p.s. i had noodles for dinner.
Day 3- Haha, less walking...
Me and my feet are not the best of friends right now. I decided in order to see more i needed to travel light. So i packed up and walked 6km to a camping zone on the Eastern beach, set my tent up again and left my things there (except a bottle of water). This my feet were happy about. However, after that i walked/jogged/ran about 23km up the beach (and obviously back again) so i have done around 52km today!! 52km=unhappy feet. There is a lot to see out here tho- i could do with 10 days not 5 but time prsses on so my feet will just have to put up with it. Fraser Fact - It is the largest sand island in the world. Now for some more beef noodles and definately less walking tomorrow!
Day 4- Hot shower, Hot shower!
My route for today was dictated by my need for water. Therfore i had a fairly cruisey 20km stroll to the main campground on the island. On top of the short walk i had a nice hot shower and feel human again. Its my last day of walking tomorrow so i need to finish relatively close to the ferry. Therefore its got to be an 18km walk or a 34km walk. I vote 34, but my feet say 18. we'll see.
Day 5- Pet food pittas/These feet were made for walking...
And thats just what they'll do. So my feet never were going to win that arguement. However, i did come up with an alternative- it meant walking an extra 8km but also allowed me to to most of the walk without carrying all my stuff. So having stuck plasters all over my feet I set off nice and early in order to make it to tonights campground before dark. I'm glad i did- it was a really good walk, plus my feet held up ok. The walk took me past 6 lakes, and in my opinion the lakes are the island's biggest attraction. The only downside on the day was the food. I'm now onto some long-life pitta breads and they smell like dried pet food. Nevermind, i can have a proper meal tomorrow, as well as a hard earned beer!
Day 6- Wounded Knee
I was camping near lake McKensie last night so i got up to watch sunrise over the lake this morning. Then headed back to get the ferry across to Hervey bay. The blisters are now on the mend but my knee is knackered. I think i may have overdone the walking a bit. I'm sure it will settle down over the next couple of days. Had a nice big BBQ this evening and i'm thoroughly stuffed! But still didn't get that beer! Tomorrow I head north to Cairns (apologies to Airlie beach and the Whitsundays but somewhere had to be dropped). I'm hoping to do some walking in the Cairns highlands, but i think i'll have to play that by ear (or should i say knee). I will at least have time to put this on the web so that people other than me can read it!
And thats where i am now. Well, in cairns i mean not the highlands. My knee is getting better tho i think so i should get a chance to do some walking as long as i keep them short. Yesterday I sat on a coach so not a lot to tell you there- 22 and a half hours of reading and sleeping.
I have been trying to upload photos whilst typing this but the internet place i'm in has set a limit on file upload size so no can do i'm afraid. Fear not, I'll do them soon. Also you may be pleased to know that i will actually be in some of the photos- i looked through what was already online and realised there was a distinct lack of me. Thankyou all who e-mailed/facebooked me a happy birthday. Hope everybody is jolly.
There you go, that blogs a bit of a longer one. Perhaps not a cracker as i promised- i think there is a slight lack of jokes. so....
A drunk guy is walking down the street. He sees this nun, runs up and knocks her over. He says, "You don't feel so tough now, do you, Batman!?"
xx Matt xx
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Wow that sounds like an amazing few days!! I can't believe you walked that far!! Glad you managed to get a decent meal on your birthday!! Result!!!
Hope the knee and the blisters are on the mend.
XXXX
Glad to hear that you're building up such strength. By the time Tailand comes round you'll be able to carry everyone's pack as well as your own. Nice one - and just as well too as I seem to have knackered my back picking something up from the floor! Not helped by sitting for 8 hours yesterday on crap chairs at Brampton live. More about that by email.
Crikey boyo that's a lot of walking. A bugger load in fact. Glad you had a great birthday. I hope you've been chasing Jack right out of town. He deserves some chasin'.
Hey there Matt.
You could make it up you know, we'd never know. I say let the feet win, respect the feet! Is Harry Potter out in Australia? You could finish it in one sitting on a coach - I'm sure your feet would appreciate it.
love Annie
Post a Comment