Airlie Beach to Brisbane

Oh wow it really has been a while since we wrote on here - I can promise you we have been using our time wisely though and having lots of fun!! So from Airlie Beach, with the world still swaying slightly, we headed to Mackay where we did a trip out into the Eungella National Park - it was an early start but did mean we saw platypus feeding in the river as well as lots of turtles swimming about, Lizzy also had her first leech experience! The day finished off with a walk through the rainforest to a waterfall where we went for a cold (refreshing) swim - very nice! Next stop, after a long overnight coach was Rainbow Beach, named due to its colourful cliffs. We chilled out here for a few days, heading over to Fraser Island for a day in a 4x4 bus where virtually all the driving is done along the bumpy beaches (sitting up front was definitely an experience). The island was beautiful and we spent the day going for a wander in the only rainforest grown on sand, wading through the rapids-esque Eli Creek, visiting a ship wreck and swimming in the stunning Lake McKenzie where the silica sand meant we left with silky smooth skin!  Back in Rainbow Beach we visited Carlo Sandblow at sunset, a very large sand dune which over time has covered a forest, one end overlooks the colourful cliffs and then, after a steep climb up sand, the other side drops off steeply into more forest land...bit of a strange sight really. Leaving Rainbow Beach, we were on our way to stay with my (Tiff's) godfather, Clive and his wife, Jenny in the mountains outside of Brisbane. Arriving in the dark meant we were in for a surprise when we woke in the morning to views over the stunning Glasshouse mountains...this was going to be a difficult place to leave!! Our first morning, Clive took us into Dayboro, the nearest town, for tasty muffins and Aussie beer :) and then the afternoon we spent attempting archery in their garden, trying to avoid the inquisitive wallabies who thought it was a good idea to stand behind the target (this was fine when Lizzy was shooting, but I was attempting it right handed (that's my excuse!) and a few more missed then i think were meant to) - no wallabies were harmed though!!! That evening we drove to the outskirts of Brisbane and entered the city by boat from where we wandered the riverside, the night markets and went for drinks (spotted quite a few Movembers while people watching!) - was a lovely evening! The following day, we got the car dirty driving the unsealed roads to the Glasshouse Mountains where we went for a rather hot walk! When we got home, we headed straight for the dam at the bottom of their land for a swim (with the resident croc) before a tasty BBQ and a few drinkies. Begrudgingly we had to leave the next day, and after feeding the visiting Kookaburra by hand and watching the Cockatoos and Lorikeets visit the balcony one last time, Clive and Jen drove us to Brisbane for a wander around the botanic gardens before we headed for our coach to Byron Bay.