Hello! Well my second solo adventure post covers my traveling from Moranbah through Airlie beach, and some of my time in Townsville and Magnetic Island (I'm writing this from the YHA Bungalo Bay hostel on Magnetic island..and I think I just discovered a mosquito bite on my eyelid).
So first I took the greyhound bus from Mackay (where my Auntie Janice dropped me off :)) and found myself in Airlie Beach late at night where I got set up in the cabin-style dorm share room number 16, conveniently the same one Heather was booked in by coincidence haha) and met some Austrian and German backpackers. Joseph, German backpacker, enlightened me on the secret mystery ingredients found in "goon" (cheap ass wine). It turns out, when you read the label, that "goon" is made "with the aid of fish and egg" which alarms me. I'll still drink it, I'll just pretend I didn't read that part haha.
Airlie Beach is gorgeous. It is a small backpacker haven nestled in a large bay at the base of some large mountain-like hills. My first day there I decided to go for a walk, which is what I usually do first before planning epic adventures with myself, and I saw the made made beach as well as the actual beach, the marina, the shops and restaurants (where I ate some orgasmic fish and chips) and the supermarket. This would be the perfect place to buy a mansion if I become a billionaire.
The second day I took a day tour around some of the Whitsunday Islands (you should hide this window and google them, they're amazing). I met up with two lovely Korean girls, Charlotte and Renee, on said trip and we spent the day together taking pictures and talking about the places we had been. The first island we went to had a large lookout platform where the water was so clear below we could see stingrays! I took a few panoramas along with my regular photos so that later I can blow them up and put them in my future apartment with Becka :D.
The second island was the location of the famous White Haven Beach! The sand and I were one, we were basically the same shade of ghost and Charlotte was teasing me saying "Where did Briana go?! I can't see her, she blends in with the sand!" hahaa. I took some photos for proof. After lounging on the pure white soft sand (i stole some btw haha) we met up with the rest of our tour group for a typical Australian "barbie" which consisted of steak, sausage, chili burgers, fruit, vegetables or "vege" and rice. In and around the BBQ picnic benches were a hoard of about 8 goanna's (large large iguana type reptiles) that were trying to steal our food! They weren't afraid of us and would climb right up on the bench seats sniffing with their long blue tongues at our food. It was scary at times simply because they have crazy long and very thick tails that they whip you with if you startle them. I was filming one, of course, and it hit my in the hand almost whacking my Iphone! haha
Next we left White Haven and found a small reef patch where we snorkeled :D That was amazing, There was a glass bottom boat navigating around the snorkelers that was throwing fish pellets above the coral and, if you happened to be in that area, all sorts of fish would swarm around you eating the pellets.
That night Heather got back from the three day sailing trip she was on and we met up in our cabin for the night and watched The Last Exorcism :D T'was a wicked day.
Today, this morning rather, Heather and I jumped back on the Greyhound and I made my way to Townsville ( and took a ferry straight from the bus depot to Magnetic Island) while Heather continued on to Cairns. Magnetic Island is even more beautiful than Airlie Beach! The island is fairly remote and due to most of the island being protected state parks everything is relatively untouched! The tour desk in the Townsville ferry terminal informed me that there are more koala's per square mile on Magnetic Island than anywhere else in Queensland, so I'm hoping to see some wild one's when I go on a bush walk tomorrow. The two nights package here at Bungalo Bay includes a half day snorkel excursion, a 20$ dinner voucher, and two hours of free internet (coming to a total of 95$) which is a good deal as far as my experiences have led me to believe. I am really excited to go on one of the 10 or so different nature bush walks that are mapped out on the island. I think I'm going to do that after I go snorkeling so I can get some higher elevation photos of the sunset.
Tonight I am staying in a 4 share dorm with two Irish ladies and two English ladies, they're pretty friendly so far, so maybe I can get them to come with me tomorrow for some chatting company.
I really wish I could remember more of the funny shit that happened in the last 3/4 days or so. I have such a terrible for memories like that, until something else triggers it.
Anyway I'm sure that's all you feel like reading at this point so I'll give another update when I reach Cairns. I will attempt to upload some more photos as well.
Love you Canada!
Briana
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