Buttercup

I've got some photos now from my trip up the Queensland coast with Colin. A camping trip, with a tent, sleeping bags, and gas cookers no less.

The first photo shows Colin outside his fancy apartment in Brisbane, with our faithful steed Buttercup. We had a laugh thinking how much like gay German tourists we must have looked like with our cute yellow Hyundai Getz rental car.

The car was well equipped with Vegemite holders, with the second photo showing myself and the vegemite perched on Buttercup's back. I can't remember where this was, some coastal town.

Day 1 we were making our way up to "Town of 1770", about 6 hours north of Brisneyland. No idea what was at Town of 1770, we just liked the name. There was however a camping ground, where we had to pay for a powered site because the place was so full. Bit of a joke really, since a) we couldn't use the power, and b) it wasn't apparent to us that the site we were given even had access to power anyway, yet we were still charged for it. The next photo shows Buttercup lording over our lodgings for the night.

On day 2 we started heading back south, and made up our minds to go to Fraser Island on day 3. So Rainbow Beach was a wise choice for a campsite, and it was really cool there. A real bare bones campsite, with only a long drop a hundred metres from our campsite. And! We could light fires provided we purchased firewood. "Hell yes. I'll buy marshmallows while I'm at it" thought I. The next two photos show Buttercup and Colin enjoying two minute noodles and Watties Big Eats for dinner, and myself toasting my marshmallows with my trusty twig. Buttercup supervises, ready to jump at my aid should the marshmallow catch on fire and engulf the tent.

Day 3 we booked a tour of Fraser Island, where a rainforest of really straight trees grows on an island of sand. Somehow (and it was explained to me by the tour guide) the island manages to trap rainwater and features some stunning freshwater lakes. The next photo shows Colin and I washing at one of these lakes. It was pretty cold, about 19 degrees, but worth it. The sand is special in that it has some extra amount of silica, so it exfoliates your skin really well. And the water itself is a brilliantly clear blue.

Last photo is of the Maheno shipwreck. It used to be a cruise ship commissioned by a New Zealand company, travelling between NZ and Sydney, which leads me to believe Maheno could be a maori name? The Australians butcher it regardless, like every other native word. I have a similar photo of myself in front of the Maheno in a green t-shirt from when I visited the island with Dad 4 years ago.

End of slide show.