Noosa Heads

Noosa Heads is essentially a collection of small beach towns that intersect near Noosa National Park and The Sunshine Coast. After exploring Hervey Bay and Fraser Island we were excited to soak up the sun on the area's famous beaches for a couple days.

It was cloudy and raining when we left Hervey Bay on Friday morning so we hoped the three hour drive south would result in improved weather conditions. Luckily as we drove into Noosaville, the sun was shining and the rain had stopped. We grabbed sandwiches at a cafe in town and then checked into our hostel (a less-than-ideal experience. You can see my review here) before heading to the beach.

The most crowded we ever saw Sunshine Beach.

We practically had the beach to ourselves!

The beach was pretty empty, at least compared to what we are used to back home on the east coast in the summer! That is, until 50 junior lifeguards-in-training stormed the beach and began rescue exercises. We took the opportunity to move a bit further down the beach and laid there for the remainder of the day. The current was a little strong but the water temperature was cool, a refreshing change from the warmer temperatures up north!

We wanted a change of pace for dinner and were happy to stumble upon a popular rasta-themed Japanese restaurant (strange combo but it works!), Sushi Yah Man. The staff were all from Japan and even served conveyer-belt sushi! It was a nice reminder of our Asian travels and a great break from the more familiar fare we've been eating in Australia.

Saturday morning we woke up early so we could hike through Noosa Forest before the heat got too intense. We were hoping to see a koala - no such luck - but we saw a few other wildlife examples along the way...

A few wild turkeys...

A giant (I know it's hard to gauge but this guy was at least two feet long) lizard...

...and a naked old man in nothing but a hat! This guy was one of the many naked people we ran into (but the only one I could safely take a picture of without being a complete creep).

Once we got over the shock of wandering onto a nude beach inadvertently, we had a great mix of scenery along the trails: beautiful beaches (even the with the nudies!), rainforest trails and overlooking cliffs.

Looking back on Sunshine Beach at the start of our hike.

Crystal clear water at every turn.

One of the prettiest beaches was of course the nude beach - overlook at Alexandria Bay.

Further down Alexandria Bay.

After about three hours in the sun we were ready to jump into the ocean but the sky had started to look a little cloudy. We took cold showers at our hostel instead and grabbed lunch in town (I found bagel sandwiches!!), hoping the weather would hold. It wasn't raining after lunch so we went to the beach and spent the rest of the day reading and relaxing.

We walked to a nearby cafe for dinner and enjoyed excellent pizza and very friendly service. A perfect way to end our beach life days in Noosa. Tomorrow we head to Brisbane for some city living - another change of pace!

Top Takeaways - Fourteen

Australia has been incredible so far: we have seen The Great Barrier Reef, mastered (ok maybe not mastered) driving on the left side of the road, met some very friendly people and explored a ton of beautiful beaches. Here are our most recent top takeaways from the land of Oz.

Quiet beach days in Hervey Bay.

1. After a month in Asia it definitely feels a lot more like home in Australia We are relishing the lack of a language barrier and love that we don't feel so out of place (Alex is no longer the only tall, bearded Westerner!).

2. We are trying to pick up a few new Australian phrases. "How you goin'?" means "How are you?" and "Cheers" can be used for basically anything, including "Hi," "Bye" and "Thank you."

3. Sydney is very similar to London in terms of atmosphere, street names and - unfortunately for our first two days - weather. Okay, it did rain quite a bit but the temperature was still in the seventies so maybe not a truly fair comparison!

4. Prices are high. Things are just as expensive as NYC, if not worse. The exchange rate works slightly in our favor but I'm happy we are heading to the much cheaper Southeast Asia after Australia and New Zealand!

5. Australians do iced coffee right! The first time we ordered it, we assumed it would be like it is in America (which, in our defense, makes sense: coffee over ice). Not the case here. An Australian iced coffee consists of milk, ice cream and a shot of espresso. Some places will even bring you the glass of milk and ice cream with the espresso on the side so you can pour it in yourself. Don't get us wrong, it's delicious; but be prepared for a sugar-heavy way to start your day if you order one!

6. Credit card systems are different. This sort of applies to each place we've visited actually - whether or not credit cards are accepted, the prevalence of debit cards and preference for cash has varied by country. In Australia every credit card transaction must be either "checking, savings or credit" and often requires a PIN as well. Takes a few days to get the hang of it!

7. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most beautiful places we've ever seen. Turquoise waters, blue skies and an abundance of sea life make this a dream for snorkeling and diving. Definitely a natural wonder of the world and a true bucket list destination!

8. Driving up the coast to Port Douglas we were reminded of our scenic drive down the Route 1 in California - lots of twisty roads with beautiful blue ocean views. Once we arrived in the Daintree Rainforest we were brought back to Costa Rica - lots of quiet beaches where the sand meets the jungle.

9. Driving on the other side of the road (and car!) feels very strange at first, but then you get the hang of it. The biggest challenge is staying away from the curb (and trying not to overcompensate or overconcentrate!)

10. It is HOT on the east coast. Summer is just starting and the temperature has risen above 90 every day since we arrived in Cairns. A lot of places go without AC so it's definitely been an adjustment coming from Asia!

Peak: Snorkeling during a day-long boat cruise at the Great Barrier Reef

Pit: Almost running out of gas in the middle of nowhere

Next stop: Noosa Heads

Biking By The Bay

We planned to spend Thursday exploring Hervey Bay so we set off for a breakfast planning session at a cute coffeeshop called Little Blue Tandem. Once we got there, we realized that, in addition to serving awesome coffee, juice and toasts (see below), they also rented bikes for the day! This was such a no-brainer that we cut our planning session short and headed to The Esplanade for a day of biking by the bay.

Flat white for me, "Iced coffee" for Alex (more on Australian coffee drinks in our next Top Takeaways post) and toasts with chorizo, portobello mushrooms and goat cheese to share. Incredible way to start the day.

Alex is ready to go! (By the way it is illegal to ride without a helmet in Australia...safety first!)

I loved the old-school beach bicycles we got to use.

The ride down the full length of the bay and back is about 25 kilometers (15 miles) so Alex and I geared up (no pun intended) for a day of exercise and sightseeing.

The weather was beautiful and we were able to stop multiple times along the way to take in the scenery / rest a little bit. While the sun made for a perfect day, we also found ourselves sweating and in need of multiple sunscreen applications; also, the wind was great for cooling off, but made it slightly harder to ride up some of the longer hills! 

Taking a break to admire the beach (and enjoy the shade!)

Consistent with most of the beaches we have explored in Australia: almost entirely deserted!

Low tide at the northern tip of Hervey Bay - and halfway point of our bike path

We ended up completing the bike ride in under three hours so we returned to Little Blue Tandem and cooled off with some fresh juice before heading down the road for a late lunch.

The sky had started to look a little cloudy at this point, so we decided to call it an early day. We grabbed some groceries for a light dinner in our hotel room before driving back to catch up on some reading and watch a movie.

Tomorrow we drive to Noosa Heads and continue our Australian beach tour!

Fraser Island

Similar to Whitehaven Beach near Airlie, the reason people visit Hervey Bay is to take a day-trip to Fraser Island. The island is huge, 75 miles long and 15 miles wide, and, for the most part, undeveloped. It is the largest island made only of sand, and the only place in the world where a rain forest has grown out of sand. It sounded like pretty rough terrain but “the Robster” assured us that many bus-loads of tourists visit each day so we signed up for a mid-sized tour and figured as long as we weren’t driving it wasn’t our problem to navigate the roads!

Our “bus” picked us up around 7:15am, then made a few more stops to pick up the rest of the passengers for the day. I say “bus” because that is what Murray, our very informative driver / tour guide, described it as. But I would describe it more as some sort of converted army vehicle that now has passenger seats. How else do you construct a 15-person vehicle capable of intense off-road conditions?

Our “bus” for the day (as seen mid-tour).

Once we were all on board we drove to the ferry – the only way to get from the mainland to Fraser Island. After a quick 30-minute ride, we were off on our adventure. First step: getting across the island. Not the simplest task given the road conditions (there are no paved roads on the island, only old sand roads that are maintained "whenever possible"). By the time we arrived at the beach on the east side of the island, I was almost ready to hurl – 45 minutes of bumps, hard brakes and leaning turns had taken its toll on me (and the rest of the passengers). Fortunately the next phase of the drive (north along the beach) was very smooth.

We arrived at our first stop, the Maheno Shipwreck, by mid-morning. As we explored this massive shipwreck, Murray prepared morning tea and coffee for us. The Maheno was an old passenger-turned-hospital-turned-back-into-passenger ship owned by the Australian government that they sold to Japan in the 1930s. The Japanese sent another ship down to tow it home, but a storm caused the cable to break and the Maheno to wash ashore at Fraser Island. The Japanese were unable to salvage the boat so they abandoned it…and then the Australian air force used it as target practice during World War II. Needless to say, there’s not much left. But to give you a sense of how big it was, there are apparently four decks buried in the sand below view.

The Maheno Shipwreck.

Our next stop was the Pinnacles, formations of colored sand dunes just north of the Maheno. I think we’ve been spoiled by some of the Southwestern US scenery we’ve seen because this didn’t impress us much…

The Pinnacles.

After the Pinnacles we headed back south to Eli Creek. This is a huge freshwater creek that feeds into the ocean. Most importantly for us, it has a constant flow of very chilly water. Rather than explore the creek, Sarah and I just laid down in the 8-inches of water and cooled off for half an hour. Time well spent!

We drove back toward the middle of the island and had lunch at Central Station, the former home base of all the loggers that once occupied Fraser Island. After lunch, we had a quick walk through the rainforest. It was an interesting change from the beach, but nothing compared to Costa Rica.

This hike did have a great boardwalk though!

Now that we were drenched in sweat from the hike, our final stop of the day was at Lake McKenzie. This is a crystal-clear freshwater lake. It reflects the blue of the sky, but when you are swimming in it you can see directly to the bottom – even the detailed sticks that look a lot like snakes! We relaxed here for an hour and a half before returning to the ferry back to the mainland.

Like I said, very clear water. And it was refreshingly cool too – much cooler than the oceans we’ve been in recently.

Trees growing in Lake McKenzie.

Once we were back at our hotel, Sarah and I got cleaned up and headed out to Badger & Brown’s for burgers. It happened to be $10 burger night so we saved ourselves a couple bucks. The food was great and a perfect way to end a long day exploring Fraser Island.

Journey to Hervey Bay

Packed and caffeinated, Alex and I left Airlie beach Monday morning ready for a full day of driving. We estimated the drive to Agnes Water would take about nine hours, including stops, so we wanted to get a pretty early start.

As has been the case with our other drives down the Australian coast, we had sunny skies, beautiful scenery and very little traffic. Given these ideal road-trip conditions, we weren’t really anticipating any complications. That is, until we realized we were in the middle of nowhere with less than a quarter tank and no gas stations in sight. Given the number of rest stops and signage along the road - Australia is big on preventing sleep-related accidents, even offering free coffee along the way - we were surprised we didn’t come across any signs indicating the distance until the next gas station. We tried to keep a positive attitude as we searched for any signs of civilization, but after we had to stop for roadwork and the gas light came on, we both started to panic a little.

At first, our trusty rental car indicated that we had about 75 kilometers worth of gas, which I knew was enough to make it to the next town, but after a short while the distance indicator disappeared and the entire display began flashing a gas indicator logo at us…which was about the time we turned off the A/C and I cursed myself for being an idiot. We drove along steadily and quietly for another twenty minutes, leaning forward to read any upcoming signs, letting each and every vehicle pass us and wondering what we would actually do if we ran out of gas. Without cell phone service, how would we call anyone? Who would we call even if we could make a call? In 90 degree heat would we physically be able to walk far enough to get to the closest gas station? Do people hitchhike in Australia?

Thankfully, as if its location was selected specifically for lost backpackers just like us, we finally came across a gas station. We pulled up next to a campervan that had passed us earlier and the driver immediately said “I didn’t think we’d make it!” (They were running on fumes too!) We laughed and told them we were panicking too, at which he grinned and said “So that’s why you guys were driving so slow! We were behind the tailwind from a truck and we wanted to keep close to him to reduce the air-drag on our van!" After filling up - at completely inflated prices - we felt slightly less stupid knowing we were not alone. Lesson learned: it never hurts to top off your gas tank before beginning a long journey into unknown Australian territory!

Alex completed the rest of the drive like a champ and we made it to Agnes Water by late afternoon. We had just enough time to drop off our laundry and head out for a walk to stretch our legs before sunset.  Agnes Water is definitely the smallest town in Australia we have been to so far, but it has some very nice, quiet beaches.

This pup was playing with his owners on the beach but came over to us to say hi.

Driftwood on the beach.

After watching the sunset we decided to walk to a nearby café I had read about for dinner. Unfortunately, the café turned out to be 1. More than a mile away down a pitch-black street, and 2. Closed! We walked back and grabbed dinner at the closest restaurant we could find – which was thankfully still open – before calling it a day.

Tuesday morning we kicked off the day with a run (well I did more of a run / walk given the extreme heat) and some well-deserved smoothies before heading briefly to the Town of 1770, which is aptly named for the year in which Captain Cook landed here. Besides the beach (and history plaques commemorating Cook and his crew), there really isn’t much to see in 1770, so after snapping some photos we hopped in the car and headed south to Hervey Bay.

Looking out at the boats anchored near 1770.

Alex snapped a quick picture of me climbing on the rocks.

We checked in to our new digs for the next three days – the Emeraldene Eco Lodge – and mapped out the next few days with our helpful host, “the Robster.” After planning tomorrow’s trip to Fraser Island, we drove down to the pier to walk around and see the sunset. The pier is over a kilometer long, which provides a great view of the sun falling behind the town.

The Urangan Pier.

I found a HUGE pelican perched on the pier! I was able to get pretty close for this picture...though I was a little nervous!

Alex snapped this incredible picture of this seagull and the sunset.

We had just enough energy left for a great dinner at Coast, which had been recommended by Tripdvisor, our map and Rob (a.k.a. the “Robster”). The food was incredible – Rob accurately described it as “an experience” – and definitely worth a stop if you’re visiting Fraser Island! It was a great end to a couple days of traveling for us; we’re excited to explore Fraser Island tomorrow!