Best Western Great Eastern Mtr Inn Gympie

It's been almost 6 months since my last entry, and I've been getting grief from a couple of people about that, so here's how I've spent the last 6 months in Australia.<br><br>I spent a week in Sydney sorting out all the boring stuff (bank accounts, tax stuff, blah blah) and then headed up to Queensland to start my farm work. I wasn;t looking for a real-life country living experience, but to extend my visa from 1 year to 2 years, I had to complete 88 days ...

... brick and rebuilt it in the grounds of the botanic gardens in Bundaberg. It&#8217;s a typical English 1930&#8217;s style brick and pebbledash house, apart from the very Queenslander-style first floor woodedn balcony. However, the photo&#8217;s of Bert&#8217;s house back in its original Southampton location do indeed show it with the very same balcony. He obviously wanted a reminder of his Australian days! <br><br>Jen&#8217;s next detour for the day was to The Mystery Craters ...

The last 2 days in the Solomons were a real blur - Last minute meetings with people, finding resources and of course a last minute swim in Mamara.Not many photos taken:( Once we landed in Brisbane, we went to Sara and Clacy's house in Gympie then spent the day with them before flying out to Mackay. <br><br>Just been doing the catch up thing with the nieces and nephews - only to pack all over again and get ready for the next adventure - USA and Canada! Woohoo!

... the service was as dry and lifeless as I have ever heard. It was followed, however, by a wholesome chat over a cup of tea and a biscuit, which is all I really wanted in the first place. The folks there were only too happy to listen to stories of my traveling around Australia visiting high schools, but as soon as I mentioned my growing apprehension about the affluence of the West and my plans to spend some time in the slums of Rio de ...

Christmas in the Great Sandy Straits Garry's Anchorage seems to me to be our "home away from home"; even though we carry our home around with us. Is that liking us to the turtles that I see or is it that I see of us as sea gypsies; the latter, I think? Garry's is an estuary that runs between Fraser and Stewart Islands; it keeps a strong current ands tidal flow. All along the waterway there are many places for a boat to put down anchor; it is an extremely popular spot with both tourist ...

... to be inland. No problems, we head left and are soon on the Bruce, but Pieter is less than impressed with the navigator!!! Concerned that we will miss the train as we are supposed to be there by 9:30, and it is 10 past 9 with still 46kms to go! Fortunately the train does not depart until 10:00, so we still have plenty of time!!! (Thank goodness!) Gympie station has been totally renovated to its previous glory and takes our minds ...

... it up. Then we played cards and slept - trying not to get too close to the deadly Rockviler who the owner said would take a limb off if you got close - he as a beast of a dog! In the morning I was awoken by the massive road trains again so now we are heading off - towards the sunshine coast.

Friday 12th Tin Can Bay Marina (25*54'40 S / 153*00'39 E) Alana Rose is allocated a berth on B-Dock (Blue) #22. Thank goodness there is little to no wind, as JJ swings Alana Rose into this berth. It is a tight squeeze and there is another boat on our port side. This other boat, a 36' Voyager power cat, has no fender over the side and there is no one on board. It is early morning, too early for the marina office to be open and no one to help. Boaties are always up and about in the early ...

... the fishermen are heading out. The wives of the fishermen have created a volunteer group which shares the task of providing fish for visitors to feed them each morning and also to control the amount given (10% of their daily needs) so they dont become dependent on it. We were lucky as two came in the morning we were there ...

We came, we saw, we were conquered... We got here at dark and immediately tried to put the tent up in a haze of mozzies. There was a huge toad beside our tent too and we got chewed rightly before we even had dinner. Met a nice couple from England who filled us in on the impending humidity and even more annoying bugs we were going to encounter as we travelled further north. Mozzie repellent is just not ...