So, here we are again with another update! We are currently in Noosa waiting for our campervan to be repaired (a defect with the cooling system), so a nice activity to fill the time is of course writing a new update!
We closed the previous update in the state of New South Wales, so it was now time for a new state; Queensland! In Australia you can compare the states with those of America in which different laws apply in different states. In this case, Queensland does not appreciate it very much if you sleep in your campervan, you are not allowed to do it and it can lead to a fine of $350. So we decided to sleep in places where it’s allowed 😊
On our last stop in New South Wales, we made friends with another couple who also travel in a campervan, which is great fun! Because we noticed that meeting people is a lot more difficult when you travel in a campervan compared to when you sleep in hostels, and after all, part of traveling is also meeting people! And luckily for us, they also were going the same route as us, so for most of the time we did it with the 4 of us!
Our first stop in Queensland was Surfers Paradise in Gold Coast and with some connections from Samantha we slept 2 nights in the Hilton hotel for very cheap. Free champagne, a luxurious room with a view of the sea and the best breakfast; it was a different life than the camper life you can say 😊. Surfers Paradise was quite touristy, but that had the advantage that I was finally able to find a place to exchange my Cambodian money (because I found this money in one of my pockets when I was back in the Netherlands). Unfortunately it is not the most famous money and so this was the first place that did accept it, kind of felt like free money 😊
After this we slept on free campsites and let’s just say, you sometimes come across striking figures there. So we got talking to someone who said he wanted to show us something. He walked back to his RV and came out with a six-foot albino Darwin python, which he apparently had as a pet. Enough reason not to talk to him anymore 😉
The following week, we did a lot of fun things with the 4 of us, we saw glowworms (worms that glow 😉) in a dark cave (the picture underneath here is not of stars but of these glowworms), we hiked to various waterfalls, but the highlight was the Australian Zoo. This zoo is currently run by the Irwin family, best known for the late Steve Irwin, aka ‘the crocodile hunter’. We spent all day at the zoo and still ran out of time! It was a completely different experience than all the zoos I’ve been to before. In this zoo, for example, some animals run free, they have a lot of space and there are informational shows throughout the day. The shows were the most fun because they show and tell a lot about the different animals. Now I know exactly what to do if I see a snake! Whether I succeed is a different thing because you have to stand still, and I prefer to run away as fast as possible of course 😉. Hopefully I never have to find out…
After this we went to Brisbane and took 2 days to explore it properly. It is the largest city in Queensland, but smaller than Sydney and Melbourne. Brisbane was very good, they even have a beach and swimming pool in the city where you can take a dip for free and this attracts many people. It is located on the water and with the free ferry you can easily park outside the city and get to the center (which is useful if you are traveling with such a large camper). I thought it was a nice city, everything is within walking distance and the atmosphere was good!
After Brisbane we drove to Noosa, where we are currently. We rented an Airbnb here for a week with the 4 of us and we liked it very much. Having space, a kitchen and a shower was nice. We regularly did movie nights where we could cook a bit more elaborately than usual. We also did some trips, for example Samantha and I went to a water park to throw each other off blow up thingies and we all went to a market together. We also swam in ‘Fairy pools’, these are natural pools made by rocks.
Enough done again and hopefully we can travel again soon with a camper that works. It should have been ready 2 days ago, so we have to be patient. The plan is to drive north again and eventually end up in Cairns and whether we will make it for the next update, you will just have to read next time! Thanks for reading and greetings 😊
