On the road to Cairns.

We left Sydney after a lovely stay in Cronulla and began our mammoth road trip, heading North to Cairns. Unfortunately in Sydney we left behind Max, who had to return to England for work. When Max had gone, it really did hit home just how crazy we were; two girls, with no experience of real navigating (or sense of direction), about to navigate ourselves up the coast of Australia...with no satnav.

Now I would just like to clarify that at this point, the furthest I had ever driven since passing my test, however many years ago, was about thirty minutes from my house; not even on a dual carriageway let alone a motorway. In fact, I had to retake my pass plus (yes, that is possible) due to a complete motorway meltdown and the unfortunate incident that ended up taking me and my driving instructor to Gatwick Airport. 

I would also like to add that Lydia and I don't do maps. We find them completely illogical and weird.

However, I would like to say, ladies and gentleman, doubters and sceptics...we DID IT! 

We have driven over 6000km, starting from the Great Ocean Road and have made it to Cairns. 

It has taken us around 4 weeks, 12 drive thrus and 1236 replays of 'Pharrell Williams - Happy' (Aussie radio is not all there) but we are safely in Cairns.

I have attached an image that we have seen a few times now, showing Europe inside Australia. When we first saw this picture, back at the start of our trip, we really hadn't grasped the sheer size of this country and seeing it like this made us realise what a massive place it is... it also shows that we have effectively driven from Greece to beyond Poland, which is something I am now very smug about. 

Alas, please don't be fooled into thinking I am now some professional navigator/driver. We experienced some very dark moments and at times we did get lost, very lost and manoeuvres were made that quite frankly should never be done and there are many, many people I ought to hunt down and apologise to... but the point is we got through it and I am so amazed we did it, it really has made the Aussie experience even more of an adventure.

So how did it go and what did we see en route I hear you cry...

Newcastle was our first stop along the way. It wasn't a long drive from Sydney, although we did manage to arrive on the hottest and busiest day, so parking proved a challenge. We decided to embrace the weather and hit the beach with some body boards which was so much fun. The waves were enough to enjoy splashing around and trying to look as though we knew what we were doing, but not so strong that we drowned. I did learn that body boarding requires a pretty sturdy bikini though, it is not cool to accidentally flash anyone on a family beach (I wouldn't know from experience though...)

From Newcastle we drove via Port Stephens to Port Macquari. Although there wasn't a great deal to see in Port Stephens other than a beautiful harbour, it was the starting point to a few drives out to a number of beautiful lookouts and we even visited some sand dunes, which were something we hadn't seen before.

Our second stop was Port Macquari which was a really awesome little town and the place that we put on our wetsuits and went surfing! 

It was an early 5.45am start but it was nice because a lot of people at the hostel were coming too, so it was good fun. The guy who owns the hostel runs the whole thing and after a brief (and humiliating) surf lesson on land the previous evening, it was obvious that no one really had a clue what they were doing. 

The beach was so nice at that time of day and added to the experience completely. We were able to watch the sunrise, the sea was warm and there was no one around to watch and laugh at our attempts to surf. 

Surfing is so much harder then it looks, you need a lot of balance and you have to be pretty agile.. so as you can imagine, I was a natural. 

It is so much fun though and once you've been whacked by a board, swallowed a gallon of sea water and been submerged under a wave, you really can't do anything except laugh and enjoy it. 

We spent about 3 hours on the beach and by the time we returned back to the hostel it was warm and sunny - all before we checked out at 10am! It was only $25 as well which is significantly cheaper then a lot of the surf lessons on the beach, so well worth it if you ever stay there. 

On our way out of Port Macquari we visited their local Koala hospital. It was free to visit but pack the tissues because some of their stories are just heart breaking! They are the best little creatures and you can't not love them. They are so docile and chilled, we could all learn from their attitude to life! The work they do for Koalas in Australia is really great and it was nice to see some of the success stories, happily sleeping in their trees.

From Port Macquari we drove to Coffs Harbour. This was a very quick stop for us as we arrived late afternoon and were off again in the morning, but we still managed to take a walk to the Jetty and saw some beautiful views.

Yamba, our next destination, is a very small beach town. The hostel itself was nearly as big as the town and was buzzing with other backpackers, dotted around everywhere. It was a huge building with a bar underneath and did seem to be the local hangout. 

There wasn't a great deal to do in Yamba without driving out but we settled for crashing out on the beach for the afternoon and it was a good decision. 

Byron Bay was next. We drove from Yamba and arrived in Byron that afternoon. I loved Byron Bay! The hostel was perfect, with a massive kitchen and dining area where we were able to talk to other people and socialise.

This place has to be the most laid back and idyllic spot of all the places we have visited. The locals were so friendly and the whole mood is relaxed and casual. The streets are dotted with dozens of tiny, quirky shops, selling all sorts of handmade souvenirs at really reasonable prices. A short walk from the shops takes you to the beach which was heaven; golden sand and beautiful, crystal water and absolutely alive with people of all ages enjoying it everywhere you look. 

We spent a couple of days here to give ourselves a rest from driving. On our second day we took a walk to the lighthouse which was a good hour away from the beaches and shops, taking you right up the hill to see great views, as well as the most easterly point of Australia.We met a lovely English couple there too who kindly took our picture by the sign and the man told a joke about how it should read 'perth that way' or something, but I didn't really get it so I had to pretend laugh, a lot.

Due to a very last minute tour booking, we no longer had time to stay in Surfers Paradise for the night. Instead, we decided to leave Byron nice and early and drive to Noosa via Surfers Paradise so we could still see it. Unfortunately I can't say I was blown away... it was a lovely beach but the city itself seemed to be almost over-touristy. I could have easily been in a Spanish holiday resort with hotels everywhere and bars and restaurants spilling onto the streets. 

We arrived in Noosa late that afternoon. It took us an unusual amount of time to find the hostel, due to an unfortunate google maps mishap, which had sadly lost the final few steps of the directions. 

Noosa was our stop for the much anticipated Fraser Island and Rainbow Beach for which we had a tour booked for the morning. 

The hostel was one of the stranger hostels we have stayed at; being a historic building it had no plug sockets in any of the rooms... it was Noosa that taught me how much I love electricity. Not being able to charge your phone or camera whilst travelling is a complete nightmare and within the space of an hour some poor guy had had his iphone stolen after leaving it to charge at a plug socket in the hallway. 

The alarm went off at the horrible hour of 5.30am as our tour bus picked us up at 6.30. We forgot that the kitchen didn't open until 7am so actually we were ready way too early and had no breakfast .. it is still a touchy subject and we choose not to relive it. 

We booked our tour with 'Fraser Island Adventures' and it cost $150 including lunch and (to our absolute delight) morning and afternoon tea and cookies! 

We first headed to Rainbow Beach and saw the coloured sand there which, as you can imagine, was awesome! The sun was shining and the beach was so quiet, it really was beautiful. You can only access Rainbow Beach and Fraser Island by 4-wheel drive and driving across the sand alongside the sea in a car was pretty cool. We saw some wild dingoes in the sands and the drive along was deceivingly smooth. When we reached Fraser Island we hit the bumps. I haven't ever done any off road driving (although arguably I have done some pretty sketchy on road driving) and I was not ready for it. Even though we were in a massive 4WD bus, we were thrown about all over the place and we soon realised that it is a good job we hadn't had breakfast! 

We finally reached the stunning Lake Mackenzie, which you can see in our pictures. The sand was completely white, silicone and so smooth and the water was crystal clear and turquoise. It really was like a desert island and so beautiful. We watched as everyone was swimming and began to scrub the sand all over their skin and then we copied them, because that is what you do when you are a tourist.

Lunch was a bbq in the woods and it was great to sit around and chat to other travellers. One of the highlights of the day had to be when a giant kookaburra swooped down and stole Lydias sausage from her plate (don't worry she got a new one). After lunch we continued our bumpy drive around the island, learning a lot about its history and current status as a world heritage site. We got out for a guided walk and that is when... we saw our first wild SNAKE! It was a big moment and although I had to holdback the David Attenborough in me, who was desperate to get right next to it for a photo, I calmly held back, very, very far back... up the hill.. away from danger. 

Fraser was amazing and such a stunning island.

Aside from the plug sockets, I did really enjoy Noosa. It is also the place that I met my soulmate. He was our roomate and the most beautiful Spanish man I have ever seen and we definitely shared a moment. Sadly there was a slight language barrier and the fact that he saw me fresh out of the shower, no make up, with my hair in a towel and rocking my finest (not finest) pyjamas; which is never great for a first date. I was going to leave a note with my number on his bag, but sadly I overslept and in the tornado that was me getting ready, I dropped my bronzer on the floor and it flew everywhere, in a million pieces, all over the historical bedroom floor... I am pretty sure I woke him up.. and got a bit of bronzer on him too.

Hervey Bay was our next port of call. It was such a quiet place and the hostel was dead, but it did have plug sockets AND we had a room to ourselves which is so disgustingly luxurious. We only had one afternoon there which we spent on the beach and in the sea. In hindsight we definitely should not have got in the sea. The beach was deserted and there were no swimming flags and that is probably because of the dangerous killer jellyfish in the area... no wonder the beach was empty. We like to say 'you live and learn' (that is now our new motto)...

We drove from Hervey Bay to Gladstone which was one hell of a journey. It also marked the start of the first rain we hit. 

Now when it rains in Australia, it rains with feeling. There is no drizzle or mucking about; there isn't even any warning. It rained and rained and there was thunder and lightening like I have never heard or seen in my life. I tried to reassure myself that it was just God moving his furniture around but it didn't work like it did when I was five (twenty). Unfortunately the rain stayed with us for the next four days! Even when we reached Rockhampton amd attempted to visit the botanical gardens and the zoo, it was cut short by the rain. Due to this torrential weather the highlights of Gladstone and Rockhampton include: going to use the libraries free wifi, reading a book, eating too much, doing a celebrity crossword, watching 'Hunger Games' and learning how to check the oil of my car (thanks to the guy who showed me and sorry for nearly slamming the bonnet down on your head).

As we got closer to Cairns we did stop overnight at a few other locations, but they really were just rest stops so we didn't do or see that much... shout out to Mackay and Townsville though, you were great all the same.

Airlie Beach was our next major stop. A gorgeous and sunny seaside town and the gateway to the famous Whitsunday Islands. It was really busy, full of backpackers mainly. 

There were loads of really cool little shops and so many great places to eat and drink. Unfortunately due to time we couldn't squeeze in a Whitsundays tour, but we like to leave a few excuses to come back again for another trip, so it's okay. We did a few nice walks along the coast but spent most of our time at the lagoon. It was our first proper introduction to lagoons, which are like man made beaches where people can swim safely, away from the jelly fish basically! 

The next stop on our mammoth journey was a place called Mission Beach. We were here for one thing and one thing only...SKYDIVING. I still have no idea what possessed me to pay to jump from a plane at 14,000 feet but all I can say is thank goodness I did! It was the best thing I have ever done!

We got picked up at 12.30, after the worst nights sleep and the slowest morning ever! I was so nervous anyway, but as the bus pulled up to the depot and 'drop zone', I was feeling pretty sick! 

We had to watch a very, very brief safety video on what to do and how to land etc ... I did not pay any attention to this and that became apparent when I landed. 

My skydive instructor was an absolute dude called Ryan. He was crazy. In fact, all the guys were pretty crazy, but they do jump about seven times a day, so no wonder - imagine all that adrenaline! 

Ryan and I hit it off from the start. He was completely nuts. In true Bridget Jones style I managed to get the crazy and just like that my dreams of being strapped to a stunning aussie hunk and falling in love and getting married were quickly dashed. Having the harness put on was always going to be awkward, but when Ryan, who was just adjusting the straps around my waist and thighs, exclaimed 'daaamnnn baby got back' I went as radish red as dear Bridget herself.. brilliant.

I can't easily put into words what goes through your mind when the plane takes off and you begin to realise what you are about to do. 

My heart was pounding and I think I asked Ryan about 90 million times why weren't we strapped tightly together yet, to which he replied 'lets take it slow Gillespie, we've only just met!' ... I had to laugh. In fact I laughed hysterically, probably because I was in a severe state of hysteria and on the verge of a heart attack. 

When the plane door opened there was no messing around. These guys do not beat around the bush; people were dropping out of the plane like flies and before I knew it, there I was, hanging out a plane, strapped to a guy who had just commented on my 'back', about to freefall from 14,000ft. 

I can only apologise to the sky for the explicit language that left my mouth that moment. I can't tell you what it feels like to fall like that but it was absolutely incredible! 

Everyone should do it at least once, it is beyond imaginable. 

When the parachute came up and I could finally see the breathtaking views (and how desperately unflattering the harness was sitting in between my legs) it was amazing (or not so amazing in the case of the harness). 

When I landed on the beach I was so happy to have my feet on solid ground and I am still buzzing from the whole experience, even three days on!

So, after a long few weeks of adventure, we left Mission Beach on our final leg of the journey to Cairns.

On the way to Cairns we stopped at Josephine Falls which were situated just off the highway. We were able to go swimming in them which was really cool and although it rained a little, the water was warm and it was nice to swim in a completely natural environment with a waterfall in the background.

About an hour from the falls and we finally made it to Cairns! It was quite a momentus occasion and we were so happy to finally make it after all our travelling.

It has been an amazing few weeks for us. We have been so lucky to do and see so many amazing things and meet some great people along the way. 

From skydiving to just driving a route like this, it really does go to show that things we fear are impossible are very much possible and not only can fears be conquered but you can have a bloody good laugh conquering them! 

It has been one hefty post so thank you if you have made it this far without flicking over to youtube to watch an animal doing something funny. I can't wait to tell you about Cairns and Darwin, which we tackle next!

Much love you horrible bunch! X