Backpacking Australia: Noosa and Moloolaba

If you want to experience real Aussie life on the East Coast, then Noosa and Moloolaba are right up your street. Not only will you get a real insight into the local culture, the pristine beaches are not worth missing out on. These towns are typically less frequented by tourists and backpackers which is an added bonus.

Noosa

 

Viewpoint from National Park 

After Rainbow Beach and the Whitsundays I thought the views could not get any better. For a panoramic view take a walk up to the National Park. The hill is steep so I recommend not doing it when the sun is at it's hottest. The Park extends right down to the coastal area and in this area you can spot a lot of different wildlife including koalas in their natural habitat.

Noosa has many different beaches for strolling along, watching surfers or simply relaxing. The Main Beach is the closest one to the town but is pretty busy during the summer period. The other beaches are less crowded so worth visiting. Pay careful attention to the information about where it is safe to swim or surf. The good thing about the Main Beach is it is patrolled by lifeguards.

 

 

Noosa main beach

 

 

The one thing I wanted to do at Noosa was to visit the Everglades but we never got the chance; my time in Australia was quickly running out and there was so much more I wanted to see. The Everglades are situated on the Cooloola coast and are waterways that allow for lots of aquatic adventures such as canoeing, kayaking or doing a boat tour. For those interested in nature, it is the perfect opportunity for seeing local wildlife.

 

Although there a few suitable hostels for backpackers, we ended up staying in an apartment on Noosa hill as it was just as cheap for a group. Our apartment had a pool, sauna and steam room and allowed for even more relaxation. However if you are on your own or in a small group, a hostel is definitely better and will allow you to meet new people.

 

Mooloolaba

It wasn't my choice to get off the Oz Experience bus at Mooloolaba but my friends had heard great things from their Aussie relatives. At first, it just looked like a little town to me and I wondered what was so great about it. Mooloolaba has a calm and relaxing atmosphere where people are happy strolling around, checking out the many shops along the Esplanade or sipping a drink at one of the many cafés and restaurants. If you are looking for a wild nightlife, this is not the place for you.

 

The beach is a hub of activity and is full of young Aussie teenagers and families making the most of the warm summer months. Typically, there are more people in the sea wave jumping than relaxing on the beach. This is where I noticed that the locals head to the beach not purely to sunbathe but to swim in the ocean. The beach here is very safe and is also patrolled all year long.

 

The Surf Club is great for eating out at a reasonable price and has many typical Australian dishes such as chicken parmi, roasts and many different types of seafood.

 

 

 

Source: http://www.mooloolabatourism.com.au/aboutus

 

I recommend visiting the nearby Australia Zoo, you can get a Greyhound bus from Mooloolaba. This is not a typical zoo; the enclosures are big, the animals look well cared for and the majority of animals are native to Australia so are as close to their natural habitat as can be. The crocodile show at the Crocoseum is fun and at least you are at a distance from them! Watch out for the birds flying all around you during the bird show.

 

 

 

 

If the Northern Beaches are for adventure and excitement, the Sunshine Coast is perfect for some relaxation and getting in tune with the local life. Even if you can only spend limited time there, be sure not to miss out!



Adventure stories from Australia part 2

When you are travelling, it is important to make the most of your time and to embrace new challenges. As mentioned in part 1, I used my time in Australia to get over my fears and take part in many new adventurous activities. Each time I emailed home, I had wonderful and exciting stories to share with family and friends.

Skydiving

What better way to see the world than jumping out of a plane at 14,000 feet? Particularly when the views on offer are those of the Great Barrier Reef. You can do a skydive in many locations in Australia and I chose to do mine at Mission Beach in Queensland. This was, hands down, my best experience in Australia.

 

Mission Beach, Australia

We got picked up at our hostel early in the morning and were taken to the skydiving centre. Here we got allocated our tandem instructor - this is when you are praying you haven't got the newbie young instructor or the one that looks slightly crazy. After being suited up and safety procedures explained, we got on our plane. I would say the plane part of the journey is the worst. You sit on a little bench facing the back of the plane- my crazy instructor decided it would be a great laugh to sit right at the very back next to the pilot, and be the last to jump! Maybe he thought I was as mental as him! The plane is tiny and as you see it climbing altitude, it begins to quickly sink in that you are about to do a sixty second free fall before your parachute opens!

 

Me right at the very back

 

As you reach the correct altitude, a little doorway opens and this is when the fear sets in. If you are first to go, you are extremely lucky as you don't have to see everyone else fall out the plane. Then your instructor gets you to shimmy up to the door ( a bit difficult when you are attached very closely to him!). Sitting at the doorway edge is the scariest part because you now have no control. Before you know it, you are freefalling from the plane and this is the thrilling part of the skydive as you feel like you are falling for quite a while.

 

 

More out the plane than in!

 



 

Then, the instructor activates the parachute and you are yanked back upwards. This is when you have time to appreciate your surroundings, the weirdest thing ever is that from up here you see the curve of the Earth. After a couple of minutes, it's time for the dreaded landing moment. You might not think it's that a big a deal but this part terrified me because a day before my skydive a girl at our hostel ended up with a broken leg because she had not carried out the instructions about landing. What you need to do is really lift your legs as high as you can to allow your instructor to land first.

 

 

 

The moment we landed, all of us wanted to do it again straight away. It passes much quicker than you think and is the most thrilling experience I have ever had.

 

 

Tips for doing a skydive

 

1. Listen to your instructor; they are in charge of your safety. Remember they do this several times a day on a daily basis and have plenty of experience.

 

2. Pick your location carefully. Unless you are planning to do several skydives, location is everything.

 

3. You can pay for another instructor to jump alongside you and take photos as you fall. Personally I would save my money as your own instructor already has a camera attached to his wrist. My friends paid for the extra photos and to be honest theirs aren't that different from mine.

 

4. Don't scream all the way down as you will cover your instructor in drool. Remember he's in charge of your safe landing!

 

5. Wear suitable clothing and footwear. For girls, it's not a great idea to wear a tank top unless you want all your pictures to be pretty revealing! Stupidly, I wore a tank top and sandals - D'oh!

 

6. Thank your instructor - it may be their job and their hobby but they have just risked their life for you.

 

7. Embrace the moment and enjoy. It's a fun once in a lifetime experience and very worthwhile. You won't regret it!



Backpacking Australia: Cairns to Whitsundays

Starting in Cape Tribulation and ending in Melbourne, the East Coast is the destination for backpackers. With a distance of 4,500 kilometres over 3 states, it offers plenty of opportunities for adventure, relaxation and job opportunities for those on a working visa. For me, it was where I decided I was going to let go of my fears and embrace every adventurous opportunity that came my way. Jumping out a plane? Easy-peasy! Diving in the Great Barrier Reef? Hell yeah!

With so many places to visit and exciting activities to do, it can be easy to overlook the hidden gems of the East Coast. It took my friends and I almost 2 months to travel between Cairns and Brisbane and even then we didn't get to experience everything we wanted to. Based on my experiences here is what you can't miss:

- Mission beach: its sandy beaches offer the perfect location for relaxation, or if you are more daring, it is the perfect spot for doing a skydive. Why? Because you see the Great Barrier Reef and land on the beach! It's also a great place to interact with the locals as it is less touristy than other locations. From here you can also do white water rafting, the one daring activity I didn't dare to do. Here I stayed at Scotty's which I thoroughly recommend as it has a good sized swimming pool and they have events to get you to meet new people such as BBQ's. It is about a 15 minute walk to the main part of the town but offers a bus service to get there too.

 

 

 

- Rainbow beach: Hike up the steepest hill I have ever seen (and survived!) for wonderful views of the beach and sunset, fun times sledging down the sand and a hike back down a very steep hill! This unspoilt place might just be my favourite of the East Coast. Here we stayed at Fraser's which is the hostel that offers this free walk up to Carlo Sand Blow. If they hadn't offered this, I probably wouldn't have known it existed.

 

 

 

 

- Magnetic Island or "Maggie Island" is situated near Townsville and is full of adventure and beautiful sights.  I thoroughly recommend staying at Base hostel which has fun competitions in the evenings, offers diving courses and has awesome full moon parties. The locals from Townsville even travel across for full moon.

 

 

Not only is it the ideal place to party, you can hire a jeep which is the best way to travel around the island. A trip to the National Park allows you to see koalas in their natural habitat as well as beautiful views of the Island. Tip - not a good idea with a hangover and a lack of water!

 

 

- Airlie Beach is the stop off point for Whitsunday Islands. This medium sized town is full of hostels and backpackers, all raring to go on their adventures. Despite being little, it offers great shops, a beautiful port and has a great nightlife too. Tip: when choosing what boat to go out on, shop around a little as there are many shops selling tours.

 

 

- Whitsunday Islands are a group of 74 islands which offer the most beautiful views I have ever seen in my life. The boats leave from Airlie Beach port and you do activities such as snorkelling, diving, kayaking as well as sailing past some of the islands. A sailing trip would be incomplete without a visit to the stunning Whitehaven Beach. This photograph does not even do it justice:

 

 

 

 

 

The boat I went out on was called Summertime and we had a blast! Yummy barbeque food, plenty of adventures and fun games in the evenings made for a perfect 3 day trip which I would recommend to everyone. The crew were very friendly and wanted us to have the best experience.

 

 



 

 

 

From Cairns to Airlie Beach, it takes about 8 hours to drive. To explore and make the most of our time here, it took us over a month. There are endless opportunities awaiting here and you might as well make the most of it, it really is a once in a lifetime experience.



My adventure stories from Australia

I have always, since a young age, had a fear of death and for a long time that put me off doing many things. But after a close family member died way before their time, my fear turned into dying without having properly lived, having let opportunities sail me by. Since then, I've stopped saying no to things and instead saying maybe or yes.

Adventure stories from Australia

Back in 2009, I headed to Australia on a holiday visa for three months with two aims: visiting as much as I possibly could and being more adventurous. You might not see these as an adventure, but for me they certainly were!

Diving

My first attempt at diving in Cairns did no go so well... a newbie diver diving in open water is not the best idea. I sat through the safety demonstration, got all the diving gear on and got into the water. With the safety checks all done, I was ready to go. The instructor started deflating the buoyancy, I looked below me at the vast ocean and panicked. So I got back out of the water and went snorkelling instead. I might not have succeeded but at least I tried.


By the time I got to Airlie Beach, I was determined I was going to dive. I could not come all the way to Australia and not see the Great Barrier Reef. The way the dive was carried out was much better for newbies like me. From our boat we climbed into a dinghy boat which took us to a shallow bit where we could stand. It was much easier to be in control here and I managed to do the dive. Not only that but during the course of our 3 day boat trip, I even did 3 more dives..... from the open water. Go me! My dream of seeing a turtle was accomplished!

 

Diving at Whitsundays

Boat recommended: http://www.summertime-whitsundays.com/


Jungle surfing

At Cape Tribulation, in the heart of the rainforest, stand 6 tree stations of varying heights. All that awaits is for you to hold on tight and embrace the thrill. With my upcoming skydive, this did not really faze me. The fact that you stop at stations makes it easier to get through. Not only do you get a huge rush of adrenaline, you also get wonderful views of the forest and where it meets the Reef. I loved this activity and now wouldn't think twice of doing it in other locations.

 

 

Here is the link if you are interested: http://junglesurfing.com.au/. 

 

If you are going to overcome fears, Australia is the place for it. The best tip I can give is to start off small and build your way up to the more challenging activities. In this way, you will certainly build on your confidence.  I did far too many thrilling activities to mention in one post so look out for part 2 soon.

Backpacking Australia: Adelaide to Coober Pedy

Despite a rather rocky start in Adelaide, my trip through the centre was about to become interesting and exciting. My friends and I had booked a tour with a company called Groovy grape which would take us from Adelaide all the way north to Darwin. This company operates for backpackers mainly. If driving, I recommend you work out in advance where you will fill up on petrol, as stations are far apart and you don't want stranded in the Outback!

Our lovely driver, think he was called Bruce but might be making that up, kept us entertained during the more mundane parts of our 10 hour drive to Coober Pedy with historical facts about the Stuart Highway (the road that almost takes you from Adelaide to Darwin) and last minute stops to show us lizards at the side of the roads.

We stopped off at Glendambo and the picture below is no joke. The flies would drive you crazy here!

Nearby, we did a quick photo stop at the salt lake at Lake Gairdner. It was worthwhile to see but after we took some photos we hopped quickly back on the bus. By this stage, excitement was building on our wee tour bus as our final destination that day was Coober Pedy.

Coober Pedy is a small pretty town in a desert like area in South Australia. It gives you a sense of visiting "The Real Australia" and in fact many Aborigines live in this town. Many people living here live in "caves" ( houses built in the hillsides) due to the hot days and cold nights. It is very famous for it's opal mining and I recommend a visit to the Umoona Opal Mine Museum which shows you how opal is collected. It also shows the inside of what the hillside dwellings are like. Usually I'm not a fan of museums but I really liked this one. It has a gift shop with many enticing presents to treat yourself and others.

For backpackers or those who don't mind communal accommodation, I thoroughly recommend staying overnight at The Opal Cave which is underground. The "rooms" are for 4 people and you draw the curtain over at night for some more privacy. For something more luxurious, individual although expensive I recommend the Desert Cave hotel. These are the only 2 places I saw and can comment on but there are plenty more options - see the link below.

The Opal Cave

It's a nice little town to just walk around, has a nice church on the main street and has spectacular sunsets which you can't miss. There are not many places to eat and I would say that the most time you would want to spend here is 2-3 days. There are day trips you can do to explore the local area although I never did any of them so can't say if they are worth it.

Again, this was really only a transition stop for me en route to Alice Springs and Uluru, but I thoroughly enjoyed Coober Pedy and would recommend stopping off even if you can only stay a few hours. You get to see a different way of living and wonder how people can live in such an isolated place.

Tomorrow, my post will be about Coober Pedy- Alice Springs.

Useful links :

http://www.cooberpedy.net/tours

http://www.groovygrape.com.au/

http://www.umoonaopalmine.com.au/

http://www.desertcave.com.au/

http://www.southaustralia.com/info.aspx?id=9001968


Previous posts about Australia:

http://pourquoiviajartheworld.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/backpacking-australia-adelaide.html

http://pourquoiviajartheworld.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/backpacking-around-australia-before.html