travel diary Sydney-Cairns Please read as well the travel diaries: Sydney-Darwin / Darwin-Perth / Adelaide-Hobart
Byron Bay Murwillumbah Brisbane Noosa Fraser Island Airlie Beach (Tauchen) Cairns		August 28th, 1999 (Darwin -> Sydney) We have to get up at 4:15 a.m. to catch the flight from Darwin to Sydney. We arrive at 11:20 a.m., my co traveller continues back to Europe and I stay in Sydney which is somewhat familiar to me. I visit Chinatown and Darling Harbour what we missed to during our first stay. When you are there you have to go to the Sydney Aquarium which is famous for the glass tunnel from where you can observe the maritime life from "down under" ;-)
		August 29th, 1999 (Sydney) My plan for today is visiting Taronga Zoo because we were not very lucky concerning wild life during our tour from Sydney to Darwin. The most reasonable way to reach the zoo is the ferry starting at Circular Quay. For three hours I relished taking pictures and eventually saw some koala bears, lizards a.s.o. In the night I went to Kings Cross, where Sydney's night life takes place but it was boring going here as a single person.		koala ByronBay
		August 30th, 1999 (Sydney -> Byron Bay) Once again I have to get up early, this time at 4:15h. I must catch the bus to Byron Bay leaving from Sydney Central at seven o'clock a.m. It takes 13 hours until we arrive and I survive with reading most of the time.
		August 31st, 1999 (Byron Bay) I reant a bicycle (for free!) in my backpacker and drive to several beaches of Byron Bay. In my opinion the bicycle is the best way to explore this beautiful area. But at least it is really exhausting to climb the hill to the light house because my bike has only one gear ;-) But anyway it is worth coming here, not at least because Cape Byron is the most easterly point of the Australian mainland. To the south of the light house you will find Tallows Beach, which is the most beautiful beach of Byron Bay.		Cape Byron Murwillumbah
		September 1st, 1999 (Byron Bay -> Murwillumbah) I tkae the bus to Murwillumbah in the morning. On the day before I talked to the hostfather of the youth hostel and NOTE: made a reservation for a tour to Mt.Warning by phone. On an altitude difference of 756 meters you can see the vegetation changing, because the highest mountian in this region is totally covered with rain forest. Unfortunately the summit was in clouds, but anyway the hiking was worth doing.		Mt Warning NP
Byron Bay Murwillumbah Brisbane Noosa Fraser Island Airlie Beach (diving) Cairns		September 2nd, 1999 (Murwillumbah) I have to stay longer in Murwillumbah than expected, because my bus company Brumby-Bus only has two buses a week driving up the coast ;-( (but after all it was the cheapest company :-) Again I rent a bicycle (again for free, when the hostfather hears of my problems) and do a 45km trip through the sugar cane fields. Of course that is not bad or boring and I must use all 21 gears of this bike to come through!
		September 3rd, 1999 (Murwillumbah) Today I rent a canoe in the hostel (that is for free anyway!) and make my way along a small creek. I relish th silence and nature. Birds are longing for food in the water just next to my boat. An eastern water dragon runs along the bank and chases for prey. Thet is pure nature! Unfortunately I left my camera in the hostel because I didn't trust in the boat (or in my ability to canoe ;-) On my way back an eastern water dragon waits for me on the pier. Meanwhile I'm the only guest in the youth hostel and am entitled to be a "VIP customer" :-) In the night I get ice like every night!		Brisbane
		September 4th, 1999 (Murwillumbah -> Brisbane) After having breakfast in the sun I leave for Brisbane. Unfortunately there were again problems with my bus company (they are all very kind and flexible, but they have no idea of organisation), you notice that they were recently established. But at least there is a telephone and luckily you can reach them by using a free call number ;-) The driver taking me to Brisbane (I'm his only customer for today), stops willingly for a picture in Surfers Paradise. For I don' want to spend three days there, so I continue to Brisbane. Back to the city I miss the silence I had in Byron Bay. But I take it easy and listen to medium quality rock concert in the Botanic Garden, in the night I play pool in the backpacker. When you put socks into the holes, it is much cheaper ;-)
		September 5th, 1999 (Brisbane) I follow NOTE the advice of "lonely planet" and explore Brisbane by the City-Cat, which takes two hours and is worth doing. Meanwhile a reasonable cappuccino is a duty and there are lots of opportunities in Brisbane to sit in cafes. But apart from that I'm not so delighted of this city contrary to all the nature I saw before. I take some time to rummage about some books in some of Brisbane's second hand shops.		Brisbane
		September 6th, 1999 (Brisbane -> Glass House Mountains) I have to get out of the city, therefor I booked a tour into the Glass House Mountains. NOTE: Always look for some tour flyers in your backpackers! By chance I'm the only customer today which is a great advantage because I can at least train my English whiel talking with my guide. The two hours hike onto Mt.Beerwah is an adventure and needs a little bit of courage for "rock climbing". The reward are an overwhelming view over the landscape that was formed by volcaniv eruptions and - of course - an insect plague on the summit ;-) Some of the rocks are totally black covered by insects and we have to move a few meters downwards for having lunch. After that we shortly visit Kondalilla Nationalpark and then go home.		Glass House Mountains NP
Byron Bay Murwillumbah Brisbane Noosa Fraser Island Airlie Beach (diving) Cairns		September 7th, 1999 (Brisbane) I spend most of the day on the Southbank, which is the former EXPO-exhibition area. It is a very nice place for relaxing and drinking cappuccino ;-) In the night I go to the pictures to watch the "Thomas Crown Affair".		Noosa
		September 8th, 1999 (Brisbane -> Noosaville) After the next problems with my bus company I switch over to a different company for one day in order to arrive in Noosaville in the lte evening. There I watch a video of a "Psycho"-version on TV, but that has no effects on my bored mood. NOTE: Moving northwards you should book a tour to Fraser Island from here including pick up service!
		September 9th, 1999 (Noosaville) I can see the light: there is free breakfast in my backpacker! I walk to the "Lagoon Lockout", from where the view is not as good as expected, but I see the first wild koala bears :-)) Once again I meet German travellers, who invite me for tea and fresh pineapple. After that I walk to Noosa Nationalpark, which is really worth visiting! I see a marvellous coastal landscape, which makes you forget all troubles happening before.		Noosa NP Fraser
		September 10ht, 1999 (Noosaville -> Fraser Island) I become a victim of the "hard life" in backpackers: I'm very tired on my transfer to Fraser Island, because one guest in the backpacker started practicing with his guitar at 4.00 a.m. It is not very helpful that the driver is talking all the way ;-) You reach a point when his "chewed" English goes in and out of your head lack of understanding. But the island rewards you for coping with so much. Lake McKenzie is so beautiful and the rainforest is rally unique. NOTE: Like all the time I participate a flight over the island (20 minutes) and I just strongly recommend to do that!		Fraser Island
		September 11th, 1999 (Eurong, Fraser Island -> Hervey Bay) My plan to go out jogging in the morning is spoiled by cold rain. Today we wander across the sand dunes to Lake Wabby and afterwards we visit the second beach of Lake McKenzie. After leaving the island I get off the bus in Hervey Bay instead of going back to Noosaville. NOTE: Here I'm happy that I made a reservation for accommodation in advance :-)
Byron Bay Murwillumbah Brisbane Noosa Fraser Island Airlie Beach (diving) Cairns		September 12th, 1999 (Hervey Bay -> Town of 1770) In Hervey Bay there is not much I can do and the way to the city centre is too long for walking ;-( So I rest on the beach lying in the sun, reading and relaxing. Then I have the ambition to take a picture of the passing by pelicans :-) NOTE: From Hervey Bay you can already arrange diving courses in Airlie Beach! For me it continues with some kind of an adventure going to Town of 1770, where we improve our mood with a campfire in front of the container we had to sleep in :-) By the way that was the first day on which I had no trobles with my bus company! Strike!		pelican Airlie
		September 13th, 1999 (Town of 1770 -> Airlie Beach) I get up early and we very shortly visit Joseph Banks Conservation Reserve. After that we continue to Airlie Beach stopping in between several times. NOTE: In Airlie Beach I'm lucky that you can get money from the ATM at the National Bank with your ec-card! In the backpacker I notice that I have no idea, while I'm participating a music quiz ;-) The highlight this night is a possum with baby in a tree close to our backpacker :-)		possum
		September 14th, 1999 (Airlie Beach) I participate the Open Water Diver course and have to learn the first theoretic chapters. But before that I go to the doctor in order to get a medical admission. NOTE: If you plan to go diving, you should bring the medical admission with you from home, so you'll save time and money.
		September 15th, 1999 (Airlie Beach) The first day of diving takes place in a swimming-pool, I'm becoming colder and colder as time goes by. But after all I've got a likable buddy (hi, Annett ;-) After the exercise we switch over to theoretic stuff again.
		September 16th, 1999 (Airlie Beach) The second day of diving begins like he firstone ended. In addition we may answer 50 questions as a final test, so that theory may be hopefully done ;-) Meanwhile we decided to upgrade our course to Advanced Open Water Diver. If you once started... ;-) Tomorrow we'll be on the boat for the first time, therefor we try to encourage ourselves by having a Mexican dinner.
Byron Bay Murwillumbah Brisbane Noosa Fraser Island Airlie Beach (diving) Cairns		September 17th, 1999 (Airlie Beach) On "Stella Maris" we transfer to Blue Pearl Bay near the Whitsunday Islands. Out there I'm doing the first two dives of my life, a real adventure :-) On the way back I relax and relish the time on the sun deck. Back in Airlie Beach I lock up all my spare belongings and then check in on "Oceania", which takes us out to the Great Barrier Reef during night :-)
		September 18th, 1999 (Elizabeth Reef, Oceania) You get quickly used to getting up early (far before 7 o'clock a.m.) on the ship. After a little bit of theory again I do the last two dives for the Open Water Diver. I'm very happy that I decided to continue! The third dive of the day is "just for fun", at night it is more exciting: the first night dive! At least I'm disappointed of the poor colours but the white tipped reef shark we see makes us forgetting that :-)		sunset
		September 19th, 1999 (Elizabeth Reef, Oceania) It is time for the deep dive down to 29,0 meters, it is like flying. Down there everything is even larger! We continue with navigation exercises and as a reward we may see the preliminary video tape of our course :-) There is a unique atmosphere on board...
		September 20th, 1999 (Elizabeth Reef, Oceania) Get up at 5:20 because we'd like to do two dives before we leave the reef. I do the test for the "naturalist specialty" and relish the last two dives. My favourites are the clown anemon fish and the irish moodle. On our way back we see a dolphin daring to come close to our ship. In Airlie Beach we celebrate our success in the "Morocco".		Cairns
		September 21st, 1999 (Airlie Beach -> Cairns) Well, I'm used to getting up early, I'm heading Cairns. We stop in Townsville for the view onto Magnetic Island and we stop at a national park, which was supposed to have waterfalls. But our driver forgot that we were there in the dry season ;-) Afterall it was an acceptable break. After arriving in Cairns I have dinner at "Woolshed". NOTE: Should you get a voucher for dinner at "Woolshed" from your backpacker da an upgrading (for 4$) to have really big meal from the menu!		Magnetic Island
Byron Bay Murwillumbah Brisbane Noosa Fraser Island Airlie Beach (diving) Cairns		September 22nd, 1999 (Cairns) I arrived in Cairns without ever getting a ticket from Brumby-Bus :-) NOTE: Try baramundi fish at least once during you holidays, I do it shortly before I leave Australia. Then I buy a disposal underwater camera and because the Esplanade seems to be predestinated I go jogging for the first time since seven weeks :-)
		September 23rd, 1999 (Cairns) I check in fo a diving trip to Green Island on the "Oceanfree". It is a cute and small engined sailing boat, whoch makes you fell any wave ;-) I jump into the water for dives number 13 and 14 nd this time the highlight is a huge clam, although the visibiliy is "only" ten meters (compared to 30 meters at the reef). Unfortunately out instructor is acting in bad manner touching everything under water. In between we do a short visit to Green Island, but it isn't worth doing.
		September 24th, 1999 (Cairns) I'm doing a half-day-trip White Water Rafting on Barron River. although it is not as spectacular as I expected I am pleased. After all it is a nice ending of my holidays. My underwater pictures are quickly processed, unfortunately not as good as expected.
		September 25th, 1999 (Cairns -> Heimflug) Flying home! During the first flight to Melbourne I'm sitting in the business class :-) I watch the movies "eXistenZ" and "Dear Claudia", the latter is far better :-) By the way the airline "Emirates" gives information about the distance and direction to the kaaba in Mekka during the whole flight.
		Please read as well the travel diaries: Sydney-Darwin / Darwin-Perth / Adelaide-Hobart