It's been a while...

Yes, it has definitely been a while since I've last posted. For now, after becoming aggravated with something as simple as renewing a website domain I have resulted in temporarily using a blogspot URL for the time being, so bare with me...

So, to recap the past 6 months or so - From Rainbow Beach and Fraser Island I traveled up to Agnes Water and the town of 1770 where I found myself suspended in time surrounded by a hippie village where I did some time to add to my requirements for my second year visa application. After 2 weeks, the smell of incenses and being encouraged to recite a spell on the fire to make the smoke change directions, I decided it was time to move on.

The famous Scooteroo tour in Agnes Water

Southern Cross Backpackers, Agnes Water

From Agnes Water, I worked my way up to Yeppoon where I became an employee at the Mercure Capricorn Resort. Working behind the bar serving vacationers that had a bit more dollars to spend than a typical backpacker I became comfortable whipping up a few cocktails while getting information on the "it" spots to go to on the East Coast and made a few friends along the way too.

5 Rocks

Stumbled upon an echidna on a roadie

Surfs up!

Stoney Creek

After Yeppoon, it was a whirlwind of places we stopped through. Hitching a ride with a new found friend, Billy we headed to Mckay but not without stopping at every road house along the way to pick up beef jerky and sweet, sweet audio tapes from such legends as MJ and Meatloaf to make the trip even more interesting.

Home sweet Home.

Arriving in Mckay, we stayed in the marina on a boat for a few days while making plans to head to one of my favourite spots so far, Airlie Beach.

Airlie Beach has this vibe that I think could grow on anyone. Beautiful people, weather and beaches - not to mention the Whitsundays which are the most beautiful islands I have seen to date. Probably my favourite tour I have done so far toured through the Whitsundays on a speed boat called Ocean Rafting.

The Whitsundays honestly have the best beaches!! This picture doesn't do it justice!

Croc at the wild croc cruise

From Airlie Beach, I moved further up the coast and landed in Townsville only for a mere 30 minutes until finding that the ferry to Magnetic Island seemed more appealing and had accommodation for camping which saves a few dollars when you're pinching pennies like a backpacker would. Magnetic Island was also a nice stop along the way with another beautiful beach, small community and a top end backpacker hostel with it's own Koala sanctuary.

YHA on Magnetic Island

New neighbours on the island

Horse Shoe Bay, Magnetic Island

After Magnetic Island we returned to Townsville to catch the greyhound to our next stop which ended up being Cairns where we found this lovely hostel called Tropic Days where I experienced my first true Aussie BBQ complete with crocodile, emu, kangaroo, barramundi, sausages and salad.

Cairns Esplanade

Massive tree at the Cairns botanical gardens

boardwalk through the Cairns botanical gardens

After Cairns,  I travelled to Cooktown for a few weeks to finish up some work for my second year visa application at Hidden Valley Trail Rides. After my time, I returned back to Cairns. More pictures and stories later!

New posts to come soon!

Yes, I will get back to the ol blog soon.... its been way too long and its time to get back into it! See u all very soon!

Katie B.

A farewell to Rainbow with a grand exit

After residing in the beautiful town of Rainbow Beach for a few months I knew the time was coming where I would have to pack my backpack, book the greyhound and bid farewell to all the friends I had made along the way.


One thing was for sure. I was not leaving Rainbow without seeing the one attraction that brings most backpackers and vacationers to this town. World heritage site, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world at a whopping 1840 km². 

"The island has rainforests, eucalyptus woodland, mangrove forests, wallum and peat swamps, sand dunes and coastal heaths. It is made up of sand that has been accumulating for approximately 750,000 years on volcanic bedrock that provides a natural catchment for the sediment which is carried on a strong offshore current northwards along the coast. Unlike many sand dunes, plant life is abundant due to the naturally occurring mycorrhizal fungi present in the sand, which release nutrients in a form that can be absorbed by the plants." - wiki

This island is a mecca of natures beautiful things. We toured with Pippies Beach House's 4x4 self drive tour. Our tour guide, Tony was knowledgeable, patient, funny and also a great fisherman! We toured the island 3 days, 2 nights passing through places like Lake Wabby and Eli Creek which is the largest creek on the east coast of the island with a flow of 80 million litres of fresh (drinking!) water a day.  Also we were fortunate enough to see the crystal clear and blue waters of Lake McKenzie, the Pinnacles, the volcanic rocks exposed at Indian Head and the wreck of Maheno.

Of course, how could we forget the dingos? Fraser Island is home to one of the purest breeds of dingos. Before we even got off the barge we spotted a dingo along the shore and they were looming around our campsites looking for any piece of scraps they could grab or anything they could add to their homes (camera bags, clothing etc - literally anything). As calm and domestic they seem, these are still wild animals and can become aggressive, so there are certain precautions you are instructed to take seriously to ensure your safety and also to protect the dingos on the island.

If you are looking to get your hands on a 4x4 drive and explore paradise, I highly recommend giving a go on Fraser Island and take the tour with Pippies Beach House to get the most bang for your buck! (They have the ONLY spot on Fraser Island where you can have an open bon fire!)

Check out some of the pics I nabbed while I got to experience paradise at first hand....

Lake Wabby

Me at the ship wreck

Dingo!

Tony, our tour guide from Pippies Beach House

Indian Head

Lake McKenzie

For the full photo album of the beautiful Fraser Island, click HERE

Catchya Trev!

Trevor's last day in Rainbow Beach, testin out the surf... Click HERE to see the full album of his last day.

As most of you probably already know, my travelling partner has decided to return home after being in Oz for a few months. Yes, sadly my brother and I parted ways about a month ago. Trevor made his way back home to North Bay Ontario on a very long 30 hour flight while I stayed back in Rainbow Beach awaiting the annual fishing competition at the end of July. A Few things have gone down since the departure of my brother. I have been able to escape Rainbow a couple of times to enjoy some places outside of the coloured sands hot spot.

An experience that was memorable but also insanely cold (YES, Australia does get cold during their winter months!) was at Great Sandy National Park at the Freshwater Campground where I got to spend a couple of days hiking through the rainforest testing my fitness abilities that have recently been drowned by copious amounts of goon sacks over a couple months. A 14km hike back to Rainbow Beach was a combination of excitement, challenging, exhilarating and finally a sense of accomplishment.

Have a look at the photos or click here to see the full photo album.

Plans are in the books to finally leave Rainbow Beach after the fishing comp is done and I finish off one more week at Pippie's Beach House and end the whole trip in the famous and #2 on RACQ's top 150 things to do in Australia - Fraser Island.

Until then, let's just say that Australia has so far been quite the journey and I can only expect more amazing experiences along the way as I head up North towards Port Douglas. Thanks to my lil bro for setting the beginning of this journey to be something super amazing especially being able to share it with my brother. Thanks to everyone for making my trip a beautiful memory that continues to grow each and every day. In the Aussie way..... Simple AWWWW-Some!

Anzac Day

April 25th is a pretty special day for Australians and New Zealanders. Today is Anzac Day which is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.


ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they took in that name endures to this day.

When war broke out in 1914, Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only 13 years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul in Turkey), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.

The Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated, after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers had been killed. News of the landing on Gallipoli had made a profound impact on Australians at home, and 25 April soon became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in the war.

Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the Australian and New Zealand actions during the campaign left us all a powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as the “ANZAC legend” became an important part of the identity of both nations, shaping the ways they viewed both their past and their future.

Australians recognise 25 April as an occasion of national remembrance, which takes two forms. Commemorative services are held at dawn – the time of the original landing – across the nation. Later in the day, ex-servicemen and women meet to take part in marches through the major cities and in many smaller centres. Commemorative ceremonies are more formal and are held at war memorials around the country. In these ways, ANZAC Day is a time when Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war.

The Dawn Service - This is what I woke up for this morning at 4AM to attend in Rainbow Beach. When I arrived outside of the surf club, I joined probably close to 1000 people (which is the population of Rainbow Beach) as we watched the Australian flags grace over us as we were charmed with the sweet sounds of horns playing familiar military sounds (even to a Canadian) and the story of how Anzac Day came to be. At the end of this time a lone bugler would play the Last Post and then conclude the service with Reveille, the bugler’s call to wake up. Then the rain came. It poured rain 3/4 of the way through the service, but I was pleased to get the most out of the service and now have even more of an appreciation for the Australian and New Zealand military.