The Skinny Hunter

I thought men were hunters.

Not my husband.

At least he looks like he knows what he's doing.  He tells me Tuna in a can counts.  Actually he caught the flu, then gave it to me.

We've had some delicious steak this week!  And jaffles.  They rock - especially when we're watching our budget...Ramon makes awesome brekky jaffles make with eggs, ham & cheese mmmm.

Today sees us leaving 1770 with lots of new friends (all with a wicked sense of humour, great travel tips and how to make our van faster over the quarter mile...haha), beautiful surroundings and the most amazing sunsets over the water you'll see on the east coast of Australia!  I think I took about a thousand photos of the sunset over the 5 nights we stayed there...all different and all sensational!

Sunset from our campsite

We booked in at 1770 like Carl Webb...started out in the second row for the first two nights and then moved up to the front row for the remaining three nights (on the amazing beachfront...equipped with our own fireplace!)  The view from our campstie at the front row was definitely worth the wait however, there were billions of coconut tree flowers...little yellow flowers of hell...in our coffee, hair, bed, vegemite toast...they were everywhere...I almost had to send the dogs out to find Secco under all the flowers!!  Annoying...yes...but not as annoying as the family that moved in right next door to us on the last night of our stay, but that's another story.

Our shit hot camp fire!

1770 is set on big bay and then around every headland there are these tiny little beaches or bays dotted around giving you a bit bit of privacy and seclusion if that's what you're after (we were).  The camp ground was fully packed for our whole stay - the amount of campers coming through the reception was phenomenal. The amenities were clean and good but not as good as the others we've come across.  There were plenty of family's, young couples as well as your seasoned grey nomads so I think we fell into our own category...the fun and beautiful couple! haha

From the marina of 1770

Agnes Water is about 6 klms from 1770 and is the most northern surf beach in Queensland.  But of course for the 5 days we were around there was nil surf...which is still more than Townsville!  Workmans Beach is the next beach along and it has free camping available with limited facilities but the beach is a bit secluded and a little quieter and very picturesque. We took our bikes for a burn to Agnes to do a bit of grocery shopping as 1770 has no shops at all.  There's a cracking new pub on a hill at Agnes called The Agnes Tavern and they have a courtesy bus that picked us up from the camping ground and dropped us back home!  What a great pub.

The clear waters of Workmans Beach - right next to Agnes Water

There's markets just up from the camping ground every Sunday, bout a 3klm walk, and picked us up some cheap locally grown veggies from our mate honest Ron the Veg Man.  They've got plenty of things to check out too.  We grabbed some (not so) Chilli Chutney as well and wandered back home ready for  the 4.30pm traditional 'watching of the sun come down with bevvie in hand' afternoon happy hour.

Secco and his afternoon chilled choons with a crowd of thousands!

We left for Bigarra around 9.30 this morning and it's such a lovely little place on the water...much nicer than it's closest big town of Bundaberg.  We were going to stay overnight there but decided to see what else was around Bundy.  There's Elliott Heads, Burnett Heads and Coral Cove and we headed straight for Elliott Heads.  We've come over the small hill and oh my lordy - what a beautiful piece of heaven.  The whitest sand matched only by the bluest water and endless stretch of beach and water and no one here.  There's enough beach for 30 000 people but only has a population of only about 300.  The caravan park is right on the beach and is only a quarter full - as clean as a whistle and as cheap as your Nanna.  We went for a lovely swim this arvo and then a big bike ride along the beach headland.  Now, we're sitting at our very quiet campsite - after wrestling the massive mozzies - it's freezing and we're all rugged up looking like idiots while there's grandpa's walking around in boxer shorts and wifebeaters.  Dementia rocks.  They're looking for Nanna's as cheap as this caravan park.

Tomorrow we're off to Lynny & Pete's at Maryborough for the night - will update soon(ish)

Jem & Sec  xxx

Money Can't Buy Me Love....but it can buy a nice Steak!

So we find ourselves at the end of week one and already some of the sights we have seen have been priceless.  The down side is that we are on the wrong side of the ledger regarding our $700 budget!  Oops!!  Oh well shit happens, so we have had to man up and carry over the excess into this week - i.e. last week we spent $915, this week we only have $485 to spend!! Ouch!  But dems the breaks and if we didn't do it like this we would find ourselves cash strapped and having to (God forbid) go to work earlier!!

We did leave stuff behind which we had to buy, and we also did more driving than we will in future, so that pushed the fuel bill up.  We are pretty happy with our efforts for week one, we had a couple of Pub blowouts, but, hey, you have to be true to who you are and we are pub dwellers!

Ramon drinking & betting the budget away

We have figured out how we can recoup this $$$ and that is stay at peoples houses way past our welcome, so if you see us coming BEWARE!!  We need to save our bucks!!!   Arch & Cath I'm talking to you!!!!!

HAHAHA.. Stop laughing Heather & Toy... you are in our sights!

At the moment we're in 1770 (not the year, the town!) and it's a shit spot...

Ahh....Gammin'!!

Man Vs Wildy

Not a dry eye in the van as we went through Ramon's old stomping ground of Rock Vegas!!  Oh well move on to Biloela to catch up with the Lee family!! Wildy, Donna, Jackson & Lachlan were our awesome farm stay hosts for two nights and they are living the dream!!  There 2 acre pad is about 6 minutes from CBD and its like staying at Taroonga zoo!  Ok no lions, but everything else... more birds than Currumbin Sanctuary, and free and about 2 metres from where you sip your coffee on the deck!  Seriously nature and surrounds at its best...makes you want a tree change.

Wildy's shocked & jealous by Ramon's lack of grey hair!

Went and got some golf lessons from the Big Dub - yep the man can hit a ball long, straight and far and blow me down he's got a short game to boot!  Arch & Chop, be very careful when approaching!!  Then BigW built a massive bon fire which the kids loved as they were toasting marshmallows! Women did a lot of talking and not much listening! Hey W.  Oh and Ramon knocked up a mean red curry!!

Bluebell the horse & Lee boy's & next door kids

Sunset at the farm

Beautiful King Parrots feeding

Great putt Secco!! Hahaha

Once Donna and Wildy had had enough of us, they offered to take us (moved us on) to Tannum Sands, near Gladstone and left us at a cracking pub, bade farewell and we proceeded to blow the budget on Keno!!!

Me & You @ Emu = Yeppoon is next to Yafork!

Up bright and early to leave our very friendly, yet strange lookin' hosts at Claireview and hit the Malborough straight.  Back in the day the Malborough Straight used to be a very torturous stretch of highway with lots of single lane bridges and no fuel stations. Today its a bit of alright, with speed limits extended to 110 klm (sucks when we have a top speed of 95!) and is in very good condition.

The highlight of the Malborough Stretch!!

As we pulled out of Claireview it started to rain and we discovered our first warranty claim on the Blue Van!!  A LEAK!! Come on!!  Anyway Jamie fixed it quickly with a towel and onward we powered to the metropolis which is Yeppoon.  First learning curve of driving said van fully loaded with household goods, is you can't take round-a-bouts at 40 klms!!  Well you can, but you will inevitably break half the wine glasses and spill shit everywhere. Hey Ramon!!

Lunched at Yeppoon - amphitheatre that overlooks the massive beach

Lunched at Yeppoon (with Yafork) and then made our way to the sleepy village of Emu Park.  Emu Park is on a headland, which is made up of lots of little bays, which if the weather had have been warmer would have made for great swimming spots.  The caravan park was lovely, but it did have an average age which would have made Chopper feel like a baby!! Seriously we were the only 2 people who could remember what day it was!!  They don't have speed bumps just old people who can't hear walking in the middle of the road!  Lovely old people though!!

Sleep and then off to see the Fami-LEE in Biloela!!

Sunburnt driving arms

Secco's on his right side and Jem's on her left...

Ouch.

Sec doing what he does best...making brekky!

Day two brings us to waking up in Airlie with the most beautiful blue sky and 10 minutes later to overcast and incredibly humid!  T-r-o-p-i-c-a-l!

We packed up pretty early and headed to Mackay and went straight out to the Eimeo pub.  If you haven't ever been there you totally should - an amazing view of the ocean and cheap vino to boot!  What more could you ask for??

View from the pub...what a cracker!

Tree lined street that lead to the pub

Afterwards we went to the Mackay Marina for a look and a drool...gorgeous restaurants on the marina and we don't have enough coin!  Poo, Secco, poo.  We took a walk and a photo instead...

The lovely Marina at Mackay

We've then ended up at a place called Clairview about halfway to Rocky.  We wanted to stop earlier on in the day but the caravan parks on the way were pretty dodgy!!  The van park where we're staying right on the beach - amazing views - and pretty friendly old people...old mate who runs the joint was describing last nights party as pretty loose and when the teeth come out and they start pole dancing...look out!!  Damn, wish we we're here last night to see that!  They have the best and the coldest beer in Clairview apparently...well it's the only pub here so that has to account for something! Cheap, clean and friendly and the place was going off tonight!  Darts comp, bonfires, a Sunday roast dinner for the locals and a possum who tried to get in the action behind the bar but kept getting prodded with a stick every time his tail appeared (along with the biggest set of possum balls we've ever seen...) by old mate!  The weather is super cool...ocean breezes and we can hear the waves crashing about 10 metres in front of us =)  Life's good.

Low tide but this is our view from our home!

Bonfires at just before dusk

Stay posted for our musings tomorrow peoples!

Jem & Sec xxx

P.S. Just one more thing for Tamara....

The van's very own disco ball from Mum!!

I want to wake up where you are

So I get blamed for the can opener debacle...hmmmm figures!

So Airlie Beach has once again opened up its weather window and rained.  No glorious blue sky's, no sensational tropical North Queensland days - I'm sure this wasn't in the brochure!  The last time we were here in April it dished the same dismal shit!  But we have begun our journey nonetheless and to be here we are just so incredibly lucky to be doing what we're doing.

The morning began with a visit from a cheeky little cockatoo scamming for bread.  He ended up climbing up on the table and helping himself to the rest of the slice!  Usually I'd be running for the hills if there were birds nearby but this little fella was really tame.  We walked into town, caught the end of the Saturday markets and decided to do what we usually do best and hang out with the backpackers at Magnum's Bar for the arvo.  Having run out of money pretty early in the day, we walked home and I promptly fell asleep much to Sec's disgust!

So, tomorrow morning we're off to Mackay - or somewhere around there.  We'll check out Eimeo Pub and update.

Us at Airlie Beach

For when we're really skint!

Day One

Day One - An interesting post within itself, seeing day one was a series of days/events.  Day one began with the inevitable unfriendly task of packing up our unit.  Simple enough you would think as I thank!  Alas the normally helpful lift which takes us from level 2 to basement is inoperable....meaning lots of carrying heavy stuff down flights of stairs!!!

Bite your lip and get over it!!!  This budget stuff is way harder!  There is stuff you can bring with you when you leave your beautiful abode - stuff which seems insignificant normally, but when budget restraints are in place, the fact you have forgotten $60 worth of condiments and then the fry pan and pots and all of a sudden you are $200 in the red!! Not great accounting!!

But day one did consist of leaving Alva with a full belly and some relish, and making our uneventful way to Airlie Beach - drinks in Esky!!!  Dinner at said Airlie was less than spectacular when our Tuna jaffles became a non event due to the discovery of another forgotten hero -- the humble can opener!! Foiled at the end!!  Blame thrown from one to another until finally a bridge was built and it was agreed Jamie forgot the can opener and it would be honey on toast for tea (sans butter)...