Southward bound.

Following our trip out to the Whitsunday Islands and the Reef, we had a bit of a day of rest in Airlie Beach and then began our trek down South.  We left Airlie Beach the night of Friday, July 13th and we will arrive in Sydney to drop off our van on Monday, July 23rd.

Click on the following link to see a map of where we have travelled since we flew into Cairns on July 5th:
Jon and Aimee's travels - Cairns to Noosa

On our drive, we have now seen a number of kangaroos. I (Jon) was able to walk within 6 feet of this one with out it budging.

Our first real stop of significance after Airlie Beach was at Koorana's Croc farm down by Emu Park on the coast, where the owner is actively practicing conservation by consumerism.

We saw massive crocs (biggest one at the farm was 850kg and around 6m) and each got to hold a baby croc before having croc steak and kebabs for lunch!

After a weekend of driving in still more rainy weather, on Sunday evening, we finally saw the SUN, marking the end of our time in the tropical sunny north of Queensland.  We were so overjoyed to see the sun that we had to share a picture with you all.  We spent that night sleeping under the stars in our van.

Monday morning, we woke up early to catch the sunrise on the coast at Rainbow Beach (we were still excited to see the sun). We then headed into town to catch a 7:40 pick-up for our day trip to Fraser Island.  Fraser Island (known by the aboriginals as N'Gara) is part of the Great Sandy National Park, includes the only rainforest to grow in sand, and is covered in sand dunes and a continuous stretch of perfect ocean beach - only accessible by 4WD vehicles.

 The day included bumpy drives along the beach and stops at the Maheno shipwreck and Eli creek - one of many freshwater creeks that seep out of the water table on the island.

 One of our stops was at Lake Mackenzie - considered to be one of the best swimming lakes in the world, with its white sand beach and perfectly clear water.  Because of all of the rainwater of late, the picture above shows what was left of the beach for us to enjoy.

After a rollercoaster ride (aka 4WD tourist bus barely beating out the tide) back to the mainland late in the afternoon, we decided to finish off our day with a walk to Carlo Sandblow.

With no expectations of what we would see, we discovered a stunning vantage point that is perched naturally above the town of Rainbow Beach and surrounding area. We watched the sunset, jumped around a bit and headed on our way. A wonderful day in the sun.

Today (Tuesday), we have just finished a day in Noosa, relaxing on the beach (finally), enjoying some fish 'n chips and catching our breath. After another couple days around here, we then pass back through Brisbane and will update you then.

Thanks to all of you following our trip. We're excited for our last 2 weeks.