Week 18: Insert Witty Title Here

I couldn't think of anything punny, soz folks!

October 29-Nov 4

Part One: Brisbane in the Membrane (Brisbane in the brain!)

After a wicked short flight and an expensive Uber to the YHA hostel, I left New South Wales behind and entered the state of Queensland. QLD is known for being the wild west of Australia, with rivers full of 5-meter-long crocs and a more desert-like feel. It also is an hour ahead of Melbourne & Sydney.

The hostel in Brisbane had nice rooftop views of the Brisbane River and it was HOT outside and inside – thankfully the individual rooms had AC, but the common areas did not. (My floor was rainforest themed and that’s what it felt like). Tired from my early start, I napped only to be woken up by the fire alarm going off! After that bout of excitement, it was chill day relaxing, grocery shopping, and figuring out what I wanted to do. That night there was an aus-some lightning storm in the distance, which helped dissipate some of the humidity.

The next morning I took a train and bus to the Gold Coast, specifically Coolangatta Beach. I was a bit put off by how far away the beaches were from Brissy; I assumed there were beaches down the street, but it took around two hours to get to Coolangatta.

And to be honest, it was pretty lame! The beach was nearly empty, even on a sunny day, and there wasn’t a lot to do. I checked out the Captain Cook Memorial and Lighthouse, Point Danger, Snapper Rocks, and Rainbow Bay. But that only took a few hours, and before I knew it, I was back on the train to Brisbane.

With the poor location, boringness, long distance from the beaches, and a couple of weirdos in the hostel and at the train station, I decided not to waste any more time there. I spent a couple hours with Reece, this cool hippie travel agent guy at the YHA travel desk, and he helped sort out my final two weeks in Aussie. I would be checking out a day early to catch a bus to Noosa.

The following day I explored the central city and it did grow on me. I shopped a bit and walked around the Botanic Gardens at sunset. I spent my Halloween on the edge of the Gardens at dusk watching the bats wake up and fly over the Brisbane River. It was spooky as it turned to night – the trees were lit up with blue lights and there were many eerie animal sounds.

Side note: I love the bustle in hostel kitchens – so many people speaking different languages and so many yummy smells! Throughout my stay I chatted with two girls from Switzerland, a girl from Wales, two ladies from China on working holiday visas, and a girl from Ireland.

I also checked out a different area in the city with a manmade pool/beach area for the public to use. It was pretty neat and located alongside a boardwalk by the river. I spotted a few people wearing Red Sox hats, Celtics jerseys, and even a Patriots shirt!

Gladly, I checked out of the hostel and headed to the transport center where I waited for a few hours before boarding my bus to Noosa. Brisbane wasn’t awful, but it also did not compare to Melbourne and Sydney IMO.

Part Two: Nautical Noosa

The more north I go the hotter it gets! The Noosa YHA hostel was a bit cramped and very humid with no AC, but it felt like an authentic backpacker experience. There were geckos on the walls but thankfully no spiders. The lounge area was spacious with a built-in restaurant and bar, TV area, pool table, foosball, and ping-pong.

The first night we got a free glass of wine and did a meet and greet, where I met Mary and Paddy (not kidding) who are from Galway, Ireland. I told them about my middle name/grandmother’s maiden name O’Regan, and Paddy said he knew some Regans back in his village, and that it was common to drop the O. They had noticed my Horseware Ireland bag but I let them know it was just a popular brand in the horse world. Someone was watching House Hunters in the lounge area – lol it’s a universal love.

In the kitchen I discovered you actually have to light the stove and it was super cool and old fashioned. I met a couple from Canada, a French Canadian lady, and a French guy in the span of ten minutes! Chatting with them distracted me from the fact that my dinner consisted of cheap pasta with vegetable oil and salt.

Fun Fact: Noosa and Florida are the only two places in the world that have everglades!

The Noosa Triathlon was going on while I was there which made it bustling and fun. Noosa has the preppyness of Cape Cod but a beachy Florida vibe with the lizards and humidity. I went to the main beach and it was a perfect day – sunny and 80. I spent most of my time there before doing a quick walk to a lookout.

Back at the hostel I snagged an almost completely full container of free guac someone had left behind! Later on, I met up with a Canadian guy and German girl and we went to a local bar and then a club at another hostel. I was confirmed to sound sorta British by Brits, sorta Canadian by a Canadian, and sorta Southern by a Californian. WTF!

Once we were done at the club, we walked along the beach; the clouds almost touched the ocean but you could still see the amazing stars. We sang Disney songs in German and in English, which was pretty funny.

That night I had to charge my phone in the bathroom because there were only two outlets in the room. I needed battery so I’d wake up the next morning in time to check out and not miss my bus to Hervey Bay!

Thankfully, I woke up and made it to the bus. It was a four-hour scenic drive full of cow-filled fields, trees, mountains, and sunshine. At night the gigantic yellow full moon was low on the horizon – an enchanting way to welcome me into Hervey Bay.

Up Next: Dingo spotting on Fraser Island!