Queensland Road Trip: Day 2

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Hanging out at Poona Lake at the Great Sandy National Park

Hanging out at Poona Lake at the Great Sandy National Park

From the Sunshine Coast I headed up to Great Sandy National Park to do some hiking. I intended to get to Fraser Island, but realized too late that I would need a 4WD and I didn’t want to pay such high ferry costs. I feel satisfied with Great Sandy though, as I believe the scenery was similar and it was less crowded and – best of all – free!

I did some hiking around the Bymien picnic area to Poona Lake, a freshwater perched lake that is stained a rusty red because of the nearby tea trees. As usual I took tons of photos of mushrooms, trees, and logs.

Then I headed further down the road to Rainbow Beach where there are lovely red cliffs called the Colored Sands.

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Queensland Road Trip: Day 1

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The start of sunset viewed from the coastal walking track of Noosa National Park

The start of sunset viewed from the coastal walking track of Noosa National Park

I disembarked from Brisbane after a weekend scuba diving adventure in a rented Kia Carnival minivan for a week-long road trip up to Cairns. My first stop was Noosa Heads, with a detour to the Mount Beerburrum viewpoint. It was nice to have complete freedom over where I wanted to go after relying on the limited public transport in Melbourne for so many weeks, and getting used to driving on the left for the first time was an interesting experience.

At Noosa Heads I visited the national park where I was treated to one of the most amazing sunsets I’ve ever seen in my life. The view was complete with surfers off the coast to make a stereotypically Australian image.

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Great Ocean Road

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A view of the 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road

A view of the 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road

Near the top of every Australia to-do list is a road trip on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, and it was one of the very first touristy things I did when I arrived. I rented a car with an Australian friend I’d met in Bolivia, and we headed out from Melbourne through Lorne to Apollo Bay, taking a detour to Cape Otway and spending some time in Port Campbell, before getting to Warrnambool and heading back – all in 48 hours. It was a whirlwind, but we saw some beautiful sights along the way, including some wild koalas!. Unfortunately it was too cold to go swimming in May, but we spent some time walking on the beach anyway.

I loved learning about the history of the area – from indigenous tribes and William Buckley to shipwrecks and lighthouses. I learned that the first American vessel to sink in WWII sunk right off of Cape Otway, something I’ll keep in my back pocket in case I’m ever on Jeopardy!

Additionally, there are several great hiking spots along the road, for short walks or longer ones that apparently can take several days. We did a few short walks, but realized at the end of the day that it had added up to quite a trek!

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Lessons on Travel Fatigue and Kindness from Romania

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I’ve been on the road about six months now and it’s definitely starting to wear on me. Planning and research is a complete chore rather than an exciting exercise in possibility. Packing my bag, which used to be a careful strategy, has now become mission to smush everything together in as little time as possible. Every church and monastery is identical to the last. I can’t be bothered to hike up another mountain, learn a few phrases in a new language, or get excited by unfamiliar food. Staying in bed watching movies for two days straight is the most enticing activity my mind can grasp.

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Icelandic Food

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The strangest thing I think I've ever eaten... smoked puffin breast at 3 Frakkar in Reykjavik

The strangest thing I think I’ve ever eaten… smoked puffin breast at 3 Frakkar in Reykjavik

I’ve been traveling around central and eastern Europe for the past few weeks and getting my delicious fill of wiener schnitzel and goulash, but I’ve also been craving some of the Icelandic delights I had during my road trip a few weeks ago. The amazing fresh seafood and awesome lamb dishes were undeniably sumptuous, albeit a bit above my backpacker price range.

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