Author: 2souls2wheels

The ride from Airlie beach to Dingo beach was hard. It was hot, we were tired and hungover but it only took an hour, so we managed. Dingo beach consisted of a general store and a pub. Thankfully the general store was open and it had supplies for dinner and breakfast. We loaded the food in and head around the bend to the next town called Hideaway Bay.
Riding into town the houses were quite nice, mostly 2 storey, a lot of steel exteriors. We followed the road which turned into a dirt track with a lot of smaller tracks on the right leading straight to the beach. There was one sign at the end that said no camping so we didnt camp there, we camped off one of the smaller, harder tracks with no signs. Rob had to ride my bike in for me. Im not experienced enough with tracks like that yet. Not sure if we were allowed to stay there, but we did.

The veiw was beautiful, light blue water, islands out to the distance, rocks on the beach leading into the ocean. By the time we set up Rob was claiming he must have the flu as he still didnt feel well from our night out. I think it was the remaining hangover that we hadnt addmitted to each other we were still suffering from. Either way, he played the man flu card for the next few days.
We made some dinner and watched the beautiful sunset over the ocean. We had a huge sleep that night, we were exhausted. The next day we woke to the tide being much higher than we anticiated so as we exited our tent it was about 2 metres away.
Not the best idea when your in crocodile territory. We may need to be a bit smarter.

The morning was nice, a little warm but Robs ‘man flu’ had escalated as we woke up in a hot tent. We managed to eat some fruit for breakfast but as we decided to stay an extra night we went for a small walk along the beach hoping to cool down with our feet in the water looking for crocs.

I had a mission and i chose to accept it. Get food. The task wasnt as easy as it sounds. As Rob had to ride my bike down the uneven, rocky road to get to the campsite, it was now my challenge to ride out. He offered to ride it but hadnt yet managed to find the strength to get out of the hot tent. I planned slowly, walking my path first, and happily made it out of there!

I managed to get some sandwiches made and grab some pasta to cook. By the time i got back to our campsight Rob had left the tent and set up shelter underneath a sheet of ours with some sticks and rocks that he had gathered, holding it together. He was fragile, the shelter was fantastic as there was no other shade, im not sure how he managed to make it but i was happy he did.

We had seen a lady picking things off the rocks earlier so naturally i went to investigate what she had been doing. It turns out the rocks were covered in oyster shells. Rob told me if i was going to pick one make sure its close to the water as the tide went out. I did and like an excited child i ate it before thinking if i could. After swollowing it i said to rob can i eat it? Is there a freezing process they go through to get rid of the bacteria that im not aware of? He said google it! So i did and what came back scarred the bagebers out of me, i read ‘Raw oysters contaminated with Vibrio vulnificus can be life threatening, even fatal when eaten by someone with liver disease, diabetes or a weakened immune system.’
Obviously i had no idea how to tell if the oyster i had just eaten was disease ridden or not so i put together an emergency plan in case and told Rob about it. Just in case. Then i waited.
Thankfully I was fine but not game enough to pull another oyester off the rocks and await my destiny.

From Hideaway Bay we rode to Bowen and stopped into a small fish and chip shop called Birds Fish bar. It was located right on the water where all the fishing boats were moored. Lunch was delicious. The chips were so crispy and had a great crunch. The best fish and chips we have had in a long time.

From there we rode to Horseshoe Bay which was incredible. A small little bay with large rocks on either side. Absolutley beautiful spot. Next stop Home Hill.

We were advised by the lady working at the caravan park in Mackay to go to Eungella National Park but to stop on the way and have a pie.

She also gave us a whole bunch of other instructions so i didnt think we would remember any by the end. However, when we drove past the pinaccle pie shop on that sunny day, something said stop. Im so glad we did because they were delicious pies.

We rode up the windy roads to Eungella National Park and I am enjoying the corners more and more as time goes on. We get to a dirt track and head down the rocky, steep road, leading to a camping area next to a river. There are a few families still there as its  Easter Sunday today. Thankfully we spotted a whole bunch of loaded up cars driving back to Mackay on our way here so majority have left.

We picked a great little campspot which was hidden and secluded and it was right up the bank of Broken river. We set up camp and went exploring. There has been a lot of tree branches broken off due to the cyclone so the ranges have put them all in a pile for people to use as fire wood which was very handy. One night a couple of the neighbours decided to light it with a flair. The whole area has trees overhanging the pile so i was thinking of an emergency evacuation plan in my mind whilst watching it burn hoping it wouldn’t create a bushfire. I asked Rob at the time what he thought the measurements of the fire were and he said 6 metres wide by 10 metres high. It was the largest fire i have ever seen and as it was in the bush with no water ready for even a spot fire i was worried.
Thankfully nothing else caught on fire and it started to rain. We stood there in the rain still watching the fire like bugs to a light. The rain didnt put it out, just tamed the beast.

One of the days we went on a platypus walking track and spotted multiple platypus which is usually a difficult endeavour. Apparently the area is a breeding ground for them and they are use to humans and the noise where as in other areas they are shy and hide.
We went to another look out hidden away and it would be rated one of my top 5 nature views of all time. It was incredible. There was a windy road going through the middle with mountains on either side and the sun setting down the middle. Absolutely amazing.
We rode back to camp, relaxed on the hammock chair and listened to music.

The next morning whilst packing up i felt something on my top, touching my kneck. Rob had a look and i could tell by the way his eyes widened that it was a spider or something like that. He said “dont move, just dont move”
So i didnt as he got something to get it to it off with. It was a medium size, smaller than a huntsman, larger than a white tail. Enough to give a spider phobic or backpacker a good scare but growing up in a house with huntsmans regularly visited my bedroom it wasn’t too bad. Hopefully it wasnt too poisonous, actually thinking about it now does make me feel quezy. Next stop Airlie Beach.

As we rode into Airlie Beach we could see the devastation that had been caused from cyclone Debbie. Whole large trees had been uprooted. Majority of sign boards and road signs had been blown over completely pulling up the cement and lots of damage to the roads from the flooding. Thats what we noticed driving in. What we were yet to witness was worse. Large yatchs and boats washed up on beaches and crashed into board walks or pushed through the bush to the side of the road. Large tree branches were everywhere, roofs had been blown away, windows broken, carpet soaked and ripped out of houses onto there lawns. Its going to take a long time until Airlie Beach is back to the way it was.

The worst amount of damage we saw was at Shute Harbour. Apparently people in previous cyclones had moored there boats in the harbour as its all pretty well protected from the winds however the highest speed recorded from the cyclones winds were 163km hour. 17km off being a cyclone 5, pretty horrific considering there are only 5 categories. Yatchs were damaged all over the harbour, smashed along the bushy banks. We saw one yatch get lifted over some large trees by a 140 ton mobile crane as it was blown out of the water,landing next to the road.

Our first night we were in our tent in the caravan park Island Gateway. It was the first caravan park open after the cyclone. We found out it was due to all the local help they had received to get the place cleaned up again. Rory a lovely worker in the park told us that along with some great spots to see and visit. He was such a nice friendly guy who we chatted to whilst he worked. Another worker Brian also came and chatted to us, asking about the bikes. Turns out he and many other staff are from Gippsland, our home area. Brian was from Bairnsdale.

The first day we were tired so we got some groceries from another expensive IGA and hit the sack. It rained a lot through the night and as we woke the rain did not look like it was going to stop any time soon, so we made breakfast, put on our ponchos and walked into town. The rain was very sparatic. We took our ponchos off and put them on about 5 times. We got into town and had been in contact with some of Robs friends who had agreed to meet us for a late lunch anywhere we chose. From Rorys recommendations we went to the Anchor bar. A great spot overlooking the beach and the islands. Its also the only bar in Airlie that has free pool and a swimming pool to use.

After having a delicious lunch with Dovey and Margo we were invited to stay the night at their place and join them for a bbq. We had already paid for another night in the caravan park and could not get our money back but it would be nice to get to know them better and as a bonus get out of the rain.
We decided to leave our tent and bikes at the caravn park, Dovey picked us up and took us to their place where we had a delicious bbq and met there gorgeous daughter Amber. Rob said the steak was cooked to perfection and was very happy indeed.
Dovey is a great cook and looks like he really enjoys it as well. We had wine and chatted about Margo, Dovey and Robs adventures through Mexico and Central America. That night they invited us to stay the weekend. So we did.

The next day we went and packed up the tent and the rest of our belongings in what started as clear weather. As soon as we took the rain protecting cover off the tent it bucketed down. We couldnt get our stuff into the back of Doveys car fast enough and thankfully we were able to set it all up in the shed to dry. We got drenched.

Over the next few days we had delicous Tacos, made by Dovey, went for a beautiful family walk along the board walk which is their morning and evening routine not forgetting princess Lu Lu, their dog. Thats something i noticed that this family does different to others. There are multiple daily routines for relaxing family time not including the tv but always including princess Lu Lu.

One day we head to Coral beach which was a little walk to get to, through some bush. Amazing views with incredible shells and coral everywhere. I was surprised the path had already been cleared since Debbie made a mess. We were going to go snorkling however the water was quite murky. Rob tried anyways with no success whilst i kept my eyes peeled for crocks. Ive been told to be careful everywhere now. 

We all went to a place called Magnams that night for a drink and live music. As the other local pub showing rugby was still closed the place was full.
There was an older gentleman who would have had a few drinks dancing his way to the dance floor. He was in thongs, jeans,a checkered shirt and a floppy cowboy hat and my feeling was that he frequented that watering hole regularly. He asked the girl on the table in front of me to dance but there was no one else on the dancefloor. She said no. I was next, sitting at the end of the table in front of everyone, he put his hand out. I couldnt deny the man twice so up i got. I had a boogie for a couple of songs and not long after Margo had to leave to put Amber to bed.

Our next stop was Beaches, where we had some dinner and met a group that had been travelling around the Whitsundays on a yatch. I chatted for a long time to a woman named Silka from Iceland. She was beautiful with an amazing personality and seemed like the sort of woman that embraces life and all it has to offer, in all the best ways. She was travelling with her sister and turns out they are both descendents of Vikings as they have a ancestor website for all Icelanders. White blonde hair, blue eyes, what woman in Australia try to get from a packet. From there we ended up talking and drinking and visiting another few clubs/ bars. We mixed our drinks and stayed out later than expected. Dovey was suppose to look after Amber his 2 year old at 6am. He left before us and Margo thought he let out princess Lu Lu so she went wondering the street early in the morning only to find Lu Lu under the covers in bed with Dovey. Haha

We came in late and woke up Amber accidentally, more than once. Worst guests. We had planned to only stay the weekend but that was the sunday night and there was no way we were in any state to ride on the Monday even Tuesday but we had definitely overstayed our welcome. On Monday Amber got dropped of at Grandma and Grandads in the morning and the 3 of us rested our thumping brains. Waiting for Margo to come back from work i felt like we were going to get into trouble like you would off your mum and dad as a teenager. An unusual feeling i havnt felt for a while. We said sorry, she said it was ok but i felt like Dovey might have got into trouble later. 

On Tuesday we rode an hour up the road to our nearest campsite. As we rode to the supermarket in our still hungover state we realised it was a public holiday and closed. We retreated to McDonalds housing our favourite things, food and air conditioning. We took a chance and rode to the campsite luckily finding an open shop on the way. Yay supplies, we have food again.

Next stop Raglan Pub. There was free camping next to the pub so we head there for the night. The owners were very Australian, owning a cattle farm 600kms inland from Raglan prior to owning the pub. They use to send there 2 children to boarding school in Rockhamption costing them about $30,000 per child per year. I dont know how much school fees are normally but that seems a little pricey. 
It wasnt a good spot to camp, it was right next to the highway but they had clean showers, food, beer and wine. We met a lovely Swiss couple, Lea and .. ive forgotten her partners name (Oopps)who we chatted to for the night.

As we arrived there in the afternoon we chatted to another guy in the pub. He was a truck driver waiting for the “all clear” to drive his oversize truck to Rockhampton as strict weight restrictions over the bypass had come into affect because of the flooding. He had been waiting for 4 days. His truck was loaded with machinery to assist the road works further North.

We had a great night chatting away to the few we met in the pub that day. We woke the next morning to the sun blaring on our tent, it was hot, we were dehydrated, very tired and slightly hungover.
From the pub we head to Rockhampton and sat in McDonalds whilst we made a plan and gained enough energy and consciousness to move. So after only 4 hours and 2 McDonalds meals we were ready to go. Rob had organised us a cabin for the night which had air conditioning, a washing machine, a shower and unlimited drinking water. Heaven.
We both slept like we were floating on clouds, the difference a bed makes is incredible.

We liked Rockhampton but found it a bit too industrial so we head off to Yeppoon about 30minutes away on the coast. It was a beautiful little beach town with a fantastic foreshore and playing area for the kids. We had a great steak/fish and chips for $12 at The Spinnaker which is a part of the sailing club. Its a great lunch deal and super  yummy!!

From there we stocked up on supplies and rode into the gorgeous Byfields National park.
There was a few campgrounds at Byfields and due to the floods, 2 were still closed. We found a campsite which was secluded and we were surrounded by tall trees.
We went on a small  walk along the boardwalk which had been significantly damaged and had multiple friends visiting the camp including betty the bush turkey and larry the lizard.

Once leaving the campsite we went further down the road spotting to the general store which surprisingly turned out to be a cafe as well. It was like a mirage had popped out of nowhere, we were so hungry!! The owners were  amazingly friendly giving us tips and advice on roads in the area and the food was fantastic. It looked like there was a space for yoga to the side of the cafe as well. What an awesome gem hidden away in Byfields National Park.

From Byfields we rode up to Maryborough and it was breath taking. The grass was really green, there was cattle everywhere and we had a mountainous backdrop. Its was so beautiful. Definitely worth the gravel road adventure. Once back on the highway we passed a car and campervan that had sadly burnt to smitherines on the side of the road.

We arrived in Maryborough, grabbed a few supplies from a little grocery shop in the cute town which looked like it consisted of about 10 houses and a bowls club. Adorable.
We then rode up Mount Gardiner past some more cattle, through 4 river crossings, one which i dropped the bike next too. Oopps thick gravel on a hill, lucky Rob was there to help me pick it up. We got to the very top where we camped next to some Germans for the night named Peter and Loti. They are from Cologne and have completely decked out their van with such fantastic wooden workmanship for a bed and draws everywhere. They even have a wooden roof rack which looks really cool. Not sure if its legal but it looks great.
We watched the beautiful sunset, and were out like lights.

Agnes waters was the first town we hit that made us feel like we were in north qld. There were palm trees everywhere and beautiful mansions looking out towards the ocean. We stopped in for lunch at a small cafe, with what appeared to be Australias largest menu, covering all walls behind the counter. Food was ok, nothing delicious. We then went for a nice ride to the next town 1770. 

1770 is literally named after Captain Cooks arrival to QLD, a month or two after his arrival to Botany Bay in NSW. It was a nice town with some cute resturants and cafes looking out onto the water. We passed some beautiful and quirky houses on our way up to the lookout. The water was still pretty dirty from cyclone Debbie. Apparently that will take a few weeks to a month to go back to normal.

From there we head to our next camping location in Eurimbula National Park. Riding into the park was really beautiful and i assume because of the cyclone there was some cattle eating grass all around on both sides of the dirt track. It wasnt long until we hit a river crossing and the dirt track turned into a thick, soft sand track. My first experience riding in the sand and i fell over within the first 5 minutes. I was fine,just a bruised ego. After that i took it slow and just took each turn as they come. All up i rode 9kms in deep sand and it was tough. I was hungry, tired and very thirsty. By the time we got to the campsite i was grumpy and had decided i hated riding on sand! After some food the thought wasnt as bad.

The campsite was almost empty when we arrived, which was unusual considering school holidays had started. Over the few days of being there people slowly arrived.

Our days consisted of swimming in the ocean, laying under the shade of some trees on the beach and the card game uno. We later found out that crocs often frequent those shores. Ekk
We only planned on staying there one night but as it was such a mission to get there we decided 2. As there was no shops without heading back through the sand, we got all the food we had out of every bag and checked if we could last 2 nights. We realised we could easily and how much unessisary food we had.

On the table one of the items id taken out of my bag was a water bottle half full of apple cider vinegar. After going to a detox retreat in Phucket and knowing the health benefits i take a swig occasionally or put it with hot water to drink, preferably with a bit of honey.
Rob didnt know what it was and asked. I just told him to try it. ‘Dont smell it because you will guess, but try it and tell me what you think it is.’
He did.
Hahahahahaha That was the highlight of my day, not only did he taste it but he had a huge mouthful. His reaction was a dramatic adult version of giving a child there first lemon. Priceless.

Heading back through the sand i was in front and informed that its all about the speed. If you go too slow the bike moves too much and its a lot more effort to control. Just the right speed and you flow through smoothly.
We made it out of the park in one piece with no additional stacks thankfully.

From Noosa we head inland to a place called Wallaville. We had planned to stay in a different area however we had 3 road diversions due to flooding from the cyclone and a truck and car collision. It added a lot of unexpected time to our journey and we didnt want to set up camp in the dark so we got onto wikicamps and found a free sight behind a pub in a place called Wallaville.

It was a beautiful ride entering into a large farming community. Sugarcane on either side as you ride into town. One of the 2 lane bridges was closed on the outskirts of Wallaville as the flood had done some damage to it. The water was still the same height as the bridge and it was about a week after the cyclone. One side of the bridge was still a little under water and the bridge was now on a lean. The water line from the effects of the cyclone however still remained on the banks and the bridge would have been about 3 metres underwater.

We had riden past the closed road sign and now sat on the side of this fragile bridge slightly moving with the water. Rob starts to ride on the high side of the bridge slowly making his way to safety. I follow in his exact tyre marks cautiously as the bridge slightly moves. As Rob rides up ahead i get off to take pictures of the bridge and the flood marks. As im standing there 2 small vans full of farm workers slowly pull up to the other side of the bridge and cautiously drive over one at a time. All cheering and laughing as they get to the other side that im standing on. Within 2 minutes after the vans had passed another vehicle and driver pulled up at the other side of the bridge. It seemed as if the driver had been waiting for the passing or return of the two vans to determine what he should do. This time it was a tractor. As my heart pounded watching the tractor cross the bridge it swayed with every move. The driver gets to my side with a smile on his face and a friendly wave as if there was never anything to worry about.
Gotta love the Australian mentality “she’ll be right” (everything will be ok)

We arrive at the Wallaville Pub which was surrounded by cars but very few patrons inside. We later found out it was also a hostel and all rooms upstairs were full hence the cars.
We set up the tent and went inside to order a pizza. The lady behind the bar was amazing and very friendly. The pub was an old one which had obviously stood the test of time with old blocked off doors and pictures of it 100 years ago.

The next stop was lunch in Bunderburg. Riding into town there was a board that had been stuck to a sign saying mower races this sunday. Haha, only in Bunderburg. The town was pretty with the buildings being old collonial style. Bundy was nice for a short stop but we were happy to get on our way. Two seperate groups of teenagers managed to walk past us with loud music playing from there phones whilst we ate lunch. Funny.
We had a ride around the town and head off to Agnes Waters.    

From Toowoomba we went back into Brisbane unexpectedly. The storms had delayed our journey so we were now able to see my friends Katie and Michael who were holidaying in Australia from Bali. I use to work with them both in Brisbane about 10 years ago but have remained good friends and was happily a part of their amazing wedding . We rode the two hours back to Brisy for a catch up. It was good to see them, it had been years since i had seen the kids. How time flys.

From there we head back up to the sunshine coast to stay with Kate again, what a legend for putting us up. Had a look at some local organic shops that i hadnt seen before, they housed all of my favourite things.

From there we rode to gorgeous Noosa to meet another one of Robs close friends Jonesy.
Unfortunatly it rained majority of the time we were there and Jonesy had only flown up from Melbourne for a few days to meet us. Good on ya Jonesy!!

Jonesy had to hire a car to drive up from Brisbane to Noosa so Rob suggested he get one big enough to sleep in instead of bringing a tent. He did and we set up in a caravan park for the night with Jonesy’s car parked near our tent. On the second night Jonesy went to the toilet in the middle of the night. Forgetting he had locked the car, he opened the door, the car alarm went off and it was incredibly loud. As Jonesy fumbeled around looking for the key in his half asleep state it went off for about a minute until he found it. The park manager was quick to arrive at the scene and asked if it was his car as he returned from the toilet. He assured her he had just forgotten where he placed the key and waited for her to walk off so he could sneak back into the car to sleep. Not a practice allowed in the park.

I woke up when it went off not knowing what was happening. The last time i had been woken by an alarm was in a Manchester hotel to a fire alarm. I quickly woke Rob as an instant reaction in panic. As he sleeps with earplugs he just pulled one out, said calmly ” its a car alarm, probably Jonesy” he smiled, and went back to sleep.

Whilst in Noosa we went to the main beach which was hiding just behind the main street in front of some restaurants. I like the feel of the main street being so natural with all the plants and trees everywhere. We also head over to the Noosa National Park where we did the beautiful coastal walk. Highly recommended. Popped into the beach for a quick swim in the momentary hour break from the rain. After that we popped up to Laguna Lookout which was very tranquil as the rain drops were lightly falling onto us.

One day we head to the surf club for some dinner and drinks taking the night further at a quirky little bar called Valley Bicycle.
On another rainey day we went bowling and got flogged by Jonesy. If that wasnt bad enough Rob challenged him in the games room to a round of basketball shots. He killed us at that game too. Overall we had a great time in beautiful Noosa with Jonesy.

I didnt realise that Toowoomba was so high up in altitude. Over 600mts high we weaved our bikes through the windy roads from Brisbane up the hills. The air becoming crisp and fresh  as i felt it pass through my new mesh riding  jacket. We got to Hoff,Leslies and there  gorgeous son Luke’s house. Close friends of Robs.

It had been a very long time since Rob and Hoff had spent some quality time with each other so there was excitement in the air . As we rode up the house the garage door opened as though they were waiting our arrival. We were then happily greeted by the Hoffard family. Hoff (Andrew) is tall with whitish blonde hair blue eyes and snow white skin. Leslie with dark hair, dark skin and brown eyes and there son Luke is right in between. Light brown hair, lighter brown eyes and light brown skin. What a great and culturally unique looking family, especially for in the country. I was excited to get to know them.

They were warm and welcoming and interested to hear of the adventure. Our first 2 days in Toowoomba was all about catching up, we chatted, the guys bonded whilst mowing the lawn together and we watched a movie or two.

The next day we went into Toowomba for some lunch, had a look at the beautiful view from the town lookout whilst surrounded by bicycle riders. There was a bicycle race on, and the lookout was the finish line. One car started to drive on the road towards the finish line quickly realising that it was not a road for cars today. The driver sheepishly reversed whilst the remaining bikers trying to finish the race road around. Funny to watch.

Next we went hiking around Bunyas National Park. It was about a 9km hike stopping for lunch inbetween at a nice cafe half way along the walk. The cafe felt like it appeared
 out of nowhere. The trek wasn’t too challenging yet enough to feel saticfied. I was however always the one straddling behind stopping for pictures and just gazing at the copious  amounts of different flora and fauna, even mushrooms in the park. One may  possibly be edible but its never worth it unless your 100%.

Rob and i were only planning on staying in Toowoomba a few nights but there has been a category 4 cyclone Debbie that has torn up and flooded North Queensland, our next stop. So we happily stayed put for an extra 6 days.

In that time we ate copious amounts of great food and lots of junk food including chips, chocolate and ice-cream. Rob and i had to not only wheel our bikes out of Toowoomba but each other as well.

We went out for a Japanese lunch and played mini golf one of those days. Its such a fun game, i had forgotten. Its amazing how competitive grown ups can get over mini golf. The day was warm and sunny as most days were in Toowoomba. We did get a full day of rain when the edges of Debbie flew over but the rest was great.

Another day we head to the cinema. Hoff and Rob may have been the only men in the cinema whilst watching Beauty and the Beast. The cartoon version was my favourite childhood movie so i was quick to suggest the movie and the guys didnt seem to mind to much whilst Leslie agreed. It was a fantastic movie, they did a great job i would definitely see it again.

After the edges of the storm hit Toowomba we head to Dalby ‘the cotton capital’ as there was a motor bike shop that stocked KTM air filters and Robs needed replacing. People in the town were amazingly friendly in every shop we went into. On the way we had to detour 3 times as two of the roads were flooded from the one day of rain. I can only imagine how bad it must have been for the poor people in the eye of the storm. I guess we will see very soon.

Our last night finished of with a seafood paella loaded with mortan bag bugs and prawns! Delicious!! We got spoilt. Thank you Toowoomba, you were amazing!!

Rob and i have been spoilt this week not only with great company but we were pampered.

We visited my gorgeous cousin Alisha and her husband Mike for a catch up where she was able to cut our hair for free! Yayy!!
Mine went from my waist to above my shoulders and Rob got an overall tidy up.
Alisha is still a hairdresser on the side but now studying Architecture and interior design. She will be an amazing architect or designer! She is very creative.

We then caught up with my nephew Levi and his mum Ash at the park. Rob and Levi were wearing matching clothes, it was just the cutest. Rob is not the biggest child lover, to be honest, ill be lucky if hes ever ready for them in the future. Today however, he was a different man. As Ash and i talked, Rob took off with Levi playing  the whole time we were there. Levi really liked him too. Rob said he likes him because he doesn’t cry. Which he doesn’t, hardly never. After managing to pry the pair apart we head home.

Arriving home my sister Sheri decided to pamper Rob and i as she has a home beauty salon.
I went first getting a full body scrub with a dry brush, exfoliating beads and then moisturising oil placed over me before being wrapped up in a complete silver and gold aluminum  body wrap. Whilst i was wrapped up like a catapilla all the oils soaked into my skin and Sheri treated me with an amazing facial. She then turned me over and gave me a full back massage. Im not sure how long i fell asleep for as i slept for an hour after the massage.
Rob was up next and he got a back massage. Sheri said that he had/ has a lot of knots. She tried her best, but it will take more future attempts they have been there a while she guessed.

The next night we spent it with another cousin Carly, also a qualified hairdresser. Carly is studying to become a beauty therapist  as well whilst she works full time. Busy girl!
Carly and her partner Larissa chatted our ears off in all the right ways. They told us about there goals, ambitions and challenges they have faced. Carly and Larissa hadn’t considered themselves lesbians but merely fell in love with a female. To have the courage to go against the grain, for love is wonderful i think. Just as long as they are happy and living a positive fullfilling life. Good on them!

That brinds us to the day we left Brisbane. I was putting our rubbish in the large outside bin. As i walked down the front stairs i heard something rustling in the leaves and out slithered a snake. At first i thought it was a tree snake with its slightly yellow belly so i wasnt too bothered as it slithered by, up the side of the fence. But as soon as i got inside and researched and realised on my phone that i had just been within a metres distance of a brown snake, the 2nd most poisonous snake in the world. I was freaking out. To make matters worse Rob was searching down the side of the fence for the snake!!!
As i screamed out the window to Rob it scared the shizzels out of him as all of his senses were heightened on the snake hunt. Ekkk he didn’t see it so he came back inside not long after. I informed Sheri and her husband Respy and off we road to Toowoomba.

What a massive day. We headed to the winery for lunch, caught up with a few friends i hadn’t seen for about 6 years. We all did our training together for Emirates.

Anthea is doing amazing which is really good to see. Finished her dental degree but enjoys her job flying around oz training staff at car dealerships too much to start doing dentistry yet. She said one day. In the meantime she has written a book with 100% of the proceeds going to charity. It was a huge success and hit #1 on amazon in 6 categories, 6! It even sat before Oprah’s book.
Its called “Invest in ourselves, own our lives!”
I can’t wait to read it.

We did wine tasting which was delicious, only $5 per person, and ate lots of cheese and biscuits. The group was so fun! We particularly got along with another couple really well. So much so that we ended up going back to there place for more drinks, went out to the Regatta together and stayed the night at there place on there day bed. What legends Allie and Chris!!
They both went to India a few months ago and did a lot of yoga including handstands and head stands. So naturally after a few drinks the handstands with a full body push up was on display. Of course Rob and i wanted to try, i failed miserably landing on my head which i am still suffering a sore neck from. Rob on the other hand was planning a handstand against the pole. He started off well and then completely missed the pole landing on the curb and road. 

Thankfully i got it on camera, and thankfully he feels no pain today. I have watched the video about 15 times already. Haha it cracks me up!!