Tue Sep 5th 1995:
I arrived in Brisbane 11.30 after a long but comfortable flight with Thai. The whole start of my adventure for the next 5 1/2 months started with rain and thunderstorm in this city. After some hours walk in the centre I validated my so called "All Australian Explorer Pass" and boarded a Greyhound Pioneer (will be abbreviated GHP from now) coach at 16.30.
About 4 1/2 hours later I arrived in Hervey Bay and checked in at Koala Backpacker.

Wed Sep 6th:
After an early breakfast and check out, a tour bus picked me up for a daytrip to Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island.
The round trip with 4WD buses was really exciting! Lots of sand but also rainforests, dingos, lakes, and a long beach of the east side (no swimming - sharks!) including a lunch break at Eurong Resort.
 
 
 

  The ground on Fraser Island can be described with one word: SAND!

In the evening, after a BBQ dinner at Koala, my GHP coach departed at 21.00 with destination Airlie Beach.

Thu Sep 7th:
I survived the "night ride" well and arrived about 9.00 in Airlie Beach and checked in at Beaches Backpackers. This day I just spend all the time for walking around, resting and exploring the nightlife in this "party village".

Fri Sep 8th:
The whole day I spent of a cruise around the Whitsunday Archipelago including stops at Whitsunday I., Hamilton I and Daydream I. They all are very wonderful!
 
 
 

  Nobody can forget a swim at Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island!

Back in Airlie Beach another "highlife" evening when I met lots of funny people. Two of them (norwegians) said they were travelling by bike (!) from Cairns to Melbourne.

Sat Sep 9th:
My departure to Cairns (GHP) at about 9.00 was 3 hours delayed. So I arrived in Cairns very late (22.40) where I would stay exactly one month.

Sun Sep 10 th to Mon Oct 9th:
This is a special part of my trip. I learned English at International House of Queensland (IHQ) and was accomodated in an Aussie family. I met some new friends and all weekends and most evenings there was lots of fun, action and adventure!
 
 
 

  The beautiful Nudey Beach on Fitzroy Island.
 
 

  Tully River, popular for river rafting.
 
 

  Sunbathing on the beaches on Green Island.
 
 

  The harbour of Port Douglas.
 
 

  The Esplanade in Cairns, seen from the south end.
 
 

  The spectacular Mossman Gorge.
 
 

  Cape Tribulation Beach - where the rainforest meets the sea!
 
 

  An evening at Cow Bay, Cape Tribulation N.P.
 

  View from Alexandra Lookout. Daintree River outlet in the background.
 

Mon Oct 9th:
It's time to continue my trip around Australia. The 4 week long English course at IHQ is over and I had to say goodbye to all new friends there. Some of them I'll meet later on back home in Europe. Departure at 08.45 with GHP arriving in Mission Beach two hours later. I stayed in the nice Scotty's Backpackers two nights.

Tue Oct 10th:
A daytrip to Dunk Island with a few hours walk in the morning and cruising around Bedarra Island and other small islands nearby in the afternoon. Nice trip even if the weather was rainy and windy!

  Muggy Myggy Beach on Dunk Island.

Wed Oct 11th:
A GHP departed around 11.00 for a short 1-hour trip further south to Cardwell. One night there in a backpacker which wasn't that nice (don't remember the name).

Thu Oct 12th:
A one day trip to and around Hinchingbrook Island, a very interesting and quite uninhabited island. First a trip through the "mangroove channels" and embarking on a narrow landstrip opposite the beautiful Ramsay Bay, just a minute or two walk from the jetty. Later we embarked at a bay further north for a picnic. From there it was possible for a walk to the Shephard bays.
Rain in the morning but only cloudy in the afternoon.
 

  Hinchinbrook Island is the World's island largest National Park. Here a rainy day at Ramsay Bay.

Back in the afternoon a quick dinner and departure at 18.10 with GHP for Townsville (2 hours). One night at Civic Guest House where I shared a room with 3 other Swedes(!).

Fri Oct 13th (however a nice day for me) to Sun Oct 15th:
A whole weekend at Magnetic Island, a very beautiful island with more bushes and rocks instead of rainforests. I stayed two nights at Hideaway Backpackers in Picnic Bay (where the Magnetic Ferries arrives). Friday I visited the forts, a nice walk through some hills with wild(!) koalas in the trees. The rest of the weekend I just stayed at some nice sandy beaches (especially Radical Bay and Alma Bay) for swimming.
 

A nice view from the forts on Magnetic Island.

Sun Oct 15th:
In the afternoon I left the island with the ferry and headed back to Townsville. Then, after a short "dinner" at McDonalds I climbed on of the hills and got a nice view of the city, sea and some islands (incl. Magnetic Island).
 
 

  Townsville in the evening.

This was also the last spot on the east coast for a long time. At 22.00 a GHP departed for Mt Isa.

Mon Oct 16th:
During the overnight bus ride there was a huge thunderstorm, lots of lightnings struck the ground outside. Exciting! At dawn I could see the change of the landscape. From the green rainforests and blue sea to this flat, brown "Mars-like" desert!
After a short breakfast stop in Cloncurry at 7.00 I arrived in Mt Isa about 2 hours later. I just stayed here one day, but it was not a funny place to visit. Hot, dry und ugly industries! A taxi driver took me for a short round trip in the surroundings.
 

  ...and 900 km to the west, Mount Isa.

Tue Oct 17th:
At 11.30 I continued travelling westwards with a GHP, happy to leave this place. The ride to Tennant Creek will take the whole day. The border to NT will be crossed and the clock turned back 1/2 hour.

The journey continues further to the west, into Northern Territory.