Alex in Motion

Some of the top destinations along the east coast of Australia are really far from each other, so short pit stops in smaller towns are needed. Agnes Water was one of those stops.

With only a singe day available for activity, I undertook as much as possible. The town is most northern surfing point, as the Great Barrier Reef blocks the waves further north. It also has some of the most inexpensive surfing in the country; about 20 AUD (19 CAD) for 3 hours of lessons, including a surfboard and surfing shirt.

With crystal clear skies, I accompanied some friends from Fraser Island. It’s been years since I surfed in Costa Rica and was much harder than I recall, even more so because most of the time I was holding a GoPro stick. However I did manage to get enough footage to put together a little video. Sorry for the shakiness. Enjoy!

After that embarrassment, I grabbed my motorcycle gear and went on the most intense scooter tour! Yes, I said scooter. These puppies resembled Harleys, but had the firepower of a small scooter. I gladly accepted the underpowered machines, as it partially satisfied my motorcycle craving.

Joined by dozens, we were babied along several kilometers, slowing down to view wild kangaroos and wallabies scatter when approached. Then we snacked on tasty potato wedges and watched the sun set. With all the harley gear, I felt like a cool rebel. Almost.

Continuing the journey north, the next stop was Hervey Bay and Fraser Island. I joined a guided tour which included 2 nights at a hostel in Hervey Bay and 2 nights camping on Fraser Island.

On the night of arrival, there was a general briefing and we were introduced to the others; there were 26 kids. I say “kids” because all of them were between the ages of 19 and 29, and then there was me. I felt like a father at some points, especially during one morning when they kept boasting, “Man, did you see how DRUNK I got last night?!” Overall they were pretty cool, though.

Fraser Island is a World Heritage site and the world’s largest sand island, stretching over 120 km and offering beautiful sunrises over the Pacific Ocean. We took turns driving 4×4 vehicles, stopping at various lookouts, beaches, champagne pools and some of the island’s 100 freshwater lakes. Most of these lakes formed by the collection of rainwater over thousands of years and are among the purest in the world. There are no incoming or outgoing streams, the only source is water from the sky. You could swim in crystal clear waters while sampling the fresh taste.

Accommodations on the island included sleeping in tents with a single yoga mat for cushioning. With all my experience as a boy scout, summers at the cottage and a couple of long camping trips, I truly love being in nature; it refreshes my mind and spirit. But I just wasn’t fully mentally prepared for this style of camping and tossed and turned most of the first night. Perhaps I’m just getting old and used to higher levels of comfort. In any case, I updated my perception and the second night was much easier

We had to cook our own food, but at least there was a BBQ and gas cook-top. It was it was fun to see what others prepared; some younger kids had instant macaroni and cheese while others made a feast of burgers, sausages, salads and sweet potato fries. It was my first BBQ in months.

Both evenings were cloudless, and I spent many long moments lying on the beach dunes, admiring the night’s stars and the Milky Way. Without neighbouring city lights for hundreds of kilometers, they were some of the clearest and wondrous evenings I’ve ever seen. A shame my camera could not capture them, but it just means I’ll keep the moments personal.

Noosa Heads is a small town just a couple hours north of Brisbane. It’s mainly known for three things:

1. Surfing
2. A national park
3. The everglades (one of two in the entire world)

Unfortunately, it rained pretty much the entire time, so options were limited. On the only clear day, canoeing on the everglades was not available because of the excess water. Thus I resorted to a leisure stroll along the coastline of the national park. Taking pictures of the Sunday surfers, breathing deeply to fill my lungs with warm, fresh air, and a long conversation with a fellow adventurer along the path consumed the lovely day.

During the rainy days, I lounged in the shared apartment rented on Airbnb, which provided many comforts of home plus an interesting host. I cooked myself a proper dinner for the first time in months, and even cooked dinner for my host one evening, something I haven’t done since leaving Montreal. I also ran for the first time in months, through the warm drizzle that turned into a downpour midway and soaked everything, lol.

These simple pleasures of life rejuvenated my energies. I felt more like me again 🙂