updates

so here is the 3 towns and adventures over the last week:

1) stopped at a town called rockhampton (the beef capital of Australia, fyi) which is the launching point for the great keppel island. and no, i still have yet to find out what a keppel is or why they are so great. had an extremely relaxing 2 nights/3 days staying at Emu's, a really great hostel in the middle of no where that gave me the luxury of being picked up from the bus stop and driven to the hostel, and also a ride to and from the ferry station (to get me to the island), and a ride back to the bus station at the end of the 3 days (basically backpacker 5-stars) it was also mostly empty, which meant i got a whole dorm room to myself! and the beds were so ridiculously comfortable... none of this foam mattress stuff i had gotten used to. absolute heaven for catching up on rest! had a lovely time on the island as well, rented a kayak and kayaked around the island snorkeling in the beautiful water.

2) went with the oz experience bus on a mandatory overnight stop at the kroombit cattle station, a real imitation outback experience. we were greeted by cowboys shouting 'yee-haw,' given bandannas and cowboy hats, fed a 'bush' dinner, learned to crack a cattle whip, rode the mechanical bull, learned to lasso a goat and participated in a goat rodeo. fun had by all, especially the guy who insisted i could eat goat for dinner because "goats are vegetarians too"

3) made it to rainbow beach, launching point for famous fraiser island! Fraiser is the worlds largest sand island and home to one of the top 10 beaches in the world at lake mckenzie. we will be there for 3 days 2 nights, 4x4ing and camping - i cant wait! Frasier Island is where the film 'the beach' was filmed (i didnt see it, just what ive heard).
i will be incommunicado for the next few days so i will go ahead and wish everyone a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!


(ps, meant to mention before that the whitsunday islands is where matthew mcconehey and kate hudson flimed 'fools gold'!)