Gold Coast - Brisbane - Sunshine Coast

Upon arrival in Brisbane, we picked up our next booked rental car directly. Once again, it was a Toyota Corolla, but this time in white. Since we already had a Corolla in New Zealand, getting used to it was not difficult, and soon all the luggage had reclaimed their designated place in the car, some may call it organized chaos =)

The actual route for the next 17 days was supposed to take us from Brisbane to Cairns, covering nearly 2,000 km. However, some regions north of Brisbane were still struggling with the destruction caused by the cyclone and the resulting heavy flooding, so we decided to make a detour south to the Gold Coast.

We made stops at the surf beaches of Surfers Paradise, Burleigh Heads, and Byron Bay. However, we didn't really like any of them, so we didn't stay for long. It was also made worse by the fact that the Aussies were on Easter vacation and the whole region was simply overcrowded. Tip for all travelers: Avoid the main tourist regions during Easter vacation if possible, as the beaches are crowded and the prices are inflated. Those expecting a cozy surfer town in Surfers Paradise will be disappointed to find skyscrapers and a big city feel.

In Byron Bay, we made a stop at the lighthouse, which marks the westernmost point of the Australian mainland. On the way back towards Brisbane, we chose to take the inland route, which was also not very spectacular but much quieter =). Here, too, we saw the extent of the floods, which had recently devastated the region, and the completely destroyed belongings were being collected by rubbish trucks. However, it must be noted that Australians are incredibly quick and thorough in cleaning up after a natural disaster and restoring everything.

Back in Brisbane, we visited the city this time. The Southbank Parklands are especially recommended, as they offer a free swimming pool, free barbecues, and a nice atmosphere to relax. We also visited the Coot-tha lookout, which is also worth a visit.

Our next stop should take us to the beautiful town of Noosa, where we hoped to find beautiful beaches, a coastal walk, and maybe our first koalas in Australia. The place is really beautiful and the surf beaches have a lot to offer. Unfortunately, Noosa was also overcrowded during our stay due to the peak season, so we only took a short walk in the national park and strolled through the town.

Since it was still uncertain whether our booked 2-day sailing trip through the Whitsundays would take place due to the destruction, we had to think again about how to continue our road trip. We didn't make the decision easy and decided not to go on a tour to Fraser Island, as we were not convinced by both the program and the value for money. Instead, we wanted to continue to Agnes Water and the Town of 1770 and made a detour to Rainbow Beach on the way, where we hiked up the massive sand dune called Carlos Sandblow.

So far, none of the places we visited had impressed us, but that was about to change in the following days...