956 kilometers to paradise

On the way to Airlie Beach, where our trip to the Whitsundays starts, we made the first stop in Hervey Bay. Our Sunlodge Tourist Park campsite had something to offer that we had never experienced before. Each pitch has its own colored cottage with a toilet and shower next door. This is particularly advantageous for the laborious nightly trip to the toilet. :)

At this campsite we met an Australian/Dutch couple with whom we spent the afternoon on the beach and discussed the differences between Australia and Europe. They also warned us that the route ahead of us would be very monotonous and long, as they had just completed it.

Directly from the beach, we got into our campervan and headed for the next section of the 956 kilometer route. First, we made an overnight stop in Agnes Water before heading north. The route took us through Rockhampton, where we visited the zoo and the botanical garden (Rahel saw a koala for the first time) before stopping for an extensive and late lunch. The city is known for its delicious locally sourced beef, which we couldn't resist. Since it was 3 o'clock in the afternoon, we were the only guests in the restaurant and the chef was able to tell us a story about every piece of meat on the menu for almost 20 minutes, complete with a theatrical performance.

The following night we stayed somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the backyard of a bar. We spent the evening with Rahel cutting my hair with the newly purchased clippers. We were happy with the result, but later we found out from a professional hairdresser that there is still room for improvement. Haha

After that, we got back in the van and headed to the last stop before Airlie Beach. This campsite was not really special, except for the many colorful parrots that Rahel could watch for hours and the river next door, where we were not allowed to swim because of the crocodiles (!!!).

For the Whitsundays, we decided to go on the Ride to Paradise trip. This is one of the few trips where you don't sleep on the ship but in a resort. Both of us don't like being on a boat for too long. However, for cost reasons, we decided to stay in a shared room. We can treat ourselves to the luxury suites in Asia. ;-) Let's see what we'll experience....