Coolangatta 20th October

Hello to all our lovely friends and Family! We hope you are enjoying the Spring thaw and sunshine. We are having a lovely time in our never ending summer in the place where every day is perfect!@#?! The sunshine coast was great, we managed to catch up with some friends including James, Kea, Madi, Tess and Angle Turner, Dale Pugsley (Pugs), Jeff Smith (holidaying with family) and Erica, Liam, Riley and Brodie McWilliams.

After a lovely weather and good surfs we head up from Coolum to Fraser Island. Had a great time. Really stunning place. Lake McKenzie was clear and warm, we spent hours paddle boarding across which was great. Indian Head was amazing, we were up really high overlooking deep water. We watched huge manta rays swimming and being chased by quite a large shark which was really entertaining. We were glad we didn’t loose any of the kids over the edge as you are really high up. The beach was great. We drove along the beach from north Noosa. The beach driving was like a highway.

Off we head down the gold coast off to the glitz and glamour!?! Have had some good surfs at the superbank. Not huge but clean and fun. Melis and Piper have had a blast surfing twice a day in warm clear water. Caught up with Besty down at Kingscliff.

We head off to North Stradbroke Island off Brisbane. A great spot that we would highly recommend. Low key, uncrowded and always an offshore wave that picks up heaps of swell. Great camping ground at Cylinder beach. Lots of whale watching and warm, clear water. We had a fantastic week camping here. After ferry back to the main land we had a lovely afternoon with Michelle, Stephen , Poppy and Ruby which was lovely. The kids loved playing with their cousins.

We are now back at Kirra Tourist Park. Nice!!! Off to Dreamworld tomorrow. I don’t know what we will now, as we have been bribing the kids with going to Dreamworld the whole trip!

Thinking of you all. Take care

Melis, Harry, Piper and Marlon XX

Coolum Queensland 15th September

Hi all we apologise for the delay. Big computer problems!! This is our email too. maharrison@live.com.au

Coolum Beach queensland 26th September.

Well after a tonne of computer glitches we have been able to post our blogg for august.
Well after a fantastic time at the stunning Agnes Waters we found ourselves short of time and down on the sunshine coast ready to meet Dawnie and Brucie (aka mum and dad) at Coolum. We did a couple of trips out to Double Island Point out from Rainbow Beach. Stunning. We decided to do Fraser Island after we see the family on the sunshine coast.

Dawnie and Brucie flew in11th September. It was fanastic to see them. We had a great 10 days. Hanging at the beach, trips to Noosa to surf Teatree, Australia Zoo. But it was just great to spend time with them and all relax. The weather is lovely mid twenties and generally clear with a few stormy nights. Swell has been variable but we have had some reasonable surfs at Coolum beachies and Teatree @ Noosa. Mel’s favorite wave.

We spent a day at Australia Zoo. No Bindi or Bob sighted. Kids loved it. Better than we all expected. Lots of great animals to see and touch including elephants.

Spent a few days at the beautiful Tea tree bay at Noosa. Perfect conditions and a great way to hang out with the family. Ended up on catching up with with Mingo (aka Ian Sykes) and his lovely family and surfing the day away at Noosa.

Abit crazy to be back in the civilized world, not having to think about fuel and food for extended periods. Nice but the challenge has eased. We now feel like we are now on holiday.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes, 37 isnt so bad. Thinking of you all and hoping Spring is bursting in Viccco to thaw everyones cold bones.

Love to you all

Melis, Harry, Piper and Marlon XXXXX

Agnes Waters Queensland 1st September

Agnes Water QLD 1st September

Hello to our dear family and friends. This week we find ourselves in a lovely spot called Agnes Waters, right next to 1770. We are very excited as this is the first place we have had surf for a while. We are at a really nice bush camp beside a great surf beach with nice protected waves and warm water. We plan to stay here a couple more days before we head to Fraser Island and Noosa to meet up with Dawnie and Brucie which will be great for a week.

Well last time we blogged we were up at the Daintree and the stunning Cape Tribulation where the rainforest truly does meet the sea. We drove to Cooktown along the Bloomfield track. This dirt track follows the cliff edges up the coast, stunning and entertaining 4WD trail.

Cairns was a huge city for us! We saw the sites like Skyrail and Kuranda railway. Rode our bikes km along foreshores and marinas. Stayed at the most expensive caravan park in Australia $70/night!!!! It was like an adventure park for the kids though. We were going to go out to the reef from here but the weather was too rough.

Next we head down to Mission beach and the lovely Dunk Island. Really pretty. The day trip to Dunk Island was a lovely respite from caravanning, felt like we were living it up in an island resort. Mission was also stunning and Melis met up with one of her primary school teachers Robyn and her husband Ian which was great.

Harry and Piper did a tour of the Sugar cane refinery at Tully, which they found very interesting. Off to Townsville to catch up with cousins, Hi Mandy! Museum of tropical Queensland was fantastic, Marlon just loves museums!

Airlie beach was our next destination. Here we caught up with a Melbourne family the Gouldings that we traveled with across the bottom of oz. We stayed at an amazing caravan park which was like a kid resort, lagoon pools, waterslides, parks, mini golf, jumping pillows. The kids were in heaven and we caught our breath for a few days. From Airlie we went out with Crusing Whitsundays to Knuckle Reef on the Great Barrier reef. The huge high speed catamaran took us 80 odd km out to see to the reef. We saw numerous breeching hump back whales at close range which was great. The cat arrived at the Knuckle reef pontoon. Here we proceeded to snorkel the reef which was great fun. Piper was trying to swim down to all the huge maori wrasse (fish). Marlon liked the wrasse too! Harry decided to do an introductory scuba dive. We were able to snorkel above him and watch and then watch him from the underwater observatory which was fab as the kids got to see there dad diving close up. (see the pics) Next out on glass bottom boats, semi submersible vessels and water sliding between snorkeling and buffet lunch. Needless to say we had a really special day and were exhausted afterwards.

We left Airlie just as the Outlaw biker gangs were arriving into town which was great. We drove further south, skimming the huge industrial areas of Rockhampton and Gladstone and aiming for the smaller towns of Yepoon and Agnes Waters.

Thinking of you all and hoping Melbourne is blossoming with spring time. Go Saints!!
Lots of Love

Melis, Harry, Piper and Marlon XX