Magnetic Island

We got the bus to Townsville from Cairns, just 6 hours on a Greyhound coach, these services run frequently around Australia, more so on the east coast, there is usually a coach every 2 hours going north or south. On the coach got talking to this girl called Emma, she's American or Canadian can't quite remember, she's bin traveling since she was 19, now she's 21, she was going on to Airlie Beach, and staying there for about 3 weeks, so she should be there when we all arrive.

We got off the coach and got a Sunferry to Magnetic Island from Townsville, again these run every 20 mins back and forth which is a good reason (I'll explain later), on the ferry I talked to some local magnetic ozzy about "local" stuff, jelly fish etc, only said hello and he proceeded to give me a tour of the island as we sailed past it! The ferry is mainly used by school kids and commuters as bus as no schools or "real" jobs on the island, they do have a nursery and small medical center (which I wud get to know rather well) and there are 5 policemen for the whole island. We we arrived we did not see 1 other car on the road, it was like a ghost town.

Got bus to x-base hostel..... Undoubtedly the remotest hostel on the island, in Nelly bay. We checked in which took forever, we dropped the stuff off headed for supermarket...Supposedly 10mins down the road...30mins later!! We were all abit hank so we stuffed our faces with doritos and dip, hitched a lift back to base with a lady and her daughter who worked in the IGA(supermarket). Got back and hit the hostel bar...smashed too bits! You don't relaise in the day by the pool as there are big clear wind screens that protect sunbathers from the wind, but at nite by the bar its really blowy, met German girl called Meja, got on quite well with her, we stayed out on the beach lookin at the stars etc till the earls hours. On a serious note its amazin how many stars you don't see in UK cos of light pollution, the nite sky when all the lights are off is like twinkle town, I've never seen so many stars.

Woke up really sore head, we decided to rent a tropical topless car with pink interior...Wicked, the chicks loved it!! drove all around the island in about 20mins, stopped at Radicaly Bay and walked down this tretcheras road (radical rd, we were not allowed to take the car down this road because of its condition) to the beach...Ridiculous, it went on forever and none of us could believe that this was the way to the beach, but we carried on, we came to wot looked like the end of the road and and it turn into sand and bushes, so we made our way through and finally came to radical bay! I played football and Frisbee on the beach with Ben and Darryl, did some sun bathin then headed back up the stupid road, but a lorry came up behind us so we hitched a lift up the radical road, far toooo long to walk in the sun, the driver was sound, he told us that a monsoon had ruined Radical, which explained the road and the lack of people on the beach, said it used to be the most popular bay on the island, and he was workin to get the road reopened.

On the way back drove up to the old ferry terminal and saw a wallaby, kinda like a baby roo. Headed back to base, stayed round the pool for a few hours, got burnt,well most of us did, me and Ben arranged to go play a round of golf with these 2 New Zealand lads in our dorm, however we were all dressed wrong for the course and they had no buggies :( so went back to base and all of us went and lay on the rocks drinking beers. We then decided to go to this walk (The Forts Walk) near Radical bay...Bit long is an under statement, everyone we spoke to on the walk, said another 10mins you'll be at the top (all of these people have obviously no concept of time and how it works cus an hour later we finally reach the top, amazin views of most of the bays, bout 1hour 30mins, on way bk we heard this noise like a worthog, but this German girl who appeared out of nowhere told us it was a koala up a tree, and this was the first place we saw them in the wild, it was only a baby.

We got back to base and guess wot we got drunk again :) tonite was pool comp nite, it was a massive game of killer, and guess who won....ME :D winged it completely rich!!! There was about 35 people and I won a jug of 4X gold.

Today me and Ben went to drop the car back, and we walked bk to base....Nearly killed us in the sunshine. I then went to the bog, were I felt something on me so I brushed it off and didn't think nethin of it, until as I was leaving the loo I saw this massive black spider with white stripes on its back, and then I thought "have I been bit?" so me and Ben went to reception and they rushed me to the medical center were they gave me the all clear, they cudnt identify the spider, but I made myself well paranoid and worked up, but it was better then a spider bite I guess. We then proceeded to lie by the pool all day and do absolutely nuthin but get more of a tan :D played in the pool for abit and now we are back on the beer, just had a chicken burger cus all the food we have left is milk, cheese and tuna...not exactly a Gary Rhodes special.

anyway off for a shower and more beer.

speak soon