Better late than never.

This blog was supposed to be up ages ago but for multiple reasons I hadn't come to do it until now, now that I'm already in Sri Lanka.. x) sorry peeps, I'm a little behind on schedule.
Good thing is that I have wifi here at my host family so I can finally catch up on some writing. Expect a new blog with some surf and Sydney stories in the next couple days!
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Sooooo, it's been a while since I last wrote! I mean in general. I haven't been writing down anything lately, which is kind of a shame, but for some reason I just can't get myself to do it.. It's probably just the combination of being on the road, activities and fatigue. Anyway, I have now decided to get to it, and so I will (:
I believe I ended by saying I would update you guys later about the Fraser experience. Well, it was great! Imagine 4 wheel drives, white sand beaches, bumpy forest roads, amazing lookouts, clear blue lakes, and ... DINGO'S! And yes we did actually see a few :P To me they looked like cute but terribly skinny dogs which were in desperate need of some food and attention, but thanks to the millions of 'be dingo safe' signs and horror stories told by our guide, I decided it might not be the best idea to go out and feed them. You know, there once was this German guy who got really drunk, then went for a wander across the woods all by himself, passed out somewhere in the middle of nowhere, and when he woke up he found himself being nibbled on by dingo's.. I'll spare you the details. Yuck.
But apart from the tons of signs alongside the road warning you for your possible death, it was an awesome island. First day we went to lake McKenzie, a gorgeous clear blue lake which thanks its clearness to the fact that it's filled with pure rainwater only. Then went to our camp to cook ourselves quite a good stir-fry with some welcome vegetables. Most backpackers live on toast and 2-minute noodles you see..
Anyway, that evening me and Sanne went to bed at the incredible time of 19:30. We were absolutely DRAINED. Even the fact that we slept in a tiny tent without any mattress couldn't keep us up.
The next day we went to visit Indian Head, a huge rock giving an amazing view over the rough ocean. After that we went to the Champagne Pools, small 'pools' circled by rocks. Whenever a wave crashes into the rocks it splashes water over the rocks into the pools, causing little bubbles to form. So no actual Champagne in there, unfortunately (:
Next stop was Eli Creek, better known as Hangover Creek. A small shallow river that takes you down for about 200 meters back to the beach. It gave a bit of a resort-kind of feeling with all the wooden bridges and green bushes. Too bad I had quite a bad cold and therefore had to miss out on the swim..
Next up were some groupphotos which me, Sanne and Kirsty, an awesome English girl we met, photobombed with crazy faces :P After this we went back to our camp, cooked ourselves some amazing steak and went for an early night again. Unless everyone else btw, they were having fun drinking Goon (the cheap, nasty wine).
The third and last day we drove to Lake Wabby, a lake surrounded by sand dunes and gorgeous forests. Our tour guide called swimming in Lake Wabby a 'ball shrinking' experience, and when I stepped into water I knew why. Co-co-co-COLD!
We then made our way back to the ferry, driving on the beach, over sandy hills and even through water (our 4WD had a snorkel, cool huh). That night we were very happy to take a warm shower, and get some sleep on an actual mattress.
So much for Fraser Island. The following days we traveled to Noosa. A cute beach town which made me feel like I was on an actual holiday. Lots of small cafes and restaurants, parents with children playing on the beach, people surfing, overall a very nice and comforting atmosphere. Another positive point was that we were staying in the hostel that has been awarded 'Best Hostel in Australia'. Meaning good beds, clean (bath)rooms and an overall standard we hadn't come across before. For Sanne this was a welcome surprise as she's been sick the 2 days we spent there and has therefore not been out of bed or the hostel very often, poor Sanne :(
After some good relaxing on the beach in Noosa and taking in the slightly European vibe, we took the bus to Surfers Paradise, a city reasonably close to Brisbane, and our first stop in the true 'Gold Coast'. Now this was an experience.. The 'hostel' we stayed at was actually a hotel, but with a backpacker area included. Which meant we stayed in a room with tv, and had access to all the hotel facilities such as a hot tub, swimming pool, heat cabins and tennis court. It was a welcome luxury, especially since Surfers Paradise itself wasn't all that much. It's said to be the best place to go out and party, but if that's not what you're looking for, then that's too bad really, cause the city itself is built around tourism and going out. Oh well, a lazy evening watching movies with our roommates and eating sushi was a good alternative to getting wasted like practically everyone else.
After two nights in Surfers we headed towards Byron Bay, where we are now. I will update you all on our adventures here some other time, because I now have some packing and sleeping to do.