Travelling – day 298

SO EXCITED!! Finally, after far too many years, I awake and am able to download the new Harry Potter book – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Still gutted that I can’t see the play in the West End as we are traveling, I am absolutely delighted that at least I can download and read the book when it is released. Managed to download it before we even left the hostel this morning to catch our coach to Hervey Bay and was then even more excited (nine and three-quarters more excited!!) to see a whole stand of HP books at a shop along the way.Quite a lazy morning as we know we’ve got a seriously hectic week ahead of us with our Fraser Island and Whitsundays tours coming up so decided to abandon any previous ideas of going on an early ferry ride up the river in Brisbane and had a lie in instead. Got up, showered and had breakfast before checking out of our room. As soon as it was 9am Australia time, I was able to download the new HP book so I started reading that whilst Jayne did some Internet website work for Azra and the beauty clinic. Only had about an hour before we had to make our way to the transit centre to catch our greyhound coach. The sun was shining and, even with a slight chill in the air, it was a beautiful day.A pretty boring coach journey with nothing much to look at out the windows. We caught up on odd jobs that required internet (thanks for the free onboard wifi!) and I, obviously, kept reading the new book. Slightly strange reading a story as a play script but it’s still enjoyable none the less – really makes me want to go back and read the other books in the series (again!). Stopped at a service station for the necessary driver rest stop. Turns out that it is home to ‘Matilda’ the kangaroo who made her debut on 30th September 1982 at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. The 13 metre high mascot was then homed at a water theme park before being moved in 2009, and having 2 years of substantial refurbishment, to her current spot at the petrol station. We sat on the banks of the lake having the juiciest oranges ever – thanks Tracey for the tip – it was like eating solid lumps of orange juice!!Back on the bus for the remainder of the journey, arriving in Hervey Bay just after 5pm. As the transfer bus had to wait for another Greyhound to arrive, we took the opportunity to head to the supermarket to get some food for dinner and a goon bag of white wine to take with us to Fraser Island. The second coach never turned up so we waited all that time for no reason, although we did get to enjoy the noisy rainbow lorikeets that were flying around the car park.At the hostel, which is more of a caravan park which happens to have a dorm room than a hostel, Jayne got back onto her task of sorting out the beauty salon website whilst I reorganised our bags for tomorrow and cooked dinner (I know – it’s a shock to everyone that I cooked!!!). Made spaghetti bolognaise and let Jayne carry on with her work after dinner whilst I kept reading my new book!!

Sunday 31st July 2016