Yes, this is ‘find-every-beach’, but this journey is also about exploring not only beautiful national parks, remote 4x4 tracks and stunning beaches. I want to learn about life in different parts of Aussie.
Doing that is just as much a part of the ‘experience’ I am looking for in this journey.
A brother of a friend of my brother (no, that’s not the 1st line in a joke) looking for someone to complete his sheep muster 'gang' and mentioned it to me. I figured it would be one hell of an experience.
However, I changed my mind bout a week out from the start of the ‘muster’ after experiencing couple of 'hot' days, making me realise I was not well adapted to the heat & flies (yet).
Looking to see if there were any alternate ‘experiences’ I went online and applied for a few EA (Exec Assistant) roles. Half an hour later I was offered an interview, and by end of day I had accepted a role in a rural council about 7-hours drive due west/inland from my spot on the beach in Noosa.
So, digging out my 'office clothes' I began driving inland
- away from the sea
- away from the mountains
- away from the rainforests
Down onto the long flat dry plains, dodging kangaroo carcases roasting in the hot sun on the side of the road.
So here I am in St George, Queensland, learning about life on the edge of the outback.
St George Queensland styles itself as “where country meets outback”.
It’s a town of approx. 3000 people at an intersection of several major highways with the Balonne River flowing through it.
Have you ever been on a river the colour of a chai latte, and about the same temperature?
Join me on my 1st journey on the river in this little video clip below:
As you will note in the video above, I was very careful in that session to NOT fall into the water. In fact I found it very hard to image that anyone would ever swim in the stuff!...
Funny, just one week later a colleague offered me to join him and others on a trip up the river in his water-ski boat and told me to bring my board…. I assumed we would cruise up the river first and then perhaps I might get the opportunity to try skurfing behind the boat.
NO, apparently the plan was for me to get in the water first! Freak.
Slipping over the side of the boat into flowing brown dirt was a little weird at first.
You cannot see even a centimetre into the water, and its warm. But hey, I get to have a go at skurfing so hell yes!
So much fun! It took me a few mins to 'tune-in' to having the ski rope pulling from the horizontal as opposed to kite lines which pull from a much higher angle, but a couple of face-plants later I had it sorted.
The most fun of the whole session was accompanying the fun-loving almost 4yr old son of the boatowner on his 3rd attempt a knee boarding.
The grin on the young boys face was magical, and occasionally mischievous as he would steer his board towards me and then race off away from me again.
I even made it onto the local facebook page. Too funny!
This town is so friendly!
The friendliest place I have been in so far in my travels around Aussie.
Other impressions so far:
Real estate prices are very affordable, with good rental return.
Discovered the lovely 'Delicate' café: with not only delicious food, but wonderful wares on display, I want to buy everything in the shop!
I also discovered CC's Trendz shop has the most wonderful dresses and shoes, I wonder how much money I will save while I am here if I am ‘treating myself’ out to café and buying lovely dresses.
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