Northern Sojourn

We decided to take a chance on driving up north to see if there were some good waves to be had and nice looking beaches to be enjoyed. We had heard that the towns of Rainbow Beach, Agnes Water and 1770 were picturesque and the most northerly locations where there might be some rideable surf (further north the Great Barrier Reef shelters the coast from the swell). Our departure from Noosa was made easier by the knowledge that we would pass by again on our drive south towards Sydney.

We arrived at Rainbow Beach in good time and stayed in the town caravan park for the first night in order to charge up our van. That same evening we went for a jog along the beach and watched the sunset in a blaze of colours over the water – sunsets in Australia seem to be made out of molten gold with tones of pink and orange almost every night.

  

The next morning we were disappointed to find out that Rainbow Beach is not known for its surfing.  Instead, a favourite pastime for locals and visitors alike is to drive their 4x4s along the beach front, which makes for interesting distraction when you're trying to relax on the sand. In order to get to the surfable point break, you need a 4x4 or a decent amount of cash to arrange a ride down the beach, so we opted to catch what we could off the main beach, where we did manage to find a few decent waves.

After every morning surf session we would have our ritual breakfast of hard boiled eggs, natural yogurt, strawberry, bananas and muesli with coffee, all cooked up and served in our little van right in the beach parking lot, usually with a view of the ocean. Great way to start the day!

We also found out there were camping spots along the nearby national reserve where we could stay after buying permits of about $5 each. There was no electricity or showers, but a drop toilet was available and the views of the beaches were stunning. We pulled into a sandy little lot and enjoyed some cold beers in the sunshine, pleasantly fatigued from our day. That night we had an outdoor dinner with our feet in the sand.

People in Australia are REALLY into camping, with the full gear of caravans, trailers, generators for electricity, bringing everything including the kitchen sink. It was fun to walk around and check out all the different set ups.

The next day we surfed again, and having taken advantage of all Rainbow Beach had to offer, we pointed north for Agnes Water and Town of 1770.  It ended up being a massively long ride of five hours, partly because our until-then trusty GPS, “Leggy Bruce”, took us on very random back roads which we afterwards found out happens regularly with GPS’s around that region. Fortunately for us a friendly farmer showed us the easiest way to make our way through the forest and “Leggy” was temporarily retired. Thank goodness Australia has many "driver reviver" stops, where one can have a free coffee and cookies to help stay alert on those long hauls.

Since we weren’t going to be getting into town until way after dark, we decided to pull into one of the many rest areas along the way for the night. We found one with lots of shade from gigantic trees, complete with huge bats rustling around in the branches at night, making the bathroom visit a bit of an adventure.

The next morning we made it to Agnes Water, and although it had a cute little beach and very, very small town, we were again a bit disappointed with the surfing conditions. It did have a location to camp with a cheap permit, at Workman’s Beach, with cold water and drop toilets. We had to stay the first night in the Caravan Park to charge up, and that day went for a long run on the beach and then Ben decided to go for a paddle in the late afternoon.

We drove a short distance out of town and found a place to buy fresh fish and delicious veggies, and as we rolled out, we were treated to the sight of Kangaroos hopping by, including a mama with her baby in the pouch. Australia!!

From Agnes Water it was a short jaunt to the Town of 1770, a very literal name that refers to the date when Captain James Cook first landed on the continent. Given that the area had been built up a bit in our minds, we were surprised to find that a town it was not, more a collection of getaway houses and Captain Cook’s famous landing was commemorated with a simple pile of rocks. The views were pretty, but the charm was fleeting and so we made our way back the short distance to Agnes Water.

The next day the forecast was predicting some of the best surf for the region, so we woke up bright and early to get to the beach on time.  It was a fun session, albeit with smallish waves compared to the nice sets we had become accustomed to at Noosa. So it was that after only one day in the area, and the swell decreasing, that we decided to head back for another glorious run at Noosa Heads before stopping in to Brisbane to visit Kevin again. Such is the luxury one is afforded when chasing the surf fulltime!