Traveling the east coast from Cairns to Sydney

Kangaroos. Endless Beaches. Castlemaine XXXX. Sheilas. Koalas. Poisonous Snakes. VB. Shrimp on the Barbie. Steve Crikey! Irwin. The Great Barrier Reef. Surf breaks. Australia conjures up all those images and I was able to experience the continent Down Under over seven weeks from October to December.

After I left wintry New Zealand, I headed to the east coast of a country that was already seemingly in summer. Australia's East Coast is known the world over for its mixture of beautiful unspoiled rainforests, sandy beaches, and just off the coast of Queensland (the north eastern state) lies one of the greatest biological creatures in the world: the Great Barrier Reef. Four parts of my trip really stand out for me: Cairns' varied surrounding attractions, sailing for 3 days in the Whitsundays, 4-wheel driving and camping for 3 days on Fraser Island, and simply chilling out on off-the-beaten path places.

Cairns is a backpacker central point that attracts people the world over. Its lagoon is a perfect way to while away the day, while every night the bars and clubs are packed. Of course, you meet a lot of people and then go discovering the wonders of Queensland that surround the city with them. I swam in the waterfalls of the Tableton Atherlands, rode a horse on the beach of Cape Tribulation, spotted crocodiles in the Daintree River, chilled out in Port Douglas, swam with turtles in the Great Barrier Reef, hiked through the Daintree Rainforest, and hung out on the backpacker island of Fitzroy.

The Whitsundays are a group of islands that are immensely beautiful. Whitehaven Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches anywhere in the world with crystal-clear waters that gleam turquoise in the sun and sand that is blindingly white. The way to explore these islands is from a sailboat and so fourteen of us found ourselves for 3 days lounging, eating, sleeping, and diving from the Kiana. Each night we would set anchor in a different bay and watch the moon rise. Each morning we would get up early to get in a morning dive. Also, all our food was prepared for us so that we really did not have to lift a finger. I had never spent so much time on a boat and absolutely loved it. It helped that we had an excellent group of people who got along so well. As we made our way further down the coast, we of course met up at different spots.

Fraser Island is an unspoiled island inhabited by wild dingoes. Here, getting in a 4WD and driving around the island through forests and on the beaches is the best way to see it. At night, the 8 of us would set up camp and cook our own food on a grill. We of course made sure to bring plenty of beers and music so that we could toast our hard work of hiking, lying on beaches, swimming in lakes, watching turtles and sharks, seeing the sun set from Indian Head, spotting dingoes, and avoiding snakes! Everyone in the group had a chance to drive at some point - for me it was not only fun fishtailing through the soft sand but also driving on the other side of the car, shifting with my left instead of my right hand. Our group again got along really well - laughing continuously - that we all continued to meet up as we continued south.

While a lot of the east coast is highly developed and known the world over (think Sunshine Coast's Noosa or the Gold Coast's Surfers Paradise), there are places that are still unspoiled. My favorites of those included Mission Beach, Magnetic Island, A Town Called 1770, and (while a bit more developed) Byron Bay with its hinterland sister city of Nimbin. In Mission Beach and Magnetic Island, I was able to relax in the treetops of the rainforest and on a beach, respectively. 1770 is an intriguing destination where Captain Cook first made landfall in, guess what, 1770. It is a quiet fishing village with endless beaches and great hiking. Byron Bay has always been a counter-cultural focal point. While there, I stayed at the Arts Factory - a place started in the 1970's by draft-dodging Americans and has grown into a must-stay for backpackers all around the world. I also had some high times at Nimbin which hosts the annual Mardi Grass celebration.