7th Oct Airlie Beach, peace, or almost

So  after a great nights sleep, its up at the crack of dawn to listen to parents who just cant keep their kids quiet at 6.30 in the morning, pack up and move on. (Oh thank you Jesus). We have breakfast as we watch the Chinese family (who seem to live in the camp kitchen) finally switch the t.v. off, shovel their stuff out of the fridge, pack their car with the screaming kid and clutching photos of the hotplate, leave at last. Life gets better by the minute.

With lifted spirits we head off into town for a look round. It seems like Airlie beach is one of those backpacker spots where every second shop, (yea, more then two here) offers deals on surf boarding, jet skiing and sea kayaking, every first place is backpacker accommodation, still, if we fancy a drink, there's plenty of bars. We decide to take a walk along the beach. Now this is the Gold and Sunshine coast, so I suppose I may be expecting a lot, after all, we've seen some fantastic beaches on our journey. What do we get?, rocks and grit, (no, I said GRIT) Yea, bit of a disappointment for our first beach on the South coast. As we crunch along, we admire the wonderful way the scum swirls around the rocks,   Had enough of the beach, so hand in hand we skip into town, whistling "things can only get better" (strange what this touring lark can do to ya). We grab a few things at the local Cole's (supermarket) and head back to the camp where Lin does her little mermaid impression in the pool, while I spend forever banging this thing out.

Right that's yer lot, nite and love ya all (well......... we don't really love ya all, Some we just like a lot)

This is Airlie beach... and yes that appears to be oil on the edge..

The bay at its best, its nice here but too commercial for us and the beach is not the turquoise blue and soft sand that we have come to enjoy and now expect...