Song: "Human" by The Killers
April 16th
Bundaberg!
Bundaberg is a little town up the coast of Queensland, Australia which known for two things.
1) Having a sugar plant (there is lots of sugar cane grown in the area)
2) Making Rum (with the molasses from the sugar plant)
It's really known for number 2. Bernie wanted to go to the Bundaberg Rum Distillery, which was an excellent idea. Here's me and the girls with the giant bottle of rum:
I had no idea how rum was made before the trip. It was pretty neat. We saw a giant barn full of hot molasses, the leftovers from the sugar refining process. Along the trip we saw giant vats of rum with millions of dollars worth of rum inside. We couldn't take pictures because the batteries were fire hazards. (You better believe that I'd keep sparks away from million of dollars worth of highly flammable alcohol too.) Also, we were told that the government of Australia takes about 2/3 of their money from their alcohol sales. No wonder liquor is so expensive here!
After the tour, we came back and got two samples. My favorite was the Bundaberg Royal Liqueur, a deadly blend of chocolate, coffee, and Bundaberg rum. I bought a bottle for the trip. More on that bottle later.
We got our taste tests and then decided to hit the beach in nearby Bargara. I was still recovering from my sunburn from day one (today had the added fun of peeling!) so I tried to stay under my towel/cover-up as long as possible.
Puppy on the beach!
These tiny shells on the rocks kept sticking in my flip flops:
Sand crabs going crazy again:
Another one of my favorite pictures:
The beach was fun for a bit, but since I wasn't laying in the sun, I got bored and started to wander.
I found a windmill.
Also, Bargara got a
little cocky with this one:
We left Bargara after a bit and decided to make one of our most interesting drives up the coast. Here are some lovely pictures.
Giant cow!
Sugar cane on the side of the road, with a blurry speed limit sign:
We stopped in Rockhampton to get something to eat. Cam's very helpful Lonely Planet guide to Australia was a lot of fun to use in Rockhampton. We stopped at one place which had cheap meals, only to realize they were selling $10 men. It's a joke; check the picture.
Rockhampton was not alive at whatever hour of the night we stopped in, and eventually we ate some food (at either Macker's or Hungry Jack's, can't remember...) and Bernie had some energy drinks. Here's a nice shot of me brushing my teeth in the fast food bathroom, with Bernie's energy drink nearby:
After that, Bernie drove that car into the night, Airlie Beach or bust. I couldn't have done it, but then again, I am not Bernie. We had some petrol and toilet breaks along the way, but we made it into Airlie by about 3am. We saw a terrifying creature on the side of the road (some sort of night animal), and then a sleeping guy at the bus station.
Oh yeah, and Bernie wanted to sleep on the beach once we got there. Actually, this idea sounded pretty fun so I decided to join her, but first we had to find the right beach. The first one we found was too grainy. We were a bit spoiled after the beaches of Fraser Island, so Bernie drove us around for almost two hours trying to find a better one. Here's the thing though; there wasn't a better one. Or at least a better public one, so that's where we ended up at 5am to sleep. Becca and Vilde slept in the car. Bernie also decided that 5am was the perfect time to start drinking the wines. We did this for an hour, then the sun rose, Bernie climbed a tree, and then we slept for three hours. The pictures are as follows:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/h_fT4htUYU78rOl13tzFhQ?feat=directlink
"Bernie, where'd the stars go?"
The stingray!
Bernie conquers the tree, at 6am. Give that girl a medal:
The view up from where I was sleeping:
Ok, although those were essentially in the morning, they were my night, therefore they will remain on this entry. The rest of Airlie Beach I will save for the next few. :)
