Sunday

Up early to check out with Marge.  Dave mentioned the sheet issue and she told him they were still working out the kinks with the new detergent. We just shrugged and headed down to The Coffee Club for a hearty brekkie.  Mmmm, poached eggs with toast and a mocha.  Little did I know this was the last time I would have an actual meal for the next 12 hours!

While Colette and Dave were picking up hot cross buns at the bakery, Bill asked me if I wanted to drive....yes!  No people or animals were hurt, so sit back and relax when you read this next part....of course they drive on the opposite side of the road and the windshield wipers and turn signals are switched and then this....everyone is in the car and I've made sure I've heard the click of seat belts being put on....and I put the car in reverse. Or what I thought was reverse until the three of them with great urgency said to me...Lori!  You're in drive!!  Okay, note to self, this is also reverse in cars here. I calmly corrected my mistake, looked in all mirrors and backed up.  Driving is not so hard!  Lol. Down the nearly deserted street and out of town to the highway.  I should note here that highways, unless they are 4 lanes,  are bumpy, uneven, potholed and otherwise look like they have been laid by people who are just learning this trade.  I know it sounds a little harsh, but true.  So I'm cruising at 100km (60 miles an hour), and Bill is in the front seat with me.  I'm going good and even start chatting along with everyone, when we hit the road to the Bunya Mountain and hiking.  This road is about wide enough to handle 1 1/2 cars and obviously I'm going a lot slower although Dave would like me to drive even slower.  A few cars pass and I move over in the tall grass...no shoulder here either!  And then.....came to a guard rail and was probably in the middle of it and a car comes from the other way and not stopping. So I move over to have us both fit in the road and I have never seen anyone jump faster than Bill!  Let's say he cringed and balled up and got really close to my side of the car. And I heard Dave make a sound in the back as well.  Lol. Due to my excellent driving techniques and abilities I did not hit or scrape or otherwise harm any part of the car or people inside the car.  But I guess I was really, really, REALLY close to the guard rail.  I drove on, parked us at the hike we wanted and felt a sense of accomplishment..

We hiked all the trails in the area, 15k in one afternoon.  It was beautiful with all the waterfalls, paths, scenery when we were on top of the mountain and the fern covered landscape.  There were 48 kinds of birds and 19 mammals that live here.  We saw a lot of birds, but only one kangaroo in the parking lot!  I looked down a lot for snakes which never materialized, thank goodness!  The paths were strewn with some big rocks and dead leaves.  We came to a few spots that were muddy and we had to figure out a way around.  At one point it looked like the trees and vegetation had grown into a tunnel for us to go through. Very cool!  One of the paths even took us through a huge tree.  We did munch on some granola I had made, so Bon apetit!

Just as we were coming out of this dense semi tropical hiking path, it started to sprinkle.  We were hungry so we decide to head for the cafe and all of a sudden the heavens opened up.  This was some serious rain!!  Non-stopping, pouring down flooding rain.  We are looking at the cafe menu and you know when you're super hungry and nothing sounds good...that's what was happening.  So Bill decides to dash for the car and almost wipes out. We wait until he pulls the car closer for our dash.

It's Easter and a Sunday and that's two strikes against finding a restaurant open, but we are hungry and start driving.  Nothing, nothing, nothing and the granola comes out again.  Nothing, nothing, then the Stanley Hotel.  This is a old place, two story, and has slot machines in one room and a dart board in the other.  We go in and ask if they are still serving dinner and the man says they have pizza tonight on the menu.  Great....although the pizza here is not really what anyone in the States would call pizza, we are used to it by now.  We order two pizzas to the tune of $40.  No surprise.  We go to the back room to wait and order a beer.  When the pizza comes out we just look at each other....think about Tony's pizza, the kind you can buy 10 for $5. That's what we got and the sad part is that we were so hungry we didn't even care too much at that point!

Drove on home with Bill finding ticks on him and Colette freaking out.  Dave and I were free and clear of ticks.