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| View of Lady Elliot from Above |
When we arrived to Hervey Bay, a sleepy beach town in the Sunshine Coast, we were welcomed with warm weather and salty sea breeze. Even warmer was the welcome we received from Diane, our hostess at Chamomile Bed and Breakfast. From all the places we stayed in Australia, we felt the most at home there. It was like staying in the lovely home of a relative you actually like. Thankfully, it is the beginning of the fall season down under, making the area very quiet and having the B&B all to ourselves. Diane or as we started calling her, Auntie Di, would make us omelets with eggs and chives from her backyard. Every morning, we had breakfast on the terrace, being serenaded by the colorful birds which surrounded the house.
The following day, we took a small plane to Lady Elliot Island. I will try to articulate with words the beauty of this place, but do not think I can do it justice. It’s tiny island, propped by the Great Barrier Reef, in the middle of nowhere, no mainland in sight. After a 50 minute flight, we approached the island. From above, we can witness the reefs, jumping fish, and larger than life manta rays. When we landed, I felt as we had arrived in fantasy island, except Tatu was not there to welcome us. After the formalities of the island hosts, we took a glass bottom boat to snorkel around the reef. We were overwhelmed by the beauty we encountered below. Larger than life manta rays, small (thankfully) sharks, and colorful fish inhabited this glorious underwater world. Although Lady Elliot is small and simple, it reminded us of how large this earth really is. Being in a place so remote, surrounded by the vastness of the ocean, reminded me of how sometimes I think I’ve seen enough when there is so much more in this world be in awe of.
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| Beauty from the Reef |
Our last day in the Sunshine Coast was an active one. We began our day renting paddle boards at Enzo’s on the Beach. Enzo’s is a cafe on the beach with a perfect view. The water was beautifully calm and the perfect early fall water temperature made it ideal for SUP. Perfect for the dutchman as it was his first time paddle boarding. Thankfully the warm water made his falls less painful!
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| Discovering the Reef |
We concluded our day with a run along the bay. There is a long boardwalk with a great sunset view of the beach which stretches around six miles. Along our run we discovered the place where we would have the most decadent meal of our trip: Coast. As we ran by, the place stood out. While most of the restaurants in the area are very basic, Coast had a warm modern design. Under the impression it was low season, we did not make a reservation. The hour wait was a blessing in disguise as we were able to witness the making of one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had: a gin, lime, and cucumber concoction that was simply unforgettable. Our hostess walked us through the menu, sourced from local farmers. We were sold on the pork. Being Puertorican, I know my pork. I have to say this was one of the most moist and delectable pieces of pork I have ever had. The Korean-inspired side dishes were the perfect compliment.
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| Paddling on Hervey Bay |
Our last day, we headed back to Brisbane where we would fly back to Melbourne in order to fly back to our respective homes. Then, we realized we were 48 hours away from saying our so longs and return to counting the days for our next encounter. My heart started to become heavy, but consoled by the fact that these two weeks were magical. We were able to rediscover a country we had both seen before, create new memories, and most significant, fall deeper in love. For that Australia will always be in my heart.
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| The Dutchman and Repatriate as Drinks |
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