Ocean Road.

How we have come to rely upon technology! We needed to keep our electronic devices charged up...our phones were our link with the outside World and our cameras!We did not have a powered site...but there were electricity points by the barbecues that we could use to charge up our phones. Other people were doing the same thing. There was another charging station over by the Amenities Block but it was harder to keep an eye on your things over there.We managed, though the internet signal was pretty weak, to keep up to date with the outside World.On our last night in camp Will decided to use the car battery to charge up his phone and the Ipad.The mosquito coils worked wonders and I didn't see one mosquito around our little table.We were 'in tent' by 9.00 pm.It took me ages to get to sleep again. At one point it started raining and I got up to put the towels that were hanging on a line into the car so they wouldn't get wet before getting back in the tent......the rain immediately stopped. Typical!We were awake by 7.00 am as most of the children roundabout were up and making noise with their happy chatter.We started to pack up our things, had breakfast and then finished off and by 8.3o am we were ready to leave but Roxy wouldn't start.....in fact there was no sound at all, absolutely no indication from her at all that she was still alive.I was thinking it was Will's fault for leaving things charging in the car.....but Will was thinking it was my fault for perhaps not shutting the door properly when I moved the towels in from the rain.....whatever it was there we were...not going anywhere.Will asked a nearby chappie if he had jump leads but he didn't.....so he went down to the camp office. He came back with a guy, his car and jump leads and.....in no time at all......Roxy was revived. Pure relief.We headed to Noosa. It was our intention to head home by driving down the length of the Sunshine Coast and stop off on the way whenever something took our fancy.......

Eumundi and Coolum.

So......after I signed off last night......Will was preparing tea and got out the Coriander and was just about to chop it up when a big grasshopper thing crawled out of it....He said it was a 'Weta'.....he still chopped up the coriander and added it to the pasta afterwards....how Australian.The Inconsiderate Darby and Joan played their 'club' music until 9.30 when it finally went off.....and then the snoring started nearby. Despite all this the next thing I knew it was 4.30 and I was cold so crawled under my sleeping bag and then it was 7. 30 and time to get up.....children were already wailing.We had breakfast and headed out fairly early to The Eumundi Markets. They were amazing.....I think they are the best markets I have been to so far. We paid to much attention to one stall and got the hard sell spiel.....silicone rubber toppers for bowls and cups that don't leak and you can even put them over the end of a cut onion to keep it fresh. She went on to tell us about two other amazing things that I don't know how we have lived without before we got to the price. We could have the lot for $75.I said "I feel like I've been on Dragon's Den."It went over her head. The same programme is called ' Shark Tank' here.I wanted to say "I'll make you an offer. I'll give you all the money but I want 75% of the company and an extra set of onion covers."........but didn't.We didn't buy anything except some Tibetan Momos for lunch which were quite delicious.After the market we headed to Coolum to climb Mt Coolum. I wondered at the sanity of it as we set off in the heat of the midday sun. It was a steep climb but the path up was beautifully done and must have taken ages to create. Mt Coolum is left over from an ancient volcano.....it felt like the lava was just beneath the rocks the way they radiated the heat.We got to the top and were soon joined by three Japanese people...two women one man. The man was playing music on his phone.....he stood on a cliff edge for a photo op and I was so tempted to push him off.I am turning into 'Victor Meldrew!'On our way down we came across a man sat on the stone steps."I'm feeling a bit dizzy," he said. I must say he did look like he ate a lot of pies but part of me was pleased with myself because he only looked about 30......and I had made it to the top." You do look pale," I said.Will offered him some licorice bullets and some of my vimto!.......but he declined. He said he would head back down soon.We carried on going down." That might be a life changing moment," I said, "he might become super fit.""Or he might say 'Sod it!' and never do exercise again and stick to eating pies," said Will.A man ran past heading up.....he looked like he had been basted ready for cooking he was glistening that much. He was soon followed by a young Asian boy bursting with muscles and just as basted.We stood aside to let them past and carried on down. Soon the Asian boy was behind us coming down again."It's hot!, he said." Well, you are the one running up the hill," I said."It's the best workout," he said. " I do it a couple of times a day.""You are going to run up again?" I asked turning as pale as a 30 year old dizzy pie eater."Yep,  few more times."He was obviously mental. We left him doing push ups on a rock.Once down we drove to Coolum Beach and went for a dip. A sign warned of jellyfish.....but we didn't see any.We had an ice cream and then drove back to Boreen Point picking some stuff up including mosquito coils on the way.Will blew up 'Lemony Snicket', his yellow Iilo. We went out for a dip in the lake.Unfortunately 'Lemony Snicket' came back deflated. Will blamed it on a shark. Still we have mine left...."Soylent Green."It is now dark...we have had tea.....with more 'Weta' coriander.....but the mosquito coils seem to be working.There is much chatter all around and crickets calling but no noise from Inconsiderate Darby and Joan."Would it be mean of me to hope that they died in the night?"

Noosa.

We had a lovely walk today around the Noosa National Park.  It was pretty cloudy for most of the day.I don't know how far we walked but it felt a long way and I was pretty tired. We saw a koala and a turtle.....but they were not together.Back at Boreen Point......the place is jumping! The World and his wife.....and loads of their annoying children are here now. I used to be surrounded by them day in day out and I was pleasant and made them laugh.....now I just want to slap them!The campsite is packed and they are still arriving. We went for a dip....but the place we swam yesterday was taken with two guys fishing.....for what? The only fish we saw yesterday could be caught in a kids fishing net. We walked down the beach to near where we caught the old couple skinny dipping and swam there. It was much rougher today but just as warm except for the cooling breeze when you climbed out.We are self catering tonight.....pasta but have already enjoyed a medley of dips, cheese and pate. We are slathered in repellent but the mossies don't care.....they are taking over the world. Soon the planet will be filled with my wing-ed children. Muahahahahahaha!First they will suck dry any child allowed to run around a campsite screaming and talking loudly.....long after it is time for their bed! I swear the group next to us are a flipping school trip! There must be a dozen kids between them! I may cast some condoms nonchalently amongst them on the morrow......but I doubt the Boreen Point store has them.....like mosquito coils.I hope I can sleep tonight after only 3 hours last night....at least the wind has died down and it is cooler so no need for Inconsiderate Darby and Joan to use their generator.

'Oh, what a night!'

8.00 pm.We were in bed but the temperature was still 27 degrees with a 'real feel' of 31 degrees. It was hot and sticky and uncomfortable....plus a couple nearby with a big motor home had their generator going to power their air conditioning.....it was noisy and very inconsiderate. We killed a mosquito that had got in.10.00 pm.Will was asleep.....I had very little battery left on my mobile phone from passing the time using it to surf the internet because I couldn't sleep. I thought the generator had stopped at one point but it started up again about 15 minutes later.......a cycle of 15 minutes off, 15 minutes on started.11.00 pm.I noticed a huge storm way out over the lake and got up to go and watch it. Worried that it might rain I tidied up our camp but could not put stuff into the car because I did not know where the  key was. I had to wake  Will."Will" I hissed.....nothing. "Will"....a bit louder......nothing. "WILL!"........still nothing. I had to shake him awake."Do you want to see this storm?" We both went and watched it on the beach. The mosquitoes swarmed around us in a feeding frenzy. We couldn't stand it. I put all the stuff that we didn't want wet in the car and we went back to bed. We killed two more mosquitoes that had followed us in.12.00 am.The generator and air conditioning whine finally stopped. The temperature was now about 26 degrees and there was a slight breeze blowing. I could hear the mosquitoes whining outside.1.00 am.The wind arrived! It blew the mosquitoes away. It said on my dying phone that gusts up to 60 km were expected. I got up and put everything that could blow away into the car and got back in bed. Not long after the fly sheet half blew off and I dashed up to find the peg and re fix it. I must have slept then for awhile.3.00 am.I woke. Will was asleep. The wind was worse and we were camped right under huge trees.3.30 am.I got dressed. Will woke up. "Will you come and sleep in the car with me?" I was worried about falling branches.He thought I was mad but came with me. We had to rearrange the contents in the back so we could recline the front seats.4.00 am.I was still awake and saw a car slowly creep past.....someone had packed up and was leaving. I think there was a mosquito in the car that had escaped the wind like us7.00 am.I awoke. It was light. Will was asleep. The tent was still there and there was no branch crushing it...but we were still alive.

Coochin and Cootharaba

So.....after we picked up Roxy yesterday at 5.00 we went home and packed up straight away and set off about 6.30 ish on our long weekend away.We stopped for some tea north of Brisbane and then headed on up the Bruce Highway. Will had booked a camping spot at Coochin Creek.We found our spot in the dark and started to set up camp. A group of three lads nearby were caterwauling to the moon and singing to a guitar. It was dreadful.I didn't hear them stop but the next minute they were near us saying "Do you want some help?""No, thanks," we said."Well, you are welcome to share our fire." They said.They went back to their 'wailing'.Our tent was up and we were getting eaten alive by mosquitoes and so as soon as we could we disappeared into our tent to escape.The camp was supposed to be quiet after 9 but they wailed on until 10 but carried on chatting loudly until midnight.All night I could hear the mosquitoes trying to get in and make babies with my blood.I was awakened at first light by the loudest Kookaburra in the World and a whole gathering of chattering Noisy Mynahs.We were up by 8 and had a quick look at the creek. The wailing boys were still asleep.....if only I had had a bugle!