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Posted on May 20, 2013 July 22, 2014

Filming for the YHA Hostels – Cairns

Hi everyone !

This is the last article about the YHA adventure ! We are now in Cairns which is the last stop of the road trip we started in Surfers Paradise with the six travellers.

So we arrived in Cairns three days ago. The day after was for most of us the most awesome day of that trip : we went sailing, snorkeling and diving in the Great Barrier Reef! We took a big catamaran from Cairns harbor and started sailing for one hour before casting anchor in one of the most beautiful places of the world : there we went snorkeling and 4 of us went diving.

Roi, Yuki, Jonathan and Tobbe ready to go scuba-diving

We discovered the amazing undersea world of the Great Barrier Reef : fishes, jellyfishes, corals, and we even saw a shark ! The guys who went scuba-diving saw a big turtle in the shallows… it was an unforgettable experience for all of us! By moments, it was so beautiful that I was near to tears!

After that, we were offered a delicious and fresh lunch on the boat and recovered our strength before sailing until Michaelmas Cay which is a small sandy island providing shelter for thousands of seabirds! There we went snorkeling again in the paradisiacal turquoise water before coming back to cairns.

This day was awesome! Exhausted by this emotionally charged day, we all went to bed early.

The day after was intense too! Yuki, Tobbe and Roi did a big jungle swing which is a swing through the tree tops of the tropical rainforest! And Jonathan made a bungy jump from a 50 meter tower!

After that, we went to the Kuranda Markets, which is a beautiful village in the rainforest. This market was so nice! The color and the peaceful atmosphere permitted us to relax after that strong-adrenaline morning! There we had amazing burgers for lunch and discussed a lot with the locals: a nice moment for everyone!

Then we went bushwalking until the amazing Emerald Creek Falls! There we swam under the falls and found natural water slides! Funny moment!

Then we got back to Cairns and stopped in a cute harbor to admire the sunset on the sea.

After we went for some beers in a bar near the hostel where a nice music band was playing. The last day of our adventure we said goodbye to Camille who took a flight and came back to Sydney. It was a moving moment for all us as it’s not easy to say goodbye to people you had an amazing time with during more than 2 weeks. Then we went in the Cairns Market where we bought delicious local products before cooking them in the hostel : I think it was the best lunch we had during our trip! On the menu : fresh vegetable salad, fish soup (cooked by Yuki) and fish snapper cooked in the barbecue (by Sam) served with rice (cooked by Roi) and an amazing mix of vegetables (cooked by Alex and Yuki). What a feast !

After that we spent our last afternoon in the swimming pool and Jacuzzi of the hostel with some beers to celebrate the end of our trip, a big party with crazy disguises!

The day after we all said good-bye to each other. That two weeks adventure was awesome! I saw amazing places, I discovered a lot about the Aussie culture and I made fantastic activities!

After one month in Australia, I think it will be hard for me to come back to France! But the adventure is not over, so I will continue writing to you about my travel experiences.

See you later guys !

Marie-Alizé

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Posted on May 20, 2013 July 22, 2014

Filming for the YHA Hostels – Magnetic Island

Hi guys !

After Surfers Paradise, Brisbane, Noosa Heads and Airlie Beach, we have been in the YHA Hostel of Magnetic Island.

Between Airlie Beach and Magnetic Island, we stopped on the road and bought delicious fresh fish in a local shop – yummy!

So we took the ferry from Townsville to join the beautiful and very natural Magnetic Island!

When we arrived on the Island we first went to Geoffrey Bay before settling in the hostel. There a surprise was waiting for us… there were wallabies everywhere!! So we took some food from the cars and we fed them! It was a magical moment!

After that we went to the hostel in the north of the island (in Horseshoe Bay) were we discovered an amazing place : There the rooms are sorts of individual huts surrounded by the rainforest and the wildlife! So we could see wallabies, possums, curlews and other types of insects and animals everywhere, it was awesome! I think this island is the best place I’ve stayed in Australia so far!

The day after, we woke up early to see the sunrise over Alma Bay. We walked up a little bit on the rocks and arrived in an amazing spot where we could admire all the colors of the sunrise on the sea! Australian sunsets and sunrises are the most beautiful ones I have seen!

After that, we went for a bushwalk along the forts walk in the National park , we even saw a cute koala! We walked up to a bunker from World War II and could enjoy a splendid 360° view – this feeling was awesome, I think I could have stayed there for hours!

After that, we came back to the hostel where we cooked delicious burritos! After lunch, we went to the wildlife sanctuary situated in the hostel area where we could hold koalas, turtles, cockatoos, crocodiles, snakes, lizards, and see awful spiders! It was a fantastic moment for all of us (or maybe not for Alex…!)

Camille, Alex and Yuki in the Wildlife Sanctuary

After that unforgettable experience, we went admire the sunset on the West Point (west of the island) and played cricket – this place was particularly amazing! In the background across the sea you could admire the shadows of the mountains! Crazy landscape!

As we were to leave the West Point, Roi played a practical joke on all of us by let us believe that he had suddenly been bitten by a mysterious animal! We all started panicking face to the Sam’s camera, put vinegar on his fake bite and discovered then that it wasn’t serious! How funny is the video! I wish I could show it to you!

It was such a good day!

The day after, we had breakfast in a nice café in near the beach of Horseshoe Bay. After that, each of us could enjoy the day as we wanted – Tobbe, Roi and Jonathan went “exploring” the island while Camille, Alex and Yuki went to the beach and enjoyed the swimming pool of the hostel!

At the end of that day, we stayed on the balcony with the camera in the dark to observe and film the wildlife: we saw wallabies, birds and could film a mother possum bearing/carrying her baby on her back! Fantastic!

Then we enjoyed the Happy Hour in the hostel bar and Yuki, Alex and Camille played a trivial game organized by the hostel and won!

The day after, we had a bush tucker breakfast in the Wildlife sanctuary of the hostel with the crocodile on the table and a snake on the umbrella – crazy moment (but I think Camille didn’t feel so comfortable with a snake over her head whilst drinking her coffee..!)

After that we left the hostel and took the ferry back.

To see more of what happened in Magnetic Island,

WATCH THE VIDEO !

Check out our other videos on the We Travel Co Youtube Page

We are now on the road to Cairns which is the final destination the YHA Road Trip.

See you in my next post!

Marie-Alizé

PS : If you want to see more photos of these three days in Magnetic Island, go on the We Travel Co Facebook page !

Posted on May 16, 2013 July 22, 2014

Filming for the YHA Hostels – Airlie Beach

We are now in Airlie Beach!

After Surfers Paradise, Brisbane, and Noosa, we have been in the YHA Hostel of Airlie Beach which is a city close to the Great Barrier Reef for three busy days!

The trip from Noosa to Airlie Beach was the longest we all did in Australia: 12 hours in the Super Van! But it was a funny trip with car-dancing, stops in unexpected places and a beautiful sunshine!

ontheroad_noosa_airliebeach — Chasing the sun

GOPR1158 — Car dancing with Camille and Roi

On the road, we stopped at the Cedar Creek Falls were Sam and Jonathan jumped from the top under the encouragements of the rest of the group!

After this big driving day we woke up early to go to the Whitsundays Islands for the day: an AMAZING experience in one of the most beautiful region of islands in the world!

To explore the islands we took a giant old sailing boat called the Derwent Hunter! Unfortunately the weather wasn’t great, as you can see in the photos!

Having a good time in the Derwent Hunter

On the boat the We Travel Co travellers have all been very active and help hoisting the sails so thanks to them we arrived safe and sound in a little cove where the Derwent Hunter cast anchor.

Then we all wore wetsuits, tubes and flippers and went snorkeling: it was fully sick! The Great Barrier Reef provides shelter for so many different species of fishes and corals! I think I could have stayed there for hours: what an amazing feeling!

GOPR1127 — Amazing fishes in the Great Barrier Reef

Then we had a delicious fresh lunch on the boat (and in the sun!) prepared by the Derwent Hunter staff before sailing back to Airlie Beach! What an awesome day!

In the hostel we made our traditional We Travel Co meal: Carbonara Pasta!

The day after, we drove around Airlie Beach and discovered beautiful spots where we filmed and took some photos. After a long debate, we decided to buy some sausages and went to Shute Harbour lookout where we had been before to make a barbecue. It was epic!

We started cooking the sausages but it starting raining cats and dogs so we stopped the barbecue and moved to another very special place where we finished cooking on the super van gas cooker. There we met Johnny a sort of “salty sea dog” as Sam called him: a guy living alone in his ran aground ship!

After that epic lunch, we went bushwalking in the Conway National Park and arrived at the Beautiful Coral Beach! On this bushwalk, I met some green ants for the first time: it was horrible! Around 10 of them came on my arm giving me the impression of being electrocute! I still get goose bumps!!

The day after we went to the Airlie Beach market along the beach in the shade of the palm trees and had breakfast there.

After that we came filming around Airlie Beach town and came back to the hostel where a delicious cheese & wine buffet organized by the YHA: a nice occasion to meet other travellers. After that we experienced the Airlie Beach nightlife by hanging out in two different bars where Jonathan and Roi revealed their secret talents of pole dancers!

We are now on the road again to Magnetic Island after these three awesome days!

See you in my next post!

Marie-Alizé

WATCH THE VIDEO !

Check out our other videos on the We Travel Co Youtube Page

PS : If you want to see more photos of these three days in Airlie Beach, go on the We Travel Co Facebook page !