So here we are again...

…back at Toogoolawah. We get back early evening and the place is deserted as everyone has obviously gone to the pub, so we settle down to an evening of foosball, supping the remaining beer and wine we’ve got from the trip to Fraser. Halfway into the third game Rob glances up at me and immediately freezes. “Don’t move, you’ve got a Huntsman on your head” ( a Huntsman is a spider which can get bigger than your hand and although not deadly can give a particularly painful bite). I’m not convinced it isn’t a wind-up even when Laura backs him up, until with a swipe with my flipflop (aka thong) rob bats it off my head and onto the floor where he stamps on it immediately. A relative baby by huntsman standards its probably not much bigger than an inch but its still a bit of a shock anyway, I think Shaz with his arachnophobia is affected more than me.

The “learning curve camp” is set to start the next week so later that night we get the first arrivals who have travelled all the way from Nagambie near Melbourne. The next morning we are subjected to something akin to alcoholics anonymous meeting as we each in turn have to stand up and give our name, jump experience and what we aim to get out of the week. It’s a bit awkward, but funny nonetheless and at least we get to know the small crowd that have turned up from the offset. Tom and Leila had completed their AFF the week before so Leila was raring to join in the camp too. (Unfortunately for Tom drunken escapades to celebrate qualifying had led him to do a naked flare run and he’d burnt his finger pretty badly in the process, so badly in fact that he had to undergo a skin graft on it later that week.) One great thing to happen as part of the camp was that all the landings were filmed and then debriefed at the end of the day. Of course if you know you’ve fallen over earlier in the day you are cringing by the evening as your moment of shame is played back but it was all done in good humour. The only person who didn’t seem able to take it was one of the organisers. He had been giving the debrief all week and was only too quick to criticise if he thought someone was deliberately aiming to get close to the camera and look cool on purpose. On the final day he did exactly that and managed to actually collide with Emma who had been doing the videoing all week. Fortunately neither of them was badly hurt but he then left before giving the debrief that evening…hmm…

The usual occupation of watching videos continued whenever we got a rain shower and Zoolander took on cult status. People were being asked for “Blue Steel” or “Magnum” poses and the evening video was played to a chorus of “That Rob Simpson, he’s so hot right now”. They even had a “walk-off” to celebrate the end of the camp, which Wayno and Suzie rightfully won with their costumes and synchronised “going monk”. (You’d have to watch it to understand… or maybe do what we did and watch it about ten times in a week…)

All during the week of the camp Rob and I had been beavering away making a proper bed for the camper van (or should I say, Rob had been beavering and I’d been gophering), we’d acquired some wood largely for free from the timber yard, the only planks we paid for being for the top where we wanted to assure that everything was on a level. By the weekend the bed was complete and we were ready to do a more extensive tour of Australia, or at least Queensland.

Fraser Island

The best laid plans are rarely followed and before we know it Shaz and Andy are coming along as well. Oh and then Laura and Glen, oh and we’ll meet up with Claire, Sarah and Silver at Rainbow beach. We get there quite late on so decide to stay the night, arrange 4x4s in the morning and get the ferry across to the island later. Silver lets us know that Monkey, Sean, Carole, Scotty and Cecilia are arriving first thing too, so what was a quiet time away is becoming anything but. A few beers and a bbq by the beach and we crash out in the vans for the night. 4am and a loud banging on the van doors rudely awakens us “Can’t you buggers read?!” Apparently we’ve parked up in a no camping area, so we’re moved on and 2minutes down the road we resettle for a couple more hours kip.

The hot sun on the van has us all up early and we grab a shower on the beach and a spot of breakfast before arranging the 4x4s. Two 5 seater pick-ups should do the trick as the other guys have their own cars. A whopping $1000 deposit which we lose if they get covered in salt water, plus the knowledge that if we damage the cars at all we’re not covered for their $40000 value means we’re going to have to be careful. The tides are such that we can’t go across on the ferry until 2pm anyway so we stock up on firewood and food in town and laze out on the beach waiting for the ferry across to the island, enjoying a spot of cricket and frisbee.

Fraser Island is a National Park, it has no roads only sandy tracks and a long 75mile stretch of beach up the east coast is the main route for travelling up the island. The high tides mean this is only going to passable early morning and late afternoon so we plan our stay accordingly. The other guys are happy to stop early up the island but we press on pass an old shipwreck on the beach called Maheno and north up to Cathedral beach, then back track and go inland up to Lake Allom. Lake Allom is situated in the middle of dense rainforest up some steep sandy tracks, as we bounce along we get our first taster of just why they only allow 4x4s on the island. Settled at the campsite (for campsite read clearing in the wood, with two picnic tables and a couple of peat toilets). The Lake is somewhat disappointing being surrounded in reeds, but the little heads of turtles poking up out of the water are a wonderful sight. Silver gets on with cooking pasta for 9 people in two very small pans i.e. 3 lots of 3 lots of pasta, then we all settle down in the dark of the woods. Before long, every snap of a twig is interpreted as a dingo or a wombat and we all on the edge of our seats. A bizarre game of ghost stories then starts with each person carrying on from the last and just telling a little bit of the story. Very very funny and we wished we’d captured it on video.

The next day the other guys meet up with us, still up from partying the night before, we let them know our plans but I think they need a more restful day and head back down to the beach. Our day is spent bouncing round the tracks and walking to a couple of lakes which again prove a little disappointing due to all the reeds. Mid afternoon we’re back on the beach and up at Eli Creek, a fantastic freshwater creek where we can wade up the creek then allow the flow of it to carry you back down to the beach, great exercise and really refreshing, just a few too many people. It doesn’t stop everyone coming up with the highly entertaining game of snatch kicking though... We find the others camped just down the beach so pitch our tents with them and join them round a campfire for dinner and more ghost stories.

The day dawns bright and beautiful and I manage to watch the sunrise over the sea through the door of the tent. We amble up to Eli Creek and have the pleasure of it all to ourselves for an early morning dip. There aren’t any showers around so this is as close as we get to it and its bliss. Aware that the tide is coming in we set off back down the beach and pick up breakfast at Happy Valley before setting off inland again to Lake McKenzie, probably the most famous of the lakes on the island and duly so. Glorious white sandy beaches and clear sparkling turquoise waters. We swim then sun ourselves for a while, we’re lucky to be there quite early so have a huge stretch of beach to ourselves. Rob digs a “mantrap” and we half bury rob in it then break off for some noodles for lunch. Only bad thing about the place has to be the flies. Huge horse flies that really sting when they bite so we all take on a customary dance flicking at ourselves and one another, their only saving grace that they don’t leave an itchy bite behind. From McKenzie we move on to Lake Wabby. Quite a substantial walk (well ,about 4km) from the carpark you get a taster about 1.5km in as from a lookout in the trees you can see the vast sand dune leading down to the bight azure waters. The sand, when you get down to it, is red hot and we all fly down the steep banks and into the cool waters. A lot steeper and deeper than McKenzie the lake is more private and with the impressive dune overlooking it seems all the more beautiful. More swimming and lazing and we’re back off through the forest to the cars. A combination of frequent safety meetings and DJ Ritchie’s Equinox CD (track 6 specifically) mean the progression along the sandy tracks is taken more confidently and we fly back to the beach in no time at all, back up for a dip at the creek and a bbq on the beach again.

Our last day on the island and we head to central station, famed on postcards for Wanggoolba creek, a lush rainforest creek. We walk around it then set off through the forest to basin lake. This must be one of the better kept secrets on the island as a 3km walk takes you to a beautiful lake surrounded on all sides by white sandy beach and then rainforest. We enjoy having the place to ourselves before setting off to Lake Birrabeen for lunch. Birrabeen seems to be a favourite with tour buses, I guess though being more accessible and having acres of beach due to it being so shallow in slope into the lake. A final push takes us down onto the beach where we have to make it down to the bottom of the island to catch the ferry back to the mainland. The tide has only been going out for an hour or so and when we near the bottom of the island we’re left with a dilemma. We can see where the ferrys are coming across to the island but the tide is still too far in for the cars to safely get round without being in the salt water. Rob and I walk round to check the route and are followed back by a dingo to where the others are questioning some people in a truck about to take the pass. We call the car hire guy and he lets us know we’ve 10mintues to get the last ferry so we decide to make a run for it and get there just in time for the last ferry to arrive and take us away.

We swap the cars back in for the vans and Silver and the girls head off straight away to have a night of comfort back at their adoptive parents. We head back out to the beach for one last campfire before heading back to the DZ the next day, with plans to meet the girls at the Zoo en route.

"Rippa!" Australia, Steve Irwin style

After a quiet night on the beach and a campfire we wake pretty early and get on our way. Our rendezvous with the girls planned for the Australia Zoo around lunchtime. Arriving more or less the same time, (although the girls are more fresh and clean smelling admittedly), we go in and plan our afternoon.

First on the list is the feeding of the crocs, with a clear demonstration of just how fast those buggers can go when they want food. Our appetites wetted we trough down some food of our own then explore the rest of the park. The roos are remarkably tame allowing you to get right up close and stroke them, the koalas are similar although their long claws are quite intimidating for such placid looking creatures. A tour of the emus (don’t run because you might frighten them?), the birds of prey being fed (including an eagle that couldn’t fly because some stupid people had found it as a baby and kept it in a box for 5 years so its wings had never been able to stretch out), the Tasmanian devils, dingoes, deadliest snakes, reptiles (with a multitude of iguanas, water dragons and skinks), other assorted birds (including huge ones that could kill you – can everything over here kill you?) and even some incredibly playful otters, we were about “australia’d” up. A last goodbye to Silver and the girls and we pushed back on “home” to Toogoolawah.

Nox Detox

We decide to stay on at Toogoolawah for a while as a jump course from the British army is due to start the next week and besides we have some jump tickets left over so it would be rude to go just yet. We settle into a pattern of jumping in the morning (up early as the sun heats you up in the caravan like an oven), then bouncing rain in the afternoon so off into town to the café for thickshakes and to pick up some videos for an afternoon/evening of watching videos. Much the same can be said when the army guys arrive, giving one of their instructors Aidy a bit of a shock as he didn’t expect to see quite so many familiar faces so far from home. Eventually after being on the DZ for 4 weeks we decide its about time we got “off drops”. First of all we need to acquire some transport, so after a lift in the crab wagon into Brisbane, we leave Andy wandering round the art museum and venture off round the shops, spending more time in search of a “bop-it” game which the ozzies don’t seem to have heard of. Finally we go out in search of a van, look over a few “wicked” campers with their lurid paintwork and unfortunately leaky engines and cracked windscreens before spotting an ad for a van at a garage some way out of town.

We pick Andy up and head off to the garage, they have a couple of vans available but time is getting on, so we send Andy and Shaz homeward, figuring we can always stay for the night with Rob’s friend Howard if push comes to shove. The garage owner lets us borrow a car while we go get a bite to eat and think it over and we decide that the more expensive van is the way for us to go, even though it doesn’t leave us much to fit it out with (it’s a bare van with nothing inside). Returning back to the garage its getting on and Howard isn’t answering our calls so we’re thinking we’ll have to taxi it back into town for a hostel which is a long trip. We can’t take the van as it need a new rego which we can sort out in the morning. The garage owner very kindly says we crash out in the house on the back of the office, where he had been living until quite recently so a bed and bedding was still there. With the company of two friendly cats we think it’s the ideal solution and we’re locked in for the night. Before long Rob looks down at his feet however and notices little black specks, I examine mine and sure enough they are covered right up to half way up my shins and calves. Fleas. We’re being bitten all over. More frantic ringing round, its past 9pm but there is no way we can sleep here, if we lie down we’re likely to get bitten all over. Finally Rob manages to find a motel down the road and a taxi firm that will take us there. We get there after 10, our skin crawling and get a much needed shower before bagging up all our clothes to be washed at the earliest opportunity.

Next day we make our excuses about Rob’s allergy to cats as to why we didn’t stay the night, pick up the van and get a new rego. We pass a furniture place and come away with a mattress, a table and four chairs for less than 50bucks (20 quid), bargain! We can manage with the mattress on the floor for the moment, we’ll build a bed later when we’ve been away for a week as its about time we had some proper time off drops and Rob and I plan our trip the following Monday to Fraser Island.

Equinox 2004

The day of the boogie arrives and we’re introduced to all the load organisers and other staff. We’ve already met a few, Susie, Macca’s daughter and editor of the Ozzie skydive mag, Wayno, her fella with 9000 jumps, he’s already given me some 1 on 1 canopy coaching and promises to do some great video work during the boogie. Amy, ex- sugar gliderz, I met in Arizona and again in Brazil is gonna be doing some FF stuff and are very own George is doing some atmonauti. Crikey is doing tracking and big way FF as is Scotty and there are loads of flatty organisers too, including Luke who seems to prefer to jump with his clothes off, something that Shaz can’t wait to join in with. So ensues a week of crazy jumping, great entertainment (see Herman and the bongo guy out by the pool every evening, followed by DJ Ritchie laying down some great sounds into the night). Not forgetting of course the raffle every night, with me being jammy enough to win a custom jumpsuit which with any luck will be ready by Christmas, nice pressie for me!

The days fly by and we meet some more of the locals, Ian, Blakey, Coombesy, Ryan, Lito, Pizza, Freydos, Daniel, Carole, Monkey the list goes on and on. Even Rob’s friend Howard, from back home who he hasn’t seen since the last Nox (owing largely to the fact he now lives in Brisbane!) Shaz and Rob opt for the Nox haircut and give each other mohicans and then go round gathering others to succumb to the same. The talent competition sees Amy giving a jaw dropping performance with a hula hoop while some other poor girl tries to get everyone to join in with a song from her childhood that unfortunately no-one knows, cue tumbleweed blowing across the stage. Shaz fails to get on the world record nudy way but has a good time trying, we all skip out the back of the skyvan hand in hand, the chicks get some coaching off Amy and I take my first dock head down. Before we know it the last load has gone up, the last tune has been played and the majority of the 400 strong crowd has departed again.