We got to a park and from there the trail led to the main street full of cafes, shops and other nice shops. We did some browsing and a bit of shopping.
We headed back to Noosaville and took a drive along the waterfront where we had walked last night. We continued on to the marina at Tewantin where we did a bit more shopping and had a late morning latte at a cafe.
Some well fed pelicans...
It was now time to get back on the highway to head north to Bundaberg, our destination for tonight. The nice four lane motorway we had been travelling soon turned into a two lane highway with the odd passing lane. This is the Bruce Highway, the main coastal route to Cairns. The traffic was light and we were able to make good time.
We stopped at a little town called Childers to stretch our legs and get some lunch. This is a sugar cane town with agricultural roots. We were shocked to see that the Islamic State (ISIS) had established a stronghold in Australia here. They have a cultural centre, a library, a government office, a soldier's headquarters, a hardware store and they even have a bar with pokies...
Leaving town, we passed the ISIS golf course!
We arrived in Bunderberg in time to visit the home of Bunderberg Rum. We got on the last tour of the day and enjoyed the look around the distillery and some sampling at the end. No photos of the distillery because they do not allow anything with a battery (including a wristwatch) in the premises for fear of a spark igniting the fumes. Apparently the place has burned down twice in its 126 year existence. They certainly have a good product. The reason the distillery is here is the abundance of sugar cane farms in the area. As far as the eye can see, there are cane farms. They love the volcanic soil.
After checking into our motel and a quick supper, we were off to Mon Repos Conservation Park. One of the few nesting sites for the loggerhead turtle.
We weren't sure what to expect but were told to go there last night by some folks we met from Bunderberg. The most amazing thing! We were guided by a park ranger down onto the beach after dark and were able to watch about 100 Loggerhead turtles emerge from their nest on the moonlit beach and make their way to the sea. We were not allowed to photograph them emerging but I was able to find this youtube video of a similar emergence from the sand. http://youtu.be/MRrJ2B1nLzM
Usually the turtles wait until the sand cools after dark to emerge so they are not attacked by predatory birds or dehydrate due to the heat of the day.
Between the nest and the water's edge Chris and I had the chance to guide them to the sea using our flashlights as they ran between our legs. Only a small percentage will survive to return in 25 - 30 years to nest on this same beach! The ranger did let us take photos of one of the little guys. A remarkable experience on a beautiful night.
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