Stradbroke Island Get Away

Still playing catch-up. I probably always will be, but I know I'm not alone in struggling to keep up-to-date with my blog.
So, what about Straddie..... Last year, DH and I spent Easter on the Fraser Coast where we went for a day trip to Fraser Island - the largest sand island in the world.
Back home in Brisbane, we realised we have neglected the two very large sand islands just off our own city -  Moreton and Stradbroke Islands. Neither of us has been to Moreton and we will get there one day. I've been to Straddie in my early teens but only for just one day.
So a three day weekend getaway was proposed. We'll ignore the fact that this weekend was in May and that I'm very late blogging about it.
There is no bridge and that, I think is a good thing. It means a trip on the car ferry. We were first there for our time slot. We weren't just keen, we didn't want to miss it.

 That little, when compared to the trucks, green car top right is ours. There is a lot of sand mining on the island and the trucks belong to that industry. The sand mining is a controversial issue.

 We played tourist, visiting Blue Lake (above) and Brown Lake (below).

Resting Pelicans

 We managed some very long walks. So much for a relaxing weekend sojourn, my Fitbit registered over 18,000 steps each day. I'm the one with the stumpy legs on the left! Things you inherit from grandmother.

We sat here for awhile, watching  what I think is a White-bellied Sea-Eagle.
Click on the photo below and you can see it hunting low over the surf.

 One very high highlight was seeing a pair of dugong (probably mum and bub) grazing very close to shore. According to the locals, this was a very rare sight.  None of the photos in the above sequence are zoomed. The first one shows the little groyne they were in, eating sea grasses (the dark patch in the water). In the other 3, you can just make out the dugong coming up for air. Seeing them was a first for me.

 We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the island. I wouldn't mind returning.

Take care,
Cheryl