By Erik Skye

January 13, 2011:

It was the middle of the night, and I was asleep in the car. I heard something above me and started to wake up. I became aware there was an animal inside with me. I opened my eyes, turning my head, and saw the silhouette of a little creature. I jerked my head and body away, and just as I did this, the creature leapt to where my face had been a split second earlier. I climbed to the far side of the car and assumed the defensive fetal position while peering back to look for motion.

I got out of the car, found my flashlight (aka "torch"), and started gingerly picking-up my personal items to be shaken outside the car. Then I finally saw it clearly. It was a beautiful green frog with little suction cup finger tips. It must have gotten in a couple hours earlier, through the cracked-open window. I found some of it's prints in the dust on the outside of the car. It had been stalking me as I slept, apparently. I barely escaped, and was only a little traumatized.

Today I made my way from Gladstone to Noosa Heads, which is at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast. Brekky in Gladstone consisted of a fritter (containing roast lamb, tomato, onion, and capsicum) and Bircher muesli (saturated) covered in berry compote (and of course with a long black). Absolutely delicious! Then I was off to the south to see about transitioning the major flood-effected zones of Bundaberg and Gympie.

I went horseback riding in Bororen.

I stopped for lunch in Gin Gin (a delicious meat pie) and to use the library internet. I had to wait about 10 minutes for the computer, so I decided to use the librarian Robyn as a therapist. I told her all about my little frog episode, which sparked a bigger conversation about frogs and toads in general. Another nice gentleman joined in. I pulled up photos of these creatures on my camera’s image viewer while Robyn pulled out a book on frogs. My little menace turned out to be a simple Green Tree Frog. I swear that frog was anything but simple though – I think it had a logical brain and a will (I could tell by the way it looked at me, and the way it postured and moved). It wanted me for some purpose.

Getting past Bundaberg was not an issue. It wasn’t until Gympie that I detected major flood effects. The Mary River had absolutely slammed this area. The main highway south was flooded with water, but a detour to get around was just opened. However, the road signs weren't clear to me, and I quickly became lost. I stopped for directions at a butchery and was provided with a great map, which got me through perfectly (thanks mates). As I made my way south of Gympie, there were areas that clearly showed water marks in trees and fields to easily be 6 or 7 meters higher than the driving surface I was on (and the Mary River was still in flood stage). I was fortunate to get through.

I’m in Noosa Heads now. “Noosa” is the name of the general area and “heads” are when rock outcrops along the shore project out into the surf. Noosa Heads, like all of the Sunshine Coast, is a premier vacation destination. I’m back in the land of Tommy Bahama's. But unlike Northern Queensland (i.e. Port Douglas & Cairns), they openly swim in the ocean this time of year. In fact, it looks like in addition to visiting city dwellers that there’s also a surfing culture here. I was talking with an Aussie on one of the heads, and he told me good surf was coming in. It might have been 1-1/2 meters. I didn't tell him what I've seen in Hawaii.

I’ve heard an Aussie use the term “Fair Dinkum” twice now, in normal conversation. It means “true” or “genuine”.

Anna Bligh is the Queensland Premier. I’ve been listening to her address the public regarding the flooding. She’s doing an awesome job. There won't be any flooding here on the Sunshine Coast. But I'll see Brisbane first hand in a day or two.

Apparently, some teenagers were spotted riding logs down a flooding river.

I am surprised about this. But I am not seeing rednecks in Queensland. I was led to believe Queensland was full of them. (I believe Northern Territory is though.)

Here's my latest song pick for ya: Robbie Williams - Better Man