The outside loo of 1770

John, Val and Adam arrived on 31^st Jan in the nick of time to celebrate Adam’s birthday. Matt and I made two birthday cakes, the first having had a nasty accident and ending up as the taste test.

After a few days of R&R in Brisbane, we set off on our road trip to Gladstone, for the boat to Heron Island.

First stop was Noosa for a spot of body boarding and some wildlife watching. After a disappointing lack of dolphins on the, normally-marine-life-abundant coastal path we headed back to the car only to run into our first wild Koala bear. He was sitting high up in the top of a gum tree, we wouldn’t have noticed him if the eagle – eyed locals hadn’t spotted him.

Koalas are great creatures; they sleep for up to 20 hours a day because the only thing they eat, gum leaves, are so poisonous sleeping is the only way their systems can cope. I wonder why no koala has ever said, “hey guys, let’s try some of that nutritious and poison-free grass over there?” Maybe they like the challenge…or the sleeping?

After the excitement of our first Koala, we went back to the apartment and cooked up a seafood storm of prawns, barramundi and sardines on the barbie.

After 2 days in Noosa, we headed north to 1770. Driving through Gympie, we were pulled over and given a speeding ticket by the nicest man in the world. He was so nice, that even Matthew, who was charged $115 for the pleasure of meeting him, thought that he was a thoroughly decent chap.

We arrived mid-afternoon in 1770 after obeying the speed limit for the rest of the 5 hour journey and being serially overtaken by angry Aussies in big, fat cars. Matt had found the place we were staying on the internet. It was advertised as having an outside toilet and being Balinese-influenced, making it an obvious choice.

What we found was an amazing place, completely made from wood, with turrets and a large balcony, complete with Buddhas and wind chimes, overlooking the bay that Captain Cook sailed into in 1770 ( hence the name).

The Balinese hut massage parlour in the garden doubled as an outside loo – a sort of Bali meets Burnley affair – very ‘East meets West’.

The massage temple....

And the loo....

We had a refreshing swim in the pool and then watched the sunset (1770 is one of only a few places on the east coast mainland where it’s possible) whilst drinking stubbies.

Matt, Adam and I slept in a bunk room above the kitchen, accessible only by a wooden ladder, which made visiting the outside Balinese-temple toilet an interesting midnight excursion.

We had to leave 1770 early the next morning unfortunately, leaving no time for a Kahuna massage in the loo.

Back on the road, we stopped at a tiny hamlet for petrol, the owner, who had obviously never been to Yorkshire, took one look at John and, referring to his milky complexion cried, ‘where the bloody hell d’ya get those legs?’ John told him that he’d brought them with him and we set off on our way to Gladstone.