July 20th, 2019

These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes, nothing remains quite the same. Buffett said it right in his song released in 1977, Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. Nothing does remain the same. Now if you don’t recognize the song, take time to listen to it. His catchy rhythms and beachy style draws you in, and the lyrics might tie into your story. For me, changes in latitudes makes up the entirety of my current story, travels in Australia. But on a more relevant page, it represents my adventures from Noosa National Park.

I have been settling in Sippy Downs for a week now, and have a pretty good feel of the area and neighboring beaches and shops. Left with no plan for Saturday, my group, of a variety of amazing Europeans, decided to take the bus to Noosa Heads National Park and see what we could find. After almost a two hour bus ride we stopped in town to explore shops and grab a bite to eat. Shortly after grabbing a cheap 7-eleven sandwich, we went to the beach and followed a beautiful, curvy, tree filled boardwalk that lined the shore. It’s wide planks with holes cut in a variety of places let the trees form as part of the walkway. The towering nature led us to our first beach in the national park. It was alright, but to crowded for us, so we continued our walk between the beach and the forest.

As we walked farther down the trail, the amount of people diminished and the views became more stunning. What better combination? Approaching Tea Tree Bay I stopped to take in my surroundings. Standing on a dirt path, I hovered over a cliff side that dropped into an impressive beach setting. Words can only say so much, as the view and feeling in that moment was of indescribable awe.

Continuing the trek towards the Fairy Pools we passed by Granite Bay, which we returned to later that day. When arriving at the Internet famous Fairy Pools, it was crowded with swimmers and Instagramers. As there were several fairy pools, I found myself climbing down to the most empty one. Rock formations formed by the strong ocean waters, tide poured in and flowed out of the elegant structures. Filled with a soft blue green water I could understand why this was such a popular destination.

Yes, the Noosa coastal trail continues. Headed to our ending point, we followed the cliff side, overlooking a pod of dolphins in the waters below. Reaching our turn around point, Hell’s Gate, we overlooked the long and powerful Alexandria Bay. Simply beautiful.

After all this walking, we decided it was time to jump in the water. Making our way back to Granite Bay we laid out our things, as the beach was mostly empty, with a surfers in near waters. We snacked on a papaya that my German friend brought, then jumped into the waves. The shallow beach stretched out farther than expected, as I walked out to the waves. I tried to catch large enough waves for body surfing, and found my self riding some to shore and getting tumbled plenty. It was an odd feeling standing so easily while tall waves came over you. It would be the perfect place to practice surfing. After my friends and I splashed in the waters, we started our travels back into town to catch our bus home.

Noosa has given me another memory to smile back on as I move forward, changing my latitudes and attitudes once again, heading back down to the Sippy Downs. With University starting this week, and so many more places to explore, Jimmy’s lyrics blend into my story again. “There’s just too much to see waiting in front of me, and I know that I just can’t go wrong.” The courses I will attended will expand my knowledge and studies, help form new connections with a variety of people, and my location will allow my adventures to continue. As long as I keep my head straight, and a smile on my face, I just can’t go wrong.