Dreaming of cold water...

After arriving in Townsville I'm told that my hostel is 10 minutes away if your driving, and 30 if your walking "but don't walk it's to hot" the airport shuttle guy tells me. In true Michelle fashion I do the opposite and walk, all in an effort to save money. It's a nice walk and by nice I mean pure torture, I'm acutely aware of the fact that yet again I have packed far to much. Townsville is the largest city in Queensland so I figured there would be a lot to do... turns out I was wrong. I spend my time walking around Townsville, going to the botanical gardens, swimming in the rooftop pool, and enjoying A/C in my very OWN room. The place I'm staying in is set up like a motel but with communal showers and a huge communal kitchen. It's a nice little "community" and many people have been there for long periods of time. After Townsville I take a ferry to "Maggie Island" staying in a 3 bedroom bungalow out in the wilderness. Here and like most places there is a communal kitchen and communal shower/bathroom as we'll as a nice lounging area and of course a pool (every place I've been to has a pool). For the most part I quite enjoy living a more simplistic life having only what I need, I would prefer having someone else carry around my things, but in any case it's liberating. Wondering what's near the top of my list of things I miss? Cold water from a tap. I don't get it Australia why must the water always be warm? I set out to do The Fort's Walk which is "the hike to do" while in Maggie. It's a 4k round trip with the first half mostly ascending. The hike had incredible views of the island, a few WWII artifacts and Koala's UP CLOSE, but sleeping of course. On the way down I met up with an older, Mother Nature loving, Swedish woman who also happened to be staying in my room and a guy around my age from England. The Swedish woman entertained me with her travel and life stories and the English guy and I instantly bonded over being at similar junctures in our lives. At night is when the animals in the wilderness come alive, the birds are squawking, bats are flying (which sounds so creepy) and there's animals running in and out of the bushes. A possum tries to get in our cabin, I think he's cute until I'm told there like rats -and the good feeling is gone. Next on the agenda is Airlie Beach and sailing the Whitsundays.