Magnetic Island to Brisbane

What a contrast again.
After our exciting night at the races, we were given a tour of the island with the manager of our resort. He was able to take us to places that other cars couldn't reach - so to speak. 70% of the island is a nature reserve so there's very little that can be explored anyway. We managed to see some turtles swimming in the bay - from a distance - fed some rock wallabies and saw a small shark grab some bread before the other fish (can't remember what he said they were) could get to them.
For our last night, Pam and I decided to go to the local market. We had been told that it wasn' t very big but probably worth a visit. So off we went with the intention of getting the bus there and then on the same bus as it returned from Horseshoe Bay 45 minutes later. Well we didn't really need 45 minutes. The market was the equivalent of a WI sale of work. The only good stall was the Thai food but we had arranged to meet the men for a Mexican meal and so couldn't even partake of that delight. We then went over the road opposite to where we had been dropped off to logically get the returning bus. However, no one had told us that the bus didn't stop there on the return journey so as it approached, we flagged it down and then watched it drive straight past us. So much for having been told that we could flag them down anywhere and they would stop! A different local person then told us tht they are only allowed to stop at regulation stops or they will get fined. So! There we are - in the dark - expected back by 7.45 and no menas of transport other than to call a taxi - a very expensive taxi s it turned out. We were in luck as one was bringing some other unsuspecting visitors to the market and he was able to take us to meet Stu and Ieuan. The dilemma was should we tell them what had happened and how useless the market had been or should we pretend everything had been great. We decided to be honest which of course gave them something to go on about for the rest of the night.
Anyway, we had a lovely mexican meal watched by several 'possums from the fence above us. If that had been a squirrel in my garden it would have been chased off but as it was a 'foreign' animal,( or am I the 'foreign' animal), everyone was ooing and ahing and taking photos - me included.
Early start on Friday in order to get the plane to Brisbane