After getting into Castaways Resort after it was dark the night before, we awoke to this view the next morning.
Our room was right by the pool and there was a beautiful beach that looked out onto neighboring Dunk Island. The beach was full of sand bubbler crabs that leave the tiny little balls of sand everywhere and it made for some amazing patterns on the beach.
We met a couple at the pool that had a daughter, Eva Grace, who was almost four-years-old. She and Jack started playing right away while we chatted with the parents, Craig and Trudi. They were from a town just south of Mission Beach and had done a similar round-the-world trip before their daughter was born. We hit it off right away and they gave us tons of tips on places to go, things to see, etc.
Our time in Mission Beach was mostly spent by the pool, beach or with our new friends. It’s been great to see Jack interact with the different kids he’s met on the trip. Age and gender don’t seem to matter, which I love, whereas at home he would normally gravitate toward boys who are around his age. He and Eva Grace had a blast running around being little free spirits on the beach! I love this picture because it completely captures what they were doing that afternoon; running around and being happy, carefree and just a little bit crazy!
We asked for a late checkout on our last day there and decided to let Jack and Eva Grace play in the pool while we packed everything up. After a few hours, a late checkout turned into staying another night! Our room was available and we were enjoying our time, so decided to just stay put. We got to enjoy a beautiful sunset and dinner with our friends so it was well worth it!
We finally parted ways with our new friends after three nights. It was so wonderful meeting kindred spirits that we felt like we’d known for ages! It really felt like we were just catching up with old friends for a weekend getaway rather than meeting for the first time. We exchanged information and promised to keep in touch, with hopes that we might even be able to catch up again in the next few days after we headed further south. Craig, Trudi and Eva Grace, we miss you already!!
The Detour Diary 