Right back to the blog! Despite our recently up to date entry we will endeavour to fill in the gaps that are still blank! So here it goes.............
We booked into Koala hostel in Hervey Bay for a few nights, which is just north of the Sunshine Coast. We met up with our group for orientation the day before leaving for Fraser Island. We had a great mix of people, not too many wanting to drive though! Myself and J and two others reluctantly put our names down. The more the tour operators talked us through how to drive the 4WD through creeks and soft sand, about when to be in 2WD and when to use 4WD, air pressure and gear changes the more my head spun! In the end James did all the driving for the three days! Lucky for us he was really enjoying it and so those of us tentative about it managed to avoid it! It was a massive vehicle that held ten of us! There are so many things that can go wrong on the island as the video they showed pointed out to us! It brought back a few memories of bouncing around in our 4WD in Mongolia.
Our group was made up of a girl from London (Annie), an English couple from Torquay (Peter and Alice), two guys from Stockholm (Markus and Mikael), a Toronto lady (Stacey) and two French sisters from Biarritz (Laura and Amber). All ten of us got on great. I really enjoyed being with a group of people again. James and I had gotten so used to each other that we had forgotten what it was like to be part of a big group, socially it was great. The Swedes in particular were the funniest and kept everyone amused for the few days. They were both drummers and very musical so they were constantly singing or making music no matter what they were doing. They both had really red hair and so everyone either thought they were brothers or that they were Irish. I've never seen two boys such good mates. It took a few moments to realise they weren't taking the proverbial and were just genuinely nice boys.
The two French sisters were divas and a little wet behind the ears. However I suppose they were a few years younger than the rest of us and obviously were used to having someone do everything for them. They never cooked or cleaned the few days we were together. They emerged late from their tent every morning just after we 'd all finished and washed up, with their make-up on and looking for something to eat. Poor old Pete must have had a soft spot for them, as one morning we caught him washing dishes for them whilst they stood and watched. They were a little helpless God love them! But having said all that they were nice girls and too many cooks spoil the broth!
The first morning before we left we were up at 6am packing the jeeps, getting more info and safety advice from the hostel staff about our vehicles and the island itself. There was a convoy of three 4WD's going from our hostel so we all set off together to catch the ferry, rumbling down the esplanade towards River Heads ferry point. It was a quick 40 minute journey across and as you would expect there was plenty of other groups from other hostels all packed on to the ferry. I had a feeling it was gonna be a big night! With thirty from our hostel and all the other jeeps on the ferry able to fit at least ten people there was a big group about to land on Fraser!
The first stop was Central Station on the island, there was nowhere to swim so we decided to keep going. A wrong turn out from there meant J had to turn the jeep around and inevitably it got caught in soft sand! We were only thirty minutes on the island at this point and all of us were out of the jeep digging with the shovel (provided!) and our hands and pushing the jeep while J revved. It was a pretty funny experience. It also meant that our group bonded straight away, we all had to get stuck in. From then on any time the jeep got stuck it was a team effort to get it going again. The sand was soo hot it was burning our feet. There is nothing quite like getting a two tonne 4WD vehicle stuck in the sand to bring a group together! A couple of us got covered in sand from the back wheels spinning, so by the time we reached Lake Birrabeen we were ready to jump into the water to cool off.
I think for all of us this was one of our favourite spots on the island. It was well and truly worth the wait,a short trail brought us through some woods and then the lake emerged in front of us. Blue sparkling waters and white sands, absolutely beautiful. The two other groups from our hostel were drying off just as we arrived screaming and running towards the water, wondering what had taken us so long. So we splashed about for awhile before me and a few other sensible ones got concerned about tide times and our proven track record of driving and decided to get moving again.
Onwards to Lake Boomanjin, this time no hassle getting there. To be fair here James was great it was the nine navigators shouting which way to go was what got us stuck in a rut the first time time!
Lake Boomanjin was very unusual, it had tea-coloured water. It felt like swimming in a cup of tea, or blood depending on your imagination! It looked like the kind of water you'd imagine a crocodile to emerge from, myself and the girls managed to spook oursleves enough that we didn't spend a whole lot of time there!
From there it was 10.5km to Dilli Village which was the entry point onto Seventy-five Mile Beach on the east coast of Fraser. Up until now all the swimming spots were fresh water lakes that we had passed traversing the island. Some of you probably know you can't swim off Fraser Island what with killer currents and man-eating sharks waiting for you!
Once we got onto the beach it was less bumpy and the sand is hard so we were able to fly along the shore to Cornwell's Campground and get there just before 5pm. The speed limit on the beach is 80 km/p/hr which feels pretty fast, and if you hit even the smallest mound of sand, well suffice to say our petit Canadian was lifted off her seat a few times!! Shotgun was definitely the best seat in the jeep! Also any dreams you may have of speeding through the water along the shore are squashed as any traces of salt water on the vehicle means loss of deposit - something none of us were willing to risk.
The first night was great we pitched or tents and got cooking. Within no time the beer and goon was flowing. We had a big BBQ and proceeded to drink the night away as the sun set. It was pretty idyllic surroundings. I saw one dingo that night lurking around the campsite but he did not come too close. Everyone is warned to stay well away from them (not that everyone adheres to that) as they can be quite vicious. A tragic event occurred a few years ago where a five year old boy was killed by being mauled to death by a dingo (hence "dingo ate me baybeee!". So we were warned to stay in groups at all times. I didn't need to be told twice!
It wasn't long before James had the guitar out and all thirty of us were gathered around a couple of flashlights singing under the stars. It was a great night.
The following morning due to tides we couldn't make a move till nearly noon. It was just as well because there were a few sore heads. Waking up in a tent with a hangover and sand everywhere, no showers and minmal drinking water was not fun. But we made do. Stacey and Alice made about thirty sandwiches that morning. Pete was up at the crack of dawn cleaning our jeep (bless). He andAlice had a giant huntsman on their tent the previous night, and lets just say they like spiders as much as I do. The two French divas emerged just as everything was packed away with make-up on and looking for breakfast. Mais parfait!
As soon as it seemed safe to go we headed north to Indian head. This is a rocky headland at the far north east corner of Fraser, and it gives the most fantastic view back down Seventy-five Mile Beach and out to sea. From the top we could see tiger sharks swimming below and turtles too. It was amazing. I couldn't believe I was standing on a desert island surrounded by dangerous undertows and man-eating sharks, it was nuts.
From there we went back towards camp taking in the main sights as we drove. First stop was the Pinnacles which are coloured sands on a cliff face, about as exciting as they sound. Next up was the Maheno shipwreck which is really impressive. It ran aground in 1935, and all that's left of it now is it's rusty skeleton but still a fascinating sight. The last main stop of the day was at Eli Creek. The creek runs right out onto the beach and into the ocean forming a fairly big washout but luckily that day it wasn't too high and so we were able to get across it hassle free. The attraction with Eli is that it's only about knee deep so we all waded upstream as far as allowed and then you lie on your back and the swift current carries you the whole way back to the beach. It was great craic! The water is crystal clear and I remember floating by frangipani flowers as the water carried me downstream, with big droopy trees hanging overhead. Like a bunch of kids we all lay on our backs and attempted to race each other downstream with hilarious consequences. After all that excitement we sat on the beach and had a late lunch. A magic day.
That evening before dinner a group of us took a stroll down the main beach and the sunset was pretty spectacular a whirl of pinks and orange. Fraser is a very special place. More drinking and eating resumed the second night but nothing too crazy as we were up at 5.30am the next morning in an effort to be the first at Lake Wabby.
The walk to Lake Wabby makes it even more intriguing. It takes about thirty minutes to walk through the woods to the lake, coming up to each bend I was hoping I was going to catch a glimpse of this mysterious lake hidden away in the depths of the island but oh no each turn in the path leaves you guessing as to what it's going to look like. In the end there is no notice, I quite literally came upon it. The trees cleared suddenly and there it was smack in front of me. I was walking on my own at this point and James had got there ahead of me and was in the water. It was a breath-taking sight. To my right was a massive sand dune down which a couple of our group were barrelling and then there's Wabby not very wide surrounded on all sides by a forest. Not a very big lake but the deepest on the island at 11 metres. Lake Wabby in fact won't be there in two years because of the encroaching sand dune. I've since seen an aerial photo and the dune is massive. It's quite literally a large wall of sand right up to the lakes edge. I couldn't help have another 'moment' where I felt so blessed to have visited this place and seen it in all its' glory.
Onwards to Lake McKenzie! I know it may seem all we did is drive from lake to lake or to creek and so on and that is because that is quite literally how you spend your days on Fraser. The lakes are the main sights because they are so spectacular. I for one have never seen lakes like them. Plus if you get a few steamy days like we did all we wanted was to be in the water. We spent the three days covered in sand dying to reach the next lake to jump in and cool off. It was a pretty great way to spend a few days. We were really lucky with the weather I guess it can make or break it.
Lake McKenzie is reputedly the most beautiful lake on the island and probably the most visited. We got there early enough certainly before the main crowds arrived and they did come in droves towards lunch time just as we were leaving it was getting pretty packed. It is a beautiful spot no doubts about it but just alot more people. James and I had Santa hats which we donned for a few pictures in this tropical setting. All of us in the group were from the Northern hemisphere and so finding the warm weather a little strange so close to Christmas. I couldn't believe it was the 16th of December. Normally this time of year I'm stressed up to my eyeballs in a busy pharmacy and wondering who's presents I yet have to get. It was bliss to be sitting on an island with my bum on the warm sand and my legs in the water just enjoying the view. We all kinda sat there on the shore line just taking it all, everyone discussing their various plans for the future. Everyone with one thing in common not wanting to go home and wanting to prolong living this beachy life for as long as possible. There we were on a Tuesday morning about 11am bobbing in the tropical blue waters of Lake McKenzie looking at the white sands and green forest backdrop and laughing at the brilliance of it all!
However James and I had nothing to complain about our next stop was the Whitsunday Islands. Before leaving Fraser we had a final barbie. We were joined by a rather large cheeky iguana who was not taking no for an answer. Stacey provided the entertainment en route to the ferry point. She consumed the last of our goon at lunch and then proceeded to giggle and hiccup her way along the bouncy roads back before falling asleep on the ferry.
We arrived back pretty pleased with how everything had gone, all quite tired and seriously in need of showers! We had a farewell meal and drinks that night back in the hostel before saying our goodbyes.
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