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Feb 1st - feb already howd that happen?
So I got back from Fraser Island yesterday, had such an amazing adventure filled 3 days its been great! Opted to do a Cool Dingo guided tour rather than self drive, our guide Greg was great! We were in a 40 seater bus and had a very bumpy 3 days .......
29/01/07 - Day 1 We caught the ferry from Kingfisher Bat at 8.45am and headed over to Fraseer Island. The sea was so blue and clear and the sun was scorching already. Along the way we had dolphins swimming right beside the boat and because the sea was so clear got a perfect view of them! First reastion to Fraser was how long it is! Its 123km long and 1600 sq km altogether! Also I was expecting an island just of sand dunes (well it is the largest sand island in the world..) but as we approached the island was covered n forests beyod its sandy shores.
Greg was waiting to greet us off the ferry and gave us a run down of the next few days - sounded great! There were 40 of us all together, all ages and nationalities, was good to be in a large group for a change. We climbed aboard our 4wd bus and were told to prepare for a very bumpy 3 days - not for the travel sick! The 'roads' on fraser island are just sand and have been left to develop naturally so are very uneven and bumpy, made the trip more fun though like being on a ride at the fair! The bus was equipped with ice cold fraser island water (some of purest in world) and we had a supply of fresh fruit and muesli bars to eat too mmm, liking the bus already! We drove through Kingfisher Bay Resort which included a series of eco-friendly cabins, they blend in perfectly with the surroundings and the resort has won lots of awards. Then we entered the main part of the island and Dingo territory. Everyone on the island has to follow strict safety rules regarding dingos, there are fines of you feed them or encourage them in any way. The dingos on fraser island are the purest breed in australia and so are wild in nature and pretty dangerous. If they mix with humans too much they will lose their natural fear of us and could attack people and sites to get food. The strict rules are in place following the death of a toddler a few years back. As soon as we got going we entered the wilderness, surrounded by forests and it was a very bumpy ride, fun though with the occasional scream from the girls at the back of the bus!
Apart from Dingos the other scary thing is the lack of signal or radio contact. When we entered the isle Greg had to tell H.O where we going, times and routes in case we got stuck or lost so they could find us cos there's no contact at all! If anything did happen due to the rough terrain and no contact it would take emergency services hours to get here!
Basin Lake our first stop was a stunning natural lake in the middle of the forest. There are so many beautiful lakes hidden within the island, all naturally formed. This one has sea turtles and other animals in it. We all went for a swim in the cool natural water, enjoying the fact that as it is a lesser known lake we were the only ones there!
Central Station our picnic lunch spot. There used to be a series of train tracks here used for logging and small village too. The introduction of trucks in the 1930s meant there was no need for the tracks anymore or for people to settle there. On our way there we saw the forest surrounding us changing due to the different nutrients in the sand. Fraser island supports many types of forest including eucalyptus and rainforests - dry, cold and sub tropical. Lunch was well received, we were already seeing the benefits of doing a tour rather than self drive. The constant informative commentary gave us a wider knowledge and insight into the island and then there was the yummy free food too!!
Wanggoolba Creek following lunch we walked along this creek through a totally untouched sub tropical rainforest containing some tree and plant species that are only found here in the world! The creek itself was crystal clear with the occasional eel swimming along. The trees were huge and of all shapes and sizes, the largest ferns in the world are here too. As it was a sub tropical forest we were sweating buckets as we made our way through, past the giant satinay trees in Pile Valley, even spotted a guana lizard too! The air con on the bus at the end was a huge relief!
Lake McKenzie can only be described as a little piece of paradise hidden away right here in the depths of the island. The pics I took will not do it justic im sure. An amazing crystal clear pure water and naturally formed lake surrounded by white sand banks and then lush green forest. The water is so clear that it reflects the colour of the sky, we were lucky it was glistening a perfect sky blue. After swimming in the lake we enjoyed our afternoon tea with homemade cakes and cookies, a perfect end to our days activities!
On our way back to the lodge we got stuck behind a car that had got stuck in the sand, just was we towed them out another car drove round us to get by and then he got stuck too! Its a regular occurance on the isle, another bonus of being on a tour, if we get stuck Greg can get us out!
Timber Lodges the lodges we stayed in were so nice, big and modern and surrounded by gum trees and bush plants. Set out like an apartment with seating area downstairs, rooms on upper level and balcony out front. Another reason to do the tour rather than camping with dingos lurking around! We were right next to the Dingo Bar, wooden cabin / bar where we would receive our meals/brekkie and spend our nights chilling out.
31/01/07 Day 2 Had such a good sleep, so quiet and comfortable and our buffet brekkie got us well prepared for the day ahead.
Eastern Beach / 75 Mile Beach Today the eastern beach played a major part in our day as the tide would determine what we got to do and when without getting swept away! The beaches here are recognised as highways with an 80km/hr limit and yes police are there with their zappers! As we drove along we had lush green forest on one side of us and the wild pacific ocean on the other. There was a scenic flight option here over the island which some people went on. There is no swimming allowed in the sea due to the stong current, jellyfish, stingrays and sharks! In fact from here on on north theres no swimming allowed in any of the seas without a stinger suit due to the rays and jellies.
Champagne Pools Located towards the north of the island. We spotted a young female dingo here, unusually alone and not in a pack. In order to get to the natural rock pools filled with bubbling sea water we first had to cross the 'Pit of Despair', a very narrow soft sand filled road where many vehicles get stuck and are unable to go any further. We were told that the previous tour group never made it.... The first big run(drive) up failed and we quickly got lodged in the sand. After reversing out and trying again and again we were losing hope. At this point we were gathered on the sand banks watching Greg trying his hardest to get through (we all got off the bus to lighten the load!) As Greg shovelled away the sand that had half swallowed the tyres, another 4wd made the attempt to get through and failed resulting in all 10 members having to push it out! While that was happening another truck was coming out in the opposite direction and he got stuck too, total carnage!! But Greg wouldnt let the isle beat him and inch by inch the bush groaned forward, with the lads pushing the back end of the bus we made it through with the sound of cheers and applause by all! The champagne pools are sea water pools and when waves break over the rocks it creates a bubbly effect. Again they are formed naturally so are crystal clear and warm. There were lots of fish too that had been swept over the rocks to their new home, the aboriginals used these pools to catch fish. A lot of people got bitten here by giant beasty bugs of the island, some even drawing blood! I was lucky and didnt get bitten at all, in fact all ive suffered since ive been in oz is a minor ant bite, so far anyway .......!!
Indian Head One of the 3 rock formations on the eastern side of the island, this is the most easterly point of fraser island. Named by Capt Cook when he discovered the island in 1770 when he sailed past and saw aboriginals on top of the point (back then aboriginals were known as indians) imagine the shock they got seeing him and his boat, they would never have seen anything like that before! We clmbed to the top of the point and got amazing views back on the island and into the Pacific, saw some rays but no sharks!
Maheno Shipwreck working our way back along the beach trying to beat the incoming tide we stopped at the rusty shipwreck that looks like part of the set from a pirate film! Built in 1904 in Scotland it was aluxury cruise ship from oz to nz. In 1935 it was sold as scrap metal to Japan but on its way it hit a cyclone, drifted for 2 days and landed here. The crew was unharmed and the ship undamaged but they decided to leave it there and auctioned its contents. It has gradually collapsed from the 5 storey ship it was so who knows how much longer it will last!
Eli Creek A pure freshwater fast flowing creek. Went for a paddle along the creek and then enjoyed afternon tea on the sandbanks beore a very bumpy but fun rollercoaster ride back to the lodge and Dingo Bar.
31/01/07 - Day 3
Lake Wabby A natural 'window lake' formed as part of the watertable that is underneath the whole island. Emerald green and full of nutrients and animals including giant catfish! On one side we were surrounded by giant sand dunes and on the other green rainforest. Some of the group sandboarded down the dunes into the rover but we just relaxed in the cool water! From the lookout hidden in the forest you get an amzing view of the lake, ocean, dunes and forest - 4 eco systems all in one! We had a 1/2 hr trek across the massive sand blow back to the bus waiting for us on the beach. The sand was so hot it was burning and as we trekked across it was like being in another world made only of sand!
Eurong Beach Resort An all you can eat BBQ buffet, well deserved after our trekking!
Lake Birrabeen Our last stop! This was very much like Lake McKenzie in every single way apart from one thing, this time we didnt have to share it with anyone! Everyone goes to lake mckenzie so this spot was own own little oasis! The reeds there were home to turtles and a group photo followed by our final afternoon tea was the perfect end to our 3 day trip before getting the ferry back to hervy bay.
A small group of us are staying at the same hostel so we went for an Indian to recap over the past few days. An absolutely amazing experience I will never forget!
xx
* Still struggling to find a comp to get the pics on, bear with me!
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