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Day 81- We checked out first thing and as expected the bus to Hervey Bay was an hour late so arrived around 2pm. The hostel picked us up and we were staying at Flashpackers. Its like 'glamping' for backpackers. All this means is that you get clean crockery and an amount of utensils which allows you to cook something other than noodles. After some research we caught the hostel shuttle and got off at the supermarket to get something for tea. We waited for the shuttle to come back and when he did, there was only one space left- considering he knew fine well how many people (4) he dropped off, so he said he'd be 5 minutes and come back for us. 40 minutes had passed so we came to the conclusion he either forgot or couldn't be bothered. So we decided to walk which took us 45 minutes and when we got back I asked him if he forgot, to which he replied 'sorry i cant hear you', Eve repeated and he tried to pretend he didnt know what was going on. After a minute or two of him flapping I simply said it was not good enough and he didn't offer anything as an apology other than his ramblings so we walked away fuming knowing there is nothing we could do apart from sulk. So we just got on with it and made stir fry and were looking forward to the next day. He tried to apologise again saying we should have rung him but we didn't know the phone number but it was beside the point so we weren't happy to say the least.
Day 82- Up nice and early our bus turned up at 7.30 on the dot to take us to the ferry terminal at Hervey Bay harbour. The ferry took around an hour and we stood on the deck to look for marine wildlife, the only creature we seen were jellyfish and thousands of them. There must have been about 3-5 per square meter on some occasions. It was extraordinary, good job this trip didnt include snorkelling! Fraser Island is a UNESCO world heritage site for being the largest sand island in the world. It is huge and although it is entirely made up of sand it manages to support ecosystems such as a sub-tropical rainforest which is incredible. Once on the island we were met by our tour guide Hayden and he took us to our torture chamber (coach) for the next three days. Since the island is so heavily protected the only tarmac roads present are for the two resorts on the island and even then there are few and far between. So to traverse the rest of the island its by sand roads in a 4X4 vehicle and as there was 20 of us our vehicle had to be pretty big. It was essentially the cab of a lorry with a huge specially made coach connected to it and unsurprisingly enough it wasn't very comfortable. Especially considering a lot of the soft sand areas have to be driven over at speed, bum and backs dont take to it nicely. However the destinations it took us too were spectacular and worth the rough ride. First and most famously was Lake McKenzie, a beautiful perched sand dune lake. It is composed entirely of rain water which has collected in a basin and the pressure of the sea on the outside of the island stops it from flowing through the sand and into the water table. This means it is very pure and unbelievably clean. We sunbathed a little while then went for a swim and it was amazing, it was completely different to swimming in the sea, felt so much easier-didnt even feel as if you were in water. From here the bus dropped us off at a small track and we completed a short walk through the bush to Central Station which is just a base for walkers. We had coffee and home-baked giant cookies here, then we walked further this time through the only sub-tropical rainforest on sand in the world which was great. The walk ended in Pile Valley which is an area packed with huge wide trees. The walk also took us along a creek which is a result of the water table being higher than the level of the sand itself, again it is rain water that has filtered through the sand making it safe to drink. We had a great day and to top it off we were put into a dorm for the two nights with Adam and Roz who were a lovely couple from Sheffield. We enjoyed our all you can eat tea and then played some cards with a few others.
Day 83- For the first time in 3 months we had bacon for breakfast! Not just bacon but a full fry up and cereal and toast, it wasnt quite the same as at home but still did the job. Today we were looking at all the sights along the 75 mile beach which stretches all the way down the East coast of the island. Our first and most Northern stop was Champagne Pools which was an hour and half from the resort so we had a quick stop at Pinnacles. These are small formations of compressed sand that turned into a rusty colour from the salt air reacting with the minerals in the sand, they were beautiful to see. Once at the pools we were disappointed that they werent filled with Moet and Chandon but they were amazing. They are rock pools filled with sea water and when waves crash over the top bubbles form creating the look of champagne being poured into a glass. It was good fun and there were quite a few fish and crabs in the pools to keep us entertained. Next was Indian Head, Captain Cook names the rock because when he sailed past Fraser Island he saw hundreds of Aboriginals on the mount and because of their skin colour he thought they were Indians. It is the highest point of Fraser and from the top we could see turtles popping up for air and small sharks looking for food. On the way back we stopped off at Maheno shipwreck which was a huge cruiseliner that was then used for many different purposes throughout its life and even when it was shipwrecked on the coast of Fraser Island it was used by the Australian armed forces as bombing practice during WWII. The nose of the ship was entirely visible with the end completely submerged by sand and was great to walk around and see. Our final stop of the day was Eli Creek, a beautiful little shallow stream which flowed into the sea. We used the boardwalk to get several hundred metres up the creek and then we were able to float down using its fast flowing current. Back at the wilderness lodge where we were staying for the two nights we washed and went for tea again with Adam and Roz and then played some killer pool with a few drinks.
Day 84- After breakfast we drove to Lake Birrabean which was just as, if not more beautiful than Lake McKenzie. What made it slighter better was the fact we were the only group there. We took some stand up paddle boards which were great fun and played volleyball. It was another perched sand dune lake so was lovely to swim in as well and as it was the first stop we had a couple of hours there which was great. We had coffee and cookies and then went for lunch at the other resort before heading to the last destination of the trip. We pulled up on the beach and had to trek for 45 minutes up to a huge sand blow. A sand blow is just where a section of the coast is exposed enough to winds for the sand to cover any vegetation in its way creating a sand dune. This particular sand blow led down into Lake Wabby. The lake got very deep very fast as a result of the steepness of the sand blow on the side away from the sea. Since the sand was so exposed to the sun it was very hot, we were wearing flip flops and the sand was soft and deep therefore covered our feet in scalding sand to the point that they felt they were actually burning. The temptation to run was overuled by the fear of falling face first due to it being so steep. Not an enjoyably experience but it was nice to dive into the lake once we reached the bottom. Not anywhere near as nice as other lakes but had some big catfish in which were interesting to see. We swam about and then left via the alternative route. It was another 45 minutes back but its great walking through the forest and we were sheltered from the heat. We drove back to the main resort and got an ice-cream as we waited for the ferry. Back at the hostel in Hervey Bay we made tea and fell asleep within seconds of our heads hitting the pillow.
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ann purdy another hard day at the office eh xxx