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Along with the Whitsundays, Fraser Island is the ‘thing to do’ on Australia’s East Coast so the good times were set to continue. Called K-Gari by aborigines, which translates to Paradise, Fraser Island is a World Heritage listed, 120 km sand bar off the coast of Hervey Bay. To see the island a group of 8-10 people jump into a 4x4, fill an esky with food and another with alcohol, load all the camping equipment and explore the world’s largest sand island for 3 days.
After our early morning briefing to warn us of the dangers of dingoes and how to navigate the sand tracks and beaches we hopped on the ferry and crossed Kingfisher Bay. Once we arrived on the island we all realised why a 4x4 is needed to travel; a road that seemed at about a 45’ angle and made of nothing but sand and the odd plank of wood was the first thing we encountered. Thankfully we had an expert driver in the form of Stuart who got us over it perfectly. Driving through the sand tracks of the island was so much fun and better than any rollercoaster I’ve been on (well maybe not The Incredible Hulk but every other one I’ve been on). Because of the deep sand the jeeps have to be kept at a high speed or risked being bogged down. This makes for a really bumpy but really exciting ride even in the cramped vehicle. After driving round for a while we settled on the eastern beach and set up camp at Cornwell’s camping area. The evening was spent having a BBQ, drinking copious amounts of goon and spotting the many wild dingoes that inhabit the island.
The next morning we packed up camp and drove north. A brief stop at Eli Creek for a primitive morning bath was followed by a visit to the wreck of the Maheno. This is a ship that was blown to shore during a cyclone when being towed to Japan in 1935. After that we took in the best views of the island from Indian Head and relaxed in the Champagne Pools. In the afternoon came the most important event of the weekend, maybe even my entire trip, me driving. For the first time since passing my test 4 years previous, I drove. As well as my initial nerves, you could cut the tension in the back of the 4x4 with a knife as everyone had knowledge of my lack of experience. However after getting started I was shocked at how natural it felt. Maybe it was the bumper car practice I had in Hanoi or maybe like riding a bike you never forget but it was like I had never been out of the driver’s seat. So I set off down the beach on an hours drive and fantasised about buying a car when I return home. I managed to get bogged down a couple of times but thankfully freed myself and more importantly no one got injured.
That evening was a lot like the first except with more food and much more drink. I also spent some time star gazing and with no clouds or light pollution thousands of stars put on a show for me that almost made the sky white. It was then that I realised (maybe alcohol influenced) that this was a completely different sky to any I had ever seen and that anyone back home would see if they looked out their window that evening. The Southern Star had replaced the Northern Star and Orion’s Belt was visible instead of The Plough. I’d never felt further away from home.
The next morning we visited the highlight of the island, Lake McKenzie. The freshwater lake surrounded by forests and white sand was beautiful and a perfect way to relax for out final hours on Fraser Island. Afterwards we drove back to the mainland and had our second helping of All You Can Eat pizza for $10. The next day a caught the Greyhound to the beach resort of Noosa.
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