Trip of a lifetime…

The title says it all really and I don’t think my words will do it justice but really I cannot describe what an amazing 3 days we have just had.. I’ll start this with my favourite picture (excuse the hair and side boob)

  Fraser Island, the worlds largest sand island and has a beach 75 miles long… It’s beautiful and with white sand, fresh water dune lakes scattered around (over half the worlds dune lakes are on the island alone) as well as lookouts preserved and history dating back to the aboriginals who still live on the island. The island is sacred and there are rules to be followed – one which stuck out would be that you are not allowed to whistle whilst on the island as it upsets the aboriginals who believe it brings a demon spirit to there island and causes disruption. 

As we woke up at 6am to catch a bus as head north to Fraser Island, it was a struggle but definitely it was worth it! As we arrived at ‘Rainbow Beach’, we met our Tour Guide Gary for the few days. Seemed to like our group/’family’ and we’ve been lucky with every guide we’ve had so far along the way… Or maybe we aren’t ‘lucky’ as such and all middle age Australian men are actually legends!! Driving licences passed over and all the T’s and C’s ticked and our crew were on our way in our own 4×4 car as well as around 25 others all following Gary in the lead vehicle. 

George took the jump into the drivers seat first and got us to the ferry to go across to Fraser. Second stint was all mine.. Driving off the ferry (first time driving an automatic and a 4×4) and straight onto the highway… The highway being the beach. Every vehicle drives on the beach, there are no roads so there I was driving along the beach, sun, sea, sand, music, laughter.. What more could I want? Great start!  

   
After setting up camp we went back out in the trucks and to our first destination. Lake Wabby, what a beauty! Shame about the cloud cover but it didn’t stop us all getting in and having a swim around with some local catfish and God knows what else was lurking around.. 

Team photo of our car –  we recruited 2 German guys and an Essex lad to replace Jack (joking – he was too young to drive and so had to go in the lead vehicle)

   
As we were at this lake and had travelled, we headed back to base to eat dinner and celebrate being on such a beautiful island with 30 litres of Goon.. Perfect. Pre drinks and down to the beach with the group to continue to the celebrations. 

Day 2 – 

A 6am wake up call… That hurt. However the day that was to follow was just unbelievable – by far my favourite day in Australia. 

The well renowned Lake McKenzie was visited first call – down onto the beach which has the whitest sand I have ever seen. As it was fresh water you could put your head in, swim along as it is all clear and your eyes would be absolutely fine.. A dream after I’ve spent so many years not being able to do it in a swimming pool with the chlorine or sea with the salt!  

    
   
I have lots of photos and videos on my go pro however unable to upload these until I’m home 😦 – but I swam off to a little island and wrote a cute message in the sand! 

Up next – I need to remind you that it was Friday the 13th of November – we decided to go on a plane and go over the island. Another one of those ‘we have to do it, we will never get this opportunity ever again’ moments and boy was it worth it!! Views were stunning – we took off on the beach as you do and made our way along the coast, the pilot pointing out the views, a shipwreck, other lakes and also checking out the heavily infested sea full of deadly wildlife.  

    
    
 
We did it just because we can! 

Next up – a drive to a place with ‘Champagne Pools’ – not literally unfortunately but where the sea comes in over the rocks with the tide but cannot leave due to the tide and so the pools stay around with fish in them and get warm all day long. Gary cracked open a few shells on the rocks containing ‘food’ and we held them just above the water and the fish would literally leap out of the water to take it from you hands. Pretty cool!  It was so good that I thought I should be nice and leave my towel there! 

 
  
Onwards we went to a very spiritual lookout, so preserved in parts that you must not enter certain sections of the lookout as they are from indigenous people only. However this lookout was just amazing – the view out to the ocean in the clear blue sea was stunning. Within 25 metres of each other you could see 2 sharks, a turtle bigger than a shark, a stingray even bigger than that turtle and a group of about 6 dolphins… Unbelievable scenes – even Gary got excited and he does the trip twice a week!  In the pictures you will see a lone turtle and 2 sharks..

    
 
Last we went to a nice little creek called Eli Creek which has a stream that flows down to the sea and we bodyboarded down the fresh stream and went to visit a shipwreck that was the 2nd biggest and fastest back in the day behind the Titantic – only had remains on the shore as half has sunk or been removed!!   

 
As we headed back to base for our evening supper, we all unanimously came to the conclusion that it was the best Day we have so far – by a country mile! We celebrated in the truck by blasting some old school classics through the speakers such as Ne-yo in preparation for an epic night with the whole group – never have I tried a drinking game with about 25 participants but it happened and everyone loved it!! 

I shall leave you with some pictures of our final final hours on the island.. Unfortunately we couldn’t do much on the Saturday before we left as one of the 4x4s decided to break!! 

Okay so I lied when I said it was indescribable but it was truly amazing and by far the best day in Australia so far!!