Well where to start, Fraser was amazing. We had an unbelievable time. Driving a huge 4x4 across open beaches and in through the rough forest terrain was so much fun, despite a few touch and go moments when I seriously thought that we were going to topple it over. It was all in the name of a great weekend in Fraser.
Rise and shine: Up bright and too early we caught a bus up to Hervey Bay Friday morning where we landed at our hostel for an orientation with the rest of the tour group. After we put our alcohol order in we all headed to the shops to load up on food for the next 3 days. 26 people on the trip, 19 of which were Irish – we were in for a right few days. The next morning we were up crazy early again to check out at 6am for our final briefing at 6.30am before leaving for the island. With all the formalities out of the way we piled into our 4x4s and off we went. Landing on the island with nothing but sand roads ahead was surreal. After a bumpy ride up and down across the rough dips in the sand tracks our first stop was Lake McKenzie’s clear blue waters. The sand is so fine you can use it to exfoliate your skin and soften your hair. I thought the guide was pulling our leg at first but by day two of our trip with no showers in sight I was all about putting sand in my hair to soften/clean it. It actually does work. O the things you will succumb to when you’re camping. After a swim and a snooze on the beach we headed north of Eurong and took the walking trail across sandblows to Lake Wabby which is surrounded on three sides by eucalypts trees. The steep incline down to the lake makes it unlike any other beach or lake you’re likely to have seen before.
Goon o’clock: After a long first day we arrived at base camp for a barbie and some good old Australian goon. Later on that night myself, Jim, Cameron, Eddi, Katie and Adam wandered down to the beach to check out the nights sky. It was incredible, unlike any we’d ever seen before. We watched shooting stars light up the sky across a blanket of bright stars surrounded by millions of little twinkling stars. It was just fantastic.
Champagne Anyone?: Our first stop on day two of the tour was Eli Creek. We walked up stream through the crystal clear fresh water and then floated effortlessly back downstream to our 4x4s. Further up the beach we passed the rotting hulk of the Maheno, a former passenger liner blown ashore by a cyclone in 1935 while being towed to a Japanese scrap yard. From there we made our way to Indian Head, a rocky outcrop on the north eastern side of the island. It boasts the best vantage spot on the island from the top headland. The views out across the ocean were amazing. To complete the day we visited Champagne Pools before driving back to camp for the night.
Dingo Alert: The next morning we were all up and about getting breakie and packing up all our bits and bobs when a dingo strolls down through the camping area as cool as a cucumber. Luckily he happily trotted on his way and didn’t hang around. Before we had to jump on the barge back to Hervey Bay we caught our last few rays on Fraser at Lake Birrabeen. It’s quite similar to McKenzie but less crowded. Back to Hervey Bay for the night then before the unwilling trip back to Brisbane the next day. On arrival back at the hostel after 3 days camping we were all looking forward to well-deserved and needed showers. It was almost unreal not to have to schedule your bowel movements around when we would make it to proper toilet facilities and whether the one portable loo between 50 people was full or not. The joys of camping!! For those sceptics out there thinking it’s not like me to survive three days camping with no shower well I did!! The proof is in the pictures. Also I may have sneaked in the quickest hair wash in history when we stopped at the creek for a few minutes on our way back to camp on the second day, haha.
All in all we had a whale of a time and would recommend that if you’re in the area (by that we mean Australia) then you must go for a few days camping. You haven’t done Australia until you’ve been to Fraser.
