Fantastic Fraser Island!!
Photo 1 Me on the beach of Fraser Island
Photo 2 Our Group at the Champagne Pools
Photo 3 Di & I in the Rock Pools/Champagne Pools
Photo 4 Eli Creek, wading through......spotting eels
Photo 5 Lake McKenzie wow!!!
This is the worlds largest sand island at 123km long and we had the choice of whether to do a self drive or organised tour for 3 days/2 nights.
Diane & I decided to go for the organised trip with Cool Dingoes, which meant we didnt get stuck in a jeep with a load of numptys, didnt have to pitch a tent and basically rough it really!
So we had Ranger Craig who was so much fun driving us around in a bus and giving us commentaries and basically took the worry out of what to do whilst on the island
We had 16 in our group, a real mix of ages and nationalities but mainly British, Canadian, German and Japanese....we all got on so well which I was relieved about after hearing all the horror stories of fellow travellers
The roads around the island are so sandy and bumpy and it was a really rough drive most of the time, I would describe it like a rollercoaster ride....mum you would have loved it!
First stop was Basin Lake, we were the only people there and it was so peaceful and tranquil. The water was very refreshing shall i say! After a quick dip there we had a walk by the creek and through a rainforest before stopping for a picnic type lunch, I was very wary of dingoes at this point as there were signs all about how to be "Dingo Safe"! There are 150 of them on the island, but we were fine! Mustnt have liked our picnic! Apparently to be dingo safe you need to wave your hands in the air to make you look taller and dont approach them...whatever...think someone may be trying to make us look daft!
We stopped at a look out point and tasted the sap from a Scribbly Gum tree which looks like someone has scribbled over the light coloured bark! Anyway I tasted the sap and suddenly my mouth started to go numb and all that was missing was the dentist chair! The Aboriginals used it for this purpose as it acts like an anaesthetic
Then onto the infamous Lake McKenzie, which reminded me a little of Whitehaven Beach at the Whitsundays, white sands, gorgeous blue clear water.....the only difference being this was a freshwater lake not the ocean! So we relaxed there most of the afternoon, I had a body exfoliation treatment and cleaned my jewellery with the fine sand too! Wow Wow Wow! Amazing place!
We then went back to the lodges to book into our accomodation, thankfully no tents and it was very civilised! In the evening we all met at the bar for a meal and a few games of Killer Pool!
Next day was an early start as we drove along the 75 mile beach, again like New Zealand its not actually that length! But hey ho! It was cool to drive along with the sea to the right of us and having to dodge around other vehicles on the beach, felt like it was a highway at times!
We had a walk down Ely Creek and saw some huge eels, not like we are used to, they were massive!
Then onto a coastal headland named Indian Head, there were huge boulders to climb to get to the point and it was the most amazing view up there. We saw the first humpback whales of the season, dolphins and stingrays.
Next stop was the Champagne Pools, I wasnt as impressed with this as I had imagined it to be, it was nice though, rockpools overlooking the sea where waves crashed over which looked like champagne bubbling!
We spotted dingoes on the way back and all jumped off the bus for photos ensuring we were safe first but really they just looked like a cute dog!
Visited the Maheno Shipwreck that has been left stuck in the sand where it landed in 1935 and it was used for bombing practice during WW2 !
Our last day was spent mainly at Lake Wabby, beautiful green lake and huge sand dunes that you can roll down into the lake! We arrived very early and beat the rush of backpackers so it was sooo peaceful until Di dived into the lake and realised it was very shallow and nearly concussed herself!
Lunch time was in a nice restaurant and a bottle of wine later Di felt better, purely for medicinal purposes only!
So overall a good few days away, the place is beautiful and very sandy!!
Photos to follow, unfortunately my camera didnt mix well with the sand and has kaputt! Again!
Diane & I decided to go for the organised trip with Cool Dingoes, which meant we didnt get stuck in a jeep with a load of numptys, didnt have to pitch a tent and basically rough it really!
So we had Ranger Craig who was so much fun driving us around in a bus and giving us commentaries and basically took the worry out of what to do whilst on the island
We had 16 in our group, a real mix of ages and nationalities but mainly British, Canadian, German and Japanese....we all got on so well which I was relieved about after hearing all the horror stories of fellow travellers
The roads around the island are so sandy and bumpy and it was a really rough drive most of the time, I would describe it like a rollercoaster ride....mum you would have loved it!
First stop was Basin Lake, we were the only people there and it was so peaceful and tranquil. The water was very refreshing shall i say! After a quick dip there we had a walk by the creek and through a rainforest before stopping for a picnic type lunch, I was very wary of dingoes at this point as there were signs all about how to be "Dingo Safe"! There are 150 of them on the island, but we were fine! Mustnt have liked our picnic! Apparently to be dingo safe you need to wave your hands in the air to make you look taller and dont approach them...whatever...think someone may be trying to make us look daft!
We stopped at a look out point and tasted the sap from a Scribbly Gum tree which looks like someone has scribbled over the light coloured bark! Anyway I tasted the sap and suddenly my mouth started to go numb and all that was missing was the dentist chair! The Aboriginals used it for this purpose as it acts like an anaesthetic
Then onto the infamous Lake McKenzie, which reminded me a little of Whitehaven Beach at the Whitsundays, white sands, gorgeous blue clear water.....the only difference being this was a freshwater lake not the ocean! So we relaxed there most of the afternoon, I had a body exfoliation treatment and cleaned my jewellery with the fine sand too! Wow Wow Wow! Amazing place!
We then went back to the lodges to book into our accomodation, thankfully no tents and it was very civilised! In the evening we all met at the bar for a meal and a few games of Killer Pool!
Next day was an early start as we drove along the 75 mile beach, again like New Zealand its not actually that length! But hey ho! It was cool to drive along with the sea to the right of us and having to dodge around other vehicles on the beach, felt like it was a highway at times!
We had a walk down Ely Creek and saw some huge eels, not like we are used to, they were massive!
Then onto a coastal headland named Indian Head, there were huge boulders to climb to get to the point and it was the most amazing view up there. We saw the first humpback whales of the season, dolphins and stingrays.
Next stop was the Champagne Pools, I wasnt as impressed with this as I had imagined it to be, it was nice though, rockpools overlooking the sea where waves crashed over which looked like champagne bubbling!
We spotted dingoes on the way back and all jumped off the bus for photos ensuring we were safe first but really they just looked like a cute dog!
Visited the Maheno Shipwreck that has been left stuck in the sand where it landed in 1935 and it was used for bombing practice during WW2 !
Our last day was spent mainly at Lake Wabby, beautiful green lake and huge sand dunes that you can roll down into the lake! We arrived very early and beat the rush of backpackers so it was sooo peaceful until Di dived into the lake and realised it was very shallow and nearly concussed herself!
Lunch time was in a nice restaurant and a bottle of wine later Di felt better, purely for medicinal purposes only!
So overall a good few days away, the place is beautiful and very sandy!!
Photos to follow, unfortunately my camera didnt mix well with the sand and has kaputt! Again!
posted by SuenGav @ 5/27/2007 08:13:00 am
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