Next came one of my most prized experiences on the trip: 3 days and 2 nights on FRASER ISLAND!! Coming into this, I was of the midnset that I hd to go on this excusrion simply because it was "THE" backpacker experience on the East Coast of austrlia, but after signing up for the Nomads tagalong 4WD tour, I noted the awesome sunny weather, met what would turn out to be my amazing team (Charlie, Zak, Hannah, Laura, and Alex from the UK; and Magnus, that crazy Norwegian man!), and realized that this would be one hell of a trip!
We awoke early on Day 1 for debreifing, organizing supplies, and an informative, but oh-so-outdated 80s safety DVD; then left 3 hours later to catch the 30 minute ferry from Hervey Bay over to the island, which is made up completely of silica sand and boasts 42 lakes....and so much more. After sampling the bumpy roads made of either sand or mud (and we're talkin fly-off-your-seat kind of bumps!), we were thankful for our big ass 4WD jeeps for rutted trails and beach driving. The group of 21, plus our guide Kevin, trailblazed in 4 jeeps to 4 of the 42 lakes:
-Birrabeen (blue) lake: with clear water ebbing to light blue, dark blue, and then green.
-Wabby (green) lake: boasting catfish and located at the bottom of massive sanddunes, and with a green expanse of lush forest on the opposite side.
-Lake Alom (brown lake): which hosts hundreds of tea trees which gives it its orangy shade of color and is inhabited by dozens of small turtles.
-Lake Mckenzie: I could have stayed here for hours! Unbelievably clear! I could open my eyes under the fresh water and see about 10 metres all around me and out into the dark, deep centre of the lake. We had to be careful to not have a lot of sunscreen on before entering the water because it's been known to have been shut down on account of no drainage system to naturally clean the water.
Other spectacular sights included, but was not limited to, 4 wheel driving along miles of beach, massive rainbows above desert-esque sand dunes, the Mahena shipwreck (sunk directly into the beachsand on the eastern shore with waves crashing over its sides), the champagne pools where you could sit waist-deep in seawater pools and feel the waves hit the rocks behind you and the bubbles trickle down like champagne over your back, and a short hike up to Indian Head Point: a cliff overlooking the shark-infested ocean and stretch of beaches.
The diversity of Fraser Island's landscapes was astounding. On top of this, our jeep team melded together as if we were best friends in only 3 days time. We camped together in the Nomads permanent campground, but tended to carouse a little too much in the evenings, which I blame upon our goon and beer supply, and spend very little time in our actual tent, except to sleep maybe 5 or 6 hours in a druken stupor. We cooked together, sang in the car together (Disney classics were a big hit!), watched out for the ever-present wild dingos, ate as many gummys and chips that we could, fell off railings to the ground 2 metres below (an unfortunate tippping accident involving Alex and Hannah), and discovered new Aussie rules to our old favorite card games (for example, the 'Gecko' card in Ring of Fire (aka Sociables) where everyone must immediately put their belly on some solid surface around the room. This was much more fun than you would think!) To top it all off, on the third and final day we floated at a leisurely pace down the crisp, clear, and cold waters of Eli Creek....a MUST while on Fraser Island!! As our little, 3 day pocket of adventure came to a close, we walked away with close friends and life-long memories.
No comments:
Post a Comment