Fraser Island - Part One

April, 2013

With great excitement, and a touch of sadness, the Rowdy Roadtrip reached its last major destination. And what a fitting finale. Fraser Island is great in so many ways. It is stunningly beautiful, environmentally unique, adventurous, casual (thongs the only footwear allowed) and really, really sandy.

 We leave the mainland behind for a two week adventure on the world's largest sand island.

Look out.....here we come. The Manta Ray Ferry drops us off at the southern-most tip of the island.

Headin' down the highway....Fraser style.

One of the most amazing things about Fraser is its diversity. Sitting on the beach under a couple of flimsy causurinas, you wouldn't believe that only 5kms inland is a lush rainforest with giant trees over 50m tall....and all just growing out of sand.

After months of salt, it was nice to take a dip in the freshwater lakes. A bit of a wander along a submerged boardwalk at Lake Mckenzie got us away from the tour groups and on to our own patch of white sand. Just perfect for a major sand-moving operation by a brightly-coloured dump truck!

It was so relaxing, even Riley (I don't have an off button) chilled out.

OK guys, back we go (across sunken boardwalk). We need to find a campsite.

 A bit of shade, plenty of ocean views and lots of mozzies and sandflies - so the insect screen for the annex that we've been carting around for a year finally gets its debut.

Yep, it's a great spot. Let's dance to celebrate.

Good morning Fraser Island. We South Aussies are used to this kind of show on a balmy summer evening - not 5.30am...yikes.

They've been awake 10 minutes and already the battle is on....only 14 hours til they're asleep again (yes Sharpy, we are managing to get them to bed at 7.30.....most nights)

The wreck of the Maheno (with a rich and diverse shipping history from the Tasman Sea to Gallipoli) is just many of the fascinating things you pass when driving the 120km Fraser Island coast.

 Actually, the poor old dear is lucky to be here at all after being used as target practice by war pilots in training.

 Occasionally, while driving on Fraser, you need to dodge for aircraft. Archie thought it was incredible.

At Fraser's largest waterway, Eli Creek, you could stroll a few hundred metres upstream and plonk yourself on a floatie thing and just drift down to the sea.....it was fun (and you got a bath at the same time).

But every now and then, you have to just flog them up and down a mini desert on a hot day......

and make them suffer!!!!

All is forgiven at Lake Garawongera.

While it's hard to drag yourself away from the beach, the inland is not to be missed.

One of the locals.

 

We were warned, and warned and (yawn) warned about the dingos, but they seemed to give us a wide berth.  It could have been that glint in Archie's eye...but we're not sure.

Rowdy Moments

 

The Good: Not getting bogged during our first week on Fraser Island, hence minimising Leanne's deep-breathing sesssions and valium intake. But, more adventurous days were to come (see part 2).

The Bad: Leanne's butt after sitting on a wasp during a bush dunny visit - yeeeeouch. The attractive red welt seemed to spread a centimetre each day for about a week.....luckily I don't get to sit down much anyway.

The Ugly: The news that our tax return is overdue and the taxman is demanding our return by May 15.....rotten spoil sport.



 

We loved Fraser Island so much, I took 600 photos, so to make it easier on all of us, we'll post a part two for those keen enough to continue.