Fraser Island
It was an early start to the day yesterday, to catch our 4 wheel drive bus outside our condo at quarter to six. After picking up a few more folks, we changed to a bigger bus at Noosa which already had a half dozen people on it and away we went. Much depends on the tide when you are planning to drive along the beach of Fraser Island. At one point we detoured inland to a washboard road for 11 k, then back on the beach. The beach is that hard packed whitish sand if you stick to the damp part, otherwise it is squishy soft and only four wheel drive vehicles can get around over there.
Fraser Island is the worlds largest sand Island and in 1992 was granted World Heritage status. It has a diverse Eco climate, flora and fauna. There are huge trees growing on it, and at one point in its history, it was heavily logged. Thankfully not all the trees were taken. You can google it for more information.
Our first stop was a tea and 'bicky' (cookie) one along the beach near a little river. Josh noticed there were rocks floating on the water in places, we soon discovered they weighed almost nothing and were pumice stone. Leaving there, we proceeded to carry on up the beach aways, then cut in through a small resort community completely fenced to prevent the dingos from getting in.
Leaving that community, our track then had us climbing to the highest point on the island where we would have bbq. Steak and salad lunch. Once the driver parked, we all bailed out and headed for the change rooms to don swimsuits. There is a fresh water lake there called Lake McKenzie. It is fed only by rain, is slightly acidic and the sand is silica. This lake is a great place to remove dead dry skin just by rubbing in the sand, and wow, does it clean jewelry! The lake is pristine and so clear it reflects the colour of the sky like a mirror, and best of all, we had an hour there before lunch call.
Lunch over with, things were cleared away, not even garbage gets left behind to protect the wildlife, and we carried on to a spot where buses could pull up and off load all us people. We then had a guided walkabout through the bush and the driver explained about the land, trees, and how the Eco system worked, even on a sand island. I saw a funny little skink climbing a tree and took his photo before he disappeared.
With the tide receding we returned back along the beach to catch the little beach landing ferry along with a few vehicles and another bus. Then the rains came down! Back on the mainland, we drove along the road always, then back to driving along the beach north of Noosa. We stopped at Rainbow Beach to view the coloured sands and have afternoon tea and cakes. Food always tastes better outdoors!
We were returned back to Mooloolaba around 6 and I think both Josh and I Were in bed by 8! Apparently there was a fantastic storm with thunder and lightening overnight, but I didn't know! We've had a few early mornings and we were so tired! Tomorrow Josh flies home....14 hours and I go on to Sydney for a few nights on my own prior to visiting friends in Adelaide Hills. It's been a blast here and one of my favourite spots in Queensland.
Pictures to follow....
Fraser Island is the worlds largest sand Island and in 1992 was granted World Heritage status. It has a diverse Eco climate, flora and fauna. There are huge trees growing on it, and at one point in its history, it was heavily logged. Thankfully not all the trees were taken. You can google it for more information.
Our first stop was a tea and 'bicky' (cookie) one along the beach near a little river. Josh noticed there were rocks floating on the water in places, we soon discovered they weighed almost nothing and were pumice stone. Leaving there, we proceeded to carry on up the beach aways, then cut in through a small resort community completely fenced to prevent the dingos from getting in.
Leaving that community, our track then had us climbing to the highest point on the island where we would have bbq. Steak and salad lunch. Once the driver parked, we all bailed out and headed for the change rooms to don swimsuits. There is a fresh water lake there called Lake McKenzie. It is fed only by rain, is slightly acidic and the sand is silica. This lake is a great place to remove dead dry skin just by rubbing in the sand, and wow, does it clean jewelry! The lake is pristine and so clear it reflects the colour of the sky like a mirror, and best of all, we had an hour there before lunch call.
Lunch over with, things were cleared away, not even garbage gets left behind to protect the wildlife, and we carried on to a spot where buses could pull up and off load all us people. We then had a guided walkabout through the bush and the driver explained about the land, trees, and how the Eco system worked, even on a sand island. I saw a funny little skink climbing a tree and took his photo before he disappeared.
With the tide receding we returned back along the beach to catch the little beach landing ferry along with a few vehicles and another bus. Then the rains came down! Back on the mainland, we drove along the road always, then back to driving along the beach north of Noosa. We stopped at Rainbow Beach to view the coloured sands and have afternoon tea and cakes. Food always tastes better outdoors!
We were returned back to Mooloolaba around 6 and I think both Josh and I Were in bed by 8! Apparently there was a fantastic storm with thunder and lightening overnight, but I didn't know! We've had a few early mornings and we were so tired! Tomorrow Josh flies home....14 hours and I go on to Sydney for a few nights on my own prior to visiting friends in Adelaide Hills. It's been a blast here and one of my favourite spots in Queensland.
Pictures to follow....
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