Welcome to the Jungle

As promised, here is your update on Fraser Island! After the so-so time on the sailing boat, I was hoping the trip to Fraser would be more pleasant. I booked a 2 day/1 night tour of the island and secretly prayed for clear, sunny skies because if it rained on my parade one more time, I was just going to lose it. I was also beat by the time I got to Fraser since I took an overnight bus and was picked up for the ferry to the island without a break so bad weather would have broken my spirit. Seriously.

A few things about Fraser - it is an all sand island and all the vegetation you see in the pics grows purely in sand. There is no dirt, clay or rock on the island so it's utterly amazing to be wandering thru the sub-tropical rainforest and know it is all somehow using the nutrients in the sand to grow. Also, the island is only accessible via 4WD as all the 'roads' are sand. Some people choose to hire a 4WD vehicle and self drive and camp on the island, but being by myself and not sure of the weather, I opted for a tour guide and local resort accommodation package. I have no business driving in sand! It's was nice to have everything planned for me, including meals so all I had to do was sit back, get bounced along the roads, listen to our guide, who rocked, and take in the sights!

We started down 75 Mile Beach which served as the main road on the island, although you had to be mindful of the tides so you wouldn't get stuck. Along the way we hit up...

Maheno Wreck - a luxury yacht that crashed while being towed to Japan to be scrapped for use in making munitions for the Japanese army during WW2. Maybe the ship crashed on purpose to avoid this morbid future?




The Pinnacles - a rock formation that was OK. I mean, it's a rock formation. 'Nuff said.

Indian Point - a gorgeous lookout. The view was probably the best I've experienced so far. The water is lovely, but you can't swim in the ocean here. Dangerous jellyfish called blue bottles and tiger sharks are right off the coast, so you needed to stay clear.



Lake Wobby - after walking over a HUGE sandblow, we gazed down at Lake Wobby. A clear, relaxing freshwater lake, quiet and beautiful. It was sorta strange swimming in a lake without gross plantlife or creepy crawlies in the water! It was a pretty green color and was home to only a handful of catfish.


Lake Mackenzie - this was the apex of the trip and I can sorta see why it was saved for last. Branded as one of the top 7 places to take a swim by various guide books, it did not disappoint! The freshwater lake is so pure (filled by rainwater) that it strips the sand of any impurities and will even strip a bit of color from your hair if it's been recently colored! So pure and fresh, as close to swimming perfection as you can get!

After heading back to shore and staying overnight in Hervey Bay, I headed out to Noosa the next day. No doubt you've already read about my surfing misadventure, so I don't think I need to say much more about Noosa. I wish I could have stayed longer as the YHA hostel I stayed at the the best so far, clean, good people, and centrally located. Noosa itself reminded me a little of Provincetown, Cape Cod. Very upmarket with an organic vibe and a slightly older crowd. It was pricey, but you had fewer kids getting drunk every night and being annoying so that made it more relaxing. I want to go back there!!!

I hope to edit the tags for the pics so you know what you are looking at, but just enjoy until then! I'll probably go on a massive tagging spree when I get to Syndey or Canberra where the Internet will be free!