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Published: February 17th 2013
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After driving through the magnificent forest and fresh water lakes, we emerged onto the eastern shoreline of Fraser Island, or K'gari to the Butchulla tribe, to tackle 70 miles of beach in a 4wd. Shortly after, we arrived at the Maheno wreck, which was a New Zealand passenger liner, converted to a 1st world war hospital ship, that was later purchased by japanese steel recyclers. Unfortunately enroute from N.Z to Japan it was caught up in a severe cyclone that grounded it on Fraser Island's eastern shoreline in 1935. Since that fateful day, it has sat rusting away at the mercy of the elements for decades. As our 4wd approached from a distance it was an eerie sight, to see the ship looming larger than life on the horizon. Bilbo tried to push it back out to sea, even had a Leonardo Decaprio "king of the world" moment, but there it sits, silent and ghost like on the beach.
We left the Maheno to rust away, as we hit the beach trails again. Soon after we drove past a very powerfull women's business site, the "Cathedrals", an enclave of sheltered coloured sand dune structures that were used by soon to
dazz pushing Maheno
i think i can.....!!! be Butchulla mothers, as a sacred women's birthing site. In Butchulla Lore, these are taboo for men to enter. A few years'ago Nova, our indigenous guide unknowing of its sacred significance, entered the "Cathedrals", and soon after told his mother of having haunting dreams, his mother knew he had been to the island and asked him where he went to, after telling her of his foray into the "Cathedrals", she knew it was time for Nova to be fully inducted into Butchulla tribal history and Lore.
I still get amazed at what the transformation must have been like for Nova, from troubled indigenous street kid to... fully inducted tribal warrior, historian, medicine man and authentic modern day Butchulla initiate. But make no mistake, Nova is the real deal, anyone thinking about touring Fraser Island should really consider Unique Fraser tours, I have no connection whatsoever to them, except great memories of a truly memorable day. We felt truly privileged to be in the company of such great guides, Hans and Nova.
After driving past the "Cathedrals", we arrived at our most northerly point of our day trip of the island, the "Champagne pools", a natural rock structure of
tidal pools with pacific blue bubbling water, that were used as fish traps by the indigenous islanders. The walk down to the pools from the cliff afforded us an indepth conversation with Nova, that few would be privy to, Basho told her of her distant indigenous heritage to the Darug tribe from Sydney. Nova like other indigenous people said he could see the indigenous in Basho. Meanwhile convict heritage Bilbo having no connection to the first peoples, could feel the ancient stirrings of tribe emerging from deep within. I have always had a deep passion for discovering what tribal ancestry I belong to, but more of that in a blog yet to be published of Coochin Creek, the return visit.
From the Champagne pools, we travelled back south, to lunch at the base of Indian Head, a headland named by Captain James Cook, because of the headlands distant appearance to that of a native American head, what was he smoking? The tobaccy must have been very good that day, maybe it was that "marry a wana", or maybe some intoxicating jungle juice he picked up for a few beads and mirrors from a pacific
islander tribe. However this headland
has a more sinister and very sad history as being the site of a brutal aboriginal massacre, where in 1851, hundreds of indigenous people were herded up to the cliffs and driven over the edge into the sea, to their deaths by colonial invaders mounted police. The jury is still out on the justification for this, one account tells of Lady Fraser who was shipwrecked on the island in 1836, hence its name. She was rescued and looked after by the indigenous people, however upon her rescue back to the mainland, she told her story of brutal savagery and cruelty to her by the natives. Incensed and outraged by these accounts, the mounted police were commissioned to administer payback with the Indian Head massacre. Soon after the islands magnificent forests and sand deposits were discovered and maybe big business and tribal people, are not very good neighbours, not much seems to have changed, even in our modern day world.
At the base of Indian Head, the wagons were circled, our guides then laid out lunch tables with more fine food, beer and bubbly, while Nova gave us another indigenous crash course in bush tucker/medicine, tribal weapons of warfare, and
the original mobile phone, the whirring stick or bush telephone. Nova demonstrated how it is used to let other tribes know of your presence and intentions. In his discourse he respectfully acknowledged Basho as "old auntie," ( a term of great respect given to tribal elders,). When she commented that through her anthropological studies, she learnt of it also as a tool to send the spirits off on their next journey at indigenous funerals. Most of the touros in our party, elected to climb Indian Head, but as a mark of respect for its tragic history bilbo and basho chose not to, and sat on the beach, and soaked up sun, sand and island magic, whilst sitting on the beach, I spotted one of our american touring compatriots, up the Indian Head track poking a stick into a hole in the ground. Upon subsequent investigation I could see he was trying to coax out one of the islands most secret deadly inhabitants, the Funnel Web spider, I said "aw c'mon mate leave that thing alone", bloody yanks can't take them anywhere. We then boarded the 4wds for the next leg of our mega good day trip of the island. Amazingly
the american was still on board, not in flying doctor aircraft being airlifted to hospital for emergency funnel web vaccine.
People flock to the island in various forms of transport, flock is apt, when further up the coastline we spotted a light aircraft, parked on the beach that had flown in, to drop passengers off for a backpackng bush camp. It then backloaded waiting passengers who were ready to return to the mainland. We arrived just in time to see it take off from its sandy runway, talk about up close and personnel. We watched it fly off in the distance before we explored Eli creek, we had a fun splash and play in the cool refreshing water, the plane and now the sun were dipping over the western horizon. We hit the beach tracks once more and headed back into the deep dark forest, to get across to the western shoreline in time to catch the ferry for the return trip. Nova asked Hans if we could make a stop at the "Spirit Tree", this is one story folks you do not want to miss, it is so special, it requires its very own blog to do it
justice, stay tuned for part three of Fraser Island/k'gari..
Much love to all, cheers B & B
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