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Published: April 9th 2008
Dingo!
My professional shot that I so meant to do!Friday 4th April
Crikey! What a good day at Australia Zoo. Took a tour bus from Brisbane to the zoo with a bus driver who used to work at the zoo, he definately wasn't gonna let us take a kip that's for sure, running commentary all the way, in the words of Blake the bus driver, "Alrighty then!"
Got to go in with the kangeroos where I managed to get a self portrait photo with a roo, thought he was gonna punch me in the face mind when I put my arm around him. Also got to pat the koalas and a possum. saw a show at the famous crocoseum involving snakes, birds and crocs (not all at once mind). Saw a python swim and lots of free flying birds that whizzed right towards your face dodging you at the last second, living dangerously I was, one question though, I just don't get how they get the birds back again, surely they take one look at the sky and shout, "FREEDOM", beats me. Then they brought out the big guns - the croc, you beauty! Did the whole teasing him with the meat until he launches himself at it,
great entertainment. Also saw a tiger demo - showed us the tiger jumping for meat and by jingo that's high, climbing a tree and jumping in the water to fish out a bone, awesome stuff, is there anything these tigers can't do, my thoughts being now how would I escape....don't fancy my chances much, I think my best bet would be to make sure I've an elephant handy to stand behind!
Sun 6th April
First day of my Fraser Island Tour. Took the boat over in the morning avidly watching the water all the way determined tto see a shark. met our tour guide Dave and hopped straight on the 4WD bus - yes that's right a 4WD bus - they are beasts. First stop was basin Lake. Travelling along the sand roads is hilarious, who needs fairground rides when you have these monster trucks, we looked like a bunch of raggy dolls being chucked all over the shop, carnage. Went for a dip in the lovely clear water at Basin Lake, having a jolly good time frollicking in the water, then you get a bit deeper and the murkiness sets in and being that I'm obsessed with
monsters e.g. crocs and sharks, I swiftly returned to the clear stuff (even though there aren't actually crocs and sharks on the island and the lake doesn't supoort much life, doesn't stop my imagination running wild though, obviously). Also saw our first dingo from the bus. It starter to rain whilst we were swimming, the tour guide found it most amusing that we got out of the lake to take shelter under the trees from the rain, it was to save our clothes honest. had a proper downpour while walking back to the bus, but as only 2 of us went swimming we were the only ones with dry clothes, had to sit on the bus in our bikinis mind as our towels were sopping, never mind hey, worked out well in the end. if you'vre ever wanted to know why a rainforest is called a rainforest that was your answer.
Stopped at central Station for luch, what a feast, I could tell I was gonna be fed good and proper this trip, it's the only reason I come on these tours really! Then we went for a walk along a rainforest boardwalk next to Wanggolba Creek in Pile
Valley. Spotted an eel and an eel tailed cat fish (to tell the truth there's a possibility that it could've been a branch but hey who's to know).
Took a dip in the gorgeous blue Lake McKenzie. Before wandering down there I nipped to the loo and a dingo just so happened to trot across my pathway into the loo, tried to steal someones bag and then came out again, ok then! Should I be scared, I'm really not quite sure....nah I'll just take a picture instead. dave told us about the lake, it cleans your pores on your skin and feels like your hair has been shampooed, makes you feel all tingley. I jokingly said to Georgie it's probably got acid in or something.....Dave - "and that's because it's acidic." Right then....it's ok though, there was no fizzing involved, all quite safe and refreshing. Saw another dingo on the beach.
Watched the sunset at 5:30 before heading on down to the Dingo Bar for Mexican grub. Dave the tour guide is hilarious, he got me from the first moment we got on the bus telling us how the dingoes have a high I.Q. and seem to test
Help!
I'm being eaten by a gigantic croc!.......in case anyone is concerned I managed to break free from these monstrous teeth and wrestle him to the ground, crikey that was a close one! the perimeters electric fence to see if it's working (Jurassic Park all over again), if it is they whimper away with a shock and if it isn't..."we're having babies tonight"! Also did and amazing dingo rap for us that he'd made up with a bunch of downtown kids from Chicago who really weren't interest in his fountain of knowledge, they got him to put there eminem music on, so when a dingo appearred trotting up the road in front of the bus he started to rap, like you do. Definately got there attention.
Mon 7th April
Day 2 - up at 6:30 ready to leave at 7:45, only explanation is that we were eager for brekkie. Stopped off on our first journey to trek through the forest to see the flying foxes, oh how I was confused, they looked like bats, which indeed they were, flying foxes are bats (and whilst writing this it just occurred to me what I was thinking of - sugar gliders - see that zoology does come in handy. All of us walking flip flops and shorts it was inevitible someone got bitten, thankfully not me, by jumper ants, afterwards he told us
he didn't think it wise to mention while people were still in pain that more people die from ant bites through anaphylactic shock than shark attacks (what a way to go, death by ant) and also, where there are flying foxes there are snakes!
Drove along 75-mile beach at high tide, he stopped at the entrance, "hmmm now what do I do here", then just put his foot down, had to do a bit of wave dodging and if we couldn't get around the rocks he sure as hell tried going over them, boy that was a rocky ride, excuse the pun, I'm sure we must have come close to toppling, almost got stuck at one point so had to reverse back over the rocks and go around on the road....there's a road?....now where's the fun in that. Also tried his hand at going up a vertical sandbank, 2nd attempt went well, anyone would think we were watching fireworks, oooh, aaah!
Went to see the Maheno ship wreck and the Pinnacles coloured sands then would have relaxed in the Champagne pools, bubbling seawater, if it wasn't for the high tide, craching waves and chilly wind (am I still
The Croc-mobile!
See, I told you I wrestled that croc, you didn't believe me did you in Australia), not a good recipe. Still pottered about in the shallow bits before having another delish lunch, which more than makes up for it, hunky dory.
Climbed up Indian Head, at the top is one of the best spots for shark spotting but much to my disappointment the sea was too rough and windy for good viewing, boo, I'm obsessed I swear but knowing me as soon as I see one I'll be freaked out for life never to return to the ocean again. There was a family swimming down by the rocks and as the guide pointed out to me he had once seen a 4ft shark in that exact spot, hmmm not a good idea, not the best family activity I'd say and on top of that 10 people have died in the last 10 years because the currents are so strong, no wonder they say stick to the lakes, don't swim in the sea. Whilst taking in the view at the top I saw out of the corner of my eye the girl right next to me waving her arms and jumping up, turns out a flying Huntsman spider had landed on her neck, cripes,
even made me shudder, was so close to being me and that would not have been pretty. Climbed back down and got an amazing shot a dingo, proffessional I'd say, obviously I meant to do that.
Next stop was Eli Creek which ordinarily people float down but today due to coldness we just paddled, agaim, down it (yes I know, cold in Oz, rude). Stopped off at the resort for a jacuzzi, still not hot enough for my liking mind, I'm such a wimp, and it was quite a shock for me when my foot unexpectedly got sucked up a whole....twice, I'm sure they're supposed to have covers on these things.
Pizza and pasta at the Dingo bar. One of the girls, Georgie, asked me if I'd ever been to the custard factory in Birmingham and my reply was, "what Ambrosia?", I know they've got a Cadbury's factory see, apparently it's a club, my mistake :0) Half the group left tonight so I was the only English person left, told people I was from Devon where the nice beaches are, oh how they laughed, what's so funny about that I ask you!
Tue 8th April 2008
It rained....it rained some more...then it rained again! Walked along sand dunes to Lake Wabby where we managed to entice to frog tailed cat fish (are there actually any cat fish with cats tails I ask you) to the surface by throwing sand in, what a tease. Had lunch at Eurong resort where everyone now proceeded to laugh at English food, what's with picking on the only English girl, never right. Finally, went to Lake Birrabeen. Dave picked a leaf for me to smell. I could distinctly smell cigarettes so was about to say is it a tobacco plant when in the nick of time he said you need to crush it up first, phew, realised the reason I could smell tobacco was because he had indeed been smoking, close one, the leaf actually smelt of teatree being that it was from a teatree. Got to sit up t'front of the bus for a bit, hilarious, was flying all over the shop and that windscreen got mighty close at times.
Returned to Hervey Bay in the evening on the catermaran watching the sunset as we went, beauty!
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