The storm is coming...

---

The east coast is a bit more disjointed than New Zealand. I can go days on end without doing much of note.

Fraser Island, however, is one of the things to note. I signed up to do a 4X4 expedition on this spit of sand, just off the east coast of Oz. I would be out for three days and two nights camping and covering the best places the island.

The day before we left we were put into a team, did the whole meet and greet thing and went to do our food shop. It was then i knew it would be a testing few days. Our food shop would have covered a large regiment for a year. I did point this out but they knew better.

That night i got drunk with a few peoeple i met on the kiwi bus and listened to a fantastic guitarist, who gave me a free cd! It was the barmans birthday and we got invited to his party, a follow-on after kicking out time! I didn't pay for a drink that night...

...but nonetheless when i woke up early the next morning at 7.00 i had a wee bit of a hangover! After brekkie, we congregated outside as the trucks pulled up. We had to pack our own trucks, so i volunteered to jump on the roof while the other two lads, Dee a guy frome Brummieland and a Swede called Simon, fed me the gear and the seven girls did next to nothing. This kinda set the tone for the weekend.

We cruised to the hire centre for the briefing, where a rather downbeat and miserable gent, told us in no uncertain terms that we were going to die. After that we were lead to the barge. Our truck go immediately stuck in the sand. But we got over that slight hitch and onto the barge.

It was like something off a D-Day film. Us there is jeeps, the barge was effectively a landing craft. The ramp went down and we were off. Looking behind the car directly behind us had got bogged, and the fourth car overtook them, but we were too far behind to turn and then both the car infront and the fourth car just sped off. So much for sticking together!

Our first stop was Lake MacKensie. We had a light picnic lunch before walking down to the lake. What a sight for sore eyes. It was beautiful. Crystal clear, light blue water, white sands and the water was like bath water. We swam around for a bit, even venturing to the dark blue and deep water, but soon got cold and couldn't touch the bottom so headed back and laid in the warmer water.

We then headed to a freshwater creek, the water there was so pure and tropical rainforest surrouned it.

After that we went to find a spot to camp and bumped into the third vehicle coming the other way. We pulled into a place that looked awfull campsiteish, most were happy to stay put, the girls on our van weren't. So with the sun setting we set off to find the campsite. Low and behold. The campsite consisted of a number of inlets off the beach. We pulled into an almost identical inlet to camp. The other two trucks had joined us by this point. We had to pitch in the dark!

I cooked a BBQ for tea and then we sat and drank goon with the girls off the third truck. We decided that even if no-one else wanted to, we would stick together. We saw a fair few Dingoes through the night,
native wild dogs, but they were no where near as bad as the Serbian Wild Dogs!

The next morning we broke camp and with the third truck headed up the beach to Lake Wabby. The walk there was 2ks, the first k through dense bush, the second k across a sand desert! As the very end of the desert, the sand fell away into and emereld lake. Again the water was warm, but no clear. Simon and I swam the width and back. Then we saw them, the biggest bloody carp i have ever seen. We spent the next hour trying to tickle them but despite grabbing hold a fair few times, they were too bloody slimy.

We headed back and a had a fair slog to do before camp. We stopped half way at a place called Happy valley for lunch. The tracks inland were somewhat in disrepair with drops of up to 2-3 feet. After lunch we ploughed on and reached out campsite at about 3pm.

The ranger came over to check our papers and then left, stating he would be back...ominous.

Again i cooked tea that night, but for two trucks this time. Both of us were having pasta and tomato sauce, just one were having beef and the other tuna and sweetcorn. I was in my element! I had all four burners going, two pots of pasta, two pots of sauce, the took the piss out fo the way i say sauce, and i even dished out portions.

After we had eaten we cleared way and hit the goon hard. We played some drinking games, and then the next thing i remember is waking up. Man i felt rough. I apparently disappeared soon after 9 and no-one could find me, mainly becuase i was going to sleep ontop of the van that night under the stars and nobody looked there!

The ranger returned and said they were evacuating the island because of the Cyclone. Shit! We got going nearly straight away. I sat with my head hanging out of the window. At times it got rocky and i could feel my stomach turning but we reached the barge in good time and were safely off the island.

As i predicted there was a shit load of food! Dee lost his temper with one of the girls who had done bugger all, but in fairness none of them had done too much. I don't mind though, i am a bit of an actions man. I do. I was always the one ontop of the van packing and unloading, setting up dinner, helping others with their tents. Dee did nearly all the driving and i was the Co-Driver. It worked well.

I had a bloody good time!

The only thing we did miss was Indian Head, where on a good days you can sea sharks and whales but it
wasn't a clear day! The sea was well choppy...again not so good for my head and stomach!

That night there was a beautiful sunset. Purple and orange, red, pink! But it rained in the night and the wind picked up. It was only that morning when i jumped on the bus that a realised i was heading into the cyclone!

When i arrived at Hervey Bay it was bloody wet and bloody windy. Just walking to the shops i got soaked through. This was rain like you have never seen. So strong it knocks you back!

All the night the storm raged, no thunder unfortunately, but lots of wind and the rain slammed on the rough and walls. The next day was slightly calmer and i headed further North. The weather hasn't been ideal since, but the further north i go, the better it will be. Tomorrow i head up to Kroombit and apparently out of the weather system. So fingers crossed.

Peace Out!

---