Maybe the Mozzies Ate Your Baby...

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Hey gang! we have just returned from 3 days and two nights on the fabulous Fraser Island where we saw:

Dolphins!
Stingrays!
Dingos!
Goannas!
Insects including but not limited to spiders, beetles, ants and mosquitos!

So yeah it was a pretty great trip! After our last blog entry we took the bus north once more to Hervey Bay (pronounced HARVEY bay just to confuse tourists). We were pleasantly surprised to find that Hervey Bay is more than just a jumping off point to Fraser Island, it is actually quite beautiful. Huge pristine beach, nearly deserted! We stayed in a tiny hostel called Friendly Hostel which was very friendly... more like a little B&B than a hostel. We got a private room with a big double bed, which is a real treat after dorm rooms.

So when people think of Fraser Island they often think of sand, dingos, and bombing around in 4 x 4 vehicles with fellow backpackers. We decided to take a slightly different route. We opted for a guided tour instead of the backpacker self-drive because a) we had heard horror stories about insurance screw-ups and people having to pay thousands of dollars and b) Australia has imposed a new tariff that makes the self-drive tours only $50AUD cheaper than a guided tour with all meals included.

Our first day on the tour began with hostel pickup and a ride on the barge over to the island. From there we were loaded onto an enormous 4 x 4 vehicle and driven across the island to Basin Lake where we saw carnivorous flowers! they trap and eat flies! From there we went for a nice buffet lunch and a hike along Wanggoolba creek through the rainforest. It was beautiful and we saw a strange lizard. Our last stop for the day was the famous Mackenzie Lake, which is "perch dune" lake formed by collected rainwater. The water was crystal clear and it was a beautiful place to swim and lay on the white beaches. All travel between these places involved bumping along rough sandy access roads. We arrived at the wilderness lodge in the evening and were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves upgraded at no extra cost to a private room! We had paid for a quad share..... anyway it was great. Dinner was provided and we ate and drank that evening at the Dingo Bar. Our tour guide for the day, Emily, joined us for some drinks and instigated a rather rowdy game of Flip Cup. Good times were had by all!

Day 2 began far to early for some after the festivities at the bar. First thing that day we saw flying foxes that were swarming trees along a section of "road"! We carried on and came off the access road onto 75 Mile Beach, a highway on the island made of sand. We stopped briefly to see a spring bubbling out of the sand where the water table was close to the surface. TJ stuck his leg in. We visited Eli Creek, Indian Head and the Champagne Pools. Indian Head is a huge rock that protrudes from the sandy island and overlooks shark and ray infested waters. No sharks were seen but we were treated to a glimpse of dolphins and multiple eagle rays! The Champagne Pools were our lunch stop for the day. They are tidal pools that are great for swimming. They are full of shells and fish.... including one vicious fish that took a bite out of TJ's leg! On the way back to the lodge we saw a great old shipwreck and a sand blow where sand had taken over a section of the forest due to high winds.

Today was our last day on the island and after our breakfast buffet we set out in the 4 x 4 truck once again. We saw some snake tracks on our way out to the lakes but had no luck spotting snakes (too bad since there are 19 kinds of snake on the island). We went to Wabby Lake which was formed by sand blowing across a spring, creating a dam. It was a deep, green lake, home to numerous black catfish. The downside was the hike across the desert-like sandblow to get back to the truck. Long hike, but totally worth it. We stopped for lunch at an uppity resort called Eurong. Great food, questionable service. Finally we visited Lake Birrabeen which is another crystal clear lake like Mackenzie... only with less tourists! We swam and savoured our last moments on the island before heading back to the barge.

As we sat on the top deck of the barge on the way back we got one last surprise from Fraser Island, a goodbye present in the form of a beautiful stingray swimming right next to our boat! Fabulous!

So now we are back in our comfy hostel in Hervey Bay and will be heading out shortly to meet some friends from Fraser at an irish pub for a few drinks. Tomorrow we are going to Town of 1770, home of cheap surfing lessons!

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