Fraser Island - Day 2

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Still bemused from the sight of Santa and his drinking games the night before we woke up with the birds dawn chorus for our breakfast, although we were both still stuffed from dinner and turned down eggs and bacon for the healthier alternative of muesli and yoghurt; don't panic though, Will wasn't ill and it took a lot of deliberating to come to that decision!

A short drive south along the beach was an area called The Pinnacles. Very similar to our experience on the West Coast this area involved sand, although these were sand dunes with somewhere in the region of 72 variations in colour.

The second stop of the morning agenda was Eli Creek, although as we approached our attention was fixed on a four wheel drive partly submerged in the sand and the run off from the creek. Whilst Murray went and investigated the stricken vehicle we took a closer look at the crystal clear fresh water creek running into the sea, with a couple of people choosing to brave the chill and get in and float with the current back out to the beach. With curiosity getting the better of us we headed back to the beach and found out the vehicle had been stuck on the beach with its owners since 6 pm the prior day as their lack of experience of driving on the island allowed them to be caught out by the conditions. It also transpires that they had been harassed all night by a pack of dingoes as they could only helplessly watch the waves crash into the vehicle. The worst part of their story was that some people on they island took advantage of their misfortune by stealing from their vehicle when they weren't watching.

With the police and a recovery truck dispatched to help the stranded travellers we headed to one of the main resorts on the island called Eurong. Similarly to our campsite this resort was protected by fences and electrified cattle grids to keep the dingos out.

Next we had a bumpy trip inland through the thick forests to Lake McKenzie. Upon arrival one of the first things we spotted was a dingo; who apparently went on to break into another tour groups rubbish on top of their vehicle whist we we were relaxing by the lake. With sand identical to what we experienced in the Whitsundays the sight of the lake, it's crystal clear water that turned to turquoise with the reflection of the sky was amazing. With a couple of hours at our disposal we enjoyed a walk through the mineral rich revitalising waters and a bit of sun bathing.

With Wills stomach reminding him that he turned down the chance of egg and bacon, lunch time at the now disused site of the central logging station couldn't come soon enough, although we were facing our nemesis of sandwiches for lunch but we made the most of the circumstances when Jo spotted the cookies!

With the tours itinerary complete we drove sedately back to the ferry terminal as we'd all over indulged in lunch in an attempt to remove the need for dinner later that night!

Back on the ferry Will was soon reunited with his feline friend from the day before, Flinders, so we grabbed a couple of quick pictures whilst he slept rather awkwardly, before he was awoken by the ferry moving and are rather too much from his food bowl, leaving him looking a little sea sick!

With the Unique Fraser office being co-located at the same site as our hostel we soon found ourselves unloading the vehicle and collecting what we'd left behind. We did go and approach the manager about our displeasure in not being able to drive as there was a lack of conviction in her attempt to explain their attempts to make the tour run as per our expectations, although their was little more than the offer of an apology, which was a real shame.

Having showered we chilled out in the hostel bar for a couple of hours with a few drinks whilst looking back at the pictures from the last two days before picking out the best for the blog.

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