Rendezvouz at Inskip Point

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So while we were catching up with Uncle Jack and Lyndal at Tin Can Bay, we learnt that some good friends of Jacks, an interesting couple we had only met briefly many years ago at hometown Coraki, were on their way to Inskip Point, not far from Tin Can Bay. Laurie and Julie are serious travelers, who just love life on the road, and there aren't too many places in oz they havn't towed their Caravan through. So it was a great opportunity to meet up at Rainbow Beach and mosey on up to Inskip Point. We had heard a lot of good things about the "Point", but just hadn't driven that stretch of what we thought to be a serious sand road, that splits the spit of land that meanders right up (with sea on three sides) to the southern tip of Fraser Island.

Soon after, we all arrived at the rendevouz point, a lovely foreshore park at Rainbow beach. After meet and greet, Laurie and Julie headed off to make camp up the "Point" somewhere. while the rest of the party, Morningbird, Littleflower, J & L, headed into town to pick up some supplies as you do. We then set off with a mud map of where to find Laurie and Julies camp. Well bugger me dead!, no horrendous sand roads here, what was all the fuss about these "you only go there in a 4 wheel drive business", Black top all the way. There are several camp areas set in sandy casuarina groves, dotted just off the "point" road. Its a busy little paradise, packed with stacks of weekend warrior campers all enjoying the "Point". Of these camp areas, unbeknowns to us, the first few are 2wd camps, the rest, sand sand sand and more bloody sand. As we got past the 2wd camps and still no sign of Laurie and Julies camp, we started seeing signs '4 wheel drives sites only, past this point', "nonsense it looks pretty tame to me", says yours truly. Finally we spot Lauries waving arms at the very end of the blacktop, indicating where to turn into to find their camp site, "oh shit, how are we going to drive through this talcum powder sand to get to Lauries site.

(note to self) Remember what your old man taught you about driving through sand son, minus the let some air out of your tyres business. Keep your front wheels straight, keep moving, don't stop, park on high side preferably on some grass, "yeah right dad here goes". So I tramp the foot and keep her goin', "right dad all good so far", success! Ploughed straight through soft sand to arrive at Laurie and Julies site, even found sunny spot amongst the shady casuarinas to put out solar panels for some free electamatricity. Good job done. "Now its your turn Uncle Jack". Jacks driven trucks pretty much all his life, he must know a thing or two about driving through quick sand. Jacks' Jungle bus roars through sand, (it is a lot heavier than Freedom Machine), his rear tyres churning up sand storms and Jack to his credit makes it to camp site.

Set up table and chairs under Laurie and Julies big caravan awning and do some high end dining. Coffee, bikkies and lots of top shelf nibblies, sit back "relax with max" on this beautiful relaxing sunny day. There is a gentle ocean breeze just to take the edge off the warm winter Queensland sun, great conversation, all the much anticipated travel yarns fly around the camp site, little wonder that we just love "life on the road". I mean this is largely what is all about isn't it?, great scenery, interesting people, traveling with the seasons. The grey and not so grey nomads have it pretty much sorted when it comes to the "life on the road" business.

Lazy afternoon rolls around and its time to explore Inskip Point. Kick off sandals, walk through warm sand to eastern passage facing the south western coastline of Fraser Island. Mega spectacular views of the island and also of up and down the mainland coast. Just north of where we hit the beach, we could see the two vehicular ferries, making their way across the 'Great Sandy Strait' to Fraser Island. They were packed with the many soon to be 4wd adventurers about to make landing on Fraser Island for a gr8 day of speccy 4wdeeing. The ferries do a backload and return with those who have just hooned around the largest sand island in the world, back to the mainland. We remembered our trip last year on a private 4wd tour of Fraser Island (Unique Fraser 4wd Adventures, Highly recommended) and recalled Hans the guide, telling us of the Coffee rocks strewed along the Fraser Island coastline, under foot we sighted many of these Coffee rocks, also on Inskip beach, these rocks are remnant specimens of ancient forests almost converted to coal. It was a bit of a ebony and ivory experience with lots of white volcanic pumice stones and Coffee Rocks scattered along the beach. These pumice stones (as most will know) are great for scrubbing the bottoms of your feet in bath or shower.,We picked up two specimens that fitted snugly into a cupped hand, precisely for this purpose, "thanks mother earth". the ancient earth really is the best little shop for gifts from the natural world, just got to not be greedy, only take what you need. So good to discover the caring native is alive and well inside of us, its comforting to find a little bit of Robinson Crusoe, latent in us all.

As we walked up to the ferry point (northern tip of Inskip Point) to watch the loading of the 'would be' ferry travelers to the island, we could see the experienced and not so experienced 4wd's negotiating the large sand spit to get to the ferry launch site. We were entertained by the novices who got into all sorts of trouble trying to get through the soft sand to the waiting ferry. So good to see the "Aussie tradition of stopping to help out a mate (or a complete stranger) in any which way you can. Well here we find "Neville Novice", bogged up to his axles in a sand drift, and here comes the cavalry to the rescue in the form of "Harry Helper" to tow him out of the sand bog, and whoops now both Neville and Harry are bogged up to their axles in the all consuming sand drifts. So along comes "Good Samaritan Sam" with 4wd tricked up for extracting vehicles from their sandy entrapment. With all twelve wheels madly spinning sandflumes high into the air, the chain of the hapless 4wd's all eventually make their way out of the sand trap and wheelie their way to the ferry landing. By now a large crowd of onlookers had gathered to satisfy their amusement of the unfolding drama of the hapless helpless 4wd's, some holding up score cards marking the entertainment value along with the uncouth aussie venacula, that gets bandied around all too frequently at times like these.

With the 4wds all now making their way onto the ferry, we farewelled the ferry and walked over to the western bayside of Inskip point, a totally different waterway not of ocean passage, but of sheltered bay with fishing boats anchored at low tide on the sandy beach. A gentle walk through the sand drifts and we find ourselves back at the camp, partake a few cool liquid refreshments, probably alcoholic, and spin our latest travel yarn to our camping party.

A pleasant nights sleep, slumbering to the sound of the sea, gentle breeze whistling through casuarinas, sunrise over sea and sadly we have to leave Laurie and Julies sandy camp and head back with J & L to Cooloola Cove. This is where we go our north and south ways, before they head north to Mackay and we hit Highway One to continue the journey south home. Remembering what the old man taught me about sand driving I gently extricated 'Freedom Machine out of sandpit, but not so for Uncle Jack, who has made the mistake of turning front wheels in soft sand and down goes the jungle bus deep in the sand. Once again the tru blu aussie tradition of helping out a mate (or a complete stranger) turns it on, and so the entertained now become the entertainers. We clear out sand and insert bits of wood in front of Jacks' rear tyres, with shoulders and arms we lock onto the rear of jungle bus to joyfully see the jungle bus roaring straight through soft sand to high side with some grass. By this time an audience of amused 4wd campers cheer and are in bewilderment, wondering what the bloody hell we were thinking, driving our 2wds into their hallowed domain. Forever the adventurer, forever the adventure. Score card for Inskip Point, absolute ten, but do respect the 2wd/4wd boundaries.

Tip on sand driving, let driving tyres down a little, by how much I am not sure, but this subsequently makes the tyres wider and longer, allowing for more traction.

May the blessings of each new day, bring much happiness to you all, Love and best wishes to all, Morningbird and Littleflower

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Photos

Sand Vans
Jungle bus, Laurie and Julies Van and Freedom machine

Trouble in Paradise
Neville Novice & Harry Helper caught in the sand trap

Pumice stone atop Coffee Rock
Ancient stones of OZ

boat on Inskip Bayside
Bert and Betty are either very early or very late, for piscal offerings, from freddie fisherman

Julie, Jack and Laurie
shady casuarina sand camp
Inskip Point

Sand tracks, Inskip Beach
Sand tracks lead to Little flower, great Sandy Strait, Fraser Is. in distance