2 days on the largest sand island in the world: Fraser Island

Another beautiful trip behind us: 2 days on Fraser Island. The days were really fun, there were cool tracks to drive on and we saw great places. The trip to the island was definitely worth it!

On Wednesday morning we started. Together with Anna and Roman, the couple from Switzerland, we got up at 4:15 am, had breakfast, packed our stuff and drove to the car rental. There we packed camping equipment, clothes and groceries into our rental car. The car was really cool. So huge and so old! For us with our automatic car, it was a bit unusual to adjust everything by hand and therefore also to use the gear lever with our left hand. But we got used to it quickly. The car also only had 2 front doors and a double door at the back, so the rear passengers had to enter from the front because there was too much luggage in the back :D

After we finished packing, we drove to River Heads, from where our ferry to Kingfisher Bay on Fraser Island left at 6:45 am. It was pouring rain on the way there. Shortly after getting up, it started raining and everything was completely cloudy. We could only hope that the weather would get better. We made it to the ferry in time (we were the last ones and it left 5 minutes after we arrived...). On the ferry, we were able to sit in a lounge upstairs and spend the 45-minute journey relatively comfortably.

As soon as we arrived on the island, we started right away. Andi was the first one of the four of us to drive and he did a really good job. At the landing place there were still paved roads, but soon they turned into the typical, sandy 4WD tracks. And they were really tough. I didn't expect that. Right at the beginning, it went steeply downhill with such large hills and deep holes at irregular intervals that you couldn't believe driving a car over them. But we did it. And it was even a lot of fun. Everything in the car flew up and down, but we had a lot of fun. On the way, there were also some larger and smaller puddles due to the rain, which were also a great change. At some point in the middle of the forest, we changed drivers and it was my turn. A really cool driving experience. It was pure adventure feeling to drive through untouched forest on this track with a Jeep. A bit like in Jurassic Park :D We didn't come across anyone because it was so early, so we felt like the only ones on the island.

At some point, we arrived in Eurong, a small town on the beach where there is a café and a hotel. There we reduced the tire pressure and then drove to the beach. That was something completely different, but also very cool! The maximum speed on the beach is 80 km/h, which can be easily driven under good conditions (after all, the beach is a national highway). Inland, the maximum speed is 30 km/h, although you usually have to drive less. That's why it takes 1 hour to cross the island, even though it is only 25km wide. On the beach, there are dangers that are often overlooked and therefore serious accidents happen: washouts from freshwater creeks. There are real little sand cliffs when the freshwater streams from the interior of the island flow into the sea, and if you drive over them at 80, the car can easily flip over. So it's better to drive slower and always be focused.

Anna did our first beach drive and when we wanted to go back inland in the southern part of the island, we got stuck for the first time. The sand was just too soft. But with this car, getting stuck was no problem at all, we drove back a bit and then forward again, and everything worked out. No stress at all. Then we continued on the inland tracks for a while until we reached our first destination: Lake Boomanjin. According to the car rental, this is not a swimming lake, but just nice to look at because it shimmers red. Then we walked a bit to the left to the lake and it was really a great sight. The wide plain with the bright sand and the grass, the narrow tributary, and the actually red-orange lake at the edge. Dramatic clouds were also present, but thank God no more rain. Really beautiful.

After a good hour, we continued driving and the next stop was a swimming lake: Lake Birrabeen. Unfortunately, it was still quite cloudy and not very warm, but we still went into the water. The lake was very beautiful! It had white sand and incredibly clear water. Not like a typical lake, but more like a mini sea. Just with fresh water. After the swim, we changed clothes and continued driving. This time we went to the Central Station, a collection of accommodations and a campsite in the center of the island. There was also a picnic area where we prepared our lunch. We had wraps with ham, tuna, cheese, salads, and various sauces, and it was really delicious. At that point, we were already quite hungry because we had been awake for a long time. We sat together and chatted for a while before the journey continued.

The last stop of the day was Lake Wabby. For this, we had to drive from the center of the island back to the beach and then drive a bit along there to the north. At some point, a sign appeared on the left with the inscription "Lake Wabby Walking Track" and we parked there. It was a 2.4 km walk to the lake, and logically, every meter was made of sand. It was sometimes quite soft, and walking was really exhausting because it was also uphill. We all walked barefoot because it was the most comfortable way. On the way there, loads of people came towards us and we thought: oh my god, it must have been really crowded. And: hopefully, everyone is gone when we arrive.

After a while, a huge sand plain appeared in front of us, giving the feeling of a desert. At the end of this sand plain, there was a steep dune and below it was the lake. It was a very unusual sight. Apparently, the sand is piled up by the wind in a path on the island, so that the large dune in front of the lake has formed. The sand plain is called "sand blow".

As we had hoped, we arrived at the lake just as all the other groups and tours were leaving, so we practically had the lake to ourselves. Only one other couple was still there, but they were sitting on top of the dune and we didn't see them. The water of the lake was not that clear, but still refreshing and it was just something special with the sand dune on one side and the dense forest on the other side of the lake. In the meantime, there were hardly any clouds left and it was nice and sunny. In the water, there was something really cool: little fish nibbling on you. As soon as you put a foot in the water, they came up and nibbled on it. When you went in with your whole body and sat still, you could feel them all over your body. It was like a tingling bath, really great! We sat in the water for for at least 45 minutes before we had to leave because the sun was already low. The lake was really something special for us because it was so calm and we could enjoy nature.

After the walk back through the forest, we got back in the car and drove along the beach to our campsite. We booked in camping zone 3, as recommended by the car rental. There, we could choose a spot along a path on the beach and set up our camp. After that, we divided the tasks: Anna and Roman prepared the food while Andi and I set up the tents, the clothesline, and other things. This time we had burgers for dinner. Again, the salad, cheese, and various sauces were used, and there was a really fat, delicious patty with garlic. It was so good! Everyone got two burgers and after that, we were stuffed. But dessert is always possible, so those who wanted could have a cinnamon donut with vanilla cream dip. Yummy.

After dinner, we were pretty tired, and it was already dark, but we still played 4 rounds of UNO and each of us won once. When we were tidying up, Anna suddenly got scared and suddenly shone her light in the face of a dingo that appeared out of the forest just a few meters away. He walked around our car once and even came very close to our boxes to sniff at them. Fortunately, I was able to quickly put our garbage bag in the car, so he couldn't get to it. There are warning signs all over the island not to feed the dingos and to lock away all edible things at night so that they can't reach them. The animals can also become dangerous if you get too close to them, so it's best to just ignore them. Ours also ran away as soon as he didn't find anything. As soon as we arrived at our campground in the evening, our neighbor warned us about the frequent dingos, and eventually camping zones 1 and 2 were closed due to dingo attacks. In principle, the animals look like normal dogs, but they are wild animals after all. I thought it was really cool that we saw a dingo (even though we had already seen dingos before), because other people on the island take night tours specifically to see them and then they don't see any.

After everything was tidied up and the garbage was safely stored, we crawled into our tent. It was actually quite cozy, only they must have cheated a bit with the measurements. Not even I could stretch out, although the tent should actually be 1.96m long. But well, it should be enough for one night.

In the morning, the alarm went off at 6:15 am. We wanted to leave relatively early to get through our program for the day and at the same time have a relaxed breakfast. The men took a bit longer to get up, but when they finally made it, we sat down for breakfast with a view of the ocean. Really fantastic right on the beach and with soft sand everywhere. The day promised to be warmer than the last, as it was already really hot in the sun during breakfast. We could also dry our stuff a bit there, which had gotten really wet overnight. Water even dripped from the ceiling of the tent and everything was wet on the outside. Anna said it was from the sea mist, and that made sense because the water on the car windows left a real haze. Fascinating somehow.

After we packed everything up again, we started at around 9 am. First, we drove all the way along the 75 Mile Beach on the east coast of the island to Indian Head. That took a good 40 minutes. Indian Head is a headland on the beach that is slightly higher and offers magnificent views of the beach. Up there, it was really beautiful and we could see sooo far! The cars on the beach looked like tiny ants.

After taking loads of photos and being amazed, we walked back down the hill and drove to the Champagne Pools. They are located a bit further north on the beach and are a popular destination for Fraser Island tours. Our car rental told us that they are not that great, but that we could have a look. We thought they were great!! The pools are behind a chain of rocks on the beach, and when the tide is right, the waves break over the rocks and foaming seawater pours into the protected pools. When you stand there, it feels like being in a whirlpool or like sparkling champagne. The tide was perfect for us, and we had a lot of fun in the pools, even though there were about 1000 other people there. But it was just fun, very refreshing, and something special.

After a while, we left there again and started the journey back along the beach towards the south. The first stop on the beach was at "The Pinnacles," some colorful sandstone rocks that have been exposed over time by erosion. It looked cool, but not as special as I thought it would be. After that, we went to the wreck of the "Maheno," a huge luxury liner that ran aground on the island in a storm in 1935. During World War II, the ship was used as a bombing target, so today only a quite rusty and damaged wreck remains. But it looks cool as it sinks into the sand, and you can understand why it is one of the main attractions on the island.

A bit further south of the wreck, the Eli Creek, the largest freshwater stream on the island, flows into the sea, and that was our next stop. You can walk a bit inland over a boardwalk and then walk back to the beach in the creek. The water is crystal clear and cold, the creek bed consists of pure sand, and the path is very shady. It was really nice to walk along there, even though there were quite a lot of people on the way. Most of them also bathed there or let themselves float along the stream on air mattresses.

After the Eli Creek, we drove along the beach one last time to the south and then back into the island's interior at Eurong. Our last destination was Lake McKenzie, the most famous lake on the island. There we wanted to have noodles with pesto for lunch and then go swimming. Unfortunately, we were a bit late, the food had to be done very quickly, and then we only had 20 minutes at the lake before we had to make our way to the ferry. But the 20 minutes were better than nothing and definitely worth it. The lake was so beautiful! Crystal clear water, white sand, and green forests. It reminded me a bit of the Hill Inlet on Whitsunday Island. Really amazing that there is such a lake. The time was over much too quickly, and we had to make our way back. Thank goodness the car rental had calculated generously with the departure time, so we arrived at the ferry landing 20 minutes before departure, despite the delayed departure. This time the weather was nice, so we could sit outside and enjoy the return journey to the mainland.

When we arrived there, we had to drive back to the car rental, unload and clean our things, clean the inside of the car, and refuel. Someone from the rental even cleaned the outside because he was already washing a rental tour bus. When everything was done, it was already dark, and we quickly went shopping before going to the campsite. The reception was open until 6:30 pm, and we arrived at 6:25 pm. It was well timed! After that, we were just looking forward to a shower and pretty soon went to bed. It had been 2 exhausting days! But it was also so much fun with the others, and Andi and I are glad we didn't do the tour alone. In terms of cost, it was also worth it, as we spent about $185 per person for 2 days, including car, gasoline, accommodation, and food. Otherwise, you already pay $170 for a day tour. So it was really good!

On Friday morning, we said goodbye to the others and continued driving south. We wanted to visit a few more beaches and see what awaits us towards the Sunshine Coast. The latest experiences will be in the next entry :)