Island Paradise: Fraser Island, Whitsundays and Magnetic Island

Meanwhile, so many days have passed again and I have experienced so many wonderful things. My 2 absolute favorite places in Australia so far are also included! After Brisbane, I made a short stopover in Noosa for one night. There is a very beautiful national park with a coastal hiking trail that offers incredible views! After that, we went to Rainbow Beach, the departure point for my tour on Fraser Island. We started early on January 3rd. So we spent 3 days with four 8-seater jeeps that we drove ourselves. Fraser Island is an island made entirely of sand, so driving is sometimes not as easy as I myself have noticed. Especially during high tide, it is more difficult because you have to drive in the very soft sand.

On the first day, we visited 2 lakes that could not be more different. One was at the foot of a huge sand dune and was not very clear, and the other (Lake MacKenzie) was crystal clear with a shallow beach and felt like it was straight out of a catalog. After that, we drove to our campsite, which was really (for me as a camping newbie) very clean and relatively luxurious. In the evening, we played games, drank more or less alcohol, and then went to the beach! Australia simply has such a beautiful starry sky!

On the second day, we first went to Eli Creek (or, as our tour guide called it, Hangover Creek), where we floated along with inner tubes. In the afternoon, we relaxed in the Champagne Pools. These are natural pools where ocean water flows in and makes the water bubble 😊 After 2 hours of relaxation, we went to a lookout point where you can observe marine animals. We saw many rays and even a shark! In the evening, there was a nice campfire this time. But I went to bed relatively early because we had to get up early at 4:30 the next morning to watch the sunrise. My first sunrise in Australia 😊 And it was really beautiful! Until a dingo (which is the Australian version of a wolf) decided to steal one of the girls' handbags and run away with it. One of the guys ran after it and managed to save it. So it was a very adventurous morning! After a stop at another creek, where we had to wait for the tide to go back and our tour guide to get the cars through, we headed back towards Rainbow Beach. I fell into bed in the evening like a half-dead person. Camping is something you can do, but I don't need to do it again so soon :D But the tour was really awesome and so were the people! I was in a car with 3 British girls, a couple from Holland, and a Danish guy.

On my last day in Rainbow Beach, after some contemplation, I fulfilled a long-standing dream and went horseback riding on the beach. That was one of the highlights of my trip so far. The feeling of freedom galloping along the beach on my horse Rosie was indescribable. Rainbow Beach is also simply a really beautiful beach and I enjoyed the 2 hours so much and was so happy!

That was followed by the absolute worst part of my trip so far, 17 hours on the bus overnight to Airlie Beach. But I survived it with the company of a German girl from the tour and an American guy, although without sleep, but I made up for that the following night 😊 Before I went on another 3-day sailing trip.

That one was also simply amazing! The people I met there were just so lovely. Again, quite a few Germans and Brits, as always, but I had a great time with everyone! On the first day, we sailed out to the Whitsundays, unfortunately still without sails, only with the engine. We anchored in a small bay with a beach and went snorkeling and diving. The tour included an introductory dive! We were divided into 7 groups, and I was unlucky to be in the last group. In the end, however, it turned out to be lucky 😊 It was my very first time snorkeling. The spot was a bit murky, but I still saw many corals, etc., just hardly any fish. After waiting for 3 hours, it was finally my turn, along with 2 English girls, Lily and Amiee. Unfortunately, Amiee got a bit panicked and didn't go, so it was just the two of us instead of four like everyone else. We were even allowed to dive up to 8.5 meters deep. Absolutely amazing experience! We stayed at that spot overnight and rounded off the evening with some music and games. At some point, I just watched the stars because the starry sky was simply incredibly beautiful! Sleeping on the boat was cramped and definitely not luxurious! It was warm and stuffy below deck, the beds were small, and the shower consisted of a short water hose in the toilet, which was also the faucet. But it was okay for 2 nights... (that's what I thought at the time)

The next morning, we set off for Whitehaven Beach at 5 am. We had breakfast at 6:30 and were the very first people to arrive on the beach at 7:30. I was simply speechless! It felt like paradise. Fine white sand, turquoise blue water, and all of it just for ourselves (at least for the first 30 minutes). We went into the water first. In northern Australia, you actually need a so-called Stinger suit, as there are deadly jellyfish in the water. Since the water was not very deep, we were very optimistic and went in without wearing them. Until 2 huge jellyfish swam past us. After everyone had taken their photos, I casually walked along the entire beach and just enjoyed what nature has created here. Simply unique. After that, we walked to a lookout point where we had an even better view of the entire beach. Back on the boat, we received the bad news: the water tank was empty, no more showers, no more hand washing, only a toilet and drinking water. Great news :D but oh well, we had to deal with it. We then went to a second snorkeling and diving spot. Since the dive only cost $50, and I enjoyed it so much, I decided to go diving a second time, and I'm so glad I did! There were so many fish, corals, an eel, rock formations, etc., to see this time. And since I bought a waterproof case for my phone before the trip, I was even able to take videos and photos! In the evening, we watched the sunset from a sandbank in the middle of the water and then got back on the boat to the harbor to refill the water tank. It didn't go exactly as planned, but it worked out.

The next morning at 5 am, we went out again to a bay for snorkeling and swimming. We could swing into the water and jump from the boat with a rope, which was really fun. Until the moment when I, being a little unlucky, had to injure myself of course... When making a dive, my legs snapped towards my head and I strained my back, which took my breath away at the beginning... So for the rest of the day, I had to lie down, rest, no more jumping or going into the water. The trip ended at noon. Will (one of the Brits) kindly carried my bag back to the hostel. The first thing we did there was shower and have a cold soda. It felt so good to finally get the salty water out of my hair and off my skin. In the evening, I went out to eat with the 4 Brits and had my best but also most expensive meal so far: kangaroo steak! It was so good. Too bad for the kangaroo... but it was delicious anyway! Then it was time to say goodbye ☹ I really grew fond of those 4. That's probably the hardest part of traveling: having to say goodbye over and over again... but England is not that far away 😊

The next morning, together with another girl from my sailing trip and coincidentally with one from Fraser Island, I went to Townsville and from there took the ferry to Magnetic Island. Carrying the backpack on my back was probably the most difficult and painful part... But somehow I managed it. Magnetic Island is really a super cute island with many beaches and bays. My hostel was right on the beach, with its own bar, pool, and small huts. It was really nicely done! With the other 2, we decided to rent a car the next day and explore the island, which we did the next morning. However, I think we got the oldest car you can drive. (See picture!!!) I tried to drive, but gave up after 30 seconds :D I had never driven anything like that before in my life. So we let Malena drive all day, who had experience with old cars and off-road vehicles :D The roads on Magnetic Island are only suitable for 4x4s and very bumpy. But the places you can reach with them are simply beautiful. Since I couldn't really walk and driving didn't really help my back, we only went short distances, saw a few koalas, sat and swam at various beaches, and simply enjoyed the weather and the views! In the evening, we went to the west coast of the island to watch the sunset. One of the most beautiful ones I have ever seen 😊 After that, we drove to a spot where there were many wallabies that were being fed with carrots. Super cute!

In the evening, I fell into bed exhausted, and my back finally enjoyed some rest... and complained the next morning, so I went to the doctor in Townsville. It was a bit stressful because I had a precise plan of where I needed to be and which bus to take. But everything worked out time-wise and it turned out that it wasn't anything serious, just a muscle strain that would go away with some prescribed "drugs". So I continued on the bus directly to Cairns, where I will spend my last 2 days in Australia. I can't believe that my time in Australia is already over. It went by too quickly. Even though there are still 6 weeks in New Zealand to come, it feels strange to leave Australia behind. I had planned to go to the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns and go diving/snorkeling, but due to my back injury, I have crossed that off my list now. Instead, I'm having a relaxing day today, sorting pictures, writing a blog, and preparing for New Zealand. Tomorrow, I'm going on a tour to the waterfalls in the rainforest with Malena, the German girl I met on Fraser.

That's it for now with my very detailed travel report 😊

Best regards,

Julia