Noosa/Fraser Island (24th - 27th Oct. 2018)

Our next destination was Noosa. This region on the Sunshine Coast has been a popular place for surfers since the 1960s. Several villages are lined up on the south side of the Noosa River. The busiest places in this region are Noosa Heads and Noosaville, where there are numerous shops and restaurants.

This area has many romantic beaches, starting with the popular Noosa Main Beach, the popular bays near Noosa National Park, and deserted beaches on Noosa North Shore. The hinterland of Noosa also offers beautiful lakes, forests, and striking volcanic rock formations.

Our stay at Eumarella Shores Lakehouse for 3 nights was another great experience and could have lasted longer. We felt very comfortable here at Lake Weyba:

Our lodge had its own jetty for the canoe and a small terrace right on Lake Wyeba.

A bird that thought it was time to get up at 5 a.m. sang its entire repertoire. Jürgen just said, can't we shoot that one?

There were two kangaroos having breakfast in the garden. It was very beautiful and peaceful.

On the second day, we planned a trip to Fraser Island. In the language of the Aborigines, it is called K'gari, which means "paradise".

The 120-kilometer-long island is known as the largest sand island in the world and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992 due to its extraordinary fauna and flora.

We missed Prince Harry and Megan by 3 days, as they were also there. What a luck.😅

We were picked up by a 4-wheel drive Unimog and we definitely didn't miss any potholes.🙈

We crossed by ferry, which took about 20 minutes. Once on the island, the adventure began. 15 km along the beach highway. Through the water, over small dunes and streams - unique. The Unimog tilted more than once and my camera on my lap was in the air several times. Mike, our driver, told us a lot about the history of the island and he could tell stories very well and in a funny way. It was fun to listen to him.

After a tea break, which was also intended for photography, we turned off the beach to enter the interior of the island. Our next destination was Lake McKenzie, one of 106 lakes on the island. A dream - as if you were in the South Seas. (see picture)

We had the opportunity to take a cool bath in the lake, which we did. Because swimming in the sea on Fraser Island is life-threatening due to treacherous currents, the waters quickly become deep, and sharks are present in the waters.

After a little snack, we continued to the village of "Central Station". Here we took a short walk (2km) through the rainforest, at the end of which the Unimog picked us up again. The rainforest was somehow different from the last time further north: hardly any humidity, but a very nice path.

The so-called satinay pines only grow on Fraser Island and two neighboring islands. The wood of this tree species is resistant to water thanks to an oil it contains. For this reason, it was used in shipbuilding and, for example, in the construction of the Suez Canal and the docks in London. But that's just a side note. The origin and settlement of this island is worth reading about.

When we arrived back in Noosa, we enjoyed the sunset at the "Sunset Bar" with a glass of champagne and grilled calamari.

On the last day, we took it easy and soaked up some sun on Noosa Heads Beach in the afternoon.

In Melbourne, our next flight destination, we can slowly prepare for the autumn temperatures in Germany.🙀