Fraser Island / Australia

26/09/17 - 28/09/2017

From Noosa, we started our 3-day tour to Fraser Island. We took the bus at 7 am to Rainbow Beach where we got our cars. The cars are specially modified for Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, with huge suspension springs, raised, waterproof up to the windows, all-wheel drive, etc. Each car can accommodate 8 people. We were given an order of the cars (we were Car 2) to be maintained throughout the three days.

In our car, there were two other guys with Markus who were allowed to drive, and so the journey began - first only to the ferry. Before that, there were of course eternal safety instructions, introductions, etc. on how to behave while driving in the sand. But no one anticipated how difficult it would be to drive in the sand, especially in the soft sand.

The way to the ferry was no problem. After about 15 minutes of ferry ride, during which we saw some whales and dolphins, the adventure began. Each car was equipped with walkie-talkies, which were immediately put to use during the first 10 minutes of the drive on Fraser Island - we were the first to make use of it and said 'Here is Car Two, we are stocked.' And then the other two cars followed at 5-minute intervals, and this kept happening 😀 Everyone had imagined it to be easier... Our guide then gave the drivers specific instructions on how to use the gas, clutch, and gears to get out of difficult situations. It usually worked - and when it didn't, the guide jogged to the cars and helped us 😀

After a good 1.5 hours of continuous driving right by the water (amazing!), we arrived at the 'Resort' where we had lunch and then moved on.

Our first stop was supposed to be Lake McKenzie. (On Fraser Island, you can only swim in lakes and not in the ocean, as deadly box jellyfish, stingrays, and sharks can be found here due to the currents right on the beach, which is why it is also known as the most dangerous beach.) Lake McKenzie is the highlight on Fraser. White sand that can be used to wash hair and make it shine, to brush teeth and make them whiter, and to wash skin to make it clean. The water is not just light blue, it is really turquoise.

Well, not everything went as planned... What was supposed to be 3 hours of swimming at Lake McKenzie turned into 10 minutes in almost complete darkness. On the way there (there are no roads on Fraser, only sand), we suddenly lost the last car, which said through the walkie-talkies that it was stuck and couldn't move forward at all. Well, everyone thought it was stuck again. But it was much worse... The guide tried to get the car moving again with a tow rope, but it just wouldn't start. After 20 minutes of back and forth, it turned out that one of the idiots from the company where we rented the cars didn't fill it up with fuel, so we were stranded in the middle of nowhere with an empty car. (The employee is now unemployed...) So our guide took us to a 'park' where we were supposed to wait for him while he drove back to the resort to get fuel. Unfortunately, depending on the conditions, it can take 1-2 hours to drive 10-20 kilometers on Fraser. And that's exactly how it was... After 2.5 hours, we finally made it to Lake McKenzie, where we all stood more or less frustrated because we knew it would only be 10 minutes until sunset. So three hours turned into 10 minutes... that was so so frustrating! On our way back, it was pitch dark and you're not allowed to drive on Fraser in the dark, as you can't see the sand or the type of sand in front of you and because of dingoes. (Dingoes are wild dogs that mainly live on Fraser Island and are nocturnal. There are warning signs all over the island warning you to beware of dingoes, as they can grab food from you or chase you.) Of course, the drive was very wobbly and exhausting because we drove into so many sand potholes that we simply couldn't see. Headaches. In the middle of the way, we also encountered the 'Deathadder', the third most venomous snake in the world... creepy. The crazy thing is: there is no doctor on Fraser Island. That means for the Deathadder, the other two venomous snakes, and 3 species of spiders, you have between 13 and 20 minutes until any help is too late. If the helicopter needs to fly in quickly, it takes 10 minutes. So it's really a race against time...

In the evening, we had dinner and we could occupy our sleeping places. We had only booked tipis (Indian tents) because the shared rooms were much more expensive and it doesn't matter where you sleep. Well... or so we thought. When we entered the tipis, we were really pleasantly surprised because they were very clean and spacious, equipped with fans, bedside tables, lights, and electricity to charge phones and cameras. But sleeping turned out to be a huge nightmare: the 'mattresses' were beach chair cushions that were so soft that it didn't make a difference whether you lay on them or on the floor. Additionally, they were so narrow that Markus couldn't even fit half his body on them. Conclusion: 1 hour of sleep, terrible back pain...

On the second day, we went to the so-called 'Champain Pools', which were similar to the Fairy Pools in Noosa but much more crowded. (Everything is always more beautiful without people 😀). On the way back from the pools, there was a little incident when I screamed loudly because I felt something biting my back. It was twice as bad - the really disgusting pain and the thought that there are so many poisonous and deadly animals in Australia didn't make the panic any smaller 😀 The bite swelled up quite fat within seconds and my mind made up all sorts of scenarios. But! Lucky in unlucky! The guide immediately took a look at it and said it doesn't look like a bite from a deadly/poisonous animal. Phew! So he treated it quickly and calmed my pulse 😀

Then we continued to a viewpoint or rather a huge mountain of stones with a great view. And it's hard to believe what we saw: dolphins, sharks, whales, giant turtles, and stingrays 😍 amazing! On the way back, we also visited the sunken shipwreck S.s. Maheno, which has been rusting on the beach for 115 years. Our last stop for the day was at a mega cool river called 'River Eli Creek'. Here, you walk along a bridge above the river for about 10 minutes and then go down the stairs into the river and walk to the end with the current. The water is transparent and it is the only fresh spring water on the island! If the currents are a bit stronger, you can also take an inner tube or bodyboard and ride down the river 😀

The evening had a good ending for us: a second group who had already left in the morning had not locked their hostel room with beds, so we sneaked into the room at night and were never more grateful to have a bed 😀😀

On the last day, it was really tough for everyone. The plan included Lake Wabby, a lake located between miles of sand dunes. Here, you are also not allowed to jump or anything, as that usually ends with a broken neck. But to get to the lake and back, we marched a proud 6 kilometers through a rainforest (the path consisted only of sand and sand stairs) at 30 degrees! And really, those 6 kilometers feel like 20 in the sand 😮

Tired and exhausted, we returned to the resort for a little snack and then it was already bye bye Fraser Island. It was truly an amazing adventure 😊