Türchen 20 - Fraser Island and Last Meeting with Sean

After a very relaxing night, we take the ferry to Fraser Island on the morning of November 26th. As soon as we leave the asphalt road, we let out a lot of air from the tires and off we go for some off-road action. At first, it's quite simple, but soon there are some nasty hills with deep sand. Instead of getting completely stuck, we prefer to walk the rest of the way to Lake Birrabeen, which has a piece of marble-white sandy beach and pleasantly refreshing freshwater - guaranteed crocodile-free. From the parking lot there, we even find some nice people who spare us some walking and clear a little space in their cars. Our next goal is the eastern beach of the island, 75 Mile Beach. We drive it from Eurong heading north, take a hike to a massive sand dune and a lake further inland. Later, we set up our tent near a stranded ocean liner (MS Maheno). The mosquitoes are quite annoying (especially for me), but after spraying them away, we are fine. The big flies are even more annoying, probably horseflies, their bites/stings hurt so bad. Unfortunately, the next morning I have a very stuffy nose, but I still get up early to have the beach all to myself. Swimming in the sea is not possible on Fraser Island because there are too many sharks and nasty stinging jellyfish. After a short stop at the Pinnacles, an impressive formation of red sandstone cliffs, we continue our journey north. We hike along Indian Head and further to the Champagne Pools, where so little seawater flows in that the risks are manageable and some people enjoy the cool water. Not far from this somewhat crowded place for our taste, there is a hidden freshwater lake that is slightly red in color but otherwise relatively clean. We set up our camp next to a group of anglers from Brisbane, Matze relaxes in his hammock, and I sit in the camping chair. Unfortunately, it seems that I have caught a proper cold, but I still enjoy the trip. After unpacking a lot of baggage at the camp (almost 250kg), we venture onto the last and most difficult part of the road to the northern tip of Fraser. It goes through a type of canyon, you have to maintain enough distance to the car in front in case it doesn't make it through and has to reverse, and you have to be prepared for oncoming traffic, the road is narrow and avoiding it is impossible in some places. Beyond that, you come across a dream beach with incredibly clear blue water. After a few minutes, I spot a dolphin not far away, then turtles, then a stingray. It's a true paradise. We walk up to the lighthouse, which has been warning ships against the treacherous sand dune in shallow water since the mid-1900s, yet 10 ships have fallen victim to it over time. In the early afternoon, we're back at our baggage and then we drive south again. The first campground I had in mind turns out to be a disappointment, the road there is closed, so we have to turn back and find a new one. Luckily, there are also Fraser Island petrol stations, otherwise we would have run out of fuel. Our alternative sleeping spot is just a few meters from the sea again, and I go to sleep soon, the cold is really wearing me out. In the morning, the journey continues to a small lake with idyllic reeds and paperbark trees further inland. While cooling off in the water, a swarm of small fish curiously comes up to me and starts nibbling on my legs and buttocks. A group of lakes inland, called the Boomerang Lakes, is completely dried up, so we can easily walk around on the ground cracked by drought. On the last stretch back to Kingfisher Bay, where we leave Fraser Island again, we pass through overgrown paths, plants are constantly touching the car. We also get stuck 3 times but luckily manage to get out without any help - we haven't encountered any other cars all day - and we arrive before sunset. We take the last ferry back to the mainland and get to sleep in James' room in Cooroy (Brigitte now lives in our old room). After squeezing our additional equipment into the car from the garage the next morning, we drive to Brisbane and meet Sean in the Botanic Gardens. There are colorful LEDs and fog machines everywhere, it looks especially magical and exotic with all the ferns and vines. We have a few more beers with Sean at our favorite AirBnb to say goodbye, and I will definitely miss these weekend meetings.