FRASER ISLAND

9th - 12th NOVEMBER 2016

DAYS 10 - 13

Now our first 3-day tour was coming up, Fraser Island - the largest sand island in the world. We had read about it beforehand and initially thought that a 2-day tour would be enough for us. But since we were recommended several times to do a 3-day tour, we ultimately decided to do it and I have to admit - it was definitely worth it. As skeptical as I was at the beginning, the island is truly unparalleled in its diversity!

When choosing the tour, it was very clear to us - absolutely no camping! So we opted for the all-inclusive package with accommodation in a lodge... of course, we still had to share the room with 2 other girls and the bathroom was a shared bathroom - but for us, it was pure luxury! So it was time for a 3-day vacation... with full board!

On the first day, we were picked up by bus at 7:30 am (sleeping in is practically impossible for us here in Australia, usually my alarm goes off shortly after 5 am) and then we headed from Rainbow Beach to Fraser Island. There are no roads on Fraser Island (just sand, sand, sand...), so only vehicles with all-wheel drive are allowed on the island. The bus ride on the island is accordingly bumpy. The first spot was Lake McKenzie - and that's when the island won me over.

It was by far the most beautiful lake I had ever seen. I think the pictures speak for themselves. In the afternoon, we went on a 5 km hike through the rainforest (5 km... by now, a little afternoon stroll for me) and in the evening, my highlight was definitely that I didn't have to set up a bed... It's the little things in life that I definitely enjoy here.

The next day, it was breakfast at 6:30 am and departure at 7:30 am... a strict schedule on this tour. We drove along the 75 Mile Beach (90 km of sandy beach) to the Maheno wreck,

to Indian Head

and to the Champagne Pools

and in the afternoon, we went swimming in Eli Creek.

I think pictures are more appropriate here than long texts... it was truly amazing! The only downside... it was extremely hot and windy... very windy... and that's not pleasant on a sandy island. I had sand all over my body... sand was everywhere, everything was full of sand... not a nice feeling :D.

Well, I wouldn't exactly call myself a natural talent (even though the pictures actually show something different).

But to defend myself - it was also very windy again. In the afternoon, we went to the "Walk of Death". A path through rainforest and desert to Lake Wabby... 5 km... Yes, it was hot, sandy, exhausting - but it was worth it. Lake Wabby is truly a dream setting.

And that was the end of the tour... We spent another night in Rainbow Beach, as we didn't get back until around 7 pm and didn't feel like driving long distances. But even today, sleeping in was denied to me... my alarm went off at 5:30 am and at 7 am, we were in Tin Can Bay, one place away. Here you can feed dolphins every morning and we didn't want to miss that.

After that, we headed to Noosa Heads. It is the top tip of the Sunshine Coast and I think we will stay here for the next 2 or 3 days. We found a nice campsite - sleeping with a lake view. Tomorrow, I will take some pictures because this is definitely the most beautiful spot for camping so far. This afternoon, we decided to go for a 6 km walk through Noosa National Park...

After all, we still needed our daily workout. The only downside was that it started thundering when we were in the middle of the rainforest... Twilight has got nothing on this :D. So we walked pretty quickly the last few kilometers to get to dry land in time... Fortunately, these thunderstorms usually only last a short time, so I hope for a sunny day again tomorrow. After all, there are only an average of 4 rainy days per year in Queensland, and I didn't want to experience all 4 of them.