Traveling along Fraser Island and the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane.

We continue south. We had to hurry a bit as we were supposed to be in Rainbow Beach in the evening to prepare for our trip to Fraser Island. In the morning, we stopped in the town of Hervey Bay, walked along the jetty, and watched people fishing. Any small catches were thrown to the waiting pelicans. Shortly after, it was our turn to feed various animals. Because in Hervey Bay, there is a large aquarium where you can participate in fish feedings. We provided food for stingrays, reef sharks, and sea turtles. We even got to touch the turtles and held a starfish for the first time.

After a quick stop at Aldi, we arrived at the hostel in Rainbow Beach. This was the starting point for our three-day trip to Fraser Island. The largest sand island in the world holds many dangers. Therefore, we received some safety instructions regarding driving on sand and interacting with the island's animals. In total, we were 21 participants and one guide, divided into three groups. In the evening, we sat together with the group members, got to know each other, and shared our excitement for the next few days. Early in the morning, we set off. Each group was given a car, and after a short drive, the ferry dropped us off on the island. The three days on Fraser Island were very eventful and exciting. We drove through almost inaccessible forests, along beautiful beaches, always on sand. That was a lot of fun, like driving on ice. We found cooling off in wonderful lakes and creeks. We also saw animals like dingoes, large spiders, lizards, and snakes. We even held the python that suddenly appeared in our camp. It was quite a feeling, it made us a little scared. Another surprise was the humpback whale, which jumped out of the water not far away. None of us expected that. We slept the two nights in a small two-person tent. Fortunately, not a big group tent. We were actually the oldest ones and kept asking ourselves: Were we once like that? Nevertheless, we found people who were on the same wavelength as us. We spent a great time with Lena, Lea, and Jona. Playing fun card games, sitting together by the campfire, and enjoying a glass of wine, we spent our evenings.

Back on the mainland, our camper was pure luxury compared to the tent. After a delicious farewell BBQ and another night in Rainbow Beach, our route took us to Noosa on the Sunshine Coast. Along the shopping mile, we strolled to Noosa National Park. Koalas, dolphins, and whales are said to be visible from the various paths. We decided to take the coastal path to Hell's Gates Lookout. Passing beautiful bays, we actually saw a fountain in the distance. That had to be a whale. While our eyes carefully watched the water surface in the distance, a group of dolphins appeared in front of us. We didn't know where to look first. After a few minutes, the whale appeared again briefly and jumped out of the water. We were so happy because the season for humpback whales had just begun.

The next day started with a leisurely stroll through the Eumundi Market. Countless stands with fresh fruit, vegetables, clothing, jewelry, and lots of stuff, as well as delicious food and drinks. With a large basket of strawberries in our luggage, we went to Coolum Beach for breakfast. Here too, we shopped along the promenade and planned the coming days.

Next stop: Brisbane! We really liked the capital of Queensland. We started in the botanical garden, followed by a little boat ride over the Brisbane River. After that, we strolled along the park's promenade, with a great view of the skyline. We treated ourselves to a very special ice cream from a shop called 'Nitrogenie'. There were eight different flavors to choose from, and as soon as we made our decision, the show began. The ice cream was prepared fresh right in front of our eyes with liquid nitrogen. We enjoyed the delicious result at the Lagoon. It's really great that people here have such a huge swimming pool with a sandy beach at their disposal. And it's free! Of course, a visit to the Brisbane Sign was a must. Queen Street, which tempted not only with H&M or Zara, but also with Gucci and co., led us to King George Square. Here, we found a sky bar with a beautiful view.

I could hardly wait for the next morning because we were going to Lone Pine Zoo. Finally, I was allowed to hold a koala. The cute little creature was so fluffy that I didn't want to give it back. The kangaroos were also very trusting and surprisingly even softer than the koala. We also saw crocodiles, wombats, and Tasmanian devils. We had already seen all the other animals in the wild, which made us particularly happy.

Now it's less than four weeks until we're back home. Until then, we'll enjoy the last week along the Gold Coast to Sydney before Fiji calls...