Day 291. Fraser Island

Getting to know Fraser....

Today we are getting to know Fraser (Island). We started the day on a guided canoe trip, that left from the jetty down at the beachfront. We followed the coast north, before turning into Dundonga Creek, where we then explored the mangroves. It was so quiet and peaceful here in the mangroves; there were little fish darting around everywhere. Unfortunately due to the high tide, the creek became very narrow and we soon had to turn around and head back. Along the way I did see a Green Sea Turtle come up for air, but it was only up for a moment, and then was gone again.

Dundonga Creek

After our canoe trip, we all jumped into the Pajero and went 'touring' around the Island. Today is the last chance we have to visit some of the iconic sites that Fraser Island has to offer, as we leave this paradise tomorrow. We headed south via the inland track, and stopped off at Lake Birrabeen, and then Lake Boomanjin - which is the world's largest perched lake (at about 200ha). Lake Boomanjin is more than 70m above sea level and is surrounded by dunes that rise to over 120m. This lake was the site of the corroboree scene in the Australian movie Eliza Fraser.

Shane off to  'assist' a broken down 4wd

We then turned towards the Eastern Beach - emerging at Dili Village. By this time the skies had turned dark grey and there was a hint of showers in the air, so we decided to stop off further up the beach at Eurong to check out the resort there. Scarlett had behaved so well along these rough and bumpy tracks, we rewarded her by visiting the shops and she bought an icecream. It had taken us just over 2 hours to cover the 55kms from Kingfisher Bay resort to Eurong, so we all needed to get out and stretch our legs anyway. Wouldn't you know it, but just as we pulled into Eurong, the heavens opened and we were drenched in pouring rain. It was actually quite refreshing, as the heat build up and humidity during the day had become quite uncomfortable.



Lake Boomanjin foreshore

We jumped back in the Pajero, and headed up the beach to see Lake Wabby, which is the islands deepest lake at 11m. The lake is slowly being engulfed by the Hammerstone Sandblow that is slowly moving along at approx 1m per year. The weather was still wet, so we only walked as far as the lookout before returning to the safety of the car. It was then back to Kingfisher Bay which completed our round trip of exploration and adventure. We had once again tackled and conquered Fraser Island's sandy highways!



Storm approacing on the beach

We returned then to our villa, where Scarlett and I left Bec for an hour or two going for one last swim in the resorts beautiful pools. Upon our return, we found Bec relaxing with an amazing amount of bubbles in the spa. So I made her an icy vodka, lime and soda to sip and enjoy, which she said was just what she needed!



Bed hair after a sleep in the car


Tonight we tagged onto a guided 'night walk' around the resort, where we saw an amazing amount of wildlife. We saw giant beetles, a brown tree snake, a Fraser Island funnelweb spider, striped rocket frogs, green tree frogs, endangered sedge frogs, a blind snake, and a Tawny Frogmouth. Scarlett was loving every minute of the walk, and was very disappointed when it finally ended. It was a very enjoyable night out, but was over way to soon.

 




Lake Wabby (and Bec)

 Fraser Island is a magnificent paradox! Composed almost entirely of sand, it could literally have been a desert island. Yet it supports an astonishing variety of vegetation, from wildflower heaths to mangroves, rainforest and mighty hardwoods; a catalogue of natural wonders that include fantastically sculptured cliffs of coloured sands and lakes containing some of the world's purest water. We have been fortunate in that we have had the chance over the last five days to experience much of what this magical island has to offer - yet there is so much more to explore. I guess that means that one day we'll be back, as Fraser Island has certainly left a lasting impression with all of us. This place certainly deserves to placed in our top 10 places to visit, and I couldn't think of a better place to spend the last few days of our travels around Australia - but unfortunately all good things have to come to an end!

You see, today is really the last full day of our holiday exploring together - not only here on Fraser Island, but for our whole journey travelling Australia. That's obviously not including the next couple of weeks where we are staying and visiting friends as we edge closer to Brisbane (where I'll be going back to work for a week) and Sydney (where we started this trip back in January); but its a milestone that holds a significant meaning for Bec, Scarlett and me....