Holiday on Fraser Island

We set off to Fraser on the Sunday night rather than the Monday morning as we'd originally planned because the tide height is a critical factor when you arrive at Rainbow beach and you only have a relatively small window of opportunity to get on to the island and around the hook before the tide is a bit too high. Even at low tide (when we landed) you still have to drive into the shallow surf to get past the odd fallen trunk here and there. Once you're around the hook however, it's a good straight run up the beach for about 55k to Dunderburra where we had elected to camp, that being a fenced site as I mentioned in the previous blog.

So after spending some time packing the food and the car, Daile and I were fairly knackered before we even set off, around 12.30 am. I drove through the night and we arrived at Rainbow beach at around 5am. I'd just nicely let all the air out of the tires for driving on sand (to about 18psi) and got onto the beach, when we saw the little ferry coming around the spit. It's supposed to start at 6.30 but often starts earlier when the tides are like they were, so that you've got a decent chance.

This vid shows the girls, eager to stretch their legs after what must have been an exhausting sleep for them! (How bitter I am!) Matilda has been eager to check this island out for years. Her giggle is because she can see it... just a short hop over the channel.

The car was overloaded as it always is, and I was a little concerned about the going once we were on the island as there are one or two places where deep ruts in the sand combined with rocks, increase the chances of grounding out or tipping a top heavy car over. The car was really swaying about on the ferry, as there was quite a swell.

(the ladder ended up black...on Daile's preference... and I agree that it looks better after all)

...interesting how early they lower the ramp isn't it. I couldn't help thinking about that ferry disaster in Holland....(Herald of Free Enterprise) that sank due to the doors being left open as it left Zeebrugge in 1987.

We made good time to the site and were pitched and having tea before too long. It's always better when it's not raining though... and whilst we got most of it up in time, we did have rain to contend with that day and night.

The next day the rain abated for a while and we had a great time at the 'Champagne Pools' where even Daile got into the water. Those of you who know her will understand that this will only happen if it's warm to very warm, so despite the weather, the temperature at least was very nice, and even in this, we all were surprised to find that we'd ALL got a little sun burn - and that despite blathering ourselves with the good stuff.

This vid gives you an idea of the sort of run you get up the beach. This was one morning doing our daily run to the dump and then to the little shop at Cathedral Beach to get ice.

Sometimes gob stoppers are a good idea... especially for Matilda!

This was Orchid beach bar and shop, the only place that we had any reception for the phones.

We found a really good spot off Orchid beach that was safe for the girls to play in the water. Most of the Eastern side of the island is ocean breakers with all the associated rip tides, gutters, sharks etc. This was a little haven protected by a sandbar.

There's been quite a bit of attention about the Dingos lately, as there's been some attacks, especially around Eurong, and some of the young males have taken to tearing holes in tents... when you're in them! This one seemed very timid indeed, and I think it was a female judging from the position of her tail. In any event, partially to be less of a threat to her, and partially to keep the girls safe, we climbed onto the roof of the car to watch her.

The next day we decided to check out Central Station where they used to run a logging operation off the island, and then onto a lake for a lunchtime picnic. Given the volume of traffic on the island this time of the year, we elected a less well known lake than Mackenzie where Molly and I went, as you can drive right up to it, and so all the tour buses do just that. This one (Lake Birrabeen) is further south and you have a short walk to get to it, anathema to many tourists.

This is a sandy stream near to Central Station..

On Daile's birthday Phoebe and I baked a chocolate cake in our camp oven! It was a big success and that's what we had for breakfast..ha ha! (Even Daile!) We'd decided that we'd come back to Brisbane on the Saturday rather than the Sunday so that we'd all have a day to recover before school started on the Monday. Daile's birthday was therefore the last day of our holiday and we agreed that we'd go to Kingfisher Bay (where there's a holiday resort) to have a nice meal at the posh hotel and perhaps do some fishing. On the way, we thought we'd see if the beach plane was there, having spoken to the very affable young pilot the day before about it. He flew in shortly after we pulled up at the place he normally operates out of, so we went for it!

These three pics were the day before...

...and these were after the flight.

Fasten your seat belts...:-)

We were well ready when we finally made it here...the tracks are pretty heavy going, and you're in the middle of wilderness when suddenly you arrive at this oasis of civilisation.

After a long swim in the pool, during which I got dunked several times, Matilda and I went fishing off the jetty for a couple of hours, whilst the girls went to the hotel and had a look around. We tidied up in time for an ice cream and a beer (first of the holiday) whilst we watched the sun go down.

We drove back at night, quite scary going down the tracks at night, but nothing compared to driving along the beach, at near to high tide, and suddenly seeing rocks loom up from nowhere! We made it home, OK and had a good kip in time for an early start and home again.

Lovely break... wish you'd been with us!