Just off the coast of mainland Australia… is a paradise of crystal clear sand perched lakes, sand dunes, breathtaking coastline, and more dangerous animals than you would ever care to know about! Tiger sharks that come in to shore up to the legs of the fisherman… this alone keeps local surfers from paddling out (well, at least all but one guy with a potential death wish who paddled out during our time atop Indian Head – a rocky outcropping overlooking the sharks, mantarays, stingrays and other sea creatures below!)
My friend Jacindie in Katoomba (Blue Mtns) kept saying “you have to go to Fraser Island”… and I kept replying day after day… “I just don’t have enough time to make it all the way there – I sure wish I could go.”…less than a week later, I met Kerri – she had a rental car and a plan to go north… I had a plan to chill in Byron – doing yoga, surfing & kayaking… then came the downpour of rain, and next thing I know we are spontaneously on our way to nowhere and somewhere altogether! OF COURSE we ended up within ‘touch’ of Fraser Island… and that was that!
After a quick 14-minute barge (ferry) transfer with our monster 4-WD vehicle over to the landing at the south end of the island, we were off to the sand-wheeling race up 75-mile beach, swerving around the water swells as it brought the waves in and out from the shore. We were bouncing, slightly fishtailing and laughing our way through the soft sand… the sun was shining… working our way up to the inland tracks that would take us back through the gum & palm tree-filled forest to Lake McKenzie. The most sought-out spot on the island… for its rain-only filling… pure & fresh blue, BLUE water…
As if this wasn’t already enough… we walked over the sand dunes into Lake Wabby in the afternoon – how spectacular to have forest on one side of the lake and sand dunes on the other! The water was sooooooo cold… I opted to walk in it, rather than venturing in for a swim in this vegetation, green-hued paradise…. Plus, I was far too fascinated with attempting to photograph the little red-headed bee eater birds in the trees clumped at the top of the nearest dune!
We spotted our first dingo (the wild dog of Fraser Island) just after enjoying sunset photo ops on the beach… he was crossing the driveway in front of the little market by our resort (oh yeah, we’re talkin’ bunk beds with kitchenette! ;))… definitely looked like …a…. dog. Now that I think about it, it didn’t look all too different from the similar looking collection of stray dogs in southern Africa.
We met a new friend from Germany, during dinner and we proceeded to close down the resort café… drinking instant coffee! Beauty of the “IN BETWEEN” (if you know what I mean! … hope this finds ya smiling Kerstin & Kerri!)
You know when you have such a wonderful day that you just don’t want it to end (O.K., so almost all of my days are like this!...but,) this was one of those moments when we talk until we fall asleep! (and, NO, I don’t always talk ‘til I fall asleep!)
My friend Jacindie in Katoomba (Blue Mtns) kept saying “you have to go to Fraser Island”… and I kept replying day after day… “I just don’t have enough time to make it all the way there – I sure wish I could go.”…less than a week later, I met Kerri – she had a rental car and a plan to go north… I had a plan to chill in Byron – doing yoga, surfing & kayaking… then came the downpour of rain, and next thing I know we are spontaneously on our way to nowhere and somewhere altogether! OF COURSE we ended up within ‘touch’ of Fraser Island… and that was that!
After a quick 14-minute barge (ferry) transfer with our monster 4-WD vehicle over to the landing at the south end of the island, we were off to the sand-wheeling race up 75-mile beach, swerving around the water swells as it brought the waves in and out from the shore. We were bouncing, slightly fishtailing and laughing our way through the soft sand… the sun was shining… working our way up to the inland tracks that would take us back through the gum & palm tree-filled forest to Lake McKenzie. The most sought-out spot on the island… for its rain-only filling… pure & fresh blue, BLUE water…
As if this wasn’t already enough… we walked over the sand dunes into Lake Wabby in the afternoon – how spectacular to have forest on one side of the lake and sand dunes on the other! The water was sooooooo cold… I opted to walk in it, rather than venturing in for a swim in this vegetation, green-hued paradise…. Plus, I was far too fascinated with attempting to photograph the little red-headed bee eater birds in the trees clumped at the top of the nearest dune!
We spotted our first dingo (the wild dog of Fraser Island) just after enjoying sunset photo ops on the beach… he was crossing the driveway in front of the little market by our resort (oh yeah, we’re talkin’ bunk beds with kitchenette! ;))… definitely looked like …a…. dog. Now that I think about it, it didn’t look all too different from the similar looking collection of stray dogs in southern Africa.
We met a new friend from Germany, during dinner and we proceeded to close down the resort café… drinking instant coffee! Beauty of the “IN BETWEEN” (if you know what I mean! … hope this finds ya smiling Kerstin & Kerri!)
You know when you have such a wonderful day that you just don’t want it to end (O.K., so almost all of my days are like this!...but,) this was one of those moments when we talk until we fall asleep! (and, NO, I don’t always talk ‘til I fall asleep!)
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