After the relaxed stop in Agnes Water, it was time to move further south in order to be in Sydney on time for my flight. Some 4 hours later, the bus dropped me off in Hervey Bay. Though substantial in size, there was not much to do in town while I was there. It is a very popular place for spotting whales, but the season had already ended in November. So I took the opportunity to spend some more time at the beach, which was very pleasurable due to the many shady spots. I also explored the botanical gardens a little and went to see the sunset from the Urangan Pier, which was incredibly long. Misreading the bus signs meant that I walked a total of 20 kilometers that day in 30 degree weather and on my flip flops, but a delicious ice cream made up for the soar feet. Hervey Bay also brought some unforeseen costs with it, as my phone no longer wanted to charge and in order to stay in contact with my beloved other half of the world, I had to get it fixed. So no worries, I’m only one call away again!
Why go to Hervey Bay if there is nothing to do? Well, the main reason for me to go to Hervey Bay was for what lays some 40 minutes off the coast: Fraser Island, or K’Gari (meaning paradise, pronounced as Gurri) in the local Aboriginal language. 120 kilometers long and 24 kilometers wide, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world, and has been growing for some 750,000 years. What makes this sand island so special though, is its ecological ability to grow an abundance of plants and trees, with several unique species.
I was to explore this island with a two-day tour in several 4WDs that would take our group around the island. With an early pickup in the morning and a stop for some groceries we arrived at the ferry to cross the Great Sandy Strait. Immediately upon arrival at Fraser, it was very clear that this island was sandy; the roads were just tracks in the sand making the drives across the island very bumpy at times. With a time schedule because of the tides, we first made a quick stop at ‘Central Station’. Though no train rides on the island, the island used to be used for tree logging and Central Station functioned as the loggers’ base camp. After a stroll along one of the clearest creeks I’ve ever seen, Wanggoolba Creek, we headed to our accommodation for the night to drop off our stuff and some lunch. Can you spot the water in the photos?
The first real bumps and difficult patches were experienced, with two of our cars being stuck for a short while in a very soft part of the sand. It was also our first experience on Fraser Island’s main highway: 75-Mile Beach. This beach stretches across the length of the island and is used not only as the main road, but also as a landing strip for airplanes. A really cool experience to drive so close to the waves!
After lunch it was time for some fun in Lake Birrabeen. When we first arrived, everyone was a bit disappointed; the lake was very brown and did not look appealing at all. But soon as our guide explained it was because of the surrounding tea trees that the water looked brown, and that it was not only completely safe but also very healing to swim, everyone stripped off their clothes to take a dive in the refreshing water. The day ended with some very good pasta, a spectacular sunset and somewhat later a stunning Milky Way on the highway. We also spotted our first dingo on Fraser, which has a population of about 200. An amazing first day in paradise!
After a sweaty couple of hours of sleep, my alarm went off at 4:30am. With some 15 others we strolled down to the highway again just in time to see the sun rise from the ocean. Though tired and annoyed by the many horse flies, it was a breathtaking sight. (Please don't judge the photo, yes I am in pyjamas, and yes I was tired)
With breakfast ready when we got back, everyone was ready quite early and so we set off to the Pinnacles for a short photo stop at this coloured sand hill. We couldn’t leave without a group photo with our 4WDs either and so it took another 20 minutes before every camera on the tour had a picture on it. On the way we spotted our second dingo, and got pretty close this time with the car. Next off was the Wreck of the Saheno, a shipwreck that stranded on Fraser Island in 1935 after having served as a cruise ship and WWI hospital ship. It was also used as a shooting practice site in WWII which caused great instability due to which you’re not allowed to climb the rusty wreck.
By the time we had left the wreck it had already warmed up considerably again and it was time for another dip, this time in Eli Creek. It is the largest permanent creek on the island and also the coldest as it is fed by an underwater spring. This was a really fun creek to swim through, as even though it was only about 20 cm deep, the stream was quite fast and with the rubber bands it was amazing to float down!
After our last lunch on Fraser it was time to see the most known lake on the island: Lake McKenzie. The road there was the bumpiest road I have ever been on, we tried holding onto everything we could, but after 40 minutes we were all soar and tired from the ride. It was also a difficult road with heaps of soft sand, and several buses in front of us got stuck. Luckily it didn't delay us too much so we still had enough time to admire the beautiful Lake McKenzie. The water is so pure that it is unsuitable for most species, but the combination with the white silica sand (like on Whitehaven Beach) results in a stunning contrast. The water had a pleasurable temperature and we spent about an hour there before returning back to the ferry. Thank you Fraser Island for another unforgettable and unique experience on the East Coast! Just two more weeks to go in paradise before it is time to head back to the Netherlands!
Why go to Hervey Bay if there is nothing to do? Well, the main reason for me to go to Hervey Bay was for what lays some 40 minutes off the coast: Fraser Island, or K’Gari (meaning paradise, pronounced as Gurri) in the local Aboriginal language. 120 kilometers long and 24 kilometers wide, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world, and has been growing for some 750,000 years. What makes this sand island so special though, is its ecological ability to grow an abundance of plants and trees, with several unique species.
I was to explore this island with a two-day tour in several 4WDs that would take our group around the island. With an early pickup in the morning and a stop for some groceries we arrived at the ferry to cross the Great Sandy Strait. Immediately upon arrival at Fraser, it was very clear that this island was sandy; the roads were just tracks in the sand making the drives across the island very bumpy at times. With a time schedule because of the tides, we first made a quick stop at ‘Central Station’. Though no train rides on the island, the island used to be used for tree logging and Central Station functioned as the loggers’ base camp. After a stroll along one of the clearest creeks I’ve ever seen, Wanggoolba Creek, we headed to our accommodation for the night to drop off our stuff and some lunch. Can you spot the water in the photos?
The first real bumps and difficult patches were experienced, with two of our cars being stuck for a short while in a very soft part of the sand. It was also our first experience on Fraser Island’s main highway: 75-Mile Beach. This beach stretches across the length of the island and is used not only as the main road, but also as a landing strip for airplanes. A really cool experience to drive so close to the waves!
After a sweaty couple of hours of sleep, my alarm went off at 4:30am. With some 15 others we strolled down to the highway again just in time to see the sun rise from the ocean. Though tired and annoyed by the many horse flies, it was a breathtaking sight. (Please don't judge the photo, yes I am in pyjamas, and yes I was tired)
With breakfast ready when we got back, everyone was ready quite early and so we set off to the Pinnacles for a short photo stop at this coloured sand hill. We couldn’t leave without a group photo with our 4WDs either and so it took another 20 minutes before every camera on the tour had a picture on it. On the way we spotted our second dingo, and got pretty close this time with the car. Next off was the Wreck of the Saheno, a shipwreck that stranded on Fraser Island in 1935 after having served as a cruise ship and WWI hospital ship. It was also used as a shooting practice site in WWII which caused great instability due to which you’re not allowed to climb the rusty wreck.
After our last lunch on Fraser it was time to see the most known lake on the island: Lake McKenzie. The road there was the bumpiest road I have ever been on, we tried holding onto everything we could, but after 40 minutes we were all soar and tired from the ride. It was also a difficult road with heaps of soft sand, and several buses in front of us got stuck. Luckily it didn't delay us too much so we still had enough time to admire the beautiful Lake McKenzie. The water is so pure that it is unsuitable for most species, but the combination with the white silica sand (like on Whitehaven Beach) results in a stunning contrast. The water had a pleasurable temperature and we spent about an hour there before returning back to the ferry. Thank you Fraser Island for another unforgettable and unique experience on the East Coast! Just two more weeks to go in paradise before it is time to head back to the Netherlands!
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