Fraser Island - why would you want to drive on the world's biggest sand island?!Sep 4, 2009
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on the way to our Fraser Island adventure...
The 4-wheel drive when still intact...four wheels and a full tank...happy days!
Our 10 minute rainforest experience
The Fraser Island experience is definitely a memorable one. When else do you find yourself in a situation where you are chucked together with 6 complete strangers, pay a 1000 dollars deposit that will never be seen again if a splash of sea water touches the engine of your 4-wheel drive and get sent off to explore a remote island that is surrounded by an ocean full of sharks and crocodiles...
I did feel a tinsy bit nervous when we got on the ferry. I wanted to establish quickly whether my travel mates were risk takers and ruthless drivers. But not at all! Instead they turned out to be very pleasant and well-mannered Brits. Placed on a continuum they'd actually be a lot closer to dull than adventurous. And I thought I was gonna be the paranoid, scared person in the group...
Since we always went the "save way" which mostly turned out to be the much longer way, we never made it to most desired destinations on Fraser Island. On the second day we therefore christened our little jolly club the "Nearly theres". To make up for this deficit we simply caught up with the other groups and had a look at all the pretty pictures they took of the sights ; ) With their driving they managed to destroy a total of 4 car tyres - but at least they got where they wanted to be : )
Our group lost a shoe and a toe nail. The toe nail was knocked off the foot whilst pushing the car barefoot and hitting a stone. The shoe got lost when deciding that pushing the car barefoot was too painful - but it came off whilst we were running behind the car when it finally gathered speed again and when we went back to retrieve it, it was simpy gone and never found again...It's still a miracle to me but I guess I'd rather lose my shoe than my toe nail even though I did not especially enjoy going to the loo without shoes on...especially when the loo is a bush...But enough about that now.
We did somehow manage to survive a dingo attack on our tents and almost entirely eat a meat package that was portioned for 10 people - so it's not as if we didn't accomplish anything ; ) We also got to see Lake Wabby and Lake McKenzie for almost 1 incredible hour...and both were stunningly beautiful.
And nobody was bitten by a shark or a crocodile even though we might have been skinny-dipping on one or two occasions...
All in all, it was an amazing trip - even though this island does simply not want to be driven on!!!
But we managed to stay out of the water and on the bumpy road for most of the time and received our deposit back in full...Puhh...which is more than the other groups can say ; )
