“It is said that all the sand from the east coast of Australia eventually ends up at Fraser Island, a gigantic sandbar measuring 120km by 15km, created by thousands of years of longshore drift. Seen from the coast this beautiful enigma appears too lush and green to be the world’s biggest sand island, but the island’s diverse ecology is just one of the many wonders of the place: pounding surf, tropical rainforests, gorges and freshwater lakes.
Fraser was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993 and since 1990 the island has been protected as the Great Sandy National Park. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are essential here. The lakes are lovely to swim in, but the sea is lethal: undertows and sharks. The native dingoes are one of Fraser’s highlights and thought to be the most genetically pure population.” - adapted from Lonely Planet
There are two options for backpackers wanting to visit Fraser Island. You can join group tours and be thrown into a Landrover with 10 other people and be squished silly for 3 days or you can pay a little bit more and hire your own 4x4. We met Marie & Andreas on our dive trip in Cairns and opted for the second option.
We met up on Wednesday evening on the Greyhound bus – we got on at 8.30pm at Airlie Beach. Marie & Andreas had boarded at Townsville earlier in the afternoon. After our longest greyhound journey we arrived in Hervey Bay just before 10am cranky and with swollen ankles – give me an Argentinean or Brazilian bus over an Australian any day! Day was spent chilling out and shopping for Fraser Island supplies – namely food, beer and rum&coke – oooh not sure if I’ve mentioned the fab Australian product of Bundaberg Rum & Coke in the same can ready mixed!! It’s my new favourite drink. Early night as we were getting picked up at 6am.
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