Part 3: Fraser Island

After surfer’s we were off to Hervey Bay to go on a day to trip to Fraser Island. When we got to Hervey Bay we drove around the town to find the best spot to stay for the night and then we did. We went to a YHA hostel that had cabins instead of dorm like rooms. It was great we got two cabins for the 8 of us. The crew went to go get food for dinner but I was sick of being in the van so Caitlin and I stayed behind. We then scoped out the cabins and found the best one for us to stay in. It was by far the best accommodations we have had since we left Melbourne. Our cabin was adorable with a kitchen, wicker table and chairs, a living room and 2 bedrooms. It was great to stay in a place that was bigger than just one room. The group came back then we cooked pasta and had a family meal. It was delicious and the right price. All of us went up to the pool and got a poolside table to play games on. It was a fun night until Amy spotted a man standing at the fence watching us. When we all turned to look instead of leaving he moved farther into the bushes. He just stood there watching even though we were obviously staring, pointing and talking about him. Dean stood up but he didn’t move. I went inside to let a worker know what was going on. She came and they had said he had left when I went in but then I saw him just a little further down on the fence. It was so spooky. The worker went over to him and told him to leave the property. She came back and told us it was just a drunk Australian man and was very apologetic. We decided it was probably time to return to our cabins at this point plus we had to leave early for our island trip the next day.
The next morning we got up, pack the van, ate breakfast and were ready for our big day on Fraser Island. The bus came and picked us up and took us to the ferry. I love ferries so I was very excited about this. We sat on the top of the ferry so we could see the great view of the ocean on the way to the island. After the beautiful ferry ride we met our tour guide for the day, who was very entertaining. To drive on the island you have to be a 4-wheel drive or better. Apparently the rule with the roads because they our so narrow that the biggest vehicle has the right away which was great since we were one of the biggest vehicles on the island. We first drove to the rainforest and then stopped to take a bushwalk (hike) through the stunning rainforest. Learning about all the different kinds of trees and realizing this is a sand only island. The whole island was made of sand and all the vegetation grew out of the sand. It was crazy. We were also told that this was the biggest sand island in the world. We didn’t see any but the island also is known for their dingos running around. After our bushwalk we drove along the beach. While we were driving she would tell us stories and facts about the island. Then we saw a plane fly past our bus and land on the beach. It turns out it was a plane that took tourist around so they could see the spectacular view of the whole island from the clouds. In the mood of living life to the fullest with no regrets I took the plane ride. It was absolutely breathtaking and fabulous. We flew over the ocean and then over the whole island seeing all of it glory. There were over 40 fresh lakes on the island and so many different kinds vegetation including grasslands, wetlands and rainforest all taking up this indescribable island. The flight was so memorable. When we landed we were at the shipwreck site of Mahino. Here was a ship that used to take luxury cruises along the Australian ocean comparable to the size of the Titanic, stuck in the sand of the beach. We were then escorted to the fresh water creek that once inhabitants of the island would drink from. We walked in the creek up the way and climb into some trees for some fun. Then it was lunch time and we got an amazing buffet at the island resort. After lunch we were off to one of the glorious freshwater lake for a swim. At this point the breeze had picked up a bit so some were a little to chicken to jump in but not Lindsey, Caitlin or I. We jumped in the lake like champs. We were told the water was so nice that it made you ten years younger from swimming in and the sand was a natural exfoliate to make your skin nice and smooth. So some of us took the smooth amazing sand and rubbed it on our legs and arms and it magically worked. Out skin was very smooth and even though I didn’t look 16 my hair was really soft from the water. We then had to reluctantly make our way back to the ferry. On the ferry ride back to Hervey bay we were surprised with getting to see a few humped back whales swimming in the distance. They are rather common this time of year because they are migrated south to their homes from being in the north for the winter. We saw them blowing air and water through their blowholes and flipping their big tales. Another amazing day on this great trip up the whole coast of Australia!
The next day we drove to Rockhampton and stayed the night. We got up early the next morning got dressed and went to the caves. The caves were so cool. Since it was raining a little bit we got to see exactly how the caves have eroded through the years. The tour guided said it was actually very rare to see this because it was a dry cave in the middle of what they call a dry rainforest. This is because the area doesn’t normally get rain. It was kinda awesome and she said that if we got a rain drop to hit us in the cave it was actually considered good luck. So we all got lots of good luck that day hee hee. The tour guide took us through all the different parks of the cave and told the history behind it. We went to one part where it is called the cathedral and they actually had benches set up in this part because there had been so many wedding there plus the acoustics were apparently comparable to the Sydney Opera House. They have music concerts in this part as well. The tour guide turned off all the lights and showed us how dark the cave actually was and how the originally foundered would of actually had to find it and search through it only with candlelight. She turned on a recorded of Amazing Grace to show how amazing the sound quality was in this part of the cave. At that time the cave was so peaceful and wonderful.