University of the Sunshine
Coast offers several weekend trips throughout the semester. I signed up for two
of the trips; one of them was to Fraser Island. It was a fantastic experience
and I had non-stop fun and adventure for two days. We were given very little
information prior to the trip. We got one email telling us to pack a warm
jumper (sweatshirt) and our thongs (flip-flops). We were also told that the bus
left the station at 5:45 am on Saturday morning, but that’s about it. I had no
idea what we would be doing or seeing, but I enjoyed the surprise.
Around 5:30 am Saturday
about 30 of us made our way to the bus stop. I knew a few of my fellow Elon
students, but there were many new faces as well. We board the bus and head North.
Many of us fell asleep for the 2.5 hr journey up to Hervey Bay. From there we
board the ferry, which took us to Fraser Island.
We departed the ferry and
met up with our tour guide, Craig who would be with us for the next two days.
The group boarded a large bus and we were off. I was very surprised when we
went from driving on smoothly paved roads to the sand rollercoaster, as they
called it. We were off-roading in a 40-person van. Good thing Craig told us
ahead of time that seatbelts were necessary, and he advised anyone who gets
motion sick to sit towards the front. I made sure to get a seat at the very
front of the bus, and I am so glad I did!
We knew immediately we were
in for an adventure, and the excitement only continued when the bus lost its 4
wheel drive. Everyone had to get off the bus on the side of the sandy road and
wait for a mechanic to come. While we were waiting, Craig asks the boys to help
him push. They gave a good effort, but the bus didn’t budge. The mechanic came,
and we were back on the road.
Day 1 was full of different
activities. One of the first places we went was to Lake McKenzie, which was
beautiful! The water was freezing, and some brave souls decided to go swimming.
I was happy just dipping my toes in the icy water. The sand is also supposed to
have great exfoliating properties, so many of us decided to rub it all over our
arms and faces. I think it may have worked! From there we enjoyed a deli-style
lunch with cookies and tea to follow. We then made our way to the rainforest
where we could hike two separate trails. One of them took us to Eli Creek,
which is a freshwater creek with a flow of 80 million liters/day. We were
encouraged to take a drink from the creek, and it tasted like bottled water!
Very refreshing. That was a cool experience, and that combined with my earthy
outfit made me feel like I was really getting in touch with my inner nature
mama!
I was exhausted by the end
of that day. We went back to the resort and were given our room assignments.
After that we enjoyed a great pizza and pasta dinner before heading to bed.
This was the first time we got to fall asleep with a heater! Our dorms on
campus don’t have heat or air-conditioning, so during the freezing night, we
just have to bundle up in as many layers as possible.
The next day we were up by
6:30 getting ready for another full day of adventure. We got to go to the
Maheno Shipwreck which was fascinating. I found some information online that
better explains the shipwreck.
“The Maheno - is the most
famous of Fraser Island's wrecks and has become a landmark attraction. Built in
1905, the SS Maheno was one of the first turbine-driven steamers. She plied a
regular route between Sydney and Auckland until she was commissioned as a
hospital ship in Europe during World War One. She also served in the
Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
In 1935, she and her sister
ship the Oonah were sold to Japan for scrap. The rudders of the boats were
removed and they were being towed to Japan. When they reached Queensland
Waters, a cyclonic storm snapped the tow chain and the Maheno drifted
helplessly onto Fraser Island's ocean beach.”
The group then hiked to the
top of Indian Head, a large landmark, which is also the most eastern point on
the island. From the top, you can see for miles and overlook the bay below.
When we were at the top, we got to see a humpback whale jump out of the water
and turn on its side. It was so exciting!
There were a number of Dingo
sightings throughout our two days on Fraser. For those of you who don’t know
much about dingos, they appear to be friendly, average sized dogs, but they are
actually extremely vicious and aggressive. Just a few weeks ago, a tourist who
was camping on Fraser woke up to a number of dingos eating is leg and face.
Craig said it was the tourist’s own fault because he was so drunk and passed
out on the trail in the middle of the night. Yeah, maybe so.
Around 5 pm we caught the
ferry back to the mainland. It was a quiet bus ride home. I had a wonderful
time, and it was a thrilling and exhausting adventure!
Very cool stories! Glad you started a blog so I can follow the news! Liz
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