My family had mentioned that Fraser Island was a must-see in Australia after visiting several years ago. We headed south from Central Queensland and arrived to the Fraser Coast on a rainy afternoon. We stopped at a couple of i-site locations to research options for exploring the island. Our preference (with anywhere) is to find ways to explore on our own – self drive or maybe rent bikes, kayaks, or even hike to see the island. But Fraser Island is a massive land of sand with very little infrastructure so there was no way we could take our camper. At over 100 miles long and 10 miles wide we would not see much exploring on our own. So we bit the bullet and signed up for a tour which was 3 times our daily budget. To offset the financial impact, we used a cash gift received before we left to sponsor the day trip.

Luckily, that night we found a spot to camp for free! Through our app (WikiCamps), we learned that a waterfront area next to a park is an unofficial camping spot. At sunset, we watched hundreds of flying foxes circle above the trees while Will cooked some amazing burgers on the park’s barbie.

The flying foxes started squealing and circling again much before sunrise. It was quite annoying but we needed to get moving for the tour anyways. We drove across town to leave our camper in a free parking lot for the day. An enclosed 16-seat safari truck picked us up and we drove to the ferry terminal. As we crossed the Sandy Straights, we were surrounded by rain clouds which we hoped wouldn’t ruin our day.

When the ferry approached the island, we loaded back into the truck and the tour guide, Roger, invited us to sit up front. Excited for better views, we joined him in the cab. We pulled off the ferry onto a sand road surrounded by bush and began to drive across to the east side of the island. As we progressed, we learned about the islands landscape and inhabitants. A good portion of the sand island is actually rainforest – unreal! Early in the drive, Will pointed out a dingo on the side of the road but we passed before I could even move my camera.

The sand road was rough with bumps and potholes. We frequently had to hold on to stay in our seats but Roger pushed on seeming to keep a tight schedule. About an hour into the drive, the truck struggled going up a small hill. I thought maybe the sand was softer and he had accidentally slowed down too much before attempting the climb. We ended up reversing twice to make it over the ridge. After we got through the spot, the trucks engine sounded different. Roger pulled to the side of the road and got out to check. When he returned, he said “Well that was strange! Not sure what happened”. He continued driving slowly for another 5 minutes until we reached a resort where he stopped, allowing us to take a break while he made some phone calls.

Ten minutes later, Roger told us to take our seats as we would be continuing on. We exited the resort onto a beautiful flat beach called Seventy Five Mile Beaxh. As we drove north, Roger stopped talking about the island and was quiet, seemly distracted by the truck…. Guess that concluded our in-depth tour briefing!

As we drove, the truck’s engine seemed to get louder and sounded like it was over exerting. We also developed a grinding noise in the rear of the truck. Roger pushed on but continued with regular phone calls. At one point, the truck got stuck in sand and the rear wheel began smoking! I figured our tour would end right there but someone else towed us free. That didn’t stop Roger and soon we were driving down the beach again. But luck was not on our side and we finally did breakdown completely. By that point, the rear wheel was coming off the axle! As we ate lunch next to the broken down truck, Roger said we lucked out because the ferry was running extra today and our replacement car was onboard!

We ended up joining a couple that were on a private tour in a Hummer. They must have upgraded to the expensive tour because they even had champagne during their afternoon tea (they were kind enough to include us). All in all, it worked out great! We pretty much avoided the rain and even with the truck problems we made it to the following sights:

SS Maheno Shipwreck

The ship was a luxury ferry across the Tasman and also a hospital ship in WWI. It was retired in 1935 and purchased by a private owner in Asia who attempted to have it towed home but the tow broke during a cyclone and it beached on Fraser Island.

Pinnacles

We had a quick look at the large colorful eroded sandstone cliffs. Apparently the aboriginals thought the area resembled a vagina therefor was sacred.

Eli Creek

The ship was a luxury ferry across the Tasman There’s a steady flow of crystal clear water over a soft sand bottom that empties into the ocean. Will promptly jumped in and started floating along in the cold water.

Lake McKenzie

This freshwater lake also has a sand bottom and crystal clear water making it extremely picturesque. The lake is completely isolated and is only replenished by rainwater. Will went for a swim, of course, and learned that it is extremely deep!

Center Station

The island was once used for logging and a central location was established as home base. Several old building still stand and display boards on history of the island. We all went for a short bushwalk where we saw one last clear stream, Invisible Creek.

Next, we will continue to explore the Fraser Coast.