Fraser Island

 Arriving in Melbourne | The Great Ocean Road | Melbourne Sightseeing | The Great Barrier Reef

From Cairns we took off to Brisbane and drive up the coast to Hervey Bay! We made a little detour in the costal town of Noosa. 

Once in Hervey Bay we checked into our "motor lodge" as they called it, it was a Best Western, did a little grocery shopping and then went to bed. The next day we waited for our bus that would take us to the famous Fraser Island (a must stop I was told by a friend who had recently visited). 

Fraser Island is the world's largest sand island and you need to make sure you are riding the appropriate vehicle to navigate this islands terrain (its VERY bumpy). 

Once off the ferry we were taken by 4WD bus to Central Station, a former logging station for the once thriving timber industry on the island. We walked along the Wanggoolba Creek boardwalk where we saw crystal clear waters, king ferns, ghost gum and pine trees. Then we had lunch at the Eurong Beach Resort before we took off for 75 Mile Beach!

75 Mile Beach is a beach that you drive on, if you have 4WD. It was quite the experience to see this beach being using as a highway and landing strip. While on the drive we made stops at The Pinnacles, colored sand formations, Eli Creek, a clear and fast flowing fresh water creek and our last stop was the famous Maheno shipwreck! The Maheno was washed ashore in 1935 during an out-of-season hurricane (for cyclone as they are called on that side of the world). 

Our last stop of the day was at Lake McKenzie where we had time to enjoy the crystal clear waters! The lake is called a perched lake because it is well above the water table, so that means the lake consists of rainwater only. Because of the unique environment and acidity levels in the lake the water is unsuitable for all forms of plant and fish life. Making the lake VERY clear and pristine. The sand at Lake McKenzie is also pure silica giving the beach its white color. 

After about an hour on the beach at Lake McKenzie we headed back out to catch the ferry. Once back on the mainland we were able to see kangaroos in paddocks as we passed by. It was neat for us to see but probably not for native Australians, haha. For Americans, it would be like seeing a herd of deer in a field, no big deal.