After a naff briefing given by Dingo's our tour company about avoiding the wild Dingos and how not to get your 4X4 stuck in the sand or wrapped around a tree me and two Danish girls Betina and Isabelle went for a much needed fish and chips as well as to buy some Easter chocolate for the weekend ahead.

The next morning despite the limit of 2 pancakes each I managed to get 4 out of the free pancake breakfast and stuffed to the max we all went to our cars where we were given an equally dull briefing whilst the heavens opened making us all a bit concerned that we would have a much less than picture perfect few days on Fraser Island. As we set off behind our lead car leaving the rest of the group behind we felt rather smug since our car was nicer than most and we hadn't had to carry any camping equipment...unfortunately this did not last long...when arriving on Fraser Island and hoping to enjoy lunch it was soon realised that we had been put in a separate group from the others despite loading our food onto the trailer with there's...we had no food and the other cars were no where to be seen...the lead car reluctantly shared their food with us and then we set off for lake wabby, a freshwater lake surrounded by sand dunes, the walk to which soon became a matter of who could spot the most/biggest spiders. We enjoyed lazing around the lake but couldn't help but envy the kids with body boards who were sledging down the sand banks and into the lake...often stacking it on their way down...when we returned to our car our convoy leader had managed to retrieve most of our food and it was my turn to drive...I had great fun driving the monster 4X4 along the beach, through streams and over rocks...probably a lot more fun than my nervous passengers anyway. On the way back to camp we stopped off at an old shipwreck, which didn't excite me half as much as the driving. After arriving at the camp our group eventually managed to cook a very tasty supper of steak and potato wedges. Then I enjoyed a nightcap with Isabel and Betina by the campfire whilst the more rowdy group members played drinking games. After some star gazing we all retreated to our tents where a less than comfortable sleep was had by all and heaven forbid you needed the toilet which apparently warranted taking two other people and a stick with you in case of viscous Dingos...

The next day I got to carry on driving for lack of sober volunteers... this drive was even better than the one the day before as I drove through narrow forest roads, over huge tree roots and through very deep sand... I did get stuck once, but that was quickly resolved after a team effort dislodged the car from the sand. Our first stop was a rather unappealing deep yellow lake containing Tea Tree oil. As usual I wasn't put off and was one of the first of a few volunteers to jump in and go for a swim. Sadly we didn't see any turtles which we probably scared into hiding by people jumping into the lake. More driving followed to Champagne Falls, a set of rock pools on the beach that allowed you to sit in them without being carried away by the tide and instead have waves crashing over into the rock pool. Next it was someone else's turn to drive and each time the driver changed I felt nervous, especially since some were not used to driving on that side of the car...but we only had one near crash and the rest of that day we got to see amazing views on top of a headland looking along the long beaches strewn with 4X4's as well as drinking from a freshwater lake that many used as a lazy river bringing rubber rings and floating down it.

Back at the camp that night more tasty food, star gazing and "dingo safety" preceded a second night of less than ideal sleeping conditions. The next morning we all wearily packed up the cars after a rather thrown together breakfast including biscuits and a not so light fruit cake which we the left overs of our rations. Finally we visited the renowned lake McKenzie, a beautiful crystal clear freshwater lake with bright white silica sand. The weather was perfect and like with the Whitsundays I scrubbed myself with the sand as well as my jewellery before forming several human pyramids and reluctantly returning back to the car where we drove back across the beach to catch the ferry back to the mainland having not seen a single wild dingo :(