Very early start for the Fraser Island trip - 5am we got up!!! Not fun! Headed over to Rainbow beach to get the ferry across to the Island. Met our tour guide "Crazy Mal," who was driving the 4x4 bus we would be in for the next 2 days. For those that don't know Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. So the tour... Quick stop for tea and biscuits then on with the tour. First stop Lake Wabby. Had to walk across a sand blow to get there - kinda like walking over a dessert. Lake Wabby was an emerald green lake, very pretty bit very cold!! Had a quick swim then back to the bus. Drove down 75 mile beach. Here we stopped and got in a very small plane for a birds eye view of the Island. Was really cool, although the plane was a bit bumpy at times!! After the plane trip we headed to Indian head, the only natural rock on Fraser Island, also named after Captain Cook as he thought it looked the the head of an Indian. Had a climb up there and got some cracking views. When we got down from the rock one of the other tour buses had got bogged - pretty easily done when you are just driving on sand! So it was crazy Mal to the rescue! After much tugging the bus eventually popped out and went on its merry way. While waiting for the bus to be pulled out we saw a wild Dingo which was pretty cool. Came really close too! Didn't attack us you'll be pleased to know! Next stop Maheno Shipwreck. This was a huge ship that sank whilst being towed from Austrailia to Japan in 1935! It was used for bombing practice after this by the Austrailian air force - only one bomb ever hit (see we are learning stuff on our trip!!). Last stop for the day was Eli Creek - again bloody cold! Did see a fresh water eel in there though. Headed back to motel after a long day. And while it was a very fun day it was also tainted with great sadness as we mourned the loss of Clares Original Birkenstocks - RIP. That night after dinner we went to the bar, lets just say we met some interesting characters, we shall tell you all about them on our return. Next day, up bright and early again. We went to Central station, this was where all the logging used to be done on the Island, but after it became a National Park in 1992 the logging stopped - thats all we learned about that. We went for a walk through the rain forrest which was good, saw the silent stream - named so because you can't hear or see it flowing. Spent the rest of the day at Lake Mckensie. This was a beautiful clear water lake, but again - very bloody cold!! We lazed around on the beach surrounding the lake for the rest of the afternoon before heading back to the mainland. Was a great trip and we did learn a lot about the history and the wildlife on the Island - but again we will dazzle you with our new found knowlegde on our return - if we havn't forgotten it all by then!
That night we stayed at a place called Rainbow Beach - not much to do there so swiflty moved on.
Hope you are all well - now put some messages on the message board!! We are starting to think you have all forgotten about us :(

Clare and James