We arrived into the very small town of Rainbow Beach at 7.30am. As it was early and we had travelled quite far south the air was very cold and we quickly picked up our bags and made our way to our hostel. The hostel we had chosen provided free breakfast and we arrived just in time for toast and cornflakes, just what we needed after our long bus ride. We checked in, showered and went to explore Rainbow beach. The whole town consists of just a few shops, a swimming pool and lots of upper class holiday homes. In 10 minutes or so we had walked the length of the main street and walked down on to the beach. The beach lives up to its name and has varying colours of sand ranging from the palest white to dark yellows. As we had now left the Great Barrier Reef behind, the sea had become choppier and large waves were rolling into the shore. We walked down the beach for half an hour or so before heading back. On the way back to the hostel we past the local outdoor swimming pool and decided we go for a dip. We returned to the hostel to grab our swim wear and on the way asked about a sunset walk we had seen advertised. The receptionist gave us directions and told us to head up at about half 4. We spent a couple of hours in the pool before showering and walking up the residential streets towards a large wood. We followed a sandy pathway through the wood and eventually came out at the Sandblow. The Sandblow is basically a large bowl shaped area on top of a hill, which is filled with sand. We could see the sea on both sides and the sun was setting in one direction and the moon coming up in the other. We sat in the middle of the bowl area and watch the sun disappear and turn the sky bright orange. As we set off back the moon appeared, big and yellow - spectacular.

The next day we were on a day trip to Fraser Island. We got up early and boarded the large bus that would take us across to Fraser. The bus was specially designed with extra-large wheels that allowed it to be driven in the sand. Fraser Island is entirely made up of sand so it was important that we had a vehicle that could get us around without getting stuck or skidding off the sandy pathways. We crossed the sea to the island on a large ferry and then drove on to the island and along the sandy shoreline. We were taken up into the forest areas and down to Lake Mackenzie. Lake Mackenzie is a spectacular sight with crystal clear waters, which reflect its surroundings perfectly. It felt wrong to be allowed to swim in such perfect water. But swim we did! We waded out into the clear waters and swam towards the centre. In the deeper sections the lake is filled with green plants at its base and so as you swim over everything looks black below you. It made it seem as though we were swimming through very light and silky black oil. Very strange. After climbing out and getting dried we returned to the bus and carried onto into the deeper sections of the rainforest. Here we got a guided walk through the rainforest with explanations on the wildlife, plant life and crystal clear streams whose waters had been filtered down through the sands over decades. We continued on the bus north up the island until we eventually reached a section of the beach which is home to an 80 year old boat wreck. The boat was once a medical ship in WW1 and then sold on to the Japanese when the war finished. However, on its voyage from Australia to Japan it only got as far as Fraser Island when it hit a storm and was washed up on the shores. No-one was able to move the boat and it has remained there ever since. Although it is now very badly damaged and worn away, its skeletal shape half buried under the sand is very impressive and a little creepy. After the visit to the wreck we returned back down the island, driving the entire length of the beach in the large bus. We got back to the hostel in time for a campfire and marshmellows.