Sand, sand and more bloody sand. Welcome to Fraser Island. This has definately been one of the best trips I've been on in Australia. Fraser is basically the biggest sand island in the world ad the best way to get around the place is in a 4x4. A proper 4x4 not some poncy housewife-in-a-land-rover picking the kids up from school 4x4. This was proper off road. In our group of 11 we have 6 Irish (all travelling together), 2 Canadians, 2 Sweedish and myself. Its actually nice to be the only English person for a change. Anyway we hit it off really well straight away.

After a extremely early start we laboriously pack up and board the car. Our first stop on the island was Lake MacKenzie, one of the most picturesque places I have ever seen. You wander down the path through a forest and then this gorgeous turqoise lake hits you from knowhere. Luckily the weather was on our side and we could enjoy the lake at its best. After a simple salad lunch, down to the fact that we forgot to defrost all the sandwich meats, we headed to yet another lake and then go camp for the night. Having no candles, one of the lads came up with a torch/metal saucepan/fork combination for a light but then I saw some French people who had candles and conveniently invited them, and their candles, over to sit with us. Light problem solved.

After lots of goon we retired ready for our, yet another, early start. I'm getting so used to 4 hours sleep by now its crazy. Next up we were trying to get to the Mahino shipwreck. Problem was you have to drive down the beach and can only do that when the tide is out so we had a few hours wait. During this time I thought it would be funny to recreate the scene from Friends where they bury Joey in the sand and give him boobs. So off people dug and I jumped in the hole. Only it didnt just stop at boobs. I had every genitialia going, and arms, legs and waving a flag. It was a real effort, and worthy of a Turner prize or 6 months in the Tate Modern by any standards.

The shipwreck was brilliant though. Its gutting you cant go in it but it was really cool to see. Then we headed up again to Indian Heads where dangling off the cliffs you can see stingrays and sharks. I saw neither but the view was worth the trek barefoot up a steep rocky hill. That night we camped at the beach and met up with a few other vans and just got very drunk. The stars were so vivid and clear, you would never get to see that anywhere else in the world. Then the dingos came for our food and our babies but we scared them away, well the really hammered people from the other van did.

The final day was nothing more than a hangover/recovery day. We went back to Lake MacKenzie but it was overcast and was nothing compared to the thursday. And as soon as we got to the barge the heavens opened. Perfect timing. That night we ate all the left over food and drank until we couldn't and it was a perfect end to a great trip. Lucky for us was that 9 of us were on the same boat and day for Whitsundays so it looks like we'll be travelling for a little while longer.

Go Fraser!