Ok so after airlie beach we headed to hervey bay (very famous for humpback whales but only til october so didnt see any) as the base to go to fraser island. This is when I decided to come down with a cold! Now you're probabaly thinking how the hell did i manage that in the boiling heat but it was a mixture of boilng heat during the day and AC at night so not a great combo. Anyhoo i still was able to have a wicked time on fraser island with the help from too much cough mixture (it tasted so nice i couldnt stop taking it!!), strepsils and alcohol. Now thats what i call a quick fix remedy.
So early in the morning we meet downstairs at palace backpackers to watch a couple of gay videos about camping and driving on sand then we were given our groups - 10 per group. So we made a shopping list of camping food and got everything ready. We got to the garage and packed up the van - had to be done in a particular way else nothing would fit in so instead of my usual approach of stuffing everything and anything into tiny spaces (it kinda works with my backpack) we had to do it bit by bit - something my dad would do! So i just stayed out the way and let the guys do it so i was helpful in my own way by passing stuff!
Then we were on the way....."on the road again..." "the road is long with many a windin turns"......(cant think of any other songs with road in it! So we got on the ferry for 45mins then got to the island. The 3 vans from the same company travelled together for the first bit - it was almost like a italian job but with 3 vans instead of 3 mini's bombing along the sanded dirt tracks - except we werent being chased! We spent the morning well about 1hr on lake mackenzie which was absolutely beautiful we could've stayed there a whole day but had a suggested itinerary from the company so decided to stick to that so we could enjoy everything. Ok well now ill mention my group, there were 3 irish blokes (one was visitng the other 2 from ireland on hol and the other 2 were working in brisbane for a bit), a british couple julie and seamus, a crazy arsed dutch girl who kept us all so entertained during the trip it was like having your own billy connally there with you, then there was a slovenian girl and another dutch girl rianna who me and vicky had met in mission beach.
After the lake and some much needed food in the form of sandwiches we headed to central station and saw our first dingo then to eurong where we picked up some extra supplies as we ate too much at lunch and needed some extra bits for dinner - greedy pigs! Then we hit the sand - it was so cool driving along the beach with the sea at arms length away - had to make sure not to go too fast as to not topple the van!
We camped just along from the other 2 vans from the same company and set up the tents or should i say poor excuses of tents - they were more like something out of M.A.S.H and had just one single pole in the middle propping it up - good job there were no storms or i might have just had to say "I dont think we're in fraser any more Toto (i would've taken a dingo with me and called him toto just for the effect!!)" Anyway enough of that randomness! We cooked dinner on the stove - the others had burgers and sausages and i had a lame veggie burger - oh how i miss Quorn!! In the evening after copious amounts of wine we headed to the other camp and sat on the beach for a bit before joining in the singing to the guitar playing! One of the irish guys rob is the most amazing player ever - he is like a human juke box except we didnt have to give him any money so even better!! So we sang along to all the trad songs like hotel californnia, beatles, bon jovi and the rest. In a drunken state rob was determined he was gonna get us all up for the sunrise and in the end at 4.30 the next morning it was only the girls that managed to get up for it - of course we went straight back to sleep after but it was very beautiful to see.
After having a slow morning of packing up we headed to Eli Creek to have a moring swim or more like a morning wash! There me and vicky saw Danny and his lot - we have seen these guys every stop we have made since cairns - they must be stalking us!!! So after that we saw the Maheno ship wreck. Facts of the day bout the shipwreck
1905 - ship was made
1911 - ship disappeared
1935 - ship was discovered
Wow how interesting!! Anyway there is a mass sign bout not entering the wreck but we did anyway and got told off by a passing ranger - opps!!! We stopped for lunch at Dungaburra camp site then realized we ahd left it too late with the tides to go up to Indian Head (yeah we also had fun with the name of this place - hehe!!) So we set up camp next to some guys who camped next to us the previuos night. So i went to say hi to the neighbours with vicky and ended up staying for a couple of beers and when we got back the others had already set up camp - opps so we decided that me and vicky would make dinner! So ate a lovely pasta and chunky vegetable past dish (pasta was a lil overcooked as i think i was more interested in pouring my vodka and diet coke then checking the pasta!) So spent the night just chilling out.
The next day we made an early start to get up to Indian Head and Champagne Falls. The falls were beautiful and it was so nice to have a swim as it was a really hot day. Had a lil problem gettin up to the falls as JP almost toppled the van - oh dear - so after alot of reving and reversing we finally made it!! Next was Indain Heads and the views from there were amazing - we even saw manta rays and tiger shark from the top (that why we were not allowed to swim in the sea as if the tiger shark dont get you the stingers or the current would!) On the way back we all had a goa t driving along the sands - it was so much fun and not as tricky as i had imagined it would be. So we managed to have loads of laughs what with meryls carzy tap dancing and laughing at seamus' Golden Gaytime Ice Lolly! We were lucky we had such a cool group and that we all got on well. When we met up with the others we heard of their stories of arguments and splits in the groups also the french guy got fined $220 for not wearing his seatbelt - idiot!
So we ended up being the first group back and packed all our stuff away very quickly - that night all of us had dinner together at the hostel and drankl the left overs of our booze (took way too much!!)
All in all it was an amazing trip and had so much fun!
Thats all folks from fraser island
love nikki
xxx