We awoke from our second straight night in a tent. I really miss having my own camping gear by this point…who says that you can't be comfortable while roughing it? After breakfast, Geoff attempts to "rally the troops" to pack up camp. Before he finishes his sentence, I already know that this is going to take a good amount of time. Nearly everyone in the group (with the exception of Anne, of course) looks half dead and ready to curl up into a ball for a long nap. We eventually get everything packed up and head off to our last stop of the tour at Lake Wabby. Lake Wabby is the deepest lake on the island (40ft deep) and is located at the base of a huge, steep sand dune. The blowing sand is slowly moving into the lake, meaning that the lake will not be there forever.

One tip that Geoff had was to participate in the "Wabby Roll". Here's how its done: Step 1 - Take all belongings out of pockets and lay at the top of the sand dune. Step 2 - Tuck your arms at your sides, cross your legs, relax…and roll! Step 3 - When you notice that you are now underwater, attempt to stand up while extremely dizzy! Not only was it a blast to participate, it was hilarious to watch other people, especially when they tried to stand up! The trek out to Wabby and back was definitely a workout…2.5km each way in loose sand! Sand walking will definitely work your calves and glutes, as we found out the next morning when we attempted to walk normally.

After taking the ferry back to Rainbow Beach and getting the gear cleaned up, we treated ourselves to a hot shower. It always amuses me how people (including me) get excited about basic amenities like showers after a couple nights in the bush. My next task was to get the car keys out of the trunk. I got ahold of Avis and they sent a locksmith, who eventually got the vehicle open after 45 minutes of failed attempts. When I scoured the entire vehicle and hadn't found the keys, I was pretty sure that we were going to be stranded in Rainbow Beach until Avis could send new keys to us from Sydney. I decided to take one last look through our bags and found the key in the laptop bag! HAPPY DAYS!

We met up with our tour group that night at the hostel's pub and listened to some amazing live music. It's mind blowing how much great live music we have heard since arriving. Especially since it's all been free and in front of small crowds! Sensing that Fraser Island had sapped our energy, we retreated to our room, excited for another road trip and another new area to explore the next day.

My last thoughts regarding Fraser Island: this little gem is an outdoorsman's paradise: Adrenaline pumping 4x4 driving on the beach, seemingly unlimited camping spots, shore fishing, river fishing, lake fishing, over 100 inland lakes, beaches, massive sand dunes, rain forests, and miles of hiking trails. Its like one huge playground! And, for the most part, raw, unspoiled wilderness with very few people. As far as I'm concerned, Geoff has one of the best jobs in Australia. I don't think he even owns shoes.