Lakes, Trees and Dingoes - Exploring the Fraser Coast

K'gari, also know as Fraser Island, is an adventure not to be missed in this part of Australia and we thought a visit here would be a great way to reward ourselves before we began the difficult task of planting trees for our farm work. It is the largest sand island in the world famous for it's genetically pure Dingoes, stunning lakes and fascinating history. This land belongs to the Aboriginal Tribe the Butchulla People who cared for the ancient rainforest, pristine creeks and amazing wildlife until the British arrived and, as we do best, tried to take it for our own. Luckily it is now treated with the respect it deserves, although sadly the Butchulla People still do not have full ownership of the land after years of persecution. We went on a tour with Troy from Drop Bear who spoke to us in depth about the often harrowing Aboriginal history and beauty of this island.

The first part of the adventure involved everyone taking turns driving big 4x4s across the thick sand tracks which meant a lot of slipping and sliding though the forest, across the beaches and having a lot of fun in the process. We were camping in lovely little tents next to some Dingoes who, despite looking like adorable puppy dogs, will try and eat you if you go out alone to the toilet without your Dingo stick. The campsite was simple but perfect and being able to wake up to a beautiful sunrise was certainly a bonus. The first day we got to visit some breathtaking lakes full of natural goodness like tea tree from the plants surrounding it and also learn how to throw a boomerang which Josh was a natural at. He was so good that he even won a free beer for being the first person to get the boomerang to return! We didn't just enjoy the sights of K'gari from the ground we also got to jump in a tiny propeller plane and see the glorious rainforest and shark filled ocean from above. We had never been in a plane that could take off from the beach and it was exhilarating as we quickly shot up to see the vast sand dunes and trees below. 

Our evenings were filled with tales from our guide about this beautiful island and the people who call it home. He also taught us all how to play the didgeridoo, well how to try and play it anyway as most of us sounded like echoing farts. One night we went out to the beach and Troy asked us to turn off all the lights to take a look at the stars. Once we were accustomed to the dark he beckoned us all to moonwalk across the sand, to puzzled looks from the group. We soon learnt why as the ground started to glow green with bioluminescent plankton glittering in the moonlight. On our next day we explored even more of this island including the Indian Head Point where you can spot Humpback Whales on their migration and we jumped in the Champagne Pools which fizz from the waves crashing over the rocks. There were also the most crystal clear creeks we've ever had the pleasure of seeing containing water that has been filtered through all the sand that makes up this island. One even had a giant freshwater eel as a resident affectionately named Eric who came out to say hello/scare all the little kids. There is a fascinating wreck on this island, the Moheno, which was shipwrecked here after a long life as a hospital vessel in the war. It was subsequently used as a testing sight for bombs so has lost a few inches, but still looks magnificent on the stretch of sand with the waves lapping at the metal. This really was a trip of discovery as we learnt a lot more about Aboriginal culture and how wonderful it is to experience the wild side of Australia. 

It would be an understatement to say we were sad to leave Noosa and therefore Joe and Melissa. In fact we were so sad we ended up coming back for the next few weekends to enjoy the beach, a few drinks at the surf club and a cuddle or two. We had begun tree planting to secure our second year visa which was absolutely exhausting and our hands, feet and souls ached from the long days. To try and paint a picture, we would wake up at 4am to eventually arrive at around 6am and begin planting. This involved wearing a very old belt around your waist which you'd attach two 5kg trays filled with trees. It dragged down from the weight and dug into your hips like crazy, plus lugging that weight across bumpy fields full of logs was hard on the legs! We got better as each week passed planting around 2000 trees a day with badger the dog helping us along. We would get home by 4pm and be exhausted in bed by 8pm ready to do it all again. When we weren't out in the fields we were in our new little home staying with Reg, our eccentric scientologist landlord who has an interesting story for any moment. His house was gorgeous with lots of balcony space to enjoy the rolling hills outside and watch the many birds in the garden including his cheeky chickens. 

We managed to see some sights on our days off including the beautiful Rainbow beach with the impressive Carlo Sand Blow. It is currently winter in Australia which means the temperatures soar to 25C with fantastic clear skies, wouldn't that be nice in the UK! Rainbow beach is a stunning stretch of sand which you can have a lot of fun on in your 4x4 powering up to coast all the way to Noosa. We settled for relaxing by the sea, watching the dogs splashing in the waves and marvelling at the 23km long beach. The Carlo Sand Blow is one of the largest accumulations of blown sand in Queensland and the big cliffs effectively act as a funnel collecting all the grains from across the ocean. It has made some spectacular dunes which, if you're brave enough, you can slide down on a board or tiptoe to the edge to take a look at the lapping waves below. We've spent a long time in this stretch of Australia but looking back we can definitely see why and are so glad for it. Next on our agenda is starting our road trip up to Tropical North Queensland and after five weeks of backbreaking tree planting, we'll be glad for the rest!