Fraser Island

Perfect weather again this morning, although while waiting fir the coach I put on a light jacket, first time I've needed anything with a long sleeve since we arrived. On a coach to where we will get on the ferry to Fraser Island which is the largest sand island in the world. 35 minute ferry ride and then onto a large 4 wheel drive coach driven by Steve, who is the font of all knowledge re the island. It is a heck of a bumpy roller coaster ride along sand roads which is all there is to get around the island. You need a permit to bring your own 4 wheel drive here, plus get permits for fishing and camping. We head to Eurang or something that sounds like that, for a quick rest stop. There is a huge restaurant and lots of accommodation but I've already decided that there wouldn't be enough to do here that would hold my interest to warrant an overnight stay. Back on the coach and we are then driving along the 75 mile beach. Just beautiful. Miles of pristine white sands. Am surprised that there still isn't much bird life here even though Steve tells us that there are sea eagles and other various birds. Take the opportunity to do a 15 minute flight in a small plane that takes us over the ocean and inland. Saw a mother and baby calf whale plus another couple of humpbacks. Inland the vegetation is really thick. Logging stopped back in the late '70s so most trees are really tall and hundreds of years old. A couple of beautiful lakes inland make the scenery quite lovely. Flight only cost $80 so was worth it as I can't see me self getting that chance again. Back on the coach and we stop at a famous shipwreck, called the Mahalo or similar. Apparently it was a luxury liner that was used during WWII to carry troops and returned to a cruise liner after the war. A Japanese company bought it to scrap and attempted to tow it from Sydney back to Japan. However it hit bad storms off the Queensland coast, the tow lines broke and as they had already scrapped the steering bits, it crashed into the island and that's where it has remained. A quick photo stop at the Pinnacles which brag multi coloured sands, but I could only see a few shades of yellow in the exposed rocks. Back to Eurang for a buffet lunch then inland to a perch lake which has as its base thick leaves and vegetation which has formed a 'lining' in a natural glen that has filled with rain water. It's huge, similar in size to a reservoir! Lots of people swimming and splashing it it, but still too cool for me. Our coach has broken down so it's a short wait for a replacement coach to reach us. Then it's on to Central Station which was the old logging headquarters. Walked through the rain forest which was beautiful. The only such rainforest in the world, that simply shouldn't exist as it has all grown up from a sand base, but has relied on the decaying foliage to provide the nutrients to support the growth of the amazing vegetation. Lots of the families who lived at Central started their own gardens and brought the ferns and stag horns, etc that now thrive in this rain forest. just lovely. Back on the coach again and we head back to the ferry for a 5 pm departure. It's been a long day and we are all a bit weary. Back on dry land and we head to the Boat Club for dinner. I was certainly pleased to get back on the coach to head for our hotel and my bed is calling for an early night. It's been a good day, again, but Fraser Island is somewhere I have no desire to visit again as I reckon I've seen all there is that might interest me. the only stars I ever want to sleep under are the 5 stars of the Hilton Hotel chain!