Fraser Island - Kingfisher Bay Resort - 29th May
Trip Start
Apr 16, 2008
1
12
13
Trip End
Jun 21, 2008
Where I stayed
Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Here we are, having travelled back to the coast and down another 500kms or so, to the Hervey Bay area just under the Tropic of Capricorn. Our home for just one night was again a Mantra Resort Hotel, which overlooked the marina from where we were to depart to Fraser Island the next morning. It was a very uneventful journey south with lots of sugar cane fields and traditional Queenslander style houses at the side of the highways. These are wooden houses raised quite high off the ground to get them out the way of termites and to get a better breeze on the hot summer days .........not a problem we had though as it started to rain. By the time we arrived at Hervey Bay it was a torrential downpour. The roads were slippy, the spray was like driving in a cloud and you drove as if you were in fog!!!!!! At least we did until we got to the Hotel when, as Bill was reversing, he got the grey hire car to have sex with a blue post and we now awaiting the arrival of the result when we return the car and have to pay a little excess. Aren't we glad we took out extra insurance. Actually very minor damage to the rear wheel arch but enough to make you curse.
The next morning it was still raining, in fact it continued all the weekend and to give you an idea we are talking of 30cms of rain in just 36 hours, yes, the figures are correct. Not to be put off we headed down to the jetty where we had breakfast and coffee whilst awaiting the arrival of the catamaran, which duly took us to Fraser Island for our 3-night island experience. If you have ever seen 'Singing in the rain' and Gene Kelly splashing around ...... well yep, that was us but without the singing, It was wet, wet, wet, wet, wet and for the first 2 days we could not get very far out the resort. In fact we bought a couple of waterproof coats from the resort shop and took to walking in the rain forest (yes it rains in rain forests) up and down the surrounding hills and along the beaches ......... Everyone must have thought we were mad as even the German guests didn't venture out, we had fun though playing with the blue Soldier Crabs and pretending that the Dingo prints in the sand had just been made and we were the big white hunters.....mmmmm? The resort itself was beautiful in every respect from the buildings to the pool to the settings etc etc, but the restaurant food was a bit 'naff' or at least the seafood buffet was, you see everything was fresh but not quite up to what we have been having else where. You could say we are getting spoilt with choice but what a way to put on weight.
By Sunday, our last full day, the weather had eased enough for us to at least get out with the resort rangers to get a look at the island. You would never have expected the Pacific ocean, the sand, the trees and the lakes to all be the same colour......grey. Yes, it started raining again but being the brave explorers that we are, we stayed out and survived. Shorts and sandals (with coat) seemed to be the most appropriate way of dressing with less clothing to get wet and have to dry. Although putting your feet in damp sandals took a bit of getting used to. We saw all the sights that you see on the brochures and postcards but they looked a little different, if you imagine taking a picture of the Maheno ship wreak as a 30' wave is heading towards you.........you start running just as the sea starts to come in and touches your feet and if you are lucky you may have run far enough so as not to get a wet arse. Looking on the bright side it was too rough for the sharks to come and nibble your toes.....Bill still has 10 (he thinks). When it's not raining its probably very picturesque.
The usual tourist trick of swimming in the pretty Eli Creek and Lake McKenzie had to be curtailed and exchanged for a wade and paddle in what was quite cold water without the warming effects of the sun. A few times in the day the sun stopped long enough for us to enjoy the coloured sands of the Pinnacles and a walk though Central Station which is an old logging township area for trees in days of yesteryear. Of course no trip to Fraser Island is complete without mention of both driving along 75 mile beach which in fact is only about 54 miles long......you can tell they do a lot of fishing on the island as 20 mile difference is quite a story, this was quite an experience as it seems to go on and on forever . The Islands Dingos which are believed to be the purest breed in Australia, are getting quite rare, and we were lucky enough to see 2. The 1st was in the sub tropical rainforest and the 2nd was on 75 mile beach just ambling along without a care in the world ....... Well they do already come equipped with a coat!!!!!
With our weekend over it was time to board the boat again to continue our journey south and enter the world of the boutique waterfront mansions in the rich persons resort of ..........sorry, you will need to wait until the next exciting episode of Bill & Tina's adventures from the land of perpetual rain.
Guess what??????? The morning we left the sky was blue with no clouds, the sea was like a millpond and the warmth of the sun was bliss.........Curse - you bet we did.
Till Next Time ........ Keep Smiling XXXXXXX
