Into the land of sand...

My second night bus experience from Airlie Beach to Hervey Bay was better than the first because Kelly was with me. We chatted and reminisced about our Whitsunday adventure until we fell asleep. At 6am, I got off in Hervey Bay and Kelly continued on to Noosa Heads and then to Brisbane to meet her mother. Once in Hervey Bay, I was pretty bewildered for the rest of the day: I took about 4 naps, waking only to eat and go to the beach. Late in the day, the Sydney posse joined me at the hostel and the fun began!

Hervey Bay is a bit of a bogan town (that's what they call hicks or country people in Australia) where the predominant hairstyle is the mullet. Not much happens around town; apart from the mullet-bearing locals, many backpackers wander the main streets provisioning themselves for their next adventure. Hervey Bay is the jumping-off point for Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world. After I met up with my group, we got groceries, checked the tents, sampled the local pub food and mullet-filled dance floor. We left for Fraser Island early the next morning, piling into the back of a big 4x4 jeep. A pleasant 30-minute barge ride got us onto the Island. We quickly learned that driving on Fraser is not for the faint of heart - on our first day on the inland tracks we had to push the jeep out of the sand three or four times. At one point, we got stuck in a rut at a very precarious angle and someone yelled "Everybody out before we tip over!" Panicked, we all jumped out and some of us were literally holding up the jeep while others dug us out of the sand and conferred over how to save us from our calamity. Luckily, we got out unscathed and were able to laugh about it later.

Now, I'd like to take the time to describe our crew. Eva was the unofficial glue of the group: she got everyone on board and organized the travel bookings, etc. She's the kind of girl who wakes you at 6am by dancing and singing show tunes outside your tent...and yet, you still love her. Rachel, a feisty girl from Ontario, was our head chef and the second driver. Noah is a fellow Montrealer and the most laid-back and tanned surfer dude you'll ever meet. He was the darling of Montreal recruitment this past winter and after seeing him in Australia it is hard to imagine him suited up and kicking ass in the corporate law world. Then there were Tobias and Dennis, two tall blonde Germans with enough sweetness and humour between them to charm any woman in the world. Georgia is a stylish Italian with a quick wit, sharp tongue and soft heart. She was a sharp flower: beautiful and occasionally prickly. Then there were two French girls, Elodie and Pauline. They didn't say much but they were lovely nonetheless. And last but not least there was Maria, a gorgeous and spritely Colombian who would emerge every morning from her tent looking perfectly groomed, a vision in white, and who would manage to keep her immaculate clothes clean all day. Maria insisted on doing the dishes every night...and no one protested.

Our group worked remarkably well together. We all loved each other's company and could make or break camp in what felt like moments. We'd arrive at our camp site and suddenly a city of tents would pop up while amazing cooking smells began to emerge from near the picnic tables. On the first night, we camped in a proper campsite with a dingo-proof fence. Rachel and I rustled up some hearty fare: steaks, sausages, roast potatoes and carrots, stir-fried veggies and couscous salad. Hmmm...not bad for a camping trip. We plowed through most of our alcohol on the first night and the other camping groups joined us at our picnic table. The next morning, our group was first up and busy, thanks to Eva's song-and-dance routine. We overheard the other 4x4 groups, who dined on sandwiches and cereal, saying, "They're having scrambled eggs with feta cheese for breakfast?! How do they get up so early?"

On Day 2 of Fraser, we made our way to the East Beach, which is a highway at low tide, full of 4x4 vehicles and even some planes landing. Up at Indian Head, we saw dolphins, whales and sea turtles all within 20 minutes. Later, at Eli Creek, we waded to the head of the spring where the island's filtered fresh water begins to make its way to the sea. From there, you can just float on the current of cool water until you get to the salt. The water was a perfect oasis on that hot day: you can't swim in the ocean on the east side of Fraser Island because of the tiger sharks and deadly jellyfish. I thought our group looked so gorgeous wading through the creek - I made all the ladies pose with me for a hot bikini shot. That night, we camped on the beach, taking care not to get sand in our gourmet burritos and being careful not to wander off alone lest we encounter a dingo. The other two groups in Koala vans gathered at our cooking spot after dinner. We force-fed them leftover burritos, the goon flowed (boxed wine in Australia), and a German girl pulled out her guitar for a wonderful sing-a-long. We slept well in our tents, cradled by the sand and soothed by the wind and waves crashing on the shore. In the morning, someone spotted dingo tracks around our tent city.

Before leaving Fraser, we had to stop at Lake Wabby, which may be the most beautiful spot in the entire world. We hiked about 15 minutes through rainforest and emerged on an immense dune with a clear fresh water lake at the bottom. Everyone ran down the dune, splashing into the lovely water, and then ran up the dune to do it again and again. With regret, we had to pile back into the jeep and head to the barge landing. Our final meal on Fraser was a gourmet one, of course. We laid out a tarp in the parking lot and Rachel, looking amazing in a cowboy hat, barbecued sausages with fried onions and chicken burgers while I chopped fresh pineapple. Another jeep pulled up and a blond American girl got out whining, "I'm hungry. Do we have any food?" One of her companions paused to look at their supplies and said, "We've got cereal."

Back on the mainland, we all took much-needed showers (I don't know if I've ever been so dirty) and sadly put our shoes back on. I felt so healthy and relaxed. My memories of Fraser will be of a lovely group of friends, all tanned and in the prime of their lives, grooving together. Speaking of groovy...my road trip wasn't over yet. After few hours of sleep, I packed my bag and tiptoed out of the hostel to catch yet another bus. This time, I was bound for Byron Bay. Lots of love to everyone back home!