Fraser Island

Since the moment Dare heard of this place, he knew we had to go. World's largest sand island, three hours north of Brisbane with gorgeously scenic World-Heritage sites accessible only by FWD vehicles, it seemed a perfect fit. We miraculously rolled up to the ferry with just seconds to spare (after a frantic grocery run/pit stop/gas up to avoid exorbitant island prices) and set off on our adventure!

Cap'n convinced her to quit dolphin look-out and come drive!

Lake McKenzie's crystal waters (made entirely of raindrops) won us over big-time. Fraser boasts half of the world's "perched lakes" which are above the water table with bedrock beneath a sandy bottom to keep the water from draining.

the fine white sand was much better than play-do

"The Dingo Ate My Baby"

It's not a joke, people! These signs were posted all over and we were briefed repeatedly not to be more than 5 meters away from our children (note the sign: "even small teenagers.") We were laughing about it until we flipped on the evening news to find a 3 yr old girl had been mauled an hour after we arrived. They are not kidding around. Australia's purest strain of dingoes are prevalent on the island with fencing to keep them out of the resorts and camping areas. They seem to be akin to our wolves or bears at home - beautiful and deadly.

Needless to say, the kids were appropriately cautious.

75 Mile Beach Highway - speed limit 80km

Eli Creek - crystal clear fresh water flowing into the ocean

world's cleanest lazy river

Darren earned a year's worth of "cool-Dad" points with this shenanigan. They really ran with it - driving into the surf and everything.  I don't think I breathed for 10 minutes.

Off the pier at Kingfisher Bay on the calmer side of the island.

We tried to take the Beach Highway up to the north end the first day but (wisely) turned around halfway to avoid the swiftly rising tide. Nothing like ruining your vacation by getting stranded on the beach when you could've been snuggled up in your warm lodgings. The prudence paid off though and the kids enjoyed spending our evenings swimming at the resort pools.

I snuck out to enjoy a 6am guided bird walk - saw about 15 of the 350 varietie

northern part of the island - Indian Head juts out in the distance

The famous Champagne Pools are further north but totally worth the drive to bathe in this collection of slightly warmed, bubbly rock pools replenished by the ocean waves. (Used to be used as a natural fishing trap.) The pictures just don't do it justice - it was breathtaking!

In fact, the fam sorta had to drag me out of them at the end there. Sorry, guys.

Stopped for gas at an aged pump and couldn't help being awestruck at the ultimate simple life of the handful of folks who actually live on Fraser.

Dad enjoyed giving Mom heart attacks by risking our very lives over and over.

The 10 minutes our car was waterlogged from the surf and subsequently wouldn't start, I had the headlines screaming through my head...

"Family of Six Carried Out To Sea - 

Reckless Father to Blame"

Stonetool Sandblow, one of 100's where the wind-swept sand overtakes everything in its path

Can you tell Utah's red rocks have spoilt us - catching a pic of The Cathedrals as we speed by?

still unsure how these wormy markings occur

Lake Wabby - gradually being overtaken by Hammerstone Sandblow, DEEP, crystal fresh waters

Fraser Island really is an off-roading paradise. Hours on hours of rough, sometimes dangerous tracks - we had to throw some wood planks down at a couple spots and the kids were bounced into silence on long traverses across the island.

Apparently, I was a bit too stressed in the moment to photograph the most advance tracks, deeper streams and awesome muddy runs, but it was a blast.

beautiful, twisty trees lent an other-worldly character to the sandy tracks

The vegetation is so thick that there aren't a ton of turn-offs from the beach highway. Avoiding that darn tide got us creative at making our way across to the calm side each afternoon. We happened upon the beautiful Urang Creek at a wrong turn and were rewarded with huge fish jumping out of the water every 30 seconds. It was incredible. Later research proved this was prime estuarine 'gator territory so we were glad to escape with all body parts in tact (minus a pint of my blood to 100 sand flies that only liked my sweet flesh, of course.)

Central Station was a gorgeous, wet wonderland with tons of rainforest walks among leafy, viney, enormous trees amazingly growing right out of the sand. Originally the site of the first buildings on the island which was an early logging settlement.

This pic to the left, despite looking like a messy, frond-strewn path, is actually the crystal clear Wanggoolba Creek - you're seeing straight through it. The white sandy bottom made the water run completely smooth.

Such a strange and silent stream - it was mesmerizing.

 Three days and we still didn't get to see everything we wanted to. What a place! Can't say I've been anywhere like it, with such a variety of one of a kind, natural beauties to boast of.

I was impressed with how well preserved and cared for it obviously is. We had to maneuver from out behind a "track closed - too rough" sign posted at the end of a particularly hairy stretch, but otherwise, it seemed so well looked after as to almost be untouched. Like you were discovering these areas for the first time on your own.

One last spot and a photographer's dream: The Maheno. (Too bad it was just me and my point'n'shoot.) The only visible ship wreck on Fraser - you're given an impressive lesson on the crushing powers of the elements. Abandoned on 75-Mile Beach in 1935 after its tow line broke in a cyclone as it was being dragged up to Japan for parts. After unsuccessful attempts at launching it again, all they could do was leave it where it lay. Once a well-known trans-atlantic liner, each year it sinks deeper in the sand, slowly obliterated by wind, rain and crashing waves. Kids thought it was brilliant.

this portion of coast was technically too rough for swimming, but...

All in all a FANTASTIC trip!