Like a box of sandy chocolates, you never know what you're going
to get on a trip to Fraser, the world's largest sand island but you
can be sure of one thing - it will be memorable. Here is a taste of
my fave Fraser moments during a self-drive
NOMADS 3 day, 2 night 4WD safari.
The March Fly Dance
Even though the March fly is unquestionably a pest there's a lot
of enjoyment to be had watching English backpackers trying to swat
them away, contorting their bodies at crazy angles, jumping up and
down on the spot and ducking and dancing around like a boxer in a
ring. Hot tip: March flies are attracted to the colour blue so
leave your Australian Flag beach towel at home.
The McDaddy of lakes
Fraser may be surrounded by some of the sharkiest waters in the
world but just a few kms drive inland is a lake so pure that most
species can't survive in it. There's no salty stickiness, it's
totally bereft of deadly critters, the water is clear as glass, its
surrounded by tropical rainforest and pure white sand. In my books
it's the McDaddy of freshwater lakes, no wonder Lake McKenzie has
been voted one of the best beaches in the world.
Getting bogged
You'll be happy to know this term has nothing to do with me
getting locked in the bathroom. (Bog = toilet in Australia.) Part
of the island experience is sand, sand and umm… more sand. That
means you walk barefoot on sand for 3 days and you drive everywhere
in your 4x4 on the sand too. (There are no sealed roads.) Getting
bogged means you've hit a soft patch, lost your revs and spun your
wheels until the truck is completely stuck. Beware the male driver
who says, 'you girls get out and push and I'll do the hard driving
part'. All he has to do is hit the gas as you'll be pushing so hard
you're likely to fall flat on your face when the truck starts
moving. But hey, it's all part of the experience and is quite the
novelty for the first three bog incidents at least.
Howling dingos
Around 300 wild dingos call Fraser Island home and as a precaution
it's recommended whenever you go anywhere at night, you take a
torch and a buddy. This means if you receive the call of nature at
4am, you have to wake up your 'wee' friend to accompany you to the
ladies. These moonlit dingo-spotting walks through the bush are
quite a buzz and we saw a dozen or so different dingos in our time
on the island. Apparently Fraser Island dingos are the purest
strain in the world, evolved from wolf origins but never
domesticated by humans. When they howl to the moon you'll feel the
hair on the back of your neck stand to immediate attention.
Goonacalada
Goon is the Australian term for grape-based paint stripper that is
the preferred method of tipsiness for budget travellers on Fraser
Island. It is sold in a cardboard box lined with a 4 litre silver
bladder or "goon bag". The fact that the offensive liquid comes in
a bladder to begin with raises concerns of its dubious origins but
on the up-side the inflated bag can be used as a pillow at the end
of your drunken escapades. A goonacalada is goon mixed with
anything that makes it taste slightly better, eg. Apple juice,
lemonade or even cough syrup.
Hangover Creek
Also known as Eli Creek - the largest freshwater creek on the
eastern, ocean side of Fraser pouring 120 million litres of fresh
water a day into the sea. The water temperature is Nordic and
quickly washes away any traces of the previous night's Goonacaladas
as you float down the creek with your butt firmly wedged in an
inflatable ring.
K'Gari
Mally, a camp caretaker from the Badtjila/Bulchulla tribe (who
have lived on Fraser for 30,000 odd years) told me the Aboriginal
name for the island is K'gari which means 'Paradise'. With over 40
freshwater lakes surrounded by tropical rainforest and the purest
white silica sands it's not hard to see why.
My three days on Fraser Island felt like a school camp without
rules. There's no annoying teachers to keep you in line, you have
loads of fun activities like 4WD safari driving and sand surfing
plus countless natural wonders to see, then each night you get to
cook-up and camp-out with all your new backpacker mates over a
metal mug of goon. If you make it to the East coast of the land
down under, Fraser is an absolute must-see.
I spent three days and two nights as a part of a tag-along
NOMADS backpacker tour on the island. We had 7 people in our
vehicle and took turns driving, following the lead vehicle and
driver, Tony. This made life a lot easier as we didn't get lost and
he made a rough itinerary each day depending on the tides. nomadsfraserisland.com provided chilly bins,
cooking equipment and pre-erected tents, so all we had to do was
chill out and enjoy the fun Fraser vibe.