Continuing the journey north, the next stop was Hervey Bay and Fraser Island. I joined a guided tour which included 2 nights at a hostel in Hervey Bay and 2 nights camping on Fraser Island.
On the night of arrival, there was a general briefing and we were introduced to the others; there were 26 kids. I say “kids” because all of them were between the ages of 19 and 29, and then there was me. I felt like a father at some points, especially during one morning when they kept boasting, “Man, did you see how DRUNK I got last night?!” Overall they were pretty cool, though.
Fraser Island is a World Heritage site and the world’s largest sand island, stretching over 120 km and offering beautiful sunrises over the Pacific Ocean. We took turns driving 4×4 vehicles, stopping at various lookouts, beaches, champagne pools and some of the island’s 100 freshwater lakes. Most of these lakes formed by the collection of rainwater over thousands of years and are among the purest in the world. There are no incoming or outgoing streams, the only source is water from the sky. You could swim in crystal clear waters while sampling the fresh taste.
Accommodations on the island included sleeping in tents with a single yoga mat for cushioning. With all my experience as a boy scout, summers at the cottage and a couple of long camping trips, I truly love being in nature; it refreshes my mind and spirit. But I just wasn’t fully mentally prepared for this style of camping and tossed and turned most of the first night. Perhaps I’m just getting old and used to higher levels of comfort. In any case, I updated my perception and the second night was much easier
We had to cook our own food, but at least there was a BBQ and gas cook-top. It was it was fun to see what others prepared; some younger kids had instant macaroni and cheese while others made a feast of burgers, sausages, salads and sweet potato fries. It was my first BBQ in months.
Both evenings were cloudless, and I spent many long moments lying on the beach dunes, admiring the night’s stars and the Milky Way. Without neighbouring city lights for hundreds of kilometers, they were some of the clearest and wondrous evenings I’ve ever seen. A shame my camera could not capture them, but it just means I’ll keep the moments personal.
