Picked up from Noosa in the early afternoon, the 15th was a day for driving and not much else. After a few hours driving, the bus terminated for the day in Rainbow Beach, most popular as a base for travellers to Fraser Island. To this point I had not planned a trip to Fraser Island, saving money and getting my ‘off the coast’ fix at the Whitsunday Islands. Thus, the stop in Rainbow Beach was only because it was mandatory, and I was only 
staying the one night. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived and were settled, the sun had set and we missed out on the famous sands so I decided to catch them at sunrise, before the bus left at 7am. For dinner this evening I took advantage of my hostel’s dinner deal, $10 for a pretty decent dinner. The hostels in this part of the country specialise in self drive tours of Fraser Island, so it should come as no surprise my hostel was called “Fraser on Rainbow”. I’ll come to Fraser more a little later, but in summary; it is the world’s largest all sand island, a World Heritage site, and a very fragile ecosystem. Nevertheless, backpackers are allowed to tear all over the island in 4x4’s, 10 per SUV, doing whatever they please in the generally police-less wilderness. It’s a recipe for disaster and I’ll tell you why it has had unsavoury results later.
staying the one night. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived and were settled, the sun had set and we missed out on the famous sands so I decided to catch them at sunrise, before the bus left at 7am. For dinner this evening I took advantage of my hostel’s dinner deal, $10 for a pretty decent dinner. The hostels in this part of the country specialise in self drive tours of Fraser Island, so it should come as no surprise my hostel was called “Fraser on Rainbow”. I’ll come to Fraser more a little later, but in summary; it is the world’s largest all sand island, a World Heritage site, and a very fragile ecosystem. Nevertheless, backpackers are allowed to tear all over the island in 4x4’s, 10 per SUV, doing whatever they please in the generally police-less wilderness. It’s a recipe for disaster and I’ll tell you why it has had unsavoury results later.The next morning was slightly overcast, but cleared up quickly so I could catch some of the sunrise. Now, I’m not sure where these elusive sands are, but I couldn’t find any of them! While the beach was pretty (as most beaches in this part of the world tend to be) there were no multicoloured 
sands to be found anywhere. Perhaps I had to wander further up the beach. But, with limited time, I grabbed some breakfast, checked out of my hostel and hopped back aboard the bus for Hervey Bay. Now I know you’re going to look at the name and pronounce it “Her-vey”; don’t. I made that mistake many, many, many times, and it seems to annoy Australians almost as much as pronouncing Cairns the way it’s spelt. Nope, this is “Har-vey” – I don’t know why, it just is. I checked in to the well appointed – but slightly out of the way – Palace Backpackers (sounds way fancier than it is) and set about planning a two night stay. The OzEx driver was surprised to learn that I would be staying in Hervey Bay for two nights without going to Fraser Island, but my philosophy is that I bought a ticket with unlimited hop-on’s and hop-off’s, so I’m going to take advantage of that! I spoke with the friendly receptionists and was given a wide range of activities to enjoy in Hervey Bay, but the problem was that they all cost serious $$$. I opted for a day of bicycle riding around the extremely spread out town, but was unsure of my second day. The staff implored me to visit Fraser Island, and when I told them I just didn’t want to spend a few hundred dollars to join a bunch of backpackers who were visiting the natural oasis just to get drunk and tear up a beach in a big SUV, they offered me an alternative. Instead, I could do a one day trip at a very reasonable $170, including the ferry there and back, full lunch buffet, and a day of fully guided touring. After some contemplation, I agreed and got them to book it for me. The day of biking was slightly disappointing as by midday the temperature was in the mid 30’s, and while it was a dry heat, it made biking terrible. The ‘botanical gardens’ where I was told I could hand feed turtles turned out to be a grassy area in the middle of suburbia, with a tiny pond in the middle that had only a few ducks in residence. I biked along the esplanade and out the 1km long pier, watching the local anglers trying for a catch and the occasional ferry destined for Fraser. I got bored, tired, and sweaty pretty quickly and headed back for the hostel. Good timing too because within a few minutes of getting back the skies quickly turned dark and a torrential 
downpour was unleashed, lasting the rest of the evening and keeping everyone under cover. I will also mention here that it didn’t help that the bike was pretty bad, and in hindsight I wouldn’t have rented from the company I did. Some of their bikes were in a terrible state and even the one I got which seemed pretty good was nearly impossible to pedal. I spent my evening with some new acquaintances playing card games, which eventually turned to drinking games as the inevitable box of goon came out. I underestimated the power of goon and after a few glasses I found myself surprisingly drunk, collapsing in bed with a stern reminder to myself that I had to get up the next day for the tour.
sands to be found anywhere. Perhaps I had to wander further up the beach. But, with limited time, I grabbed some breakfast, checked out of my hostel and hopped back aboard the bus for Hervey Bay. Now I know you’re going to look at the name and pronounce it “Her-vey”; don’t. I made that mistake many, many, many times, and it seems to annoy Australians almost as much as pronouncing Cairns the way it’s spelt. Nope, this is “Har-vey” – I don’t know why, it just is. I checked in to the well appointed – but slightly out of the way – Palace Backpackers (sounds way fancier than it is) and set about planning a two night stay. The OzEx driver was surprised to learn that I would be staying in Hervey Bay for two nights without going to Fraser Island, but my philosophy is that I bought a ticket with unlimited hop-on’s and hop-off’s, so I’m going to take advantage of that! I spoke with the friendly receptionists and was given a wide range of activities to enjoy in Hervey Bay, but the problem was that they all cost serious $$$. I opted for a day of bicycle riding around the extremely spread out town, but was unsure of my second day. The staff implored me to visit Fraser Island, and when I told them I just didn’t want to spend a few hundred dollars to join a bunch of backpackers who were visiting the natural oasis just to get drunk and tear up a beach in a big SUV, they offered me an alternative. Instead, I could do a one day trip at a very reasonable $170, including the ferry there and back, full lunch buffet, and a day of fully guided touring. After some contemplation, I agreed and got them to book it for me. The day of biking was slightly disappointing as by midday the temperature was in the mid 30’s, and while it was a dry heat, it made biking terrible. The ‘botanical gardens’ where I was told I could hand feed turtles turned out to be a grassy area in the middle of suburbia, with a tiny pond in the middle that had only a few ducks in residence. I biked along the esplanade and out the 1km long pier, watching the local anglers trying for a catch and the occasional ferry destined for Fraser. I got bored, tired, and sweaty pretty quickly and headed back for the hostel. Good timing too because within a few minutes of getting back the skies quickly turned dark and a torrential downpour was unleashed, lasting the rest of the evening and keeping everyone under cover. I will also mention here that it didn’t help that the bike was pretty bad, and in hindsight I wouldn’t have rented from the company I did. Some of their bikes were in a terrible state and even the one I got which seemed pretty good was nearly impossible to pedal. I spent my evening with some new acquaintances playing card games, which eventually turned to drinking games as the inevitable box of goon came out. I underestimated the power of goon and after a few glasses I found myself surprisingly drunk, collapsing in bed with a stern reminder to myself that I had to get up the next day for the tour.Hung over as I’ll ever be, I somehow managed to pack my day bag, put sunscreen on, and get down to reception on time for the pickup for my tour. The second I was on the bus, I fell back asleep, probably not still 
drunk but very much regretting the last couple glasses of goon. There is no such thing as a good hangover, but if there were such a thing as a bad hangover, a goon hangover it would be. Not only did my stomach feel like it might rebel at any moment, but my head was squeezed between vice grips and I felt too tired to stand – and I know that wasn’t sleep deprivation because I got at least six hours of sleep. I woke as the bus stopped at the pier, delivering us to the boat that would take us the rest of the way to Fraser Island. It turned out the boat ride was exactly what I needed, and as I enjoyed the fresh sea air on the top deck, my hangover seemed to disappear (and not the way some people’s hangovers disappear over the side).
drunk but very much regretting the last couple glasses of goon. There is no such thing as a good hangover, but if there were such a thing as a bad hangover, a goon hangover it would be. Not only did my stomach feel like it might rebel at any moment, but my head was squeezed between vice grips and I felt too tired to stand – and I know that wasn’t sleep deprivation because I got at least six hours of sleep. I woke as the bus stopped at the pier, delivering us to the boat that would take us the rest of the way to Fraser Island. It turned out the boat ride was exactly what I needed, and as I enjoyed the fresh sea air on the top deck, my hangover seemed to disappear (and not the way some people’s hangovers disappear over the side).Fraser Island is the world’s biggest sand island and a UNESCO World Heritage site. At one point in history it was a mobile sand island, but the formation of coffee rock (a rock like sand structure) made the island permanent thousands of years ago and left us with the unique island we can explore today. The island is home to the most genetically pure species of dingo, one of the world’s top ten beaches, some of the world’s purest water, and lots and lots of drunken backpackers. Many of these backpackers have been given the keys to a large and powerful SUV, responsibility for the 9 other backpackers in the vehicle, and free rein to travel over the islands many roads, which can only be called roads because they are lines on a map but are in fact very loose sand paths through dense forest. A little more on the backpackers’ impact in a 
moment. I was seeing the island as part of a 25 person tour, taking a gargantuan 4x4 bus over the island to visit a few of the highlights. These drivers are highly skilled, well educated on the island, and highly critical of the terrible driving skills of the many tourists on the island. As we navigated the bumpy, ill formed roads, our driver navigated around many stuck vehicles, always muttering something about how bad an idea it was to unleash such unprepared tourists on the island. Our first stop of the day was in the centre of the island, a place where many camp while staying here. We enjoyed a walk through the rainforest while much of the ecosystem was explained to us and a few of the island’s features were pointed out. Acting like a giant sponge, the island sucks up ocean water from its base, filters it through the extremely fine sand, and from the middle of the island emerges a perfectly pure water spring. Millions of litres flow out into the ocean each day from the various streams around the island and create some of the richest breeding ground for crustaceans in this part of the world. It is for this reason, and because it is a Heritage site, that its waters will never be used to solve the nearby mainland’s water shortage, but that isn’t to say people haven’t tried. From the rainforest, we 
were back on the bus for the ride to this part of the world’s most famous beach, McKenzie Beach. Fed by the sponge effect of the island, the lake is entirely fresh water and as the pH sits at a constant 4.4, it is too acidic to support life, keeping the water clearer than a swimming pool. The sands here are famous for being almost pure silica, and are known to be a great exfoliant and jewellery cleaner. While the sky had threatened rain earlier, it cleared for us and we were treated to wonderfully blue skies, the sun’s warm rays, and the cool beach sand which doesn’t heat up due to it’s being too white to absorb the sun’s energy. After a plentiful lunch at an island resort, we took off down the beach for some more highlights. Here on Fraser the beaches are the highways, and thus the speed limit is 80km/hr. That doesn’t mean that one should always go 80, but you legally are allowed to. That also doesn’t mean people don’t go faster than 80, but it is the legal limit and it is supposedly enforced as it is on any Australian highway (apparently on many holiday weekends one may spot the extremely odd sight of police with radar guns on beaches). There is something very surreal about sitting in a bus some two metres off the ground, hearing the throaty roar of the massive diesel engine, and tearing down a beach at 80km/hr; an experience available in few places in the world. After a stop to see some multicolour sands (finally!) we were at the wreck of the Maheno. One of Fraser’s more photographed attractions, the 
former luxury liner paid service in both world wars as a hospital ship before scrapping in the 50’s. Unfortunately it never made it to the scrap yard as a cyclone broke it from its tow and it wrecked on the beaches of Fraser. Now it serves as one of Fraser’s most iconic symbols, although its steel hull is rapidly rusting away. Our next – and final – stop was Eli Creek, one of Fraser’s more serene stops. Its bed is open to wading and is one of the more popular walks on the island. Plenty of fish inhabit the stream and as you carefully keep your shorts pulled up around the top of your thighs to avoid getting wet, there is plenty to see all around. Unfortunately, as I drew near the end of the stream the skies opened once again and I had to make a beeline for the bus with my camera wrapped in my t-shirt. Luckily, this was our last stop of the day and as the rain beat down on the bus, we were all content knowing we had seen what we had come to see, and the weather cooperated at least that long. We climbed back aboard the ferry and after a precarious exit from a low tidal area, we were back on the sea towards the mainland.
moment. I was seeing the island as part of a 25 person tour, taking a gargantuan 4x4 bus over the island to visit a few of the highlights. These drivers are highly skilled, well educated on the island, and highly critical of the terrible driving skills of the many tourists on the island. As we navigated the bumpy, ill formed roads, our driver navigated around many stuck vehicles, always muttering something about how bad an idea it was to unleash such unprepared tourists on the island. Our first stop of the day was in the centre of the island, a place where many camp while staying here. We enjoyed a walk through the rainforest while much of the ecosystem was explained to us and a few of the island’s features were pointed out. Acting like a giant sponge, the island sucks up ocean water from its base, filters it through the extremely fine sand, and from the middle of the island emerges a perfectly pure water spring. Millions of litres flow out into the ocean each day from the various streams around the island and create some of the richest breeding ground for crustaceans in this part of the world. It is for this reason, and because it is a Heritage site, that its waters will never be used to solve the nearby mainland’s water shortage, but that isn’t to say people haven’t tried. From the rainforest, we 
were back on the bus for the ride to this part of the world’s most famous beach, McKenzie Beach. Fed by the sponge effect of the island, the lake is entirely fresh water and as the pH sits at a constant 4.4, it is too acidic to support life, keeping the water clearer than a swimming pool. The sands here are famous for being almost pure silica, and are known to be a great exfoliant and jewellery cleaner. While the sky had threatened rain earlier, it cleared for us and we were treated to wonderfully blue skies, the sun’s warm rays, and the cool beach sand which doesn’t heat up due to it’s being too white to absorb the sun’s energy. After a plentiful lunch at an island resort, we took off down the beach for some more highlights. Here on Fraser the beaches are the highways, and thus the speed limit is 80km/hr. That doesn’t mean that one should always go 80, but you legally are allowed to. That also doesn’t mean people don’t go faster than 80, but it is the legal limit and it is supposedly enforced as it is on any Australian highway (apparently on many holiday weekends one may spot the extremely odd sight of police with radar guns on beaches). There is something very surreal about sitting in a bus some two metres off the ground, hearing the throaty roar of the massive diesel engine, and tearing down a beach at 80km/hr; an experience available in few places in the world. After a stop to see some multicolour sands (finally!) we were at the wreck of the Maheno. One of Fraser’s more photographed attractions, the 
former luxury liner paid service in both world wars as a hospital ship before scrapping in the 50’s. Unfortunately it never made it to the scrap yard as a cyclone broke it from its tow and it wrecked on the beaches of Fraser. Now it serves as one of Fraser’s most iconic symbols, although its steel hull is rapidly rusting away. Our next – and final – stop was Eli Creek, one of Fraser’s more serene stops. Its bed is open to wading and is one of the more popular walks on the island. Plenty of fish inhabit the stream and as you carefully keep your shorts pulled up around the top of your thighs to avoid getting wet, there is plenty to see all around. Unfortunately, as I drew near the end of the stream the skies opened once again and I had to make a beeline for the bus with my camera wrapped in my t-shirt. Luckily, this was our last stop of the day and as the rain beat down on the bus, we were all content knowing we had seen what we had come to see, and the weather cooperated at least that long. We climbed back aboard the ferry and after a precarious exit from a low tidal area, we were back on the sea towards the mainland.If through reading this, you get the impression that Fraser is a delicate ecosystem which could be very easily upset, good, you have read my words as I intended them. Everything about Fraser screams fragile, and the government is well aware that the island needs protection. Unfortunately, those who cause the most harm are given keys to large vehicles and almost no supervision. While drunk driving (or drink driving as it’s called in this part of the world) is dealt with severely, that doesn’t mean it won’t still happen. In fact on my way up the rest of the coast I had more than one backpacker brag to me about driving drunk on Fraser Island. Such stupidity has, and will continue to result in collisions, roll-overs, 
injured wildlife, injured tourists, damaged ecosystems and more. The native dingoes are becoming so familiar with humans that the formerly shy K9 now boldly approaches camped tourists and seeks food. If that was a bear in Canada, it would have to be shot – here, they don’t know what to do about the protected species. One of the lakes on Fraser has been ruined by tourism as the high acidity strips any sun block and bug repellent right off of a swimmer. A build up of the chemicals eventually resulted in a deadly mix that flowed through the rivers and killed many fish and plants. While walking on most sand dunes is prohibited, many tourists seek the perfect photo of running down the face of a dune into the water below, many injured in the process, both dunes and people. The rusting Maheno is strictly off limits, yet irresponsible backpackers feel the need to get a photo while onboard the deteriorating wreck –dangerous, illegal and inconsiderate. The government sees only one solution and in a decision I completely agree with, the government decided in March that as of July, 2010, Fraser Island will be closed to self drives forever. It is unfortunate as I’m sure there are many eco conscious travellers who respect the fragility of the unique ecosystem, but as is usually the case, the few have ruined it for the many and the entire island must be closed to self drives. I hope that the change in policy has the intended effect, and I hope that Fraser Island is as pristine as it is now for my children and their children after. It is an entirely unique experience, one I am glad I partook in, and one I would recommend to others. If you can get there before July, do a self drive! They look really fun, especially if you rented a 4x4 from a rental agency. If you do one with a hostel, be prepared for a cramped, drunk, slightly dangerous, but all around fun time – but be warned, if one of your drivers is acting like a dick at the wheel, showing off or acting dumb, as a group you must be willing to remove them from the driver’s seat. Everyone’s safety is everyone’s business, and everyone has to be willing to step up and ensure the safety of everyone.
injured wildlife, injured tourists, damaged ecosystems and more. The native dingoes are becoming so familiar with humans that the formerly shy K9 now boldly approaches camped tourists and seeks food. If that was a bear in Canada, it would have to be shot – here, they don’t know what to do about the protected species. One of the lakes on Fraser has been ruined by tourism as the high acidity strips any sun block and bug repellent right off of a swimmer. A build up of the chemicals eventually resulted in a deadly mix that flowed through the rivers and killed many fish and plants. While walking on most sand dunes is prohibited, many tourists seek the perfect photo of running down the face of a dune into the water below, many injured in the process, both dunes and people. The rusting Maheno is strictly off limits, yet irresponsible backpackers feel the need to get a photo while onboard the deteriorating wreck –dangerous, illegal and inconsiderate. The government sees only one solution and in a decision I completely agree with, the government decided in March that as of July, 2010, Fraser Island will be closed to self drives forever. It is unfortunate as I’m sure there are many eco conscious travellers who respect the fragility of the unique ecosystem, but as is usually the case, the few have ruined it for the many and the entire island must be closed to self drives. I hope that the change in policy has the intended effect, and I hope that Fraser Island is as pristine as it is now for my children and their children after. It is an entirely unique experience, one I am glad I partook in, and one I would recommend to others. If you can get there before July, do a self drive! They look really fun, especially if you rented a 4x4 from a rental agency. If you do one with a hostel, be prepared for a cramped, drunk, slightly dangerous, but all around fun time – but be warned, if one of your drivers is acting like a dick at the wheel, showing off or acting dumb, as a group you must be willing to remove them from the driver’s seat. Everyone’s safety is everyone’s business, and everyone has to be willing to step up and ensure the safety of everyone.I spent a quiet evening in Hervey Bay, choosing not to partake in the St Patricks Day celebrations at the local Irish pub. It would have been good craic (a little speak I picked up in Ireland, meaning a good thing) but unfortunately the drinks were just too expensive and I needed a night off after the previous evening. I instead raised a cold glass of water to my Irish friends before heading to bed.
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