Fraser Island - Holiday within a Holiday

Day 6 - Tuesday 11th September - Toowoomba to Rainbow Beach - "by Ryan" age 14

We packed up the camper trailer in the morning and had to say goodbye to Uncle Benjamin, Aunty Elisa, Michael, Daniel and Jonathan. We had about a 3 hour drive to Maroochydore to visit some of our friends, Peter and Esther Strelan. It was lovely to catch up with them again. Peter enjoyed showing me his train set. We continued driving past Gympie then to Rainbow Beach. We stopped to get our permits for camping on Fraser Island, a ticket for the barge trip, and us kids collected lots of brochures about Fraser Island. After that we drove to a caravan park to meet our friends the Winter's (Clint, Natalie, Riley, Kyle, Tyson and Amber, as well as Clint's parents Jim and Lyn) who were were waiting for us. We set up our camper near them and chatted before dinner. For dinner we all decided to go to the surf life saving club and had a nice meal while catching up. Back at camp we sat around a fire talking until we had to go to bed. It was a brilliant day!

Our camp site at the Rainbow waters caravan park

Late afternoon at Rainbow beach

Ryan and Riley starting the camp fire

Day 7 - Wednesday 12th September - Rainbow Beach to Fraser Island - "by Mikayla" age 11

In the morning we got up quite early to pack up the camper trailer and all go to Fraser Island. Once the Winter's, their Nana and Pa, and us were ready to go we drove into Rainbow Beach to buy any last supplies and petrol. We had to let our car tyres down so we could drive through the sand to get to Inskip point to catch the barge. On the barge Mum, Amy and I were having a good time looking for jelly fish and other sea creatures in the water. It was a quick trip across the water to Fraser Island then we had to drive up the beach for a long time until we got to Eurong. We stopped there to get some fresh bread and ice creams. After our snack we drove to where we would be staying for four nights at Central Station. The roads were fun because they were just sandy tracks and they were bumpy and tricky to drive through. Our camp at Central Station was in a pretty rainforest with very high trees, lots of birds, shady and nice. Once we were set up we decided to drive and look at Lake McKenzie. We went swimming in Lake McKenzie in the fresh water and threw a ball around playing "kids vs adults" which was lots of fun. We drove back to camp and played with the gridion ball and other camp kids even joined us because we were noisy and were having so much fun. We had tea then pancakes then went to bed.

Jim Winter driving onto the barge at Inskip point

Typical beach washouts on Fraser Island

The sand track "road" inland from Eurong

Amy and Amber at Central Station campgrounds

Our beautiful rainforest camp site at Central Station

Lake McKenzie

Mikayla jumping off Chris' shoulders in Lake McKenzie

Day 8 - Thursday 13th September - Fraser Island - "by Amy" age 9

We were woken in the rainforest by lots of different bird noises. For breakfast our mum made us bacon and eggs on toast that everyone enjoyed. After breakfast we did the dishes and got ready and set off for a day trip up the north of the island. When we were driving up the beach it started raining but when we got out of the car it was still warm. After about 1 and a half hours we reached a place called Champagne Pools and the kids all rushed to get our bathers on and ran along the board walk to get to the ocean. We had lots of fun in the water and then the kids had a digging competition to see who could dig the biggest hole and be the most creative. The dad's judged our holes and Mikayla, Amber and I won. After that we did "flag" racing on the beach and I came second overall. We had another swim to wash the sand off then went back to the cars and drove along another sandy track to get to Orchid Beach for lunch. Us kids played with the gridion ball on the sand and then went to a big sand hill to slide down. We started driving back down the beach but had to drive a bit quicker on the beach before the tide came in. It was fun splashing through the puddles. There was an old ship wreck in the sand and we got some photo's in front of it. When we got back to Central Station the kids all played more ball games then had a BBQ tea and went to bed. 

The sand hole digging competition 

Trudy and Chris at Champagne Pools, Middle Rocks

Driving down the track to Orchid Beach

Ryan, Riley, Amy, Mikayla, Kyle, Amber, Tyson

Bird life at sand hills near Waddy Point

The coloured sands of Fraser Island

The whole camping crew - Schrapels, Winter's, Nana and Pa Winter

The Maheno ship wreck

Day 9 - Friday 14th September - Fraser Island - "by Ryan"

We had bacon and eggs for breakfast then went for a drive. Everyone was excited to be going to Lake Wabby with our boogie boards because we had heard that you could slide down sand hills into the water. We drove from camp to Eurong and then along the beach until the Lake Wabby area. I didn't know that we would have to walk 2 km along a sandy track to get to it. From the massive sand dunes we went down a steep sand hill and into the water. The lake was cold but most people still got in for a swim. The boogie boards didn't slide as well as we had hoped but that didn't stop us having fun and we ran up and down the sandhill instead. Lake Wabby even had some big fish in it! Everyone was tired after the long walk back to the cars but then it was nice to sit in the car for another beautiful drive along the beach. We stopped at Eli Creek for some lunch but it had got windy and cold so I was unsure whether to go in the creek. My Nana had told us that it would be fun to float along the creek on our boogie boards so I gave it a go. It was so much fun floating down stream and then running back along the board walk to do it again. All of the kids had a great time and even mum got in the water and enjoyed it! On the way back Mr Winter and dad were testing out their 4 wheel drives. Mr Winter tried to drive up the bank of Eli Creek but got really stuck and bogged. Dad had to get the snatch strap out to pull Mr Winter's land cruiser out backwards. Everyone had a huge laugh and even two tour buses stopped to watch!! After we pulled him out we drove back along the beach to get back before high tide. Along the way back I was surprised to see a dingo with a crab in his mouth running along the beach and then off to an inland path. When we got back to camp we played board games together (Rummy cub and yahtzee), had a nice BBQ dinner and pancakes, then went to bed.

The massive sand hill into Lake Wabby

Ryan, Mikayla, Amy and Kyle floating down Eli Creek

The boardwalk where the creek ride ends

Chris playing where Eli Creek goes onto the beach

Clint bogged after playing too hard in the creek

Two tour buses stopped to watch the prado snatch the land cruiser out!

A dingo runs off the beach with a seafood catch in his mouth

Day 10 - Saturday 15th September - Fraser Island - "by Trudy"

It was a bit cloudy and breezy in the morning so we decided to go on a bush walk instead of going to the beach. So after breakfast we all went for a hike to the main Central Station area (where we learnt some fascinating history about the early settlers on Fraser Island and the logging that was done there in the early 1900's) then walked to Basin Lake. It was a beautiful 3km bushwalk to the lake where Chris and the kids had a swim. The water was still crystal clear but with alot more vegetation in this lake. After a snack to re-charge the kids we hiked back to our camp. My favourite section was a board walk along a crystal clear creek in the rainforest. After lunch we all went for a drive to Lake McKenzie for another swim in the fresh, clear water then continued the drive to Kingfisher Bay on the other side of the island. We enjoyed relaxing over a coffee and then looked at the jetty where the barge comes from Hervey Bay. Was interesting seeing the 5 star perspective! It was a very slow drive back to Central station because we kept coming across other vehicles getting bogged who were blocking the whole track and numerous 4WD's in both directions! The bumpy tracks were very churned up in soft sand but it made for a very exciting afternoon. We made it back to camp at night fall and enjoyed our last meal together with the Winter's of spaghetti bolognaise then icecreams.

The Winter kids in a big kauri tree trunk

Crystal clear water in the rainforest creek

Our bushwalk to Basin Lake

The Schrapel family

A typical "road" intersection

Swimming in the fresh water of Lake McKenzie again

A bogged vehicle at the bottom of the hill holding up traffic

Chris helping backpackers in a hire 4WD through soft sand

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