Fraser Island & Noosa (E)

Leaving party capital wasn’t easy but I had to continue my journey down south and so I took another overnight Greyhound bus to Hervey Bay where I was met by heavy showers and a nasty cold wind. I knew that seeing Fraser Island in these conditions wouldn’t be much fun and decided to wait for better weather.

Two days later the weather forecast promised a couple of sunny days and I joined a two-day organised tour to Fraser Island. Fraser is the world’s biggest sand island with plenty of beautiful beaches, huge sand dunes and crystal clear lakes. We were driven around in an enormous off-road truck that could handle driving on loose sand and through small creeks. Sadly swimming in the open sea was off-limits as sharks and jelly fish swim close to the shore but swimming in the beautiful lakes like blue Lake McKenzie was very enjoyable.

Indian Heads is a rocky hill reaching out into the ocean and is offering some incredible vista. Looking down into the waters we could spot sharks, turtles and stingrays as well as some tourists who ignored the warnings and enjoyed a rather dangerous swim. On our way back down the hill we came across a small snake heating up on a rock, posing for pictures. When we showed the picture to our guide later on we learned that this snake species is one of the most venomous in Australia – glad we didn’t get too close!

Another popular sight on Fraser Island is the Maheno Shipwreck which drifted ashore during an off-season cyclone back in 1935 - its rusty remains make for a good photo opportunity nowadays.







Right before the weather turned bad, I left the island and headed south to Noosa, a little coastal town with some good cafes & restaurants. I enjoyed a few lazy rainy days and went for a long walk in the national park where I was lucky to see a koala sleeping and eating only three meters above ground in an eucalyptus tree.