Fraser Island side trip

After stopping in Canberra we chose not to tow the caravan to Queensland but took a train trip to Brisbane instead. The sleeper from Sydney was quite comfortable and meant we arrived in Roma Street station at 6.20 in the morning. Countrylink provide a welcome pack containing toothbrush and toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo conditioner and a biro in a neat little package for each passenger and a towel to use (but not to keep). Two sleepers (i.e. 4 people) share a shower and toilet so it is all quite convenient. Each person also receives a package containing water, dip, cheese and biscuits to keep you going until dinner is available. The food is typical airline type serving but not too bad considering.

On arrival at Roma St we had to wait for the Sunstate tour bus to collect us. It was the poor driver's first day so he managed to get lost on the way to the airport to collect more passengers and Rob actually got our GPS system out to find our way. As we arrived on Anzac Day the Bruce Highway out of Brisbane was gridlocked for 30 Kms. so we arrived in Hervey Bay too late for the 4pm ferry. As a consolation prize the bus took us for a tour around Hervey Bay which seems to be a town full of shops and caravan parks.

We took the 7pm ferry after having had a fish and chip dinner at the wharf and enjoyed a very smooth ride with a black sky showing a brilliant milky way. Kingfisher Resort is beautifully blended into the countryside with comfortable rooms and verandahs overlooking trees and ponds.

We opted to take a 4WD tour which collected us at 8.30 and took us along the rutted dunes to visit Lake McKenzie which is the most pristine blue lake you could wish to see nestling in brilliantly white sand. The sand is so fine that rubbing jewellery with it cleans it beautifully and it also smooths out rough skin on heels. They also claim that swimming in the waters makes you look ten years younger but...... The tour next took us to Central Station and the very pretty 1.2km rainforest walk followed by a buffet lunch at Eurong Resort. The afternoon was spent on the 75mile beach which is the main highway and airstrip. Here we visited the Pinnacles (formerly known as the coloured sands) which apparently are a site for secret womens business for the local aborigines and men are requested not to enter, the wreck of the Mahengo which is now a rust heap, and Eli Creek. On the way back there was a stop at the Stonetool Sand Blow which shows how the island is growing before returning to the resort for a Seafood buffet. There were many warnings about dingoes but we only saw their tracks on the beach.

The next day we spent meandering around the east coast of the island before returning to Brisbane where we spent three days seeing friends and relations as well as walking around the city centre and Southbank to see the many changes and huge construction jobs being undertaken.

The overnight train back to Sydney had to be picked up in Casino so we had a further opportunity to see the expansion around the Gold Coast. The last two months of our travels will be spent on the south coast of New South Wales starting at Eden.