TRAVEL: Fraser Island Day Trip, Queensland, Australia

I’ve already been to Fraser Island once, and loved it (you can read about that here), so when offered the opportunity to check it out for a second time on a different tour, I of course said yes! This did however involve a pre-dawn wake-up, but for those who know me, you’ll know that my belief is that the only reason to be up before the sun rises is if you’ve got a flight to catch, and I suppose a tour bus also counts too.

I was collected by Brock as his first pick-up of the day, and we cruised through Noosa making a few more pickups before the real journey began. We took a different route than my last trip, this time through the Hinterlands, which really was truly beautiful as the sun rose with oranges and purples over the wide open spaces filled with greenery and the occasional cow.

It took us about an hour and a half to arrive in Rainbow Beach, where we were dropped off at a service station while Brock went to change our bus to a more ‘Fraser Island worthy’ form of transport. These moments were probably my least favourite of the trip, as we were pretty much stranded at a BP petrol station with very little to do. At least on the last trip, we were dropped on the Main Street, which gave those who wanted the option to buy some food from the various shops along the street, or to admire the pleasant views along the beach. We also weren’t entirely sure how long it would take Brock to pick up the other bus, which made standing in the cold even more frustrating.

It was very obvious which bus was ours as a huge grey monstrosity approached from around the corner. Inside were about 20 seats stuck into what felt very much like a theme park simulator, in that you felt so removed from the world outside you that it almost didn’t feel real. As it turned out, this truck was a retired Korean military vehicle, which made sense when you looked at it.

With the 20 passengers belted up, we trundled off to Inskip Point where we took the ferry across to Fraser. We raced along the beach, which acts the same as any other Australian highway, and I proved my worth as a valuable addition to the group by spotting a number of whales as we went along. This was definitely a highlight of the trip as whale watching had been on my Aussie bucket list.

We stopped at one of Fraser’s creeks for morning tea, which included tea, coffee or juice, delicious homemade lemon bars (which I’m still dreaming about), and Anzac biscuits for those wishing to get a real flavour of Australia. Bearing in mind it was winter at the time of my visit, it was pretty cold in spite of the sun, and I found myself wishing I’d worn something different to shorts as we stood on the windswept beach watching the light blue waves roll in.

Continuing onwards, we headed into ‘town’ (if you can call it that – it’s home to a resort and one shop) and closer to the centre of Fraser. I fondly remembered the bumpy roads which didn’t feel any less bumpy in our Godzilla-machine. Slowly but surely we began to catch glimpses of the blue water of Lake Mackenzie, aka the tourist hotspot of Fraser.

Parking up, we were given over an hour to spend at the water’s edge. With the sun shining down, in contrast to the rain showers we’d had the last time I was there, the dark blue fading into sky blue and then clear water looked incredibly stunning, so I entertained myself taking plenty of photos to capture such beauty that I felt unlikely to see again.

I’d packed my bikini, but even my adventurous side couldn’t convince me to dunk myself into the icy cold water. Nonetheless, the water colour and white sand was enough to make me convinced that Fraser really is a necessary visit for anyone up this neck of the woods.

We took a while for lunch (sandwiches as huge as the bus we’d come in) in a fenced off dingo-proof area along with the company of a friendly goana making his way up and down a nearby tree before we headed back into the truck and towards Central Station.

Upon arrival, Brock pointed out the impressive staghorns growing off of some of the trees, and then let us go on our merry way through the rainforest. Our thirty-five minute walk wove us through the forest beside a crystal clear creek, a pleasant time to reflect, think, and listen to the wildlife as we went along. We didn’t see many animals with the exception of a few birds, but the strangler figs and huge ferns much, much older than I am were pretty cool to see.

Our last sight of the day was a sign erected for Prince Harry’s visit last April to dedicate the forest to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy – a gentle reminder of my old home in my new home. And just like that, our adventure on Fraser Island was over. In just a day, it seemed like we had barely touched the surface of Fraser, having spent most of the day in the truck which, I’ll allow, is nice in itself to cruise along the beach, but we did only end up seeing two of the Island’s highlights.

As quickly as we’d arrived, we caught the ferry back to Inskip and then to our beloved service station which was made bearable by the presence of a cockatoo perched on one of the electricity lines. We ended up waiting here for over forty minutes, due to an issue with the bus, but again, not knowing when we’d be picked up or having anything at all to do made for a particularly boring part of an otherwise good day.

We scooted through the Hinterlands as the sun set in colourful hues before arriving back where we were picked up at around 6pm. Over twelve hours on the road, and I was pretty exhausted. Fraser will always hold a special place in my heart as a reminder of feeling well and truly happy in my new home, but I would recommend anyone wishing to visit to spend more time there than I did this time.

To compare this trip to my previous adventure, I would wholeheartedly say that Brock was an excellent and informative guide, however overall I preferred my previous encounter. This was partly due to the mode of transport, as travelling around in our little SUV last time really created a sense of community with a smaller number of travellers, all of a similar age, and all having a great time bumping tunes as we bumped along the sandy roads.

The biggest difference for me, and the biggest pro of the other trip, was definitely the overnight element. Staying on the island overnight not only gave us the obvious opportunity to see more things, but I loved getting to know my fellow travellers over the campfire glow, sleep under the stars, and wake up early to enjoy the sunrise. So from one traveller to another, give Fraser Island a bit more of your time. You won’t regret it. 

I hope you enjoyed reading today's blog! To stay up to date with my Australian adventures, make sure to follow me on Twitter @CiarasCountry, and I'd love to hear your recommendations for where I must visit in Aus, so please drop me a comment below - thanks for reading!

TRAVEL: Brisbane Free Walking Tour, Botanic Gardens, Roma Street Parklands

Arriving in Brisbane, Australia; I found myself with a free day in which to explore the city. If you’ve read any of my city blogs before, you’ll know I LOVE a free walking tour, and think they’re absolutely the best way to get a feel for a city.

The tours start at 10:30am every day at the Visitor Information and Booking Centre on Queen Street, although you do need to book in advance, as they check your name off of a list once you arrive. The tourist office itself is interesting enough, as the site of an old theatre – make sure to look around when you go in at the elegant facades We were a small group of about eight; ranging from the UK, France, Germany, Canada, and South Australia.

Our tour began by walking through Brisbane Arcade, which was coincidentally celebrating its 95^th Anniversary on that very day. This small arcade reminded me somewhat of Burlington Arcade in London, with its niche shops (here we had a hatters and a ‘pen shoppe’ among others), and pleasant architecture.

Emerging the other side, we arrived at King George Square, home to City Hall which apparently has a bigger clockface than Big Ben. Unfortunately City Hall was closed for a function that day, but normally visitors are allowed in to see its impressive rooms – just another reason to come back some other time!

Continuing down Adelaide Street, our guide pointed out metal animals hiding in the lampposts, including reptiles, marsupials and amphibians, that you might not notice when just walking down the street. We had a look inside the Treasury Hotel to see the plans for quayside renovation expected to take place over the coming years – it’s clear that Brisbane will look quite different to how it does now in a few years.

We walked down to the QUT Campus and inside the Old Government House. I thought it was great that this was left open for visitors to visit as and when they choose, and had a room decorated with elements of the past to give an idea of what the building looked like in its days of use.

Our tour finished in the QUT Library, which certainly was very tech savvy with huge screens which that day were depicting the periodic table, an interactive game about gravity, and one to code robots to sort rubbish. Pretty cool. Whilst on a map it might look like we’d only covered a small amount of ground, it took around two hours and I did feel like I’d gotten to know the city better. The best bit? Unlike most ‘free’ walking tours, this one was actually completely free – just volunteers doing it out of a wish to share their city with others!

With half the day down but still plenty of time to kill, I decided to take a stroll through the City Botanic Gardens, conveniently located right next to QUT. I would describe the gardens more like a park as there wasn’t too much interesting flora to see, whether that because of the time of year, or if it is like this all the time. However, there was an interesting jungle section hidden inside which was pleasant to walk around, particularly with the tree cover shading me from the intense heat!

I strolled along the river and across the pedestrianised Goodwill Bridge to South Bank. This area was really pretty, the walkway draped in bougainvillea the whole way along. There are also a number of free public swimming pools along the riverside which I thought was very cool, and can imagine they get pretty busy during the summertime! Southbank is definitely a must-see when in Brisbane.

I crossed back over Victoria Bridge and wandered up Albert Street to Roma Street Parkland, passing few foreign couples dressed in their finery, presumably to take photos for engagement photoshoots. Roma Street Parkland was wonderful, and completely deserted – I probably passed about four other people in the time I was there!

I wandered slowly through the Parkland, passing by loads of water dragons bathing in the sunshine who seemed undettered by my presence. Crossing over Fern Gully Bridge offered pleasant views of the park fountain and city beyond, and then down into the Spectacle Garden which was a real highlight – beautiful flowers of every colour delicately placed in a wonderful display. How lovely! This was more what I had imagined of the Botanic Gardens, and would probably be my recommendation for those who want to see some spectacular flora, and indeed fauna too!

I had a lovely day exploring the best of Brisbane, but I’m sure there is plenty more to see – do you have any recommendations for what I should get up to next time I’m in the city? Drop me a message in the comments below, and be sure to follow me on Twitter @CiarasCountry for more Australia content coming soon!