Fraser Island: Dunes, Dingoes and Drinking Games

Throw together a group of twenty-something backpackers. Add booze, beaches and off-roading vehicles into the equation, all set against a backdrop of breathtaking natural beauty, and you’re onto a winner. This perfectly balanced combination of fun, relaxation and adrenaline is precisely what makes the Fraser experience so memorable. At the end of our trip, despite still having a week and a half to go in Australia, we were confident it would be the overall highlight of our time on the East Coast.

The world’s largest sand island, spanning a whopping 130km in length, Fraser has it all. Not only is it’s ecosystem rich in a variety of flora and fauna, it’s also a totally isolated example of tall rainforest growing on sand. Add to the list mile long beaches and sparkling freshwater lakes, and it’s easy to see why this amazing island was awarded the status of UNESCO world heritage site in 1992. Due to it’s sandy composition there are no roads on Fraser, meaning jeeps are the most practical, reliable (and fun!) way of getting around the island. After splitting into groups and loading up on all the essentials (burgers, cornflakes and lots of alcohol), we were ready to begin our adventure. We took part in a tag-along tour which, as the name suggests, involves a convoy of jeeps following a tour guide in the lead vehicle. Fortunately for us our guide, Rango, was a real Fraser veteran, who had been operating tours like ours for years and had a wealth of knowledge to prove it. During our three days he made sure we saw all of the highlights Fraser has to offer.

First up were some of the island’s 100 freshwater lakes: Birrabean, Boomanjin and Wabby. Rango was quick to educate us about the purity of the lake-water, and how it’s translucence means it’s colour appears to differ according to that of the sky. Fortunately we were blessed with sunshine and cloudless skies for the duration of our visit, creating the perfect conditions to witness the crystal clear waters capture the bright blue shade of the sky. The exception to this rule was lake Boomanjin. A natural phenomenon, the water of lake Boomanjin has been dyed a reddish-brown colour, due to surrounding vegetation encroaching on the lake. Over the course of our tour we continued to be awed by the island’s natural beauty. We visited the pinnacles, a series of coloured rock formations with aboriginal significance, the champagne pools (which we were dissapointed to discover contained no alcohol), the historic Maheno shipwreck and many small creeks and lookouts. As well as jaw-dropping scenery, Fraser island also plays host to an impressive array of wildlife. Sharks, dolphins, whales, turtles, pelicans, soldier crabs and rare black cockatiels were just some of the species we were lucky enough to spot during our time on the island. Sadly due to a decline in numbers in recent years we missed out on the chance to see one of the island’s wild dingoes, considered to be some of the purest in Australia.

In these kind of situations having a good bunch of people really can make or break the trip, but thankfully for us the whole group got on like a house on fire. We purposefully shunned the hostel option in favour of camping in order to maximise the experience, a decision that most definitely paid off. It’s amazing how sharpened everyone’s social skills become in the absence of technology. After a BBQ dinner our evening’s were spent sat around the table, drinking goon (cheap Aussie wine in a bag), and swapping stories and drinking games. But the absolute highlight of our evenings on Fraser was undoubtedly the stargazing. We had heard that the lack of light pollution on the island allows for perfect visibility, but even that could not have prepared us for the sight that met us as we left our secluded campsite and stepped onto the beach. Looking up we were greeted by a breathtaking sky that can only be described as positively alive with stars. It was another moment that really reinforced to us just how lucky we are to be travelling and experiencing all of these amazing things.

Three days of bonding over awesome scenery, hilarious drinking games and our amusing attempts to manouver jeeps over sand dunes left us quite attached to both our group and island, and sad to say goodbye. Still, one thing was for sure: we were leaving with a load of new friends and even more new memories.

Noosa: Noisy Neighbours and Native Friends

Famously home to the legendary “croc hunter,” the late Steve Irwin, Australia Zoo is an absolute must for anyone travelling the country’s popular East Coast. An establishment known for it’s pioneering work in animal conservation, protection and rehabilitation, it’s clear to see that animal welfare is top priority at the zoo. The mass open spaces and lack of cages makes for a more enjoyable and relaxing experience for both visitors and animals. Housing a variety of species from across the planet, ranging from Asian tigers to African rhinos, there was so much on offer that it actually proved difficult to fit everything in! Being staunch animal lovers, having the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of Australia’s native species was a dream come true. From hand feeding kangaroos to stroking koalas, the level of animal interaction was unparalleled by any other zoo we had visited. Of course, we couldn’t leave without a visit to the iconic ‘crocoseum’, which hosted many of Steve’s famous croc shows. Featuring a 5 metre saltwater crocodile and a range of stunts involving jumping, swimming and a piece of steak for persuasive purposes, the show most certainly lived up to it’s famous reputation. Steve would have been proud! Other highlights included rare red pandas, Australian snakes, the cutest wombats imaginable and a fantastic walk-through aviary. 

The zoo is accessible from either Brisbane or Noosa and, in what turned out to be an unwise decision, we chose to visit from Noosa, expecting it to be the quieter of the two. In actual fact, as anyone who has read the previous post will know, our stay in Brisbane turned out to be a fairly uneventful one. In contrast, the small seaside town of Noosa surprised us. Whether it’s walking in the national park, taking a surfing lesson, canoeing the everglades or taking a sunset river cruise, the list of things on offer in Noosa seemed endless. Not to mention the town’s charming array of shops and cafes, and of course picturesque beaches. We were positively kicking ourselves! Aside from the zoo we managed to complete some of the recommended walks along the coastline and through the national park, and were even rewarded with a sighting of a wild koala! A discount voucher meant we stayed in Halse Lodge, an old colonial style building that had been converted into a multi-purpose restaurant, bar and guesthouse. The accommodation was pleasant, although due to the building’s old fashioned design extremely cold at night (each room had a door to the outside veranda, complete with open slats above it). However, it soon became clear that this was in fact the least of our worries. As our heads hit the pillow on our first night, all seemed well. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a noise akin to that of a wild boar in extreme pain rang through our dorm. Alarmed, we sat up, half expecting to see a giant animal in our midst. Alas, as the noise continued in fluctuating decibels, the horrific reality dawned on us; it was snoring, and it was coming from the guy in the bed next to us. Over the course of the next three nights a variety of remedies were put to the test: earplugs, headphones, early nights, late nights. But it seemed the relentlessly noisy slumber of the snorlax (as we appropriately nicknamed him) was not so easily drowned out. The only major downside to our otherwise awesome time in Noosa, it’s fair to say that as soon as our bus from Noosa to Hervey Bay pulled away from the station, we were both out like a light.

Brisbane: The River City

A typical urban sprawl set against a skyline of bridges and high-rise buildings, we were unsure of what to expect of Brisbane. Speaking to other travellers the general consensus appeared to be that it wasn’t necessarily worth a visit and, at the end of our three nights stay, we were inclined to agree. Compared to the  only other Australian City we had visited, Sydney, we found Brisbane to be considerably lacking in charm or atmosphere. In fairness, it’s clearly a metropolitan hub that caters more for business and locals instead of tourists, which perhaps explains why we didn’t find our visit particularly exciting.

Offering the usual selection of museums and gardens, there was enough to fill a day in Brisbane, but nothing that made the city a particularly unique experience. Brisbane, or ‘Brissy’ as it’s referred to in the local lingo, boasts several museums that are interesting, educational and, most importantly, free, which tend to be overlooked by backpackers in favour of the city’s notorious nightlife. The Museum of Brisbane was, as one would expect, an informative guide to the formation of the city, detailing everything from it’s aboriginal origins to it’s namesake and problematic geography. We learnt a lot about the centrality of the river to the city’s prosperity, and it’s importance to local people. Better still was Queenstown museum, providing a timeline of Australian history covering everything from dinosaurs and the world wars to a catalogue of the country’s modern day species. Speaking of which, we were lucky enough to spot several natives during our outings in Brisbane. After taking a stroll along the riverfront we briefly rested on a park bench. Leaning back, I noticed something sinister looking out of the corner of my eye. Upon further inspection it turned out we had parked ourselves right next to the home of a large spider, not something you want to come to close to in Australia! Less alarming was the furry little fellow we spotted hiding in the Roma Street Gardens, a common but shy Australian possum, most likely on the lookout for picnic leftovers! 

Aside from our animal encounters and several interesting museums, there was little in Brisbane that captivated us. The Australian east Coast boasts so many destinations that are beautiful, quickly, vibrant or indeed all three, but for us Brisbane didn’t tick any of these boxes. 

Gold Coast: Surfers Paradise (Without the Surfing)

Notorious for it’s optimal surfing conditions (as the name suggests), Surfers paradise is very much a hub of activity, more specifically watersports, shopping, eating and drinking. Unfortunately for us backpackers none of these activities comes particularly cheap, so it’s fair to say we didn’t experience Surfers Paradise to it’s full potential. In fact, the extent of our expenditure was a $5 fish and chips, which just seemed to good an offer to turn down! The majority of our time was spent on the notoriously idyllic beach, soaking up the surprisingly warm weather. We even dug out the shorts that had been relegated to the bottom of our backpacks following our departure from Asia! Sadly, the water couldn’t quite be deemed warm enough for a dip, and as if this wasn’t enough of a deterrent, the constantly patrolling shark-watch helicopters certainly put us off! Nevertheless between the beach, nearby parks and Sunday night market, we managed to fill our time nicely. My (very generously given, for any family that are reading!) birthday money was also an unexpected bonus, which meant I could actually indulge in a rare spot of clothes shopping! $95 later I was kitted out with a new bikini, shirt and woolly scarf, and had well and truly satisfied my inner material girl.

It hadn’t taken much for us to deduce that hostels in Australia, in comparison to those in Asia, are not particularly generous. In the short time we had been there we had already encountered charges for everything from Wifi to cutlery! So our hostel in Surfers, ‘Down Under’, was a bit of an anomaly. Washers, dryers, laundry detergent, Wifi and apple mac computers were all readily available for guest use free of charge. As if all of this wasn’t enough, they even hosted a free BBQ on one of the evenings. The word ‘free’ is without a doubt the most effective hook you can use to entice backpackers, and it most definitely worked for us. We were first in line to offload our laundry, pile our plates with burgers and sausages, and begin researching a New Zealand itinerary on the computers. So whilst the area’s bars, shops and restaurants weren’t particularly budget friendly, our hostel certainly was!

Koh Samui: A Pilgrimage to the Original Tourist Mecca

Our previous and next destinations couldn’t have been more at odds with each other. Seven hours later we had well and truly left the tranquil oasis of Khao Sok behind, and instead found ourselves on Koh Samui, the most urbanised of the Thai Islands. Perhaps the place where the footprint of tourism is most embedded in Thailand, Samui’s trademark has become the luxury resorts that line it’s sandy beaches. Needless to say, we weren’t staying in one of these. Our humble hostel was nestled between two of Samui’s many characteristically Western restaurants. Appropriately entitled ‘Liquid Lounge,’ it also doubled as a bar opening out onto the main road, therefore providing the perfect vantage point from which to observe the Island’s going ons. Most noticeable were the promotional trucks that rolled by every five or so minutes, blaring out an advertisement for either Muay-Thai boxing, Japanese massage,  or Friday night’s beach party. This description truly captures the essence of Koh Samui. Everything on this island is catered to tourists, at the expense of any sense of culture or character. It’s easy to see why, for who desire nothing more than sunshine and a sandy beach, Samui is the perfect destination. However, as this isn’t particularly our cup of tea, we were fairly bored during our stay. There are enough shops and market stalls to keep you occupied for a good few hours, and massage parlours are in ample supply, but that is really the extent of activities on offer in Koh Samui (unless you are willing to get ripped off taking part in an extremely poor version of ‘total wipeout’).

We did manage to fill one of our days with a trip to the nearby Ang Thong Marine Park. Situated about an hours speedboat journey from mainland Samui (or two and a half hours if you settle for the budget option which, being backpackers, we did), the marine park encompasses roughly 40 small islands scattered around the turqoise waters. A far cry from Thailand’s busy, tourist-trampled main islands, the marine park was a calm and peaceful haven where nature is still the main attraction. Between kayaking and snorkelling around the crystal waters, we stopped off at several of the islands to take in the views and relax on the pristine beaches. One of the marine park’s most notable features is the seawater lake nestled away on the island of Koh Mae Ko, named the emerald lagoon. After a short hike up to a platform overlooking the lake it becomes clear why the name is so befitting, as the waters are an impressive shade of vivid green.

The day entailed several hikes which were rewarded with spectacular views, most notably the panorama of the whole marine park. Ascending the 350 metres to the top involved clambering over large boulders assisted by a rope, and made for sweaty work. Still, this was sufficiently compensated for by the scene at the top, a breathtaking landscape of blue and green.

Appeased by a day spent in such spectacular surroundings, we conceded that our otherwise uneventful stay in Koh Samui had been worth it for the visit to Ang Thong alone. Truly a hidden gem amongst Thailand’s largely overrated island’s.