Fraser Island

Our guide and driver, Murray, picked us up at 0730 for our one day tour of Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island, a National Park on the World Heritage list. There were only two others on the tour: one from England and one from France, so just the five of us in total in a four wheel drive Toyota Landcruiser.
Flinders the cat lives and works on the ferry - his job is the keep the birds off - "it's easier to clean up feathers than the other," the ferry guy told us.

Flinders the cat

 Once off the ferry, we'd only gone a short distance on the sandy track when we saw a dingo - the wild dogs on Fraser Island are the purest ones in Australia since they're so isolated. There are signs and posters everywhere asking people to stay away from them and not feed them - they're wild and can be aggressive.

A lone dingo

After our "smoker" (coffee break) in the fenced picnic area, we went down to Lake McKenzie for a swim. The lake is filled by rain water only - there are no streams going in or out -it's called a perched lake.

Clear water and beautiful white sand

Lunch was served at a picnic table at what's called Central Station - the site of an old logging operation in the 1920's.  The hardwoods of Fraser Island were prized around the world.
After going down more bumpy sandy tracks we arrived at 75 mile beach, and the going was smooth.  We stopped at the wreck of the Maheno, a ship built in Scotland in 1905 and based out of New Zealand for many years.  In the first World War it was used as a hospital ship. At the end of its life it was sold for scrap and was being towed past Fraser Island in a storm when the towline snapped and it ran aground.

The Maheno Shipwreck

Eli Creek

Our last stop was Eli Creek which you walk up on a boardwalk and then walk, swim or float down - we walked down the first time, then floated - refreshing on a hot day!

Flinders rests up for his night's work