Fraser Island Trip - 4th - 18th September 2015
This is a trip report written by various members of the Dandenong Ranges 4WD Club for our club magazine. Doug and I were the Trip Leaders for this two week trip.
Day 1 - Friday 4th September
Many of the group that were going on the Fraser Island trip had snuck off early. The Nankivells left a week early and stopped in at the "Ultimate campers" depot, the Fullards headed straight for the Gold Coast and Wayne also left a week early because he could! The Sloans and Rob and Naomi technically left on the same day but they were making a bee line for John Porrit's place.
Doug and Jeannie, Andre and Catherine, Darren, Alison and Jaimie, Gwendolen and I met at Yarra Glen at 12:30pm and took scenic route from Merton to Euroa and then straight through Euroa to Shepparton, it's a nice drive that way. We Stopped between Merton and Euroa for firewood. Got heaps and put it on the Ramsay's and Green's roof racks.
It wasn't a big day and we were at camp at Apex beach on the Murray River in Tocumwal by 4:30. I'd spoken with the Sloans and they told me that at 3:30pm they were travelling through Coonabarrabran. They had started at 3am that morning and were hoping to make Tamwoth that night. Peter and Tori arrived at Tocumwal later that night and even later, The Robinsons arrived as we were going to bed.
I didn't hear a lot... A little bit of noise that I thought might be a possum maybe, but I put my earplugs in.... And apparently missed all the excitement of the Mutant rampaging koalas through the camp that night.
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| Campsite on the Murray at Tocumwal |
Day 2 - Saturday 5th September
This morning we all woke up at about 7:00am to be packed up and gone by 8:00am. We left camp and headed into Tocumwal for coffee and a toilet break.
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| Big Murray Cod at Tocumwal |
We were back on the road by 8:20am to head to Narrandera for some morning tea. We then drove for another few hours to Forbes for lunch break and back on the road for a couple hours to Narrabri for a good feed at the pub and discussion on where to camp. We finally figured out where to camp and back on the road we went. We ended up staying at the Moree Showgrounds. Some of us stood around our "fire" (red bucket and torch) as we finished the day with a drink.
Day 3 - Sunday 6th September
We had an early start today, 7.00 am departure, to avoid a repeat of yesterday and to catch the shops in Gympie. A very good run to Goondiwindi for a fuel stop. Lunch was at Goomeri then on to Gympie by about 2.30 for last shopping and fuel. While getting fuel three other vehicles, who had traveled to a different schedule, passed us on the way to Inskip point.
All of us now, except the Fullards, gathered at Inskip point we had the now famous red bucket fire for the night.
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| Inskip Point camping |
Day 4 - Monday 7th September
We were all packed up and departed our group site at Dorrigo, Inskip Point at 8am as scheduled.
Dave and Sheree joined us in the queue waiting for the barge and our group was complete.
While waiting we were entertained by a mother and daughter wrestling tournament- skill defeated enthusiasm over several rounds. Meanwhile John snatched a bogged Toyota towing a Jayco "outback eagle" and advice regarding tyre pressures was given.
It took three crossings at 8.20, 8.40 and 9.05 for us all to get onto the island as the tour busses were given priority.
By 9.15am our party of twelve vehicles, five towing campers were enjoying the lovely 75 km drive along the beach to our camp. We mostly travelled between 60 - 80 kmph, slowing to 40kmh when required past busy tourist hot spots. We saw our first dingo, passed lots of fishermen, people gathering pippies and worms for bait, a group of vintage toyotas, three planes parked on the "air strip", some tourist busses and the Maheno wreck. There were several groups camping on the edge of the beach braving the blustery winds.
We arrived at Dundubara camp at 10.45 and after setting up all soaked up the atmosphere. The camp area was fenced off to keep dingoes out and we were in quiet area set aside for groups. There were plenty of water taps and tables with bench seats and it was only a short to the amenities block. $1 purchased a quick shower.
After lunch a few tried fishing but most just relaxed and socialised. That evening we nominated Tori as fire warden concerned that we not burn our allocated four bags of wood too quickly. We had plenty of wood left however as we all retired early after a few days hard travelling for many.
Every-one was so happy to be on Fraser Island at last and eager to start exploring.
Day 5 - Tuesday 8th September
We woke to a beautiful morning with a temperature of about 23◦C. A slow start to the day saw us heading out of camp and down the beach at 9:45am. A couple of kilometres down the beach we came across about 150 people fishing off the beach. We could see that this popular spot was seeing good results with many fish on the lines.
We turned right off the beach at Woralie Road and headed inland. The track was like a roller coaster in parts, sand of course.
10:15am saw us stop at Knifeblade sand blow for a look at this sand hill created by nature due to sand blowing in from the coast.
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| Knifeblade Sand Blow |
After a pleasant stroll to the lookout, we were back in the cars and on our way towards Lake Allom through the tropical tree canopy.
We had morning tea at the lake. As we watched and counted the numerous turtles who came to entertain us at the viewing platform, Bella and Jamie ventured into the water and the turtles disappeared quickly.
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| Bella and the turtles |
Morning tea break was over at 11:40am and we were on the road again, heading for Happy Valley
Lunch was enjoyed by all at Happy Valley as we ate under the shade of the local trees and then most had a refreshing ice cream from the shop. During lunch, Rob tried his hand at getting a coconut out of a tree using his sand flag.
Lunch was over by 2:00pm and we were back on the beach heading for Eli creek as the weather was fine and some were ready for a swim.
At Eli creek, some ventured into the crystal clear water following out towards the sea. Others enjoyed this peaceful area (only a few tourists).
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| Pete enjoying the water |
We all moved on back up the beach towards camp at around 3:15pm with some stopping for photos at the ship wreck of the Maheno.
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| The wreck of the Maheno |
With everyone back at camp, there was time for drink, nibbles, playing and checking over the vehicles, where needed. A campfire ended a wonderful day.
Day 6 - Wednesday 9th September
We all woke up at our own time and had breakfast before we had to go. We all grouped up on the beach to make our way to Sandy Cape lighthouse. Which we stopped for morning tea at Ngkala Rocks due to a hold up by all the cars getting stuck on the track.
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| If you can't go through..... |
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| And you can't go around....... |
So we had to go over the rocks which was pretty cool while we were packing up from morning tea 2 locals drove there cars into the ocean to get around the rocks and they thought we were all crazy for going over the rocks then we started to make our way to the lighthouse.
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| You go over!!!! |
We all stopped and it was only Doug, Pete, Jaime and myself that went for a walk up to the top. When we got to the top there was a couple that had just got engaged at the lighthouse. We took some photos and had a little rest then we walked on back down as Pete went for a look around as we where waiting for Pete we decided to have lunch. Once we finished lunch we sat around waiting for Pete he took forever!!!
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| Lighthouse at Sandy Cape |
When Pete got back we hopped in the car and headed back. We stopped at Orchid Beach for an ice-cream and some others decided to stay for a beer. I hopped in to the Greens car and they took me to Champaign Pools, where Jaime and I went for a swim. John took us up to the ledge and we waited for the next wave to come and take us under. When the next wave came it took us and we almost drowned if it wasn't for John and David who saved us. We stayed in the pools for a little while longer hanging on to Pete when the waves came close to us. Then I hopped back in the car with the Greens and we headed back to camp.
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| Champagne Pools |
Jaime and I went straight to the showers to wash out all the salt water. We all set up our tables as we were having a Hawaiian long table night where we all had to get dressed up in Hawaiian clothes.
We all got our tea and sat down to eat, once we all finished we all removed our tables so we could play games we let Doug and Jeannie sit there a little longer cause it was their anniversary. Once we moved their table we set up for the games which where a hula hoop game a coconut game and a tug of war to finish it off. The adults had shots for prizes and kids got lollies we all had a good time and a good laugh. Everybody went back to the fire and went to bed at their own time.
Day 7 - Thursday 10th September
Today was a free day with everyone wandering off in different directions to explore the island.
Our fearless leaders left us for Waddy Point.
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| Waddy Point |
John & Robyn organised a drive to Kingfisher Bay, Mangrove Swamp, The Pinnacles, Red Canyon & Happy Valley. Gillian, Gwen, Peter, Tori, Andre, Katherine, Keith, Jiang & Scott decided to join the trip.
Cathedral Beach was another destination to be explored! Ian, Tracey, Bella, Jamie, Rob, Naomi, Peter, Karen & Wayne.
Darren, Allison, David and I decided to try surf fishing again! Unfortunately the weather was against us. After an hour or so we decided to head back to camp and enjoy the peace.
As the afternoon went by everyone started to arrive back. Bella had caught 2 whiting after a fishing stop on the way back to camp, which John cooked with Bella and Jamie’s help.
Day 8 - Friday 11th September
Friday was a full day which started off with a drive down south towards Dilli Village, where we set out for Lake Boomanjin (the world’s largest perched lake) and Lake Birrabeen before heading to Central Station’s Wanggoolba Creek and Rainforest.
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| Boardwalk at Central Station |
Massive trees with stags growing all the way up their trunks, dense rainforest canopy and Relic Ferns were all on view as we walked the boardwalk circuit – very peaceful and a highlight of the trip for some of us.
Onwards from there we headed to Lake McKenzie which was stunning – crystal clear blue water with white sandy beach – most of us couldn’t resist wading a little, but Scotty had a ball swimming, and Jamie and Bella both dragged each other in.
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| Lake McKenzie |
From here the group split into two for a little bit with John and Robyn, Andre and Kathy, Keith and Jiang (and Scotty!), Pete, Tori, Gill and Gwen heading to Eurong for a squiz, and Jeannie and Doug, Ian and Tracey, Rob and Naomi, Pete and Karen, Wayne, Allison, Darren and Jamie all headed to Kingfisher Bay. At this point Dave and Sheree left the trip headed for the mainland.
We regrouped at the Lake Wabby Lookout, overlooking the Hammerstone Sandblow and Lake Wabby – the island’s deepest lake. The view was impressive, but we’d been spoilt by the rainforest and Lake McKenzie by this stage. So, from here we all headed back up the beach to camp. Wayne’s vehicle was playing up and he and Rob ended up doing an after dark dash back onto the beach to try to find Wayne’s phone which was thought lost after earlier stopping on the beach to check the engine, with no success… not to worry, it turned up the next morning under his floor mat!
Day 9 - Saturday 12th September
It was a morning of activity today. Some of the group (Gill and Gwen and Andre and Catherine) were packing up camp and starting the long journey back home and others were making preparations for leaving the next day. The weather was patchy - lovely sunshine, with sometimes the threat of showers, but the temperature was warm. The plan for today was to enjoy morning tea at the bakery at Eurong, the largest settlement on the island, before driving inland to visit the Valley of the Giants.
Those who were ready early took off for the bakery and spent a lovely hour sitting in the sun or browsing the shops there, and the rest drove the hour down the beach to meet them later.
Access to the Valley of the Giants meant an hour or so of winding through the sandy inland tracks before slowly descending into the thick, dark rainforest in the centre of the island. The temperature dropped four degrees from the road to the forest floor.
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| Road to the Valley of the Giants |
It was an amazing place; a very narrow track that snaked its way under the canopy of the forest giants, tallow wood, satinay, kauri pine, brush box, some up to 1000 years old and towering up to 70m above our heads. It was comforting to know that, since Fraser Island was declared a world heritage area, they may well be there in another 1000 years although how those gigantic trees remain standing with their roots in only sand is a mystery.
Another hours’ drive out again through more open woodland brought us to Lake Garawongera for our lunch stop. This perched freshwater lake is not as touristy as some of the others here and was a nice place to stop.
From here it was a short drive back up the beach to camp where we settled in for our last night on the island and had a great fire with the last of our carefully rationed wood.
Day 10 - Sunday 13th September
Our last day arrived and there was lots of activity in camp in the morning as camps were packed up and vehicles crammed full again. The group was splitting today, and some were keen to get on the road early as they had a long way to go. Rob & Naomi, John & Robyn and the Sloans all took their chances and headed off to the barge early, risking the high tide. The rest of us had a more leisurely pack up before setting off to make the 80km journey down the beach. The tide was still high and travel was a mix of hard packed sand and soft stuff, depending on the obstacles.
Thankfully we didn’t have to wait long to get onto the barge and the crossing was quick.
Before we knew it, we were in Rainbow Beach queuing to take advantage of the under-body wash facilities there. We enjoyed a great lunch of fresh fish and chips in the park at Rainbown Beach before parting ways again - the Greens and Wayne heading the Brisbane (Wayne needed to get his alternator fixed), and the rest of us making our way back through Gympie and heading for the Glasshouse Mountains for the night.
We found an “interesting” place to camp for the night - a Cobb and Co museum which allows camping on it’s property. The caretaker had obviously enjoyed a few cold ones before we arrived, but the camp ground was pleasant and green, the scenery was stunning and we all enjoyed a good shower. Pete and Tori took off the for the night to visit near-by relatives, and the rest of us enjoyed a quiet night round the fire.
Day 11 - Monday 14th September
After an early start (thanks to the quarry noise coming from next door!!), our little group was on the road again, but getting smaller again as the Robinsons were taking off today to make for the Gold Coast. So Pete & Tori, the Nanks and us joined the traffic on the freeway and made our way around Brisbane, past the Gold Coast and into NSW, arriving at Byron Bay by late morning.
We spent about three hours in town, exploring the amazing array of shops, interesting eateries, taking in the great beach and the “different” people and making the trek up to Cape Byron and the lighthouse. The Fullards met up with us again and joined us at Byron where we ticked off the most easterly point of Australia.
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| Lighthouse at Cape Byron - the most easterly point on the mainland |
We left town and headed down the coast, through Ballina (ticked off the “Big Prawn”) and made our way to Lake Arragan campground in the Yuraygir National Park. Although the campground was busy, we managed to get a great spot; sheltered behind a little rise, but right on the edge of the beach. What a fabulous place. We had had a bit of a re-think about the itinerary, and decided to make the most of the great weather we were getting up north, and not head south for another couple of days, so we settled in to Yuraygir for a day or two.
Day 12 - Tuesday 15th September
It was a relaxed day today with very little done. The Fullards packed up and decided to head further south, but the rest of us decided to stay put and enjoy the great scenery and wonderful weather. After a slow start and leisurely breakfast, we thought we ought to get a bit of exercise and took the steps down to the beach and walked the 4.5km along to the little town of Brooms Head.
It certainly was a little town, with just a few holiday houses, a small caravan park and a shop that sells everything, including quite respectable coffee. So we stopped for a cuppa in the sun before making the walk home again to camp.
The afternoon was spent relaxing - some read, some slept, some went to explore nearby Lake Arragan and we were all pleased when the Greens arrived to join us after spending a couple of days in Brisbane. It was getting to be a pattern now, but we all enjoyed a great night around the fire before hitting the sack early.
Day 13 - Wednesday 16th September
It was hard but we decided to pack up and leave Yuraygir today. The weather forecast showed a change coming so we thought we’d try and outrun it and head further south. The Nanks were leaving us today to head south-west, making their way to be in Echuca by Friday, so they were up and on the road really early. The rest of us were ready to get on the road by 9am-ish.
We headed back through Maclean and through Grafton, heading down the coast to Coffs Harbour where we stopped for morning tea at the Big Banana.
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| Tori enjoying her banana split |
This was a special request from Tori, but secretly we all enjoyed the visit, having banana splits, banana bread, banana muffins and more for morning tea! After morning tea we headed down for a walk out onto the jetty.
The weather had taken a turn for the worst and we got showers on and off all morning, but managed to avoid the worst.
We got back on the road, heading south again, this time making for a campsite that Darren and Allie recommended near Macksville. But first there was a stop to be made at a tin shed at the side of the road near Nambucca Heads that sells the freshest, lovely Sydney Rock Oysters. The guys had orders for 200 dozen oysters for Sydney restaurants, but were kind enough to sell us a couple of dozen. So after a quick stop in Macksville for some supplies, we headed to camp. Again, it was busy, but we found a great spot. The first order of business was for all hands to run to a pile of firewood that had just been delivered, and join in the other campers grabbing their share. It’s amazing to see a team in action - we were going to have a great fire that night!!!
We had a great afternoon in camp - we got the fishing rods out (and Allie was successful!) and Pete got his inflatable kayak out and took a ride up the river to explore the other bank. The evening was capped off with a serving of Oysters Kilpatrick, cooked to perfection and enjoyed by all the oyster lovers in front of that big fire!
Day 14 - Thursday 17th September
We were lucky to get packed up this morning just as the sky darkened and the rain clouds rolled in. It was a slow drive down through the huge project of the Pacific Hwy duplication, but it didn’t hold us up too long. We pulled off the highway into the small, and largely unattractive town of Coopernook for morning tea before continuing. Just around Taree we were met with an amazing thunderstorm, complete with lightening and hail. It got so bad at one stage that we pulled off the road to wait for a while as we couldn’t see in front of ourselves.
Lunch was a pretty soggy affair. We stopped in a servo just off the highway and made the best of a shelter in the carpark. The Greens were trying to decide what to do - whether to cut their losses and head for friends in Canberra or whether to continue with us to the Hawksbury, to meet up again with the Fullards. The forecast looked promising so the decision was made - the Hawksbury and Patonga beach it was.
We pulled into the small council caravan park mid-afternoon, in the watery sunshine, and it was great to see Sheree and Dave waiting for us. There were a few rain showers while we were setting up, but nothing too drastic. And the locals had recommended the pub for a counter tea for our last night of our holiday together - so after much needed showers, we headed off for a great dinner. The rain came on again for our walk back to camp, but it’s amazing how comfortable you can be all squeezed under an awning.
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| The view from our campsite at Patonga |
Day 15 - Friday 18th September
Our last morning was another showery one, but we managed to get packed up reasonably dry and the Fullards, Pete and Tori and us left just after 8am as we faced a long drive ahead to get back to Melbourne. The Greens had a bit more time up their sleeve as they were only going as far as Canberra today, so their pack up was a bit slower. We said our farewells and headed for Sydney, with the agreement that we would probably get separated, so we’d meet at McDonalds in Goulburn for morning tea.
Who knew there were three Maccas in Goulburn?? But we eventually found each other at the one beside the Big Merino (yay - Tori got to tick off another “big thing”). Dave and Sheree had decided to head to relatives in Wangaratta that night, so the group was now down to 2 and Pete and Tori and us headed for Melbourne. We stopped for lunch in Tarcutta and then started on the last leg. Just north of Seymour we suddenly lost a front tyre and it was a scary moment trying to keep the car and camper on the road, but thankfully we managed. Pete helped Doug change the wheel and we were on the road again.
Pete and Tori took the road down through Seymour and Yea while we decided to head for the city so we said our goodbyes and took our separate roads. Not long before we reached the outskirts of the city we were passed by a familiar red GU as Wayne made his way home too. He’d spent some time in Brisbane before making his way home.
This is the end of our Fraser Island story. We had such a great time, and really hope that everyone who came along to share it with us did too. We spent so long looking forward to this trip, and before we knew it, the time was gone. So that only means one thing - we’ll have to think of somewhere to go next year.
