Day 1
As a ‘designated driver’, you start the day bright and early, getting to the Fraser Dingos’ depot before the rest of the group to be briefed on driving on the island. Then you get your first go in front of the wheel and you’re off! Time to collect the others and head off to the Island.
The ferry ride over was a little brisk (that’s what you get for going in winter I suppose!) but Fraser was upon us before we knew it. First on the agenda was seeing to our stomachs, but not without an exciting drive along the sandy east coast of the island to reach our accommodation. The speed limit is higher here than inland, so we sped along the sand until we reached ‘Happy Valley’ — the resort/town where our dorms were.
We were met by two staff members who promptly whipped us up a tasty barbecue. Just what was needed! We sorted ourselves into dorms of three and four, having already had some good time to get to know the others in the group.
Eli Creek & SS Maheno
After lunch we were off again in our little pink convoy. Our destination was the beautiful Eli Creek, which flows surprisingly fast! Equipped with rubber tubes, we stripped down to our swimmers (‘bathers’ if you’re an Aussie!) and waded up the refreshing water, floating back down lazy river style. The sun was shining so it didn’t take long for us to dry off, and we were back in our 4x4s headed for the famous SS Maheno. Even with just half of the ship remaining, it’s an impressive sight!
Fully explored-out, it was time for us to head back to the dorms relax before dinner and bed. We all walked down to the beach to watch the sunset – which did not disappoint! We were even lucky enough to see four dingoes trotting past as the sun went down.
Day 2
Lake Garrawongera
No lie-ins today either! But it was definitely worth it to see the sun rising on the beach just a short walk away. The accommodation is perfectly placed for the best view. With another action-packed day ahead of us, we fueled up on our ‘continental’ breakfast and set out for Lake Garrawongera. The inland tracks were great fun to drive on, complete with its bumps and dips, and soon we were at the Lake. Our very knowledgeable guide took us on a bush walk where we learned heaps about the landscape, bush, and bush-tucker! Then, those who were brave enough for the slightly chilly temperatures took a dip in the tea-tree water of the lake.
Lake Mackenzie
We headed back to Happy Valley for an early lunch, and once the tide was right for us to carry on along the beach off we went! The long awaited Lake Mackenzie was last on our trip agenda, so we cruised along the beach and tracks until the crystal clear blue waters were upon us. Safe to say it was beautiful! The sunshine hadn’t abandoned us, so we all jumped in and dried off in the sun on the white sandy shore of the lake.
Homeward Bound
There’s a definite magic to K’Gari, as even the ferry ride back to Hervey Bay was accompanied by the most beautiful sunset. The Aboriginals named it ‘K’gari’, meaning ‘paradise’… and they weren’t wrong! Eyes drooping, it was the perfect view to end the trip.
We chose Fraser Dingos because we wanted the driving adventure, so if you’re looking for self-driving instead of a bus these guys did it brilliantly! 👏🏽
Extra Tips:
– Bring layers! It can get pretty chilly in the evening so you’ll want to wrap up warm.
– If you have a portable speaker they’re great for listening to music in the cars (they don’t have radios or Bluetooth)